Creature Creators
10/24/2020
Project-based learning, (PBL) a learning method that we strive for at PNA, is a way of thinking about school that moves us beyond traditional schooling routines and structures. One key aspect of PBL is the goal of “authenticity.” Working to make learning relevant and engaging, we try to have students show their learning and skills in ways that are authentic: more about doing than knowing. The experts at PBL Works define it in this way: "When people say something is authentic, they generally mean it is real or genuine, not fake. In education, the concept has to do with how “real-world” the learning or the task is. Authenticity increases student motivation and learning. A project can be authentic in several ways, often in combination. It can have an authentic context, such as when students solve problems like those faced by people in the world outside of school (e.g., entrepreneurs developing a business plan, engineers designing a bridge, or advisors to the President recommending policy). It can involve the use of real-world processes, tasks and tools, and performance standards, such as when students plan an experimental investigation or use digital editing software to produce videos approaching professional quality. It can have a real impact on others, such as when students address a need in their school or community (e.g., designing and building a school garden, improving a community park, helping local immigrants) or create something that will be used or experienced by others. Finally, a project can have personal authenticity when it speaks to students’ own concerns, interests, cultures, identities, and issues in their lives." This past week we began a final project to close out our science unit on animal adaptations. Capitalizing on students’ imaginations and fascination with fantasy and science fiction books, movies, and games, the project invites them to become creature creators, a real-life career. Our Driving Question: How can we, as creature designers, create a creature for a science fiction movie that will seem realistic?" After learning a little bit about the process that a creature creator uses (see this link for a little peek and to understand how these artists must use real life science knowledge,) here’s what students were invited to do: You have been hired as a creature designer for the next Hollywood blockbuster movie! The movie involves visiting many different fantasy environments. The movie director wants you to create a realistic animal or plant for the scenes on one of these planets during the movie. You have been asked to learn about the fantasy planets, learn about one planet's environment and habitat, and use your knowledge of animals' and plants' internal and external structures and adaptations to create a creature that could survive in the planet's ecosystem. You will need to make your imaginary creature realistic so that movie goers will be able to imagine that the planet is real. Use all the knowledge you have been gathering about animals' and plants' structures. Once you have created a scientific diagram and and a model your organism, you will deliver a presentation that explains your design and convinces the director that your creature should be built for the movie. Using what they have learned in science class about how animals’ internal and external structures help them grow, survive, and reproduce, students sketched creatures for their chosen habitats, thinking carefully about the environment and what their creatures would need to survive and thrive. They began building 3-D models of their creatures, a process that was challenging and engaging. Designs were adapted and re-thought, construction challenges were handled, and creativity reigned. Things did get a little messy! Next week students will finalize their models and scientific diagrams and prepare to pitch their creations to the teacher/director. Though we may not be creating an actual movie, applying scientific knowledge and being creative problem-solvers are very real processes these young learners will be called on to do in any of their chosen life paths. They are well on their way! The Power of Zooming Out
10/10/2020
Although school schedules and structures often require us to divide our learning activities into specific subjects, in reality those divisions are less clear cut and rigid. Even in the world of careers, a scientist must consider the connections and impact of geography and economics, of history and civics. Skills and knowledge of math and language arts come to play across all of content areas and real life work. Students who understand how interconnected all learning is, who can “zoom out” in their thinking, are better able to be creative problem solvers. Exceptional learners are challenged to look for connections across subject areas and learning activities: to see a bigger picture and to wrestle with abstract concepts. A common topic wove its way into our learning this week: scale and powers of ten. In math we began our second unit by diving into our understanding of ten: what happens when we multiply by ten? And again by ten? And again? How do numbers change when we continually increase them tenfold? And how can we conceptualize large numbers? Students reached back to their early learnings about place value, using place value tiles to represent 1 (a unit), 10 (a strip), and 100 (a mat.) Then we used the mat, an array of 10 by 10 units, to construct a strip-mat: 1000. And then a mat-mat: 10,000. Physically building these models helps students to make a very abstract thing more concrete and real. This model will be hanging in our classroom for the next weeks as a visual aid in understanding the process of multiplying by 2-digit numbers. How then did the “power of ten” show up elsewhere in our learning day? Well, we are digging deeper into geography, and especially the geography of the United States. Again, some big ideas and varying terms that are somewhat abstract somehow needed to be made concrete and applicable. What is the difference between a continent, a country, a state, and a city? How are they related in size and function? This can be really challenging for young learners to sort out. So we watched an old film that “zooms” our view of a picnic on the grass from one square meter all the way out to millions of meters, watching how our view changes with each power of ten. Then we created a paper model to help situate ourselves on the map: from our home or school out to the solar system. This model can help students to sort out the differences between all the geography terms they are learning, and to more clearly understand the maps they are studying. We saw other point of connection between our science studies and the fantasy/science fiction book we are reading in ELA: Gregor the Overlander. Gregor, an 11 year old boy, finds himself below the Earth’s surface in an Underland populated with people and animals who have adapted to living with very light. How easy it was to connect our learning in science about how the eye works, what role light plays, and how animals’ body structures are adopted for survival! Though we may organize our day and our resources around individual subjects, learning in our fourth grade classroom is always an opportunity to see how all of our skills and knowledge in those subjects come together to build bigger understandings. Listen closely to your child’s conversations to see these connections being made. It's where the learning happens! |
Martina HenkeMartina Henke has been a K-8 educator for 30+ years. A life-long learner, she loves working with kids of all ages, new technology, great books, fiber arts, and her wonderful family! Archives
April 2021
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