I recently posted about doing projects for Social Studies to engage students in learning. Today, I would like to go further and talk about some activities that can be done outdoors. These activities can be done as part of a project or independently. I have provided some examples of activities I have done, but there are many ways that these can be added to or modified to make them work for your students. Neighborhood and community walksOne of the things I would regularly do with my class, was go on neighbourhood walks. These walks had many different purposes, but they were very important times for learning. When I was teaching about community, we would look at the types of buildings and the way the streets were laid out. We would take note of any parks or other spots nearby. We would also look at the different types of signs and discuss why they might be there. We would then try to make comparisons with the neighbourhoods where the children lived. All of this information was important for the planning portion of creating our community. When we were studying Earth Day, we would do some litter pick up in the neighbourhood. We would then talk about respecting our environment and ways we could continue to make a difference. Using a compassWhen I did work with mapping, we would add in the directional component. With younger children, we would go out on the field and practice using compasses to travel in a variety of different directions. It was fun to take 20 paces North turn to the East and go another 15 paces and so on. They had space to move around instead of being confined to the small classroom space. Mapping and geocachingWith older children, learning about longitude and latitude was sometimes less than engaging. However, when I added a geocaching component, it became much more interesting for the students. We were no longer just locating information on maps, but we were treasure hunting using GPS devices. I even hid a geocache near the school for them to find. Geocaching is a wonderful outdoor activity that can be done with the whole family. One year, I created a whole series of geocaches for a Professional Development session. The staff had to follow clues to find information for the Pro-D and at the end of the series, lunch was waiting for them. It was great fun, and educational too. It didn't take long to see the practical applications for the classroom. History walks and museum visitsOur museum has a trivia walk set up for various parts of the city. There are historical signs throughout the downtown core. The idea is to visit the areas and learn more about the history. Not all answers are on the signs, but lots of information is available that is very interesting and probably not well known to people who haven't lived here for long. They have made it necessary to visit the museum to find out more by not providing the answer to every question on the trivia sheet. This idea could be modified to use for various places that the children could visit. Hunting for cluesAt the end of June we have a special competition called Transformation at the Shore. Here, carvers change logs into carvings that later are placed around the city. It is always a great way to spend an afternoon or evening looking at the transformations and marvelling at what artists could create from a log and a chainsaw. One year, my daughter brought her choir up for a festival and she asked me to put together an activity for them. I decided to create a challenge walk along the sea walk with clues and images for some of the carvings that were currently placed along the way. It was a great success. The children enjoyed the fresh air, and they had a chance to compete in small groups for this challenge. These are just a few ideas, but they provide a springboard for thinking of things that can be done outdoors to relate to various social studies concepts. One more great thing about them, is that they can be done with families as well, so those who are learning remotely can still benefit from the activities. You can check out some of my Social Studies projects here. Watch for future posts where I will share some Science and Math activities with you. Related Posts
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Projects are a great way for students to learn. Providing multiple ways of presenting information and knowledge through projects allows all students to share in a way that is best for them. Not all students do well with written or oral assignments. Some require more hands on methods of sharing ideas and knowledge. Over the years, I provided opportunities for students to do 1 or 2 projects a year that were connected to key ideas in the curriculum. Most of the projects I did were tied into social studies or science, but other subjects areas can be used as well. Student choiceStudents had a choice of ways to present their information. Sometimes there were several options, and other times there was only a couple of options but the specifics were flexible to allow for creativity in the presentations. The hands on and collaborative nature of these projects worked well for the students and they were very engaged in their learning. See some of the different presentations in the pictures below. The students were very excited to share what they had learned with others and they presented with confidence. Social studies and science projectsHere are some of the projects I did over the years.Some had several choices for presentation, and others were displays or models. You can check them out by clicking on the images. The key to making these projects work is the home/school connection. Some of these projects involve some research that involves the family. The heritage project and the flat family project require the child knowing something about their family's history or background. The final projects require work at home as well. The bulk of the research and teaching is done at school, but the specifics for the project presentation will be done at home. (Note: I have had times where some of my students were unable to get home support. In these cases, I had my educational assistant or the librarian or some other person help them out. If I had some spare time while others where engaged in an activity, I would also provide extra support.) It is important for students to know the expectations and criteria for the projects they do. I provide a criteria list and marking sheet for each project so they know what they will be evaluated on. I usually give this to them when I give the assignment so they have a clear idea of what is expected when they choose the way they are going to present the project. The parents also know ahead of time and they can help the child check to see if everything that is needed is there. Over the years, there have been several different types of projects, but the main criteria hasn't changed much. I decided to compile some of my social studies ones for you. If you would like to have your own copy, click the button below. I use these marking sheets for younger students. They are suitable for up to about Grade 4. For older students, a more detailed rubric would be a better option. The criteria sheet is still a good way for them to make sure they have the necessary components for their projects, but a rubric would help with evaluating writing and oral presentation skills. With the move to distance teaching, these projects are still doable, but there will need to be some modifications. For instance, presentations will be done via an online application such as Zoom. The question period can still be done this way as well. The tricky part will be doing the initial teaching and making sure that students have access to the materials needed for the research. This may be videos, websites, or some more detailed online instruction. It will require some extra prep beforehand, but I believe it will be worth it when you see the results and the engagement of the children. When you download your criteria sheets, feel free to edit them to fit your needs.
I will share more about how to use projects for STEM another time. I hope you have found this information helpful. Please let me know in the comments if there are any other areas you would like to add. It was 40 years ago that Terry Fox began the Marathon of Hope Run. This run continued after Terry died in 1981 as a tribute to what he had started and it has raised so much money for cancer research. Here is a repeat of a blog post from 2 years ago. I feel very strongly about this, so I felt it was important to bring it to the forefront again. The Marathon of Hope began many years ago when Terry Fox was a young man. He lost his leg to bone cancer when he was 18 years old. On April 12, 1980 he started his Marathon of Hope for cancer research. He was determined to run across Canada and raise $1.00 for every Canadian. He began his run on the east coast by dipping his foot in the Atlantic Ocean. Terry ran every day for about 42 km (26 miles). Imagine running a marathon distance every day. This is hard enough for someone with two strong legs, but Terry did it with a prosthesis on his one leg. He did this for 143 days. Terry Fox was unable to finish his Marathon of Hope. On September 1, 1980 he had to stop because cancer appeared in his lungs. He returned to his home and began treatment for the cancer. He was determined to continue fighting. On June 28,1981 his battle ended. He was no longer with us, but his legacy continues on. Every September cities across Canada and worldwide run in Terry's memory to continue his Marathon of Hope. Click here to find out more about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. Here are some free activities to use with your students if you do a Terry Fox run in your area. I know it is very important in our schools and children still learn about our Canadian hero. Click on the image above to get your copy.
It is hard to believe that it is almost time for the winter games to begin again. Every time I think about them I remember the excitement we felt when they were held in Vancouver in 2010. It was such a special time for those of us who live in British Columbia. My students were so engaged and felt connected to the athletes and their accomplishments. We would listen to the theme song I Believe and this became our song in class. As some of you may know, "believe" is my power word and it comes up often as I am constantly coming across things with the word on them. It is times like this that I miss having my own class. There are so many things I would love to do with my students. During the last winter games, I created some activities that could be used to make writing and Math time winter game focused. I would certainly be doing some of them in the next few weeks if I had the opportunity. Click on the image to see more and get your free medal tracker. Here are some task card templates that can be used to create your own questions, games, or activities. I hope you find them helpful as we watch the athletes compete to represent the various countries. I know this will be an exciting time for people all around the world as they cheer on their athletes. It is a time when we focus on the good in the world. It is a time to unite instead of divide. I hope for more caring and kindness towards one another, not just during the games but everyday. Sign up for my newsletter to get access to free resources for subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, check out the followers free resource page for any new resources that may have been recently added.
As we come to the end of October, it is time to think about the many things we can be thankful for. We are blessed to live in a country where freedom is available for everyone. This is huge and we need to always remember that there are many places where this is not true. I have been retired for 2 years now, but I still volunteer at the school and I like to be able to participate in the Remembrance Day assembly and some of the activities leading up to it in the classrooms. It is so heartwarming to see that the teachers are still spending a significant amount of time sharing this important message with children. In Canada, we celebrate Remembrance Day, and in the USA, they celebrate Veterans Day. Our celebrations may differ slightly, but they are similar in one respect. They are a day to give thanks and remember. We have freedom because of the actions taken by our veterans. We would not have that luxury if it wasn't for their sacrifices both many years ago and still today. War is a reality in many countries and it is important that our students understand this. War is not a glamorized video game or action movie, it is a dangerous and painful situation that many children live with every day. They also need to see that they are able to do something to help make a difference even as children. I love using videos to help kids to see what peace can be. Here is a link to a former post that I wrote that has several videos on it that we would watch the week before Remembrance Day. They led to many very important discussions. Below is one of my favourites. I hope that these thoughts will be helpful for you as you prepare to share this important time with you classes. If you would like some more materials to use in your classroom, check out the Remembrance Day/Veterans Day category in my TPT store for several free products. Related Posts
It is hard to believe that it has been almost 100 years since World War 1 ended and 71 years since World War 2 ended. That means that most of us who are alive now never knew what it was like to live during war time. Most of our veterans have left us now and we only have stories and their memories to remind us of all that was sacrificed in order for us to have our freedom today.
It is very important that we share those stories and memories with our students so that we never take for granted what we have been given. With all the glorified movies and video games presented to us, we don't really understand the pain and anguish that was caused for families and the nightmares that our veterans had to endure.
When we think of Remembrance Day and Veterans Day, we should think about what we have gained from their sacrifices. We need to teach our children about the meaning of Peace. Not only do we need to talk about it, we need to model it. Many children live in situations that are not necessarily peaceful. School should be a safe place for them where they can feel at peace.
Many families have relatives or friends who are in the service now, or who served in some of the more recent wars and battles around the world. We need to think about them too. They are fighting battles that aren't even their own to give others freedom and a safe place to live.
I am retired now, but while I was teaching, I spent a lot of time on this subject because I felt it was more that just a one day thing that we recognized every year. Here is a blog post from last year that shares some of the things we did in the past years. It also includes some special video clips that I would play for the kids.
I had the opportunity to work with another teacher 's class last year and share this special topic with them. Here is the recap of that time.
Thank you for taking the time to reflect on this important moment in time.
Here are some other posts that might be of interest from some my teacher friends. Using projects evolved from a need to help students share their learning in a variety of different ways. I discovered early in my classroom teaching experience that some students had a wealth of knowledge, but that they were unable to truly share it in written activities. I decided to try using projects for representing their learning, and I have never looked back. Here are some of my most popular social studies projects as well as a couple of other special projects. This 3D community project started out as a class project where the class created the community from beginning to end based on what we learned during our study of what a community needs. Our celebration was our chance to share what was learned during this unit. Check out one of our communities below. I find that Social Studies lends itself well to projects. Most of my projects deal with Canada and the provinces and territories, but I have also done some projects that are more global.
Our Solar System was one of my first school/home projects that required the children to choose from a variety of activities to share their learning. It also contained a criteria marking sheet so that they knew what was expected and how it would be graded from the beginning. It was amazing to see how they rose to the challenge. Including the families when it came time to create the projects was a great way of communicating what we were doing at school. Check out some of the projects that my students created. The greatest part was when they shared them with the families and other guests. Their pride and the positive atmosphere made it all worthwhile. Here is a summary of some of the lessons and a couple of pages to go with lesson 5. Click on the grid if you would like a copy. I hope that you have found these ideas helpful. I would love to hear about how you use projects in your classroom to represent learning.
Being able to read maps and understand how to locate various places is a necessary life skill. This requires an understanding of legends, coordinates, and scale. There are several fun activities that can be used to help with practicing these skills. See below for some ideas. (Note: scale has not been specifically addressed in the grid activities.)
The game Battleship has been around for years. I still remember playing our own version of this as a kid. My dad would make grids for us and we would draw out the ships and play for hours. It is a great way to learn how to read coordinates and locate specific spots.
Designing classrooms, bedrooms, and treasure maps has always been fun to do. Reading coordinates and locating specific items or places is part of the fun of mystery maps. I have created a set of different mapping grids and activities that explore some of these ideas. The sampler has 2 different mapping activities and a battleship grid for playing the game. Click on the image above to get your free copy.
If you are interested in getting several more activities for mapping, check out the product below.
Reading maps is only one part of mapping skills. Creating maps is another. When designing a map, it is good to have an understanding of what a community has in it. Planning a community is another activity that helps with understanding what necessities and conveniences are needed to help a community function well.
Several years ago, I created a unit with my class that I have replicated a few times. It is interactive and gives the students a sense of ownership as they design their own properties, community buildings, parks, waterways, etc. If you are interested in trying this with your students, you can check out the unit by clicking here or by clicking the image below.
Well, there you have it. I hope you have found something useful here today. If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below.
Ukulele Workshop, Heritage Projects, Skating, Games, and Facebook Free-For-All Make Up My Week1/24/2014
Wow! What a busy week! I am excited to share what has been happening this week with you. I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday so that I can keep everything organized. Here are some of the highlights of my week.
On the weekend we had our annual Vancouver Island Ukulele Workshop. It was very busy, but all went well. We had about 30 people attending that ranged from new players to advanced. Some were university students, and some were seniors. Several teachers also attended. The excitement was evident throughout the day and people had a great time singing and playing.
Heritage Project Celebration
Monday we shared our heritage projects with families and friends. This was a big project for my little grade 2 and 3 students, but they did an amazing job. Check out the photos below to see samples of what they created. More importantly, they were able to talk about their countries and how they were important in their lives. It was awesome to see their beaming faces as the parents talked to them.
In December we had a big challenge for reading. We had to create a chain that went from one end of the school to the other end in order to cheer up Grumpy Santa. Each link of the chain was 20-30 minutes of reading. As a celebration for completing the challenge, the whole school went skating today. Half of the school went in the morning, and the other half went in the afternoon.
I have been busy creating more Dolch word games using winter themes. Here is my latest one. I just finished it last night. My kids have fun using it to play WORDS today. Each set is a different sport theme so it is easy to identify when using only some sets. Click here to find out more about the product. The WORDS cards are part of my limited time free product for this weekend's Facebook Free-For-All hop.(See #5 for more details.)
Finally, I have been working with an amazing group of teachers for the past couple of weeks preparing for a Facebook Free-For-All blog hop that is beginning at midnight tonight.
It is becoming more and more obvious that not all children are able to effectively demonstrate their knowledge through written reports and essays. They find tests to be difficult and often are unable to correctly answer questions. They write minimally and therefore it is not a clear indicator or evaluation of their understanding.
I have found that by providing at least one project per term, many of my students have been able to share their knowledge through other means. They are thrilled to present to parents and students during our celebration days and they have surprised older students and teachers in the intermediate grades with how much they know. They are proud of their projects and they find that having a variety of choices for presenting allows them to choose something they can be successful with. The photos on this page show five of the different projects that I have used in the past. How are you using project-based learning?
I would love to find out what others are doing with projects in their classrooms.
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About Me Charlene Sequeira
I am a wife, mother of 4, grandmother of 9, and a retired primary and music teacher. I love working with kids and continue to volunteer at school and teach ukulele. Categories
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