Our sixth grade science class has been working on
plate tectonics and concepts related to the subject for the past few weeks.
Their final project for the unit consists of writing a mock proposal to city
council regarding the building of a city hall in an earthquake prone area. In
this simulation they are playing the role as an engineer to make sure the city
hall building will be put in the safest spot along with setting the proper
foundation for the assembly of the building. The project was put in to place to
showcase their expanded knowledge from the past few weeks while also allowing
for individual inquiry in to the task at hand. Students needed to display
research skills as well as content knowledge application.
Although the goal was to have students inquire
themselves with the background knowledge provided on the simulation, I was
quick to learn this may not always be the case. Often times a task that may
seem self-explanatory so to speak may come across as slightly confusing for a
student. During this activity I learned that even though students appear to be
working on the project and understanding, that we should still check on
students throughout to make sure they are on the right path. About half way
through the period I discovered a student who appeared to be working his way
through the simulation actually had no clue how to even get started. What I
also quickly found is that he did not fully read the directions which
immediately made sense to him once going through them again. As was the case
with a handful of other students as well, and what I took away from this was
that for some projects it may be better to check for understanding at points
throughout the lesson. Defining clear objectives
and procedures may be the make or break point for any lesson or activity.
Setting a consistent routine in each lesson when doing so can help students
gain familiarity with the class. Moving forward I will look to follow this type
of format so that all students can maximize their time and efficiency in the
classroom.
Looking
at the classroom as a series of mini-lessons, rather than large chunks, helps the
classroom in several ways. First, students will begin to see these lessons as expanding
on one another, ultimately allowing for a greater connection between material.
So often they are used to one big lesson, a test on that material, and moving
on to a separate topic with no sense between the two units. Also, these mini-lessons
will allow students to stay engaged as it switches up the activities. Again, if
students spend time on one big lesson it gets monotonous and they are quick to
lose focus. With each new activity comes another opportunity to regain their
creativity and offers a chance for them to showcase that in a new way. Due to
this we should look to tap in to as many styles of learning as possible in each
of our mini-lessons.
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