AUTHENTICITY THROUGH PRODUCTS, EXPERTS AND FIELDWORK BRINGS LEARNING TO LIFE
HIGH QUALITY STUDENT WORK, INTRODUCTION WRITTEN BY--TO BE ADDED
THIS PAGE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED TO REFLECT HIGH-QUALITY STUDENT WORK FROM THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR.
THIS PAGE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED TO REFLECT HIGH-QUALITY STUDENT WORK FROM THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR.
CLAIM #1--Due to a schoolwide focus on authenticity in terms of real world product formats and connections to real-world issues and local audiences, students are producing work that matters to them and to the larger community.
THIRD GRADE EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Natalie Bundschu, 3rd grade teacher
Our third grade expedition, Rock This Earth!, focused on three guiding questions:
1) What is the importance of earth’s resources to humans? 2) How does human dependence on earth’s nonrenewable resources impact our environment? 3) How can we change our use of earth’s resources in order to conserve them?
During the expedition, students researched and explored rocks, minerals, soils, and fossils through the lens of conservation of resources. Each class studied an example of one type of resource from each category, learning what it is, how we use it in everyday products, how the extraction of this resource is damaging to the environment (pollution, habitat and ecosystem destruction, global warming, etc), when it is predicted to expire, and what to do in order to preserve this resource. Each class especially focused research on the effects of aluminum and gold. They learned that these materials have an impact on humans and that humans have an impact on them.
The purpose of our expedition was not only to cover necessary science content standards, but also to spark an interest in a real-world issue in each of the students: protecting the environment. After students learned the necessary content knowledge, students closely read an article titled Recycling Cell Phones, and focused their attention on the impact of extracting the natural materials, specifically rare earth metals. Their previous learning and this complex text set the stage for motivating the students to care about human impact on the environment and for generating the desire to take action, specifically related to making cell phones. An expert from the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHARM) came to discuss what they learned from the text and its context within our community. The CHARM representative asked the students to reach out to the Decatur community and asked them to participate in a cell phone recycling drive. This set the stage for the students to take a role in getting the larger community to also care about human impact and take action.
They first wrote an opinion essay sharing their research and thoughts about the impact of cell phones on the environment; then, they used this essay to create a pamphlet to share with the Decatur community. As a call to action, the students asked the community to donate their old cell phones for recycling on a specific date at Clairemont and other local businesses. Our celebration of learning took place at the Decatur Square at lunchtime, during which the students set up information booths and spoke to locals about their new knowledge. They passed out their pamphlets and asked people in the community to participate in the recycling drive.
Our third grade expedition, Rock This Earth!, focused on three guiding questions:
1) What is the importance of earth’s resources to humans? 2) How does human dependence on earth’s nonrenewable resources impact our environment? 3) How can we change our use of earth’s resources in order to conserve them?
During the expedition, students researched and explored rocks, minerals, soils, and fossils through the lens of conservation of resources. Each class studied an example of one type of resource from each category, learning what it is, how we use it in everyday products, how the extraction of this resource is damaging to the environment (pollution, habitat and ecosystem destruction, global warming, etc), when it is predicted to expire, and what to do in order to preserve this resource. Each class especially focused research on the effects of aluminum and gold. They learned that these materials have an impact on humans and that humans have an impact on them.
The purpose of our expedition was not only to cover necessary science content standards, but also to spark an interest in a real-world issue in each of the students: protecting the environment. After students learned the necessary content knowledge, students closely read an article titled Recycling Cell Phones, and focused their attention on the impact of extracting the natural materials, specifically rare earth metals. Their previous learning and this complex text set the stage for motivating the students to care about human impact on the environment and for generating the desire to take action, specifically related to making cell phones. An expert from the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHARM) came to discuss what they learned from the text and its context within our community. The CHARM representative asked the students to reach out to the Decatur community and asked them to participate in a cell phone recycling drive. This set the stage for the students to take a role in getting the larger community to also care about human impact and take action.
They first wrote an opinion essay sharing their research and thoughts about the impact of cell phones on the environment; then, they used this essay to create a pamphlet to share with the Decatur community. As a call to action, the students asked the community to donate their old cell phones for recycling on a specific date at Clairemont and other local businesses. Our celebration of learning took place at the Decatur Square at lunchtime, during which the students set up information booths and spoke to locals about their new knowledge. They passed out their pamphlets and asked people in the community to participate in the recycling drive.
SECOND GRADE EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Clairemont Second Grade Team
Our first step in inspiring authenticity was to excite the children about our expedition by introducing them to local experts. First we invited Ms. Portia Langley from the City of Decatur Ebster Recreation Center to come and speak about the history of the complex she oversees. Children learned that the recently remodeled recreation center that they frequent was formerly an all black school, Trinity High. In 1968, Trinity High and Decatur High were integrated due to new laws. Ms. Langley challenged our students to learn more about issues surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and the history of their town. She asked the students to devise a way to efficiently share the online ‘e-books’ they would write, with the many visitors to the recreation center. Our real world product of an e-book was chosen because of the digital world that we live in. We wanted to allow our students to use digital literacy to connect with others on a broad span. These e-books can be seen not only by our school or community but by anyone in the world. Education is moving toward more online interactions and we want our students to be well-equipped and fluent with online programs. Therefore, we guided our students to create an authentic, real world product that would build upon local history such as that of Ebster Recreation center.
After piquing the students interest, we delved into numerous texts on Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Jackie Robinson, most of whom are part of our social studies curriculum. As children learned about these individuals’ struggles, they wrote narrative nonfiction e-books about the activists’ journeys using the online website Bookemon. Students learned not only how to add photos to make their writing stronger, but also became familiar with copyright laws and how and why we need to appropriately reference photos and quotes.http://www.bookemon.com/book_read_flip.php?book_id=605840&check=793e29bce89ab2279301710243dc5621
Lastly, students wanted to share the knowledge that they had learned about the Civil Rights Activist with their community. In order to best share all of the students e-books with the Decatur community, QR codes were made that linked directly back to each student’s ebook. These QR codes were put on rings and presented to Ms. Portia Langley at the Ebster Recreation Center. These QR codes are now accessible to all who visit. The children feel extremely proud of the product that they created and shared with their community. Students were moved to recognize injustices they see in today’s world and were hopefully inspired to create their own change in the future.
Our first step in inspiring authenticity was to excite the children about our expedition by introducing them to local experts. First we invited Ms. Portia Langley from the City of Decatur Ebster Recreation Center to come and speak about the history of the complex she oversees. Children learned that the recently remodeled recreation center that they frequent was formerly an all black school, Trinity High. In 1968, Trinity High and Decatur High were integrated due to new laws. Ms. Langley challenged our students to learn more about issues surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and the history of their town. She asked the students to devise a way to efficiently share the online ‘e-books’ they would write, with the many visitors to the recreation center. Our real world product of an e-book was chosen because of the digital world that we live in. We wanted to allow our students to use digital literacy to connect with others on a broad span. These e-books can be seen not only by our school or community but by anyone in the world. Education is moving toward more online interactions and we want our students to be well-equipped and fluent with online programs. Therefore, we guided our students to create an authentic, real world product that would build upon local history such as that of Ebster Recreation center.
After piquing the students interest, we delved into numerous texts on Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Jackie Robinson, most of whom are part of our social studies curriculum. As children learned about these individuals’ struggles, they wrote narrative nonfiction e-books about the activists’ journeys using the online website Bookemon. Students learned not only how to add photos to make their writing stronger, but also became familiar with copyright laws and how and why we need to appropriately reference photos and quotes.http://www.bookemon.com/book_read_flip.php?book_id=605840&check=793e29bce89ab2279301710243dc5621
Lastly, students wanted to share the knowledge that they had learned about the Civil Rights Activist with their community. In order to best share all of the students e-books with the Decatur community, QR codes were made that linked directly back to each student’s ebook. These QR codes were put on rings and presented to Ms. Portia Langley at the Ebster Recreation Center. These QR codes are now accessible to all who visit. The children feel extremely proud of the product that they created and shared with their community. Students were moved to recognize injustices they see in today’s world and were hopefully inspired to create their own change in the future.
FIRST GRADE EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Clairemont First Grade Team
In their Fall expedition, “Growing a Happy and Healthy Me”, First Graders learned about what it takes to be a happy and healthy child. Using the following Guiding Questions, students investigated, experienced, and wrote about a variety of components affecting their overall health:
For the nutrition piece, students used http://www.choosemyplate.gov as a model to learn how to fill half of their plates with fruits and vegetables. Children learned to eat a “rainbow” of nourishing foods, and how eating a diverse diet provides them with many health benefits. Exercise was also a major component of the expedition, and students learned about the benefits of regular activity both in their Physical Education class and through expert visits. Finally, stress management and the mind-body connection was a vital part of their work. Our school counselor teamed up with the students and taught lessons on safety and stress-relief. Students also came up with their own ideas for managing stress in their lives.
As their final product, first graders created a website www.clairemontfirstgrade.weebly.com that is available to the entire Decatur community, as well as anyone searching for ideas on overall health and wellness. The website is a culmination of the research and work the students did over the course of the expedition. The intent for the website is for students to teach others about the importance of being happy and healthy both mentally and physically and how others can empower themselves to be happy and healthy. On the website you will find information about ways to grow a happy and healthy person. One section discusses the importance of eating a balanced meal. The students showed their learning about the different food groups and gave examples of foods in each group. The next section focuses on exercises that you can do anywhere. The students wrote about the importance of exercising and how to perform several exercises. The final section is about having a healthy mind. Students shared examples of strategies they can use to stay calm when they get upset or when things are difficult for them.
In their Fall expedition, “Growing a Happy and Healthy Me”, First Graders learned about what it takes to be a happy and healthy child. Using the following Guiding Questions, students investigated, experienced, and wrote about a variety of components affecting their overall health:
- What does it mean to be healthy?
- How do my choices impact my body and how I feel?
- How can my actions impact my community?
For the nutrition piece, students used http://www.choosemyplate.gov as a model to learn how to fill half of their plates with fruits and vegetables. Children learned to eat a “rainbow” of nourishing foods, and how eating a diverse diet provides them with many health benefits. Exercise was also a major component of the expedition, and students learned about the benefits of regular activity both in their Physical Education class and through expert visits. Finally, stress management and the mind-body connection was a vital part of their work. Our school counselor teamed up with the students and taught lessons on safety and stress-relief. Students also came up with their own ideas for managing stress in their lives.
As their final product, first graders created a website www.clairemontfirstgrade.weebly.com that is available to the entire Decatur community, as well as anyone searching for ideas on overall health and wellness. The website is a culmination of the research and work the students did over the course of the expedition. The intent for the website is for students to teach others about the importance of being happy and healthy both mentally and physically and how others can empower themselves to be happy and healthy. On the website you will find information about ways to grow a happy and healthy person. One section discusses the importance of eating a balanced meal. The students showed their learning about the different food groups and gave examples of foods in each group. The next section focuses on exercises that you can do anywhere. The students wrote about the importance of exercising and how to perform several exercises. The final section is about having a healthy mind. Students shared examples of strategies they can use to stay calm when they get upset or when things are difficult for them.
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KINDERGARTEN EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Clairemont Kindergarten Team
The spring kindergarten expedition was titled Kinder Loving Care. Our guiding questions were: What do animals need to be safe and healthy and how can the Decatur community take care of its animals? The students studied what animals need to survive by the supported reading and independent reading of complex texts, expert visits, field studies, and the care of classroom pets. The pets were: rabbits, butterflies and crayfish, representing different animal families. A zoologist visited the students giving the students close observations and new information of live animals from many animal families. Informational text, videos, Internet searches, and shared knowledge provided their deep learning. Through their fieldwork and their knowledge of what animals need to be safe and healthy, they identified a problem of pollution at a local park. Using the writing workshop structure, students wrote and revised many drafts of persuasive letters stating the problem of pollution with individual possible solutions. Some examples of the solutions were: adding more trash and recycle bins, putting up signs demanding DO NOT LITTER, have community meetings to address the problem, and hiring additional employees. The letters were addressed to a city parks official asking for changes in the city’s care of our local parks. |
CLAIM #2 -- Due to a schoolwide focus on students using fieldwork to conduct genuine research, and the purposeful incorporation of experts into Expedition plans, students are producing work that reflects multiple perspectives, connects to big concepts within disciplines, and matters to students and the larger community.
THIRD GRADE EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Clairemont Third Grade Team
A dimension of Expeditionary Learning core practices is curriculum that makes standards come alive for students through the use of experts and fieldwork to expose students to real-world applications of their learning. In our 3rd Grade expedition “Rock This Earth” experts and field studies were used to empower students to assume the roles of environmental activists to educate the City of Decatur about the importance of recycling cell phones.
This expedition explored the science standards related to rocks, minerals, fossils, soils, pollution, and the environment through the lens of environmentalism. The three investigations were led by the guiding questions, “What is the importance of Earth’s resources to humans?” “How does human dependence on Earth’s nonrenewable resources impact our environment?” and “How can we change our use of Earth’s resources in order to conserve them?” This expedition consisted of a sequence of leaning experiences that gave students the background knowledge to identify a real-world problem and to educate our local community about it. Experts and field studies were used throughout the expedition to bring the content to life.
To kickoff the expedition, students visited the Dahlonega Consolidated Gold Mine. This experience showed students how we depend on our Earth for valuable resources, including the gold used in cell phones. Experts at the mine explained how the methods for mining have evolved over time, what types of resources are valuable to humans, the environmental impact of mining, and what happens when non-renewable resources become scarce. Students collected rocks and minerals at the mine that were then tested and studied throughout the first investigation.
A Garden to Classroom Educator from The Wylde Center, a local community garden cooperative, led classes to teach students about different types of soil and soil erosion. Students used the scientific method to determine what types of soil we have on our school grounds and tested pH levels. Other experts from the Wylde Center, Ms. Ladybug and Farmer Brown, educated students through songs about how to protect soil from erosion and pollution.
A trip to the Tellus Science Museum allowed students to study different types of rocks, minerals, and fossils. This field study allowed students to make the connection between how valuable minerals from the Earth are mined and used in common everyday products such as cell phones.
The anchor text for the final investigation was “Recycled Cell Phones---A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals”. Students conducted a close read of this complex text and discussed the environmental and monetary waste created by mining all of the metals needed for cell phones. Students concluded that cell phones are not recycled enough and determined that they could have a positive impact on the environment and our community by educating the public about why, where, and when they should recycle their cell phones.
The final product was a brochure to educate our local community about the need to recycle cell phones. To this end, we coordinated with CHARM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) to organize a cell phone recycling drive at local businesses. Students spent a morning on the square in downtown Decatur passing out the brochures and talking to passersby. After the cell phone drive, the cell phones were handed over ro the CHARM representatives who took them to the recycling facility.
These experts and fieldwork provided students with opportunities that empowered them to educate others and take action.
A dimension of Expeditionary Learning core practices is curriculum that makes standards come alive for students through the use of experts and fieldwork to expose students to real-world applications of their learning. In our 3rd Grade expedition “Rock This Earth” experts and field studies were used to empower students to assume the roles of environmental activists to educate the City of Decatur about the importance of recycling cell phones.
This expedition explored the science standards related to rocks, minerals, fossils, soils, pollution, and the environment through the lens of environmentalism. The three investigations were led by the guiding questions, “What is the importance of Earth’s resources to humans?” “How does human dependence on Earth’s nonrenewable resources impact our environment?” and “How can we change our use of Earth’s resources in order to conserve them?” This expedition consisted of a sequence of leaning experiences that gave students the background knowledge to identify a real-world problem and to educate our local community about it. Experts and field studies were used throughout the expedition to bring the content to life.
To kickoff the expedition, students visited the Dahlonega Consolidated Gold Mine. This experience showed students how we depend on our Earth for valuable resources, including the gold used in cell phones. Experts at the mine explained how the methods for mining have evolved over time, what types of resources are valuable to humans, the environmental impact of mining, and what happens when non-renewable resources become scarce. Students collected rocks and minerals at the mine that were then tested and studied throughout the first investigation.
A Garden to Classroom Educator from The Wylde Center, a local community garden cooperative, led classes to teach students about different types of soil and soil erosion. Students used the scientific method to determine what types of soil we have on our school grounds and tested pH levels. Other experts from the Wylde Center, Ms. Ladybug and Farmer Brown, educated students through songs about how to protect soil from erosion and pollution.
A trip to the Tellus Science Museum allowed students to study different types of rocks, minerals, and fossils. This field study allowed students to make the connection between how valuable minerals from the Earth are mined and used in common everyday products such as cell phones.
The anchor text for the final investigation was “Recycled Cell Phones---A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals”. Students conducted a close read of this complex text and discussed the environmental and monetary waste created by mining all of the metals needed for cell phones. Students concluded that cell phones are not recycled enough and determined that they could have a positive impact on the environment and our community by educating the public about why, where, and when they should recycle their cell phones.
The final product was a brochure to educate our local community about the need to recycle cell phones. To this end, we coordinated with CHARM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) to organize a cell phone recycling drive at local businesses. Students spent a morning on the square in downtown Decatur passing out the brochures and talking to passersby. After the cell phone drive, the cell phones were handed over ro the CHARM representatives who took them to the recycling facility.
These experts and fieldwork provided students with opportunities that empowered them to educate others and take action.
william.docx | |
File Size: | 379 kb |
File Type: | docx |
SECOND GRADE EVIDENCE--Reflection by Clairemont Second Grade Team
Once again, students successfully completed our expedition on key contributors to the Civil Rights Movement. Specifically, we focused on Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Students were asked to reflect on how the civil rights activists demonstrated the Habits of Scholarship and different citizenship traits. In order to achieve this, students created a narrative nonfiction ebook about an activist of their choice. Fieldwork and presentations by experts were essential in allowing students to conduct authentic research that supported students’ understanding of multiple perspectives and helped them make connections between the overarching concepts within our expedition. This allowed students to produce work that was meaningful, both to them and to the larger community.
Experts were an integral part of our students’ research. They helped our students understand multiple perspectives and make connections between their work and our world. We began with a visit from Portia Langley, Program Supervisor at Ebster Recreation Center in Decatur. Ebster Recreation Center has a historical connection to the African American community in Decatur. It is located at the site of the former Beacon Hill Community, including Trinity High School and Beacon Elementary, which were the African American schools in Decatur prior to integration. During her visit, Ms. Langley shared the history of Ebster and information about the important individuals from the Beacon Hill Community. She also presented us with a problem: Ebster was lacking information about nationally known figures in the Civil Rights Movement. This problem became the catalyst for students’ research of the civil rights figures and provided them with an authentic audience in the Decatur community. Through the use of our expert, students were able to see why their work matters. They were able to make connections between the Civil Rights Movement and their own community here in Decatur.
Nicole Moore, a historian from the Center for Civil and Human Rights, was another expert who visited our students. She shared the story of Ruby Bridges and her contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. This allowed students to view the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of a child their age. They were immediately able to make connections between her story and their own experiences, which were reflected in their final products.
Fieldwork was another important component of students’ research. Our first field study took us to the Dekalb History Center, where students saw presentations about important people in the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia, including Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jimmy Carter. The stories of these people were brought to life in these presentations. Hearing the different perspectives of these people allowed students to incorporate multiple perspectives in their ebooks. They were also able to make connections between the points of view of different individuals in the Civil Rights Movement.
We brought our expedition full circle with our visit to the Center for Civil and Human Rights, which was purposefully planned to take place at the end of our expedition. Although students’ ebooks were complete, their research and reflections were affirmed by this visit. Their prior knowledge allowed them to make powerful connections between their work and the civil rights activists portrayed at the center.
Experts and fieldwork were both critical components in making our expedition meaningful and authentic for students. These experiences helped students create high-quality final products that incorporated multiple perspectives and connections between disciplines.
Once again, students successfully completed our expedition on key contributors to the Civil Rights Movement. Specifically, we focused on Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Students were asked to reflect on how the civil rights activists demonstrated the Habits of Scholarship and different citizenship traits. In order to achieve this, students created a narrative nonfiction ebook about an activist of their choice. Fieldwork and presentations by experts were essential in allowing students to conduct authentic research that supported students’ understanding of multiple perspectives and helped them make connections between the overarching concepts within our expedition. This allowed students to produce work that was meaningful, both to them and to the larger community.
Experts were an integral part of our students’ research. They helped our students understand multiple perspectives and make connections between their work and our world. We began with a visit from Portia Langley, Program Supervisor at Ebster Recreation Center in Decatur. Ebster Recreation Center has a historical connection to the African American community in Decatur. It is located at the site of the former Beacon Hill Community, including Trinity High School and Beacon Elementary, which were the African American schools in Decatur prior to integration. During her visit, Ms. Langley shared the history of Ebster and information about the important individuals from the Beacon Hill Community. She also presented us with a problem: Ebster was lacking information about nationally known figures in the Civil Rights Movement. This problem became the catalyst for students’ research of the civil rights figures and provided them with an authentic audience in the Decatur community. Through the use of our expert, students were able to see why their work matters. They were able to make connections between the Civil Rights Movement and their own community here in Decatur.
Nicole Moore, a historian from the Center for Civil and Human Rights, was another expert who visited our students. She shared the story of Ruby Bridges and her contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. This allowed students to view the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of a child their age. They were immediately able to make connections between her story and their own experiences, which were reflected in their final products.
Fieldwork was another important component of students’ research. Our first field study took us to the Dekalb History Center, where students saw presentations about important people in the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia, including Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jimmy Carter. The stories of these people were brought to life in these presentations. Hearing the different perspectives of these people allowed students to incorporate multiple perspectives in their ebooks. They were also able to make connections between the points of view of different individuals in the Civil Rights Movement.
We brought our expedition full circle with our visit to the Center for Civil and Human Rights, which was purposefully planned to take place at the end of our expedition. Although students’ ebooks were complete, their research and reflections were affirmed by this visit. Their prior knowledge allowed them to make powerful connections between their work and the civil rights activists portrayed at the center.
Experts and fieldwork were both critical components in making our expedition meaningful and authentic for students. These experiences helped students create high-quality final products that incorporated multiple perspectives and connections between disciplines.
2nd_grade_civil_rights_qr_codes.pdf | |
File Size: | 349 kb |
File Type: |
FIRST GRADE EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Clairemont First Grade Team
To meaningfully augment the expedition, the First Grade Team invited a group of experts from a variety of disciplines to engage the students in learning. Their multiple perspectives proved to be an invaluable part of the expedition.
FitWit kids, a local business focusing on exercise and children, ran a boot camp for students one afternoon. The kids learned a myriad of exercises and stretches, and had fun collaborating during some fitness-based challenges. The students also traveled to Decatur High School where they watched a ballet performed by Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Students learned about how ballet, as well as many other activities, are also forms of exercise and have positive benefits.
Dr. Frediani, a nutritionist at Emory University, spoke to the children about the benefits of a balanced diet. She helped the students create a pie graph that showed what a healthy meal should include. Doctors from the CDC visited to reiterate the importance of hand washing and how it affects health and the prevention of disease & germ spreading.
The director of Decatur Active Living, Cheryl Burnette, came to explain to the children how the students’ work would benefit their blog. Decatur Active Living did not have a section dedicated to children, so Ms. Burnette got the children excited about creating something that had not been done before. Students recognized that their final product would potentially have far-reaching effects, and therefore an authentic purpose.
To meaningfully augment the expedition, the First Grade Team invited a group of experts from a variety of disciplines to engage the students in learning. Their multiple perspectives proved to be an invaluable part of the expedition.
FitWit kids, a local business focusing on exercise and children, ran a boot camp for students one afternoon. The kids learned a myriad of exercises and stretches, and had fun collaborating during some fitness-based challenges. The students also traveled to Decatur High School where they watched a ballet performed by Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Students learned about how ballet, as well as many other activities, are also forms of exercise and have positive benefits.
Dr. Frediani, a nutritionist at Emory University, spoke to the children about the benefits of a balanced diet. She helped the students create a pie graph that showed what a healthy meal should include. Doctors from the CDC visited to reiterate the importance of hand washing and how it affects health and the prevention of disease & germ spreading.
The director of Decatur Active Living, Cheryl Burnette, came to explain to the children how the students’ work would benefit their blog. Decatur Active Living did not have a section dedicated to children, so Ms. Burnette got the children excited about creating something that had not been done before. Students recognized that their final product would potentially have far-reaching effects, and therefore an authentic purpose.
KINDERGARTEN EVIDENCE -- Reflection by Clairemont Kindergarten Team
The students went on two field studies to a local park looking for evidence of living and nonliving things during their expedition and then identified an environmental problem of pollution. Upon reflecting on their findings, the students aspired to solve the problem at the park by contacting a city official who was in charge of the parks to come to the classroom and listen to their documentation. The official helped the students generate a focused conversation about the observable problem, the potential risks for the animals that live in the park habitat, and possible solutions. The city official suggested that the students write letters to the city commissioners stating their concerns and sharing their ideas of solutions. Each student wrote their own persuasive letter with a proposed solution and then presented the letters to the city official. The next step is that the city official would present the student’s work to the city commission in order to make a change for the Decatur community. The city official will report back to the students in the fall to share the outcome of the students’ requests.
The students went on two field studies to a local park looking for evidence of living and nonliving things during their expedition and then identified an environmental problem of pollution. Upon reflecting on their findings, the students aspired to solve the problem at the park by contacting a city official who was in charge of the parks to come to the classroom and listen to their documentation. The official helped the students generate a focused conversation about the observable problem, the potential risks for the animals that live in the park habitat, and possible solutions. The city official suggested that the students write letters to the city commissioners stating their concerns and sharing their ideas of solutions. Each student wrote their own persuasive letter with a proposed solution and then presented the letters to the city official. The next step is that the city official would present the student’s work to the city commission in order to make a change for the Decatur community. The city official will report back to the students in the fall to share the outcome of the students’ requests.