Changing the World, One Project at a Time
10/23/2017
The zookeeper asked our sweet little ones to help the zoo by making a project that would teach others why certain animals can live in Alaska and others cannot. The project will be displayed and used in their classroom to help teach students why The Alaska Zoo doesn't have more traditional zoo animals, like zebras, giraffes, or elephants. He was met by silence, blank stares, and even a few nos. It was not the reaction I was expecting from my animal loving class. If I'm being honest, I was a little disappointed. I had been anxiously awaiting our zoo field trip because I thought our sweet little ones would be over the moon about helping the zoo. (And I was pretty over the moon about my class partnering with the zoo!) When we got back, we started unpacking their reaction. I asked them if they understood what had happened. "The Alaska Zoo just asked YOU to help them," I reiterated. Their response? "We can't help The Zoo! We're only in kindergarten!" And with those two exclamations, I understood their reaction at the zoo. And I also understood the power and importance of PBL in a deeper way than I had before. What better way to raise the next generation of world changers and difference makers than to show them that what they do, even right now as 5- and 6-year-olds, matters, makes an impact? That they can help an organization like the zoo, even if they are "only in kindergarten?" Sometimes that impact might happen through a partnership with the zoo or another spot in our local community. Other times, it might go no further than their family or our school. But with every project that extends beyond the walls of our classroom, they see that they can (and do!) make a difference out in the world. They see that what they do affects someone other than themselves. It is so empowering for students to see that they don't have to wait for "someday." They can make an impact right now, today, as a kindergartener. That's the beauty of PBL. Students are able to learn in an authentic context and in a way that matters, that makes a difference, that accomplishes something. Not only do they learn the content, but they see firsthand that they are part of something bigger than themselves or their classroom. They get to be part of something fun and amazing and meaningful. They make an impact. By the time they are adults, that mindset will be second nature. In this way, we are truly equipping even our youngest learners to go out into the world and make a positive difference. And not one of our students will question whether or not they can because they've been doing it all along.
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Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
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