Our class has earned the Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator badge. This is designation for educators who are passionate and committed to empowering learning through technology in their classrooms. We are close to having travelled 5000 miles around the world via Skype field trips.
We fit a lot of learning in during the first half of April. We finished our unit on the founding and structure of the U.S. government, with analysis of the Constitution, the branches of government, and the Bill of Rights. We compared and contrasted revolutionary minds of the past, (such as Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks, with activists working today in areas of civil rights, and environmental protection. Via Skype, we met Celine Cousteau, the granddaughter of world renowned explorer, Jacques Cousteau, and she spoke with us about her work in the Amazon. She is making a documentary to be a voice for the indigenous people to help preserve their land from the crisis of deforestation. She gave our class a wonderful compliment. She said we were the first group of students she had spoken with who understood the context of her work, and were able to ask especially knowledgeable questions. She also complimented student behavior. I was very proud of our class.
Of course our STEAM fair was a big event, and has its own post below this one!
The day before April break was full of Easter themed STEM projects, and our classroom Carnival project is coming along. In addition to the related engineering projects and math games, we’ve added a social studies/ELA component. We researched the history of Global Expositions, and the story behind the inventions that debuted at the World’s Fair in 1904. Students have come up with their own inventions for the Fair, and written about them. Students are also working on math based magic tricks, presentation, and their juggling skills.
We fit a lot of learning in during the first half of April. We finished our unit on the founding and structure of the U.S. government, with analysis of the Constitution, the branches of government, and the Bill of Rights. We compared and contrasted revolutionary minds of the past, (such as Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks, with activists working today in areas of civil rights, and environmental protection. Via Skype, we met Celine Cousteau, the granddaughter of world renowned explorer, Jacques Cousteau, and she spoke with us about her work in the Amazon. She is making a documentary to be a voice for the indigenous people to help preserve their land from the crisis of deforestation. She gave our class a wonderful compliment. She said we were the first group of students she had spoken with who understood the context of her work, and were able to ask especially knowledgeable questions. She also complimented student behavior. I was very proud of our class.
Of course our STEAM fair was a big event, and has its own post below this one!
The day before April break was full of Easter themed STEM projects, and our classroom Carnival project is coming along. In addition to the related engineering projects and math games, we’ve added a social studies/ELA component. We researched the history of Global Expositions, and the story behind the inventions that debuted at the World’s Fair in 1904. Students have come up with their own inventions for the Fair, and written about them. Students are also working on math based magic tricks, presentation, and their juggling skills.