Ellen Von Flatern PV STEMNET

(In collaboration with Helen Kittredge) Project Abstract/August 19,2005

Project Title: Nature's Classroom … A Time To Remember and Share

Problem Statement: How do you enhance and obtain the utmost learning from an already fantastic outdoor science program such as Nature's Classroom ? This project is intended as a way to get students to extend their Nature's Classroom experience. By integrating technology into this weeklong program, students will have the opportunity to document ,reflect, and broaden this experience using pictures and words.

Motivation: Writing is an area that students tend to find quite challenging, especially at the start of a new school year. Beginning any writing assignment and finding the motivation and a reason to write is sometimes the most difficult and the most frustrating. This project provides the motivation by starting with a launch which includes digital imaging that students have photographed and experienced.

Approach: In order to accomplish this task, there are certain steps that must be taken.

Step One: Students will learn the very basics of how to take digital pictures before departure. This will include watching a teacher made power point on camera fundamentals followed by an opportunity to practice by taking pictures of each other before departure.

Step Two: During our week away at Nature's Classroom, students will be provided with digital cameras with the goal being that each student takes 3-4 pictures each.

Step Three: Students pick one favorite picture to edit, crop, and save. This picture will be printed out and saved as a motivation for the writing assignment that is to follow.

Step Four: Students will review the basic components of paragraph writing. This will include an opening statement, body, and closing statement.

Step Five: Students will write one paragraph that reflects on their experience as it relates to their chosen picture.

Step Six: Students will share their writing orally with the class.

Step Seven: Pictures and writing will be posted on the bulletin board for viewing at Open House.

Results: There are certainly some primary objectives to be met during this project. As always, curriculum frameworks are always trying to be met. This simple writing project which includes all elements of the writing process meet the following Massachusetts standards:

Grade Five: English, Language Arts

Standard 5: Structure and Origins of Modern English

•  Expand sentences (for example, by adding modifiers or combining sentences).

•  Identify past, present, and future verb tenses.

•  Recognize that a word performs different functions according to its position in a sentence.

•  Identify simple and compound sentences.

•  Identify correct mechanics (for example, apostrophes, quotation marks, comma use in compound sentences, paragraph indentations) and correct sentence structure (for example, elimination of sentence fragments and run-ons).

Standard 6: Formal and Informal English

Students will describe, analyze, and use appropriately formal and informal English.

•  Write stories using formal language in prose.

•   

Conclusions: There are wonderful secondary objectives to this activity as well. Building a sense of community is of great importance in building a successful and effective classroom community. This activity is certainly one in which all learners can find success and share this success with their peers and parents and other community members.