Endangered Species
9/7/2019
We started our first PBL unit of the year! In Project Based Learning, students work on a project over an extended period of time that engages them in solving a real-world issue or a complex question. As they tackle a meaningful project, they practice critical thinking skills while learning key third grade science and social studies standards. Over the next several weeks, we will be exploring the question “How do we protect the endangered species in our area?” Throughout this unit, we will be going through the inquiry cycle in order to end with taking action in the form of a public product. Before our class can answer our big driving question, we needed to brainstorm smaller questions that we decided to research first. We then organized these questions in the order we thought we should research them. These questions were…..
An endangered species in Alaska that you can observe in our area (especially during the next few months) is the Cook Inlet beluga whale. To learn more about this species, students spent time exploring inquiry centers. These centers involved reading articles, watching live beluga cams, listening to short video clips, and measuring the length of one on the floor. Later students made posters of their learning. We are excited to learn about the habitats, life cycles, and adaptations of other endangered species in our area next week. Why does Project Based Learning work at PNA? This type of learning triggers curiosity. Students have an active role in the planning, learning, and even the outcome of the unit. As they work through a PBL unit, they learn how to take initiative and how their voice matters.
We are looking forward to another week of investigating! Comments are closed.
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Jessica GrahamMs. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, and is currently working on her master's in reading. She enjoys hiking, traveling, arts & crafts, and playing the ukulele. Archives
April 2021
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