STEM Snapshot: Sep.10-Oct.1

For the past month in the Innovation Lab, students have taken on the role as a Knowledge Constructor. {Using a variety of resources/digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences.}


1st-5th grades had a progression of researching within their mini PBL projects. This was definitely a learning experience for me as what can be completed in a short amount of time. All the grades, except 3rd because of their topic, used Epic Books.com. 


I didn’t want to do an open search on Google to start because:

A-Wanted them to all have access to text that’s at their level
B-Use a site that I know is controlled and kid-friendly
C-Learn how to conduct a search using keywords instead of typing in the questionD-Knowing how to read to answer questions and if you have a good source or not


Google-searching is not bad at all! That is an entire skill in itself. Starting of the year though and the time I have, I think that this was a great place to begin.

    

  

1st grade: Listened to parts of read-to-me books as a whole class. Would go back and write what they noticed about each plant. 

2nd grade: I sent them a collection of habitat books. They read the words, looked at the pictures & listened to read-to-me books to collect information about animals, plants and non-living things. 

3rd Grade: {I had to play around with this.} Sent them a hyperlink in Google Docs with two resources about the mineral they had to identify. Had to research to answer questions about their mineral. 

4th Grade: Used keyword/topic search to find information to answer questions about their planet in the solar system. They had to decide whether their resource was strong enough to help them answer. 

5th grade: Used keyword/topic search to find information to answer questions about a type of severe weather. Students were encouraged to find 2 or more resources to confirm that the information was true and write down the title of the text/s they found the information.  


I wouldn’t say that they are experts on research but they all have a stronger sense of it. They actually had to write on paper their findings. I only replaced the books with eBooks. A simple way to integrate technology with this great source!