Simulations!
Fifth and fourth grade enrichment study groups are currently involved with simulations called The Great Ocean Rescue and The Great Solar System Rescue. In this work, students adopt the role of certain scientists. Fifth graders are environmental scientists, geologists, oceanographers, and marine biologists. Fourth graders are historians, geologists, astronomers, and meteorologists. There is background reading for each science.
Students must use information provided by video 'transmissions' along with their background reading to work with fellow scientists to make decisions. Fifth graders are solving ecological disasters around the globe while fourth graders look for space probes lost in our solar system.
What strikes me about this work is the absolute necessity to work as a team. In addition to advanced content, collaboration is often challenging for our students. This year students will also rotate through all four sciences (with each of four missions) so they'll be exposed to a lot of information.
It will definitely be exciting. Especially as I've tied their performance into a competition among each grade level's three groups! More to come...
Students must use information provided by video 'transmissions' along with their background reading to work with fellow scientists to make decisions. Fifth graders are solving ecological disasters around the globe while fourth graders look for space probes lost in our solar system.
What strikes me about this work is the absolute necessity to work as a team. In addition to advanced content, collaboration is often challenging for our students. This year students will also rotate through all four sciences (with each of four missions) so they'll be exposed to a lot of information.
It will definitely be exciting. Especially as I've tied their performance into a competition among each grade level's three groups! More to come...
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