Spring Update: From Me to We to You!
As part of their final assessment for our unit on the human body, my students planned and presented projects, specifically models, of a specific system, its function and how it relates to other body systems. Given their natural inclination to be social, my 7th graders jumped at the opportunity to choose and work in a small group. They were very successful in collaborating with one another and their ability to research, but only a few groups were able to create a working model to advance their understanding of the particular system they chose. The goal was for them to complete the project and present within the given timeline. In addition, they also completed peer reviews by giving and receiving feedback on their presentations - grand steps toward the overall goal of presenting to a larger community! The we to you part of my project is beginning to take real shape.
Having assessed what makes an engaging presentation and their own ability to collaborate, we turn our attention to concentrating on powerful inquiry questions. Along the way I am continuing to model for them scientific habits of the mind, specifically, being skeptical and seeking out more evidence.
Below is a video update I made using iMovie. It’s a bit rough sound wise, but I wanted to try my hand at learning how to use the program in order to teach those students interested in using this format for their upcoming inquiry projects. In addition, I’ve included a few photos from our quickfire challenge: Learning to See. The students had a fantastic time making the familiar new again while finding letters to spell out Prieto Science and a few other words I assigned them. Enjoy!
As part of their final assessment for our unit on the human body, my students planned and presented projects, specifically models, of a specific system, its function and how it relates to other body systems. Given their natural inclination to be social, my 7th graders jumped at the opportunity to choose and work in a small group. They were very successful in collaborating with one another and their ability to research, but only a few groups were able to create a working model to advance their understanding of the particular system they chose. The goal was for them to complete the project and present within the given timeline. In addition, they also completed peer reviews by giving and receiving feedback on their presentations - grand steps toward the overall goal of presenting to a larger community! The we to you part of my project is beginning to take real shape.
Having assessed what makes an engaging presentation and their own ability to collaborate, we turn our attention to concentrating on powerful inquiry questions. Along the way I am continuing to model for them scientific habits of the mind, specifically, being skeptical and seeking out more evidence.
Below is a video update I made using iMovie. It’s a bit rough sound wise, but I wanted to try my hand at learning how to use the program in order to teach those students interested in using this format for their upcoming inquiry projects. In addition, I’ve included a few photos from our quickfire challenge: Learning to See. The students had a fantastic time making the familiar new again while finding letters to spell out Prieto Science and a few other words I assigned them. Enjoy!