The Grade 3 science includes two units that are very closely tied: building with a variety of materials and testing materials and design. Both involve hands-on constructivist learning for students because in order for them to understand the concepts they need to experience the design cycle and multiple iterations of their work, questioning why a design may or may not work. The curricular outcome is: problem solving through technology: Investigate a practical problem, and develop a possible solution. This is a unit that I generally undertake from a design thinking standpoint, beginning with building empathy and identifying a problem: for what reasons to people need to create structures and how are these similar to and different from structures found in nature?
While My World GIS is outside of the scope of the Grade 3 Alberta curriculum, I found the ARCgis story maps applicable, though it would need to be adapted down to my learners. While some stories include multi-media elements, the stories a found useful to my context were text-heavy and interactive-media-lean. Edelson’s article on learning for use underlines the idea that students learn best when their learning is situated in story, in experience, or in environment. Design thinking through this unit creates the need-to-know cognitive dissonance Edelson refers to because the students either discover that their structures work or, more interesting, that they don’t work and it allows us to discuss why.
Adapting the stories already available on ARCgis and developing cross curricular understanding of this unit of study and blending it with the four countries of study in grade 3 social studies: India, Tunisia, Peru, and the Ukraine would create a more complete unit of inquiry. As a part of these units of study, students explore what makes a good life, including access to a home, which links nicely to the science concepts of structures as we look at different kinds of homes, and how homes are influenced by the environment they are built within. I would adapt the story maps lesson on the Jungle Book to build an experience for students that explores all four of our countries of study and concentrates on shelter and environment.
Recently, I was chatting with a colleague about using coding and robots in our program of studies and the extension we discussed was coding the robots to visit the four countries of study and write a story in language arts that would explain what the robot saw and did on each of the stops. I wonder if any of my UBCMET colleagues have tried something similar or how you might plus this idea?
Edelson, D.C. (2001). Learning-for-use: A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,38(3), 355-385
Hi Tracy
I like the fact that you discussed adapting stories. I believe writing is very important for communicating. I love the Jungle Book — I was a Boy Scout.
I wonder if science and math teachers discuss the process of writing in their classes? Do they look a paragraph structure?
A good next step might be to send an actual robot to another classroom in a different country so it can ask questions that are relayed back to your classroom. In the meantime, we can use Skype or Zoom.
Christopher
Love this idea! Writing it into my day plans now… 🙂
Hi Tracy,
You have shared some super cool ideas. What really resonates with me is an idea that I don’t think I did a good enough job of communicating in my post. The idea that we can’t teaching any subject area or content in isolation. Writing (ELA), math, science, social studies, etc. etc. must all be integrated because we do very little isolation. Our lives are based on constant connections, a hybrid of what ‘used to be’. Christopher’s reply and ideas highlight even further the notion of how important it is connect what we do inside and outside the classroom.
Great post!
Ally