Throughout the late fall and winter, we have discovered that the conquerors weren't just the bad guys who ended great civilizations but also the time honored explorers. We've focused on the Aztec, Inca and Maya people and how these civilizations ended. Now,we leave the learning up to the children. The research is for the children to decipher. Students were given directions, examples and links to follow. Direct instruction was offered in short mini-lessons with the emphasis being on the children making their own discoveries. Take a gander at how they did!
Some other incorporated skills in this project included map skills, recognizing centuries, research and writing. The children were able to utilize these skills in a novel way to demonstrate their learning beyond their reading. In the end, the children became the teachers as they taught the rest of the class about their researched explorer.
This is such a proud moment for me as a teacher. Being able to allow the children to drive their own research and organize their own learning is a testament to all the teachers I have shared and continue to share your children with. Seeing how capable they are of the research and the technology indicates that these students can dive into their own inquiries and share their DISCOVERIES! They were able to multi-device by using their iPads and a desktop computer simultaneously. They each used only one sheet of paper for this whole project!
Be sure to check out the last step of the project. The children were asked to find out what else was going on at that time to get a feel for what the world was like. They each researched their own person, structure or event. This is always my favorite part; I really get to see what is interesting to each child.
No comments:
Post a Comment