Goal Setting -- Changes... Understanding Yourself As A Learner

Design Thinking meets Math...
Students are creating 3D representations using loose parts to show their understanding of the concept of subtraction. They were asked to show their challenges and successes as they are learning. The students are gaining insight into themselves as learners. They are setting goals within IRIS and articulating their strategies to achieve their goals. They are goal setting to increase their areas of confidence and growth.

Grade 3 - Brainstorm of Possible Ideas

How would you design an activity that uses modeling as a way to experience science in an authentic way?

Basically anything that incorporates a table or data set could be graphed via ViMap.

Potential Ideas:

Science Units: Building with a variety of materials, testing materials and designs, life cycles, hearing and sound, rocks and minerals

-       catapults and measuring distance of marshmallow traveled

-       recording size of butterfly chrysalis, discover average growth rate over time

-       Relate bridge strength to weight supported

-       Record distance sound travels at various volumes or pitch

Social Studies: India, Tunisia, Peru, Ukraine

- move robot between countries (LEGO Mindstorms), calculate distance using a floor map, scale and cardinal directions, relate to flight travel time – discover shortest flight route to hit all 4 countries and return to Calgary?

Direct math activities

- Translations rotations reflections

- perimeter – possibly area?

- input/output tables and rules

- graphing

Modelling in Science - Gr. 5 Wetland Ecosystems

How have/would you design(ed) an activity that uses modelling as a way to experience science in an authentic way?

Based on the predator-prey models from the previous session, students linked the understandings from their Wetland Ecosystems unit and the book Wolf Island (Celia Godkin) to develop a deeper understanding of food pyramids when modeled using wolves and deer. Students used the Net Logo simulation to “play” with the variables and explore the result of a variety of ecosystem imbalances.

Explain the connections to one or more of the STEM disciplines in that activity.

The activity links to STEM education is a myriad of diverse ways. Science, as it is focused on ecosystem interactions; Math, as it is based on numeracy and specific math operations; Technology, as it makes use of computer simulations; Engineering, as students had to design and use iterative cycles to develop understanding of imbalances.

Coding

The past couple of months we have introduced coding to grade one students through some of the websites on Hour of Code (Kodables, Lightbot and Candyquest).  Most students have found the programs challenging but they’ve persevered, however, other students have given up quickly and found it frustrating.  While I’ve found these to be a great start to coding, it hasn’t related to anything else we’ve been doing in the classroom.  We did a few  “dumb robot” coding in the gym, where they students worked in groups and tried to program each other through a course (jump in the hoop, out of the hoop, over the rope, etc.).  I would like to do more of this, related to math shapes, as we did this morning.  This would then transition into coding a square/rectangle etc. into a program such as ViMAP.

We have daily (almost) STEAM stations where students are building with a variety of materials.  I’m still working on how to “mathematize” these activities.  Any ideas?