I don't think I can put into words how much fun we had Friday afternoon! For an hour and a half the kids planned, built and tested boats without even realizing they were engaged in deep and meaningful learning.
Students were paired up with a partner and given a small supply of materials (6 popsicle sticks, 4 straws, tinfoil, plastercine, and an elastic) and unlimited access to tape. They first had to communicate their plan, then they had to collaboratively execute the plan and finally test the effectiveness of their design in a large bucket of water. Having tested it they were free to make modifications to their designs and test again. Some kids were crushed when their designs did not float on the first try. I reminded them that failure is an essential part of the experience and leads to greater learning opportunities. It was a pleasure for me to see how well the students were communicating with each other. They showed great respect and consideration for their partners over the course of the entire afternoon. I regularly heard kids asking each other "what do you think?" or "do you agree?" Throughout the afternoon I took video clips of each phase of the process. I used iMovie to create the video below. I should probably apologize for the length of the movie (6 minutes 50 seconds) but let me assure you I was brutal in what I cut out and simply couldn't bring myself to delete another moment of learning! I hope you enjoy seeing the engagement as much as I did.
Mrs. Campbell
2/4/2016 07:49:52 pm
Awesome writing Div. 13 followed by great presentations! So impressed! I also had fun reading and singing with you this afternoon! See you tomorrow!
Karin
2/4/2016 08:10:09 pm
What a great afternoon of having fun while learning so much ! Super pirate stories, amazing floating and sinking ships and such respect and cooperation for each other - you all are the best ! Comments are closed.
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Ms. Shawna WoodPassionate about teaching, learning, inclusion and kindness. Archives
August 2019
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