3rd grade Weather and Climate Collaborative Unit
1.1: Knowledge of learners and learning
Candidates assess learner needs and design instruction that reflects educational best practice. Candidates support the learning of all students and other members of the learning community, including those with diverse learning styles, physical and intellectual abilities and needs. Description
This third grade unit on weather and climate was a collaboration between the media specialist and the classroom teachers. This was designed to meet the learning needs of students in a rural area school where there are lots of farms. The finished product was a presentation of their engineering design to prevent soil erosion, which students shared with their parents, some of whom are farmers. Analysis The strength of this unit is that the project is relevant to these particular students who live in a farming community. They use engineering principles and apply them, rather than simply learn about the concepts. Between the engaging topic and the hands-on activities, students should learn a lot from this unit. The weakness is that it involves a lot of materials, collaboration between multiple teachers, and advance planning to have family members come to the final presentation, all of which can be a challenge. To be successful, this project needs support from the third grade teachers and the administration to do the necessary preparation. Reflection I love this unit because I love project-based learning. After watching several video testimonials in my SLM classes, I learned that designing a relevant project for students is an excellent way for them to use higher-order thinking. They are more engaged in the project because it is relevant, and they are more likely to retain their learning and be able to apply the skills in the future. I would love it if I could collaborate with every grade level on one collaborative project every year. That could be overwhelming as a new media specialist, so I might focus on one or two grades to start, and add new grade-level projects each year. |
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