Authentic Audience...
12/6/2019
As I continue my life-long journey as a teacher, I am always looking to improve my practice. These past couple of years, my newest learning has been in the area of PBL. Though most of the elements of PBL have been a part of my practice throughout the years, it’s a new challenge to bring those components together intentionally and cohesively. Being a “Project Based Learning” classroom doesn’t mean that a full-blown project is always in full swing. It does, however, mean that I look for opportunities to implement the essential elements of gold standard PBL wherever and whenever I can. These research-informed essential elements have proven to be key components of engaging, challenging, enjoyable learning. One of those elements is an authentic audience, also called public product. Authentic audiences connect student work to the real world, provide buy-in for students, and show students that their work and learning experiences are worthy of attention. We teachers often look for ways to make student work more public, because writing or creating or learning just for the teacher’s eyes isn’t really very motivating at all. Knowing that the work we do will be enjoyed by someone else changes the process in a compelling way. As I reflect on the past few weeks, authentic audience has been popping up everywhere I look. This week we received some copies of the PNA holiday card. The delight in the fifth graders eyes and their excited exclamations were hard to miss; they themselves had created the artwork that will be sent to friends and family of PNA this holiday season. How exciting to know that your art work will warm so many people’s hearts! Additionally, this week students participated in several rehearsals with Mr. Bissell, our music teacher. Many weeks of hard work and practice learning instruments culminated in a delightful Winter Concert, where family and friends and classmates enjoyed beautiful music. Learning was made public in the best possible way! In their study of the American Revolution, the hard work of reading informational texts, taking notes, and drafting their own informational texts will also result in an audience. During reading and writing workshop this week, one student asked, “Are we going to publish these books we are writing?” The answer was, “Of course!” What good is writing with no one to read it? As we journey throughout this fifth grade year, it is my hope that the activities and projects we work on somehow connect to larger purposes, an authentic audience, and opportunities to celebrate growth! Inquiring Minds Want to Know
11/16/2019
Our social studies standards are ambitious; built around the National Council for the Social Studies C3 Frameworks, they include standards for content and skills, but also standards for developing questions, planning inquiry, evaluating sources, using evidence, communicating conclusions, and taking informed action. The C3 framework states that there are four major disciplines in social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history—and that links to all four disciplines should be found in all social studies courses. There are six guiding principles of the C3 framework:
Inquiry is indeed at the heart of social studies instruction - of all instruction. When the goal is to develop students who are independent thinkers and exceptional learners, the best place to begin is with their natural curiosity and sense of wonder. When inquiry is at the heart of instruction, we support students in: -living a life full of curiosity -exploring ideas and issues that connect with the own interests and the wider world -tackling big ideas, essential questions, and deep understandings as they read, write, and research -reading and responding flexibly and with a critical stance -thinking creatively and sharing new learning in creative ways -engaging in collaborative learning and action. Our class is knee deep in our American Revolution inquiry this month. Students are challenged to become experts on this topic in reading workshop, so they can share their knowledge with others during writing workshop. Students are developing questions, reading fiction and non-fiction texts of all kinds, and discussing their reading understanding and connections to events and ideas that formed the core of our nation’s beginning. They are connecting their growing knowledge of US geography with the historical events of this exciting time in US history. Atlases, videos, primary sources, historical novels - all these are rich content pushing the inquiry forward. Students are asking important questions and viewing the events from multiple perspectives. History, geography, economics, and civics all take center stage as students learn about boycotts, legislative bodies, taxes, and key historical events. Each question leads to another as they wrestle with the thorny, multi-faceted, messy realities of history. Why was it called the “Boston Massacre?” Was it a massacre? Why did Parliament impose the Intolerable Acts? In 1776, what was it like to be a Loyalist? A Patriot? A slave? A woman? A Native American? A merchant? A soldier? How did thirteen very different and independent colonies come together as one united entity? How does one define “liberty,” and for whom?" Inquiring minds want to know. Resources: Our 5th grade social studies standards: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BdXbNBidIF6bQOydKwZCl3oQTDrUW2wk65U67AghoLs/edit?usp=sharing Study Stars
11/3/2019
After two weeks of unusual school scheduling, it was important for us to settle back into familiar instructional routines, especially as we approached the excitement of Halloween! Our class readily embraced the work of digging into studies of colonial America, reading a slightly spooky tale about “zombies,” and continuing our study of character and theme in “The Tiger Rising.” We practiced keyboarding and cursive, studied US geography and map skills, and worked on grammar and punctuation. We also had some fun with a little Halloween inspired art project, creating crazy “cursive critters.”
How do we work through these various activities when students work at different paces and have different strengths and needs? An instructional routine/structure that builds independence and responsibility while differentiating for students’ needs that I’ve used in my classroom for many years is Study Stars. My goal is to build independence and a solid work ethic while allowing students to work at a pace that works for each individual. Here’s how it works: Study Stars is basically a listing of assignments, activities, and possibilities for student work. Some items are required, some items are optional. Each day the items are placed in order based on due date, instructional need, student interest, and variation of learning experience. Some items in the list must be completed in a particular order; others can be completed in any order. The goal is to help students prioritize their work schedule for the time they have available, to support them in meeting due dates, to allow students to work at the pace that’s appropriate for them, and to allow voice and choice in learning. While students work independently or even in partners, I am able to confer with individuals or small groups. In any school setting, each day's schedule varies greatly. So on some days we have a long Study Stars time; on other days, we have little or no Study Stars time. But the structure is always there, predictable, adaptable, and flexible, providing the opportunity for each student to shine. Lunch and Learn
10/27/2019
Science concepts can seem easy to teach and to learn, especially with the many videos, simulations, and resources at our fingertips these days. But all of us can voice facts but not truly understand them. Students can read and discuss scientific phenomenon but not truly understand and apply a concept. That’s why hands-on activities are so crucial. Sometimes the activities might feel “easy,” and yet those activities cement understanding in very unique and critical way. After spending a full week talking about space, reading about space, and watching movies about space, we spent a bit of time during our Parent Lunch actually conducting a little model-building exercise to extend and deepen understanding of some critical science concepts. The Next Generation Science Standards call for important core “content” to be taught, but also focus on more “processes and practices” and “cross-cutting concepts” to be understood. For example, in Earth science, a disciplinary core idea for students to learn is: ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System: The orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year. The standards also call, however, for students to engage in critical thinking and practices that are also expected in other content areas, such as:
Many students in grade 5 can talk about the core ideas of the orbits, day length, and shadows, since they have been told about them from the time they were very young. They’ve read about them, seen pictures of sun dials, experienced the effects daily. But creating a sun dial; monitoring weekly changes in the length of our days and nights and graphing that data; watching shadow phenomena and making conjectures about them: these are the activities that make learning real, and these activities can reveal misconceptions and partial understandings. From there, we can build more activities and experiences to correct those misconceptions. Parents: thank you for joining us at lunch on Wednesday and helping to build and test our sun clocks! We had a lovely time together, and your contributions to our science lesson were much appreciated! We will continue to explore natural phenomena to deepen understanding of our world, because it is more critical than ever. Thank you for all you do help along the way! A Question of Curiosity...
10/19/2019
Curiosity. Some may say “it killed the cat,” but curiosity drives innovation, problem solving, discovery, and success. Though we certainly want to teach students important skills and knowledge, curiosity is what keeps them learning and growing long after they leave the classroom. Curiosity drives the development of questions, and questions lead the learner on the quest. Our school was a treasure trove of curiosity this week. Questions ruled the day, and it was exciting to see our students develop questions, seek answers, try out solutions, and then ask new questions. We put our regular schedules on hold and spent every day this week engaged in dozens of Space Week activities with an astronaut, a NASA engineer, passionate space enthusiasts, parents, and each other. We conducted science experiments on bone density and water surface tension and rocketry; we explored the solar system and our sun at the UAA Planetarium; we tried on NASA space helmets and gloves and held moon rocks; we built our own versions of International Space Stations; and we finalized our Saturn V and Apollo Missions museum project for its debut at the “Night at the Space Museum.” Students worked double time on this fantastic display that showed off their Lego collaboration, their art skills, and their research skills. It was a busy, busy week of curiosity. The questions our students asked throughout these experiences showed again and again that they are curious, thoughtful, and creative. There’s no limit to where they can go! Announcing...Our Latest Project!
10/6/2019
As we eased into autumn and October, our 5th grade routines and structures continued. Students spent time each day keyboarding to build typing speed and accuracy, and they practiced their cursive handwriting too. Reading workshop brought opportunities to examine character traits, and word study focused on building understanding of how we know how to spell verbs in the past tense. Do we double that ending consonant? Do we drop that silent e? But even as routines continued, our PBL project work also revved into gear. Our use of project based learning allows student the chance to experience hands-on, collaborative, real life activities that require them to build teamwork skills, meet deadlines, identify their own learning needs, and use their learning in new and unique ways. Authentic audiences and continuous reflection ensure that projects are authentic and effective. The 5th grade has decided to pursue the following driving question: “How can we, the 5th grade production team, create interesting, informative, and innovative Morning Announcements for our school?” Students were excited to pursue this project: they immediately identified the things they needed to know and the tasks they needed to complete. Project work time was focused and productive, and by the end of the week, scripts were prepared, a calendar for the coming months was developed, and everyone was ready for Monday’s first performance. Several practice runs and testing of the intercom system assured the team that they are ready! In addition to the Morning Announcements Project, the class also began working on a showcase project for the upcoming Space Week at PNA. This project will be in full work mode this coming week as the deadline for the “Night at the Space Museum” approaches. It’s all hands on deck in our classroom!! Science in the Field
9/28/2019
Science is often a favorite subject for students: it is, after all, the study of how our world works. Some of the earth science standards in grade 5 ask students to form answers to questions such as: "How much water can be found in different places on Earth? How does "matter" cycle through ecosystems? Where does the energy in food come from and what is it used for?” We work throughout the year to understand how Earth’s systems, the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, interact; to develop ideas about how plants get their energy for growth; and to understand what that means for Earth’s animals. We work on understanding patterns, cause and effect, and system interactions. And we study and develop skill in using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, communicating information, and engaging in argument from evidence. Teachers spend a great deal of time planning classroom experiences that will lead to these understandings, to growth, and to independence. We design learning activities, models, and labs. But there’s really nothing better than hands-on, “out of the classroom” experiences, so we were very fortunate to be a part of the pilot Anchorage Outdoor School session this week in beautiful Portage Valley. Students worked with scientists from various organizations in Alaska to conduct field studies and learn in the incredible natural environment of a glacier-filled valley. Students likely came home this Thursday talking about games, songs, sleeping in a museum, eating s’mores, performing skits, and skipping stones into Portage Lake. They probably talked about earning beads for their tree cookies, trying new foods that they may or may not have liked, making friendship bracelets and moose calls, playing in the rain, or hiking. But they may not have mentioned that they also learned critical science vocabulary; practiced their observational skills; took copious notes; examined aquatic life; created mental models for big science ideas; and formed hypotheses and conjectures about the natural world. They graphed data and made scientific sketches. And they probably didn’t tell you how much they benefited from being stretched out of their comfort zones. They worked with dozens of new people and slept in unfamiliar surroundings. They experienced some discomfort; they worked through challenges. They earned compliments from their field instructors for their intellectual curiosity and engagement. Our students truly lived the PNA mission this week: being independent; being exceptional learners; showing courage. A Sense of Place
9/21/2019
The primary focus of our social studies work this school year will be U.S. history. We will explore and learn about our country’s beginnings; come to understand foundational documents like the US Constitution; consider how our founding citizens' values and vision took a young country on its journey through its first 100 or so years; and build foundational knowledge for future US history studies. But this month, we began with geography. We all remember geography lessons: memorizing the states and their capitals; researching and writing state reports; taking map quizzes. Some might argue that, with the internet, studying geography is no longer necessary. If our Maps apps can tell us how to get anywhere we want to go, and if we can look up those facts about places in the blink of an eye, well… However, the study of geography is more important now than it ever was. In a world where instant news about our city, state, country, and world is at our fingertips, and where we are more connected with each other than at any time in history, it is critical that our students understand geography. Geographers question why things are the way they are. They question how and why Earth’s places are shaped as they are, how they impact our interactions with each other, and why places are always changing. Understanding geography helps students to make sense of their world and positions them to ask deeper questions about what they are learning and their role in building their futures. One cannot understand history without understanding geography. And so, we’ve begun with geography. We’ve begun by building some common understanding about geographical features through the creation of our own maps of imaginary lands. Creating a map really makes a learner think hard: what exactly is a strait? What is the difference between a bay, an inlet, a gulf, and a sound!? Does my isthmus have to be in this spot? Why can't my city take up two thirds of my country's map? Where should I place cities on my map? Is there a reason cities are in certain places? Why are some borders straight and others all squiggly? Students examined maps of real places and used their learning to inform their work. They were creative and engaged, and they asked such excellent questions. As we finish these maps, we’ll really dig into the geography of the US. We’ll continue that inquiry all year alongside our history studies, building deeper knowledge about our wonderfully diverse states. They’ll probably practice map skills, learn some state capitals, and even learn to draw the US. And they’ll learn so much more, these young geographers. We invite you to join the journey! The Gift of Reading
9/14/2019
I am a reader, a precious gift I received from my mom. Reading by her side from my earliest days, I learned from her that books transport you instantly across the world and time and space. I learned that I could have hundreds of friends who taught me all about life and who made me laugh, cry, and see myself in new ways. I learned to reread old favorites, search out new genres and authors, race to get to the end or slow down to savor rich language and complex characters. I developed a love for non-fiction as well, using books to teach me about any topic that caught my fancy. Reading was our shared love that we could count on even when we were miles apart; a gift that continues to give me joy every day. And as a teacher, I’m thrilled to be able to work with students to bring them this gift as well. Research and experience continually affirm this important truth: the more students read, the more they succeed. Reading regularly, for pleasure and to learn, is positively correlated with most of the metrics for success we know: mature and varied vocabulary; writing skill; content and cultural knowledge; moral compass; perseverance and “grit;” college and career readiness; even success on standardized tests. (See the infographic image and PDF below.) Reading literature of all kinds has even deeper benefits than these for our maturing students: by entering a character’s world they practice facing difficult situations and challenges and can begin to safely work out for themselves who they are and how they would respond. Moral dilemmas and conundrums; tough relationships with friends and family; the highs and lows of childhood; all these crop up on every page. As our students read daily, respond creatively and thoughtfully, and discuss their reading with each other, they sort out their own feelings and ideas and take those steps closer to independence. We spent these past weeks establishing Reading Workshop routines so students read widely and deeply, experiencing all that reading has to offer. We emphasized students taking time each day to read novels: building stamina, fluency, and vocabulary as they read ever more complex literature. In addition to reading in class, students are expected to read novels outside of class for 20-30 minutes daily. This might happen right after school; in the car on the way to practice; at night before going to sleep; or even in the morning during breakfast. Sometimes their homework asks them to spend 10 minutes or so writing about their reading in their Reader’ Notebook to explore an idea that came up as they read. The Reader’s Notebook is a place to record the thinking that they want to remember, the ideas that are developing, the questions they are having. The thinking that is recorded there forms a foundation for literary analysis and book discussions. Students also routinely keep records of their reading: how much they’ve read and which books they’ve finished or abandoned, and which books they plan to read next. These records will help them form a picture of themselves as readers and to set goals for growth. Our first Reading Workshop unit is a “Interpreting Characters: the Heart of the Story.” Through class mini-lessons and on-the-spot practice in their own reading, we will explore characters: their many traits and how they propel a story forward; and the complexity of characters who can have admirable as well as not-so-admirable traits. We will continue this unit in the coming weeks. Our core text for this study is The Tiger Rising, a short but complex and moving story that focuses on several deep ideas: surviving grief and loss, bullying, standing up for oneself. We will, together, explore these ideas while building the intellectual stamina to dig deeper into books: to think while reading. Our class is filled with voracious readers, and I will enjoy the challenge of propelling their reading journey forward. It’s a gift that I firmly believe each person deserves to have. (And now I’m off...to read, of course!)
Water, Water Everywhere?
9/8/2019
As we gratefully enjoyed some much-needed rain during this Labor Day week, our fifth grade scientists began to consider our watery planet. Our first science unit of this year will focus on interactions within Earth’s various systems, and in particular, Earth’s hydrosphere. Students were introduced to the concept of a hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere and then began gathering important data to further their understanding of Earth. They began their yearlong collection of data about the length of days in Alaska, calculating elapsed time and graphing our hours of daylight on a giant graph that we will update weekly. Later in the week, more calculation and careful graphing of data led students to the conclusion that only about 1% of Earth’s water is actually fresh water that we can use for important functions such as eating and drinking! The figures were surprising to students; although Earth is 75% water, most of that water is salt water! Next week they’ll start to think about how Earth’s systems interact, and what impacts we humans have on them. We continued to build routines and learn the ropes of fifth grade this week, too. Students launched into our Reading Workshop unit on Interpreting Character, learning about expectations to think deeply about their reading. (They should be reading 20-40 minutes a day for homework whenever they can!) We began to learn about Word Study procedures and practiced some cursive. We talked geography and drafted a poem. And we closed our week with some fun reading and game playing with our 2nd grade buddies. It was a short week, but it was busy and productive…and fun. |
Elizabeth FerryMs. Ferry's experiences include teaching with the Peace Corps in Tanzania, teaching high school English in Maine, and this is her second year at PNA. She loves moose, outdoor activities, and being with her students. Archives
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