1st Grade Project-Based Learning

I am co-teaching with another teacher on project-based learning. A recent project has been with in 1st grade, where students are learning about how to produce more chocolate. This project has been interesting because this was the first time where students guided their own learning. We read a book together, then students learned about teamwork, note-taking and the differences between primary and secondary resources. Students are now at the point where they have gained all the information and are working on presentations.  Here is one of the groups final project.

Chocolate Producers

Exploravision Honorable Mention

Congratulations to this group of fifth graders. They were named Honorable Mention in Exploravision. This is a national science competition. Receiving this honor put their entry in the top 10%. The team developed a design L.T.3D. This is a three dimensional printer, aligned with a CAD software that will allow them to print working livers. They wanted to end the problem of people dying while waiting for a liver transplant.

Kindergarten Weather Forecasts

After Kindergarten students in Mrs. Davis's class learned about weather, she put them in different weather groups. I pulled the students, went over facts, showed them weather tools, then helped them create weather forecasts. Every student participated and was so excited to act like a meteorologist. Our local meteorologist, Gary Lezak is taking the time to judge them and provide feedback. It was a lot of fun seeing the students so excited.

Kindergarten Meteorologist

Third Grade International Festival

In a diverse school, one of the best things to do is find ways for students to celebrate their culture. In third grade, students need to understand traditions, immigration, holidays and geography. Instead of only limiting it to finding out why people came to Kansas City, students began studying their culture, understanding more about their ancestry. Students researched, created presentations, brought in artifacts, came in their clothing and brought food. Students were very proud to share their culture. It was a great way to make the learning very relevant.