Flexibility is Key
3/31/2018
This week the second graders were running this way and that as they balanced a variety of different projects and expectations. Just another reason why teaching and learning at PNA is so great...we can work on projects authentically and prioritize our time to best meet our expectations. This is teaching students an important real life skill of how to best manage our time. Each year the second graders are excited and a little bit nervous as they realize that they will be the leads in the BG-2 grade play. A lot of hard work went into this year's performance of "The Little Prince" as the second graders worked together to overcome stage fright, costume mishaps and remembering that one pesky line. They did a great job and should be proud of themselves! Another project underway this week was working on our salmon mural. The students have been patiently creating their spawning salmon with the utmost attention to detail. Look for this finished project soon...hopefully by the end of next week! Test prep was also in full swing this week as second graders were preparing to take the ERBs. This type of classroom time is completely opposite with how we normally teach, so students practiced staying in their chairs, working quietly and independently and how to fill in all those bubbles. They are ready to do their very best next week!
Science Fair
3/25/2018
Two little words that strike fear into parents everywhere! In all seriousness though, science fairs can be amazing opportunities for students to practice important creativity, critical thinking and communication skills. The sky is the limit for students when it comes time to choose a project topic. They are also able to decide what type of project they want from the four categories of: experiment, demonstration, invention or research. Students can really delve into something that interests them and they are excited about. Students also get an authentic opportunity in practicing critical thinking. How am I going to create a display that really shows off my project? What do I need to give visual examples of what I've done? How do I make this display board stay standing on this table? And finally, what I love the best about the way we do our science fair. Students are "judged" by real professionals...engineers, scientists and others who have taken time out of their day to come and talk with the students. Not only do the participants need to be able to communicate with these judges about their project, they need to also be able to explain their project and answer questions to a diverse age group at the end of the day. This is when the entire school and parents drop by to see firsthand the efforts the students have put into their projects. Thank you for helping to make sure that all of the second graders had a project that they were proud of! A Sneak Peek...
3/3/2018
The 2nd and 3rd grades have joined forces for our new PBL project. Our driving question is "How can we create a mural for the Anchorage airport that will teach tourists about Alaska?" The kids were introduced to this project with a surprise field trip to the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery. There they were given a great tour and learned about the workings of the hatchery and some basics in fish anatomy and life cycle. Once we returned to school, the students got busy using their newfound salmon knowledge to create templates of the different types of salmon for our mural. In a PBL project, it is important to involve the experts and to provide students with real world experiences. So in addition to talking with Chuck Pratt at the fish hatchery, students were also able to spend some time with Jeremy and Nate from Carlile Trucking. The students were able to ask a lot of questions after viewing a fun powerpoint presentation about the role that Carlile plays in the shipping of salmon to the lower 48. The highlight of the visit was being able to investigate and explore one of the Carlile trucks. After break, the students will begin the process of actually creating the mural. They've already chosen a background scheme and which Alaskan salmon they each want to paint for the mural.
Look for updates on the second half of the project and information on the formal unveiling of our salmon mural at the airport coming soon! |
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
March 2021
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