Through a Different Lens...
2/29/2020
Students were able to explore the idea of community through a variety of lenses in the past two weeks. The opportunity to be exposed to a topic in diverse ways enables students to think more deeply about what they are learning and provides background knowledge to build connections to as they take in new information. Students have been working on a project in which they are mayor of a paper city. They have a budget in which to build their city, and make choices about what types of establishments they want to include while working with a few constraints. There has been some interesting conversations in which students explore what a community really is - a group of people who share something in common or are connected in some way. They've reflected on what they know about the community of Anchorage and what causes a community to be successful. For example, where do the members of the community get their food from? What happens if there is a sickness? Once the cities are set up, we play a simulation in which "life" cards are drawn randomly and we see how it affects their community. For example, they might pull a card in which they have to pay taxes on their land or they might pull a card that gives them an award for having the best neighborhood. Natural events can also occur, including floods and earthquakes. Another card might have a fire at the grocery store, but if they chose to build a fire department in their town, they can put the fire out. They are really seeing the connection between community members and places and how certain choices can have a ripple effect. They also reflected on community in a different context by helping out as "vets" for the kindergarteners as they raced in the Iditarod. They then made sure to cheer at the finish line, giving the mushers encouragement and support in the form of handmade signs and kind, positive words. They also participated in the annual Science Party event where they were able to interact with a diverse group of community members and science organizations from around Anchorage. The variety of activities around the topic of community are part of an ongoing effort to not only teach content to students, but to also provide opportunities to see ideas and thoughts in action.
Comments are closed.
|
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
March 2021
Categories |