CREATE, MOTIVATE, AND EDUCATE
Making In The Classroom
I view Making as an integral part of education, today. With classrooms becoming more diverse across cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, Making should be used as a tool to empower our children to contribute to their communities. I strive to give my students valuable experiences where they play an active role in their learning. Below you will find a few projects students at NYOS Charter School created that were instrumental in their exploration of each concept. Every student has a voice, and I am excited to share them with you!
Exploration
A SPECTRUM of Possibilities!
In this 8th-grade science class, students created their own spectroscopes that they used to identify the light wavelengths that were present in different light sources.
Making Is Out-of-This-WORLD!
Below you will find a project students completed to showcase their knowledge of stars, planets, and galaxies. Watch these future innovators reach beyond the stars!
Stephen Hawking:
Theoretical Physicist and Cosmologist
(1942-2018)
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Engagement
Students watched a video clip of Stephen Hawking discussing the possibility of humans one day vacating Earth due to a natural disaster or pandemic. He discusses a new potential home planet called Proxima B that is similar to Earth in size and composition.
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Interactive poster created by students, 2020
Lesson Overview/Activities
This project served as a review of all the material covered in the second half of the Space Unit. Students were tasked with researching a planet that could potentially host human life. Students were split into teams of 2-3 and collaborated in their research. They compiled all the required information and included this in an interactive poster using Makey-Makey circuit board technology. To differentiate instruction, more advanced teams were given a Makey-Makey Refresher to complete where they had to create a short game or musical instrument before beginning the interactive poster. Those who struggled with the technology were placed in a small group to receive more direct instruction.
Assessment Cartoon, 2015
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Assessments
Both formative and summative assessments were used to ensure students were mastering the objectives. At the beginning of each class, students were given a warm-up to complete to assess their retention of information learned from the previous day. Students also completed an exit ticket at the end of each class to assess if students met the lesson objective for the day. Students were also assigned tasks on a team checklist to complete by the end of each class period. Before moving on to the next task, students had to receive approval from the teacher. This gave the students autonomy to work at their own pace while also allowing for quick formative assessments of each team before they continued with the project.
Team product
Team product
Team product
Team product
To Be Continued . . .
Due to the current pandemic, the last half of the lesson plan was not implemented. Students were also tasked with creating a functional space rover prototype designed to navigate their chosen planet. They were then to present their final products to 7th-graders in a gallery walk format. The 7th-graders were to vote on their favorite projects which would be sent to NASA for review. I hope to one day have the opportunity to implement this lesson in its entirety and see the full potential of the creativity of my future students.
Anonymous, Student
I like that we get to add our own personal touches when we make something.
Anonymous, Student
It's cool that we get to use something we made in our lab!
Anonymous, Student
I can't believe NASA cares about what have to say!