The following are some examples of how I use experiential learning in my classroom and integrate real life-life skills and activities as well as incorporating community awareness and social consciousness into my curriculum.
Port Orange Elementary, Volusia County 4/5 VE Class, 5th Grade Gifted
"Christmas in Florida" - The writing process was the focus of this activity. Students in my 4th/5th grade VE (varying exceptionalities) class were presented an outline for a song. We went through the writing process to produce a final product which was a song - *"Christmas in Florida" . Students then worked with the music department, and Orff instruments to create a presentation of the song to students and parents in an evening performance. My students also made costumes, in the classroom, for the presentation. We later made a video of the song on the beach. This also led to a T-shirt design, printing and sales project - Christmas in Florida T-Shirt business which is described below.
I wrote the song "Christmas in Florida" with my ESE students in 1989. It was the night before the last day of school until Christmas vacation and didn't want to just waste a teaching day so I wrote the song and the next day I had a cooperative writing session in my classes. I did not share the lyrics but did play the music with my guitar. I fed the students an idea and had them give me lines with the same meanings. I prodded them about rhymes and cadence, and kind of led them to the finished product. We had a blast doing it and we performed it with our schools "0rffchestra" (an entire orchestra of wooden percussion instruments) for the school and parents and even recorded a video on the beach (sadly lost now), with students costumed as elves and a 6'10", 160 lb Santa. I recorded it in 1997, and just now put together a video for it.
It also has received quite a bit of radio air time over the years. For those that haven't heard it, we tried to capture the uniqueness of Florida and it's lifestyle. Although I have been in Costa Rica for many years, Florida is where I consider home. I would be honored if you checked out the video and shared. Peace and Pura Vida to all!
Youtube link for Christmas in Florida www.youtube.com/watch?v=AilqzR6a8G4
The following experiential activities became the foundation of of my classroom curriculum and integrated subjects in real life activities that challenged students and fostered critical thinking..
"Good Morning Port Orange" - Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Art, as well as research, note taking, planning, writing, and presenting) were integrated for our 5th grade gifted students to produce a bi-weekly news program that was shown school wide on CCTV. Students researched and reported, on camera, stories that were school-based, local, national, and international. They included school events, local and world politics, cultural stories, special topics, and weather (local and national). A memorable show was a press conference, set up in our classroom, with 3 visiting dignitaries who were visiting from the Soviet Union (it was at the time of the break up of the Soviet Union which we had been following, and reporting on). Students set up a "press conference" setting with our visitors at a table in the front of the room to ask questions. We produced 15 shows during the year.
Sadly, the shows were recorded on VHS and while I do have some of the tapes, most seem to have some mold damage and, I don't have an old machine to play them on.
"Save the Endangered" (Environmental Awareness) - Endangered Species T-Shirts" - This involved science, math, language arts, writing, and creative and critical thinking skills, and art. 5th grade gifted students researched and reported about endangered species and why it was happening worldwide. They then drew pencil drawings of endangered animals from which we produced silk-screens and printed (we built a homemade printer for this) t-shirts with their designs. These were sold and the profits were donated to the World Wildlife Fund. We utilized our math skills to calculate costs for materials and shirts and calculate profits which we kept on a class profit-loss ledger.
"Christmas in Florida" T-Shirt Business - Each of my 5th grade students created art for the song, "Christmas in Florida". We then made a compilation t-shirt design using parts from each of them to create a "Christmas in Florida" t-shirt. We then made silk screens, and a printing machine and printed shirts which we sold in a class business. Again students used math skills to determine cost and profits, science when producing silk screens, art, and creative and critical thinking skills. Profits were donated to the ESE department at our school.
We used the screen printing machine that we built and sales, which included the Save the Endangered and Christmas in Florida projects, exceeded 250 dozen t-shirts.
"Christmas in Florida" - The writing process was the focus of this activity. Students in my 4th/5th grade VE (varying exceptionalities) class were presented an outline for a song. We went through the writing process to produce a final product which was a song - *"Christmas in Florida" . Students then worked with the music department, and Orff instruments to create a presentation of the song to students and parents in an evening performance. My students also made costumes, in the classroom, for the presentation. We later made a video of the song on the beach. This also led to a T-shirt design, printing and sales project - Christmas in Florida T-Shirt business which is described below.
I wrote the song "Christmas in Florida" with my ESE students in 1989. It was the night before the last day of school until Christmas vacation and didn't want to just waste a teaching day so I wrote the song and the next day I had a cooperative writing session in my classes. I did not share the lyrics but did play the music with my guitar. I fed the students an idea and had them give me lines with the same meanings. I prodded them about rhymes and cadence, and kind of led them to the finished product. We had a blast doing it and we performed it with our schools "0rffchestra" (an entire orchestra of wooden percussion instruments) for the school and parents and even recorded a video on the beach (sadly lost now), with students costumed as elves and a 6'10", 160 lb Santa. I recorded it in 1997, and just now put together a video for it.
It also has received quite a bit of radio air time over the years. For those that haven't heard it, we tried to capture the uniqueness of Florida and it's lifestyle. Although I have been in Costa Rica for many years, Florida is where I consider home. I would be honored if you checked out the video and shared. Peace and Pura Vida to all!
Youtube link for Christmas in Florida www.youtube.com/watch?v=AilqzR6a8G4
The following experiential activities became the foundation of of my classroom curriculum and integrated subjects in real life activities that challenged students and fostered critical thinking..
"Good Morning Port Orange" - Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Art, as well as research, note taking, planning, writing, and presenting) were integrated for our 5th grade gifted students to produce a bi-weekly news program that was shown school wide on CCTV. Students researched and reported, on camera, stories that were school-based, local, national, and international. They included school events, local and world politics, cultural stories, special topics, and weather (local and national). A memorable show was a press conference, set up in our classroom, with 3 visiting dignitaries who were visiting from the Soviet Union (it was at the time of the break up of the Soviet Union which we had been following, and reporting on). Students set up a "press conference" setting with our visitors at a table in the front of the room to ask questions. We produced 15 shows during the year.
Sadly, the shows were recorded on VHS and while I do have some of the tapes, most seem to have some mold damage and, I don't have an old machine to play them on.
"Save the Endangered" (Environmental Awareness) - Endangered Species T-Shirts" - This involved science, math, language arts, writing, and creative and critical thinking skills, and art. 5th grade gifted students researched and reported about endangered species and why it was happening worldwide. They then drew pencil drawings of endangered animals from which we produced silk-screens and printed (we built a homemade printer for this) t-shirts with their designs. These were sold and the profits were donated to the World Wildlife Fund. We utilized our math skills to calculate costs for materials and shirts and calculate profits which we kept on a class profit-loss ledger.
"Christmas in Florida" T-Shirt Business - Each of my 5th grade students created art for the song, "Christmas in Florida". We then made a compilation t-shirt design using parts from each of them to create a "Christmas in Florida" t-shirt. We then made silk screens, and a printing machine and printed shirts which we sold in a class business. Again students used math skills to determine cost and profits, science when producing silk screens, art, and creative and critical thinking skills. Profits were donated to the ESE department at our school.
We used the screen printing machine that we built and sales, which included the Save the Endangered and Christmas in Florida projects, exceeded 250 dozen t-shirts.
Campbell Middle School, Volusia County 7th & 8th Grade Regular and Gifted
Science
Class "Invention Fair" - Students were asked to identify a problem and find/create a solution by designing and building a product. Students utilized critical and creative thinking, and skills to build a physical solution to solve the problem and present it in class and at a schoolwide fair.
Science
Class "Invention Fair" - Students were asked to identify a problem and find/create a solution by designing and building a product. Students utilized critical and creative thinking, and skills to build a physical solution to solve the problem and present it in class and at a schoolwide fair.
Country Day School, Escazu, Costa Rica 5th Grade - all subjects 5th Grade Math and Science
"Class Community Service Project" - 5th grade students initiated a cultural exchange, partnering with the Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica, between our class and the Cabecar Indigenous population of Costa Rica. This initiative began as a visit to the Indigenous reserve to interact with the children of the tribe in various ways with the goal being to share each others cultures and learn from the experience. It quickly grew into a series of projects over a period of five years and involved 5 different 5th grade classes and were an integral part of my 5th grade curriculum - Social Studies (Costa Rica's), Language Arts using and developing skills in vocabulary, writing, and organizing, Math, Art, Language Acquisition, as well as Cooperative Learning and Tasking. We also founded "The Junior Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica"
"Class Community Service Project" - 5th grade students initiated a cultural exchange, partnering with the Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica, between our class and the Cabecar Indigenous population of Costa Rica. This initiative began as a visit to the Indigenous reserve to interact with the children of the tribe in various ways with the goal being to share each others cultures and learn from the experience. It quickly grew into a series of projects over a period of five years and involved 5 different 5th grade classes and were an integral part of my 5th grade curriculum - Social Studies (Costa Rica's), Language Arts using and developing skills in vocabulary, writing, and organizing, Math, Art, Language Acquisition, as well as Cooperative Learning and Tasking. We also founded "The Junior Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica"
"The Cabecar-CDS Dictionary Project"
Students planned, and carried out, a cultural exchange visit to Costa Rica's Cabecar Indigenous Reserve. Prior to their trip students researched Costa Rica's Indigenous tribes and their cultures. The goal was to simply share time with the kids of the Cabecar and share as much with each other (language, food, games...kid stuff). The plan was that 10-12 students at a time would visit on a monthly basis. The students would do art/craft projects together (my students were introduced to the Cabecar's "barkcloth", a cloth that is produced from the bark of a certain tree and pounded with a rock, in the river. We learned a lot from them), play soccer, and shared language with their Cabecar friends. The Cabecars have kept, and maintained their native language, which is not related to either the Spanish or English that my students spoke, although they do speak Spanish which was a link with the 2 student groups. They students decided, together, that they would compile a Cabecar, English, Spanish dictionary. Using Spanish words as their starting point the Native children brought what would be equivalent (although structure and sound were unique to them and totally alien to us). They would discuss, and agree on a definition, write it down, then record the pronunciation. This became a favorite part of their trips and was an immensely rewarding as they shared words, their meanings, pronunciation and usage, stories, and culture while developing respect for each other's culture and a close friendship.
Students planned, and carried out, a cultural exchange visit to Costa Rica's Cabecar Indigenous Reserve. Prior to their trip students researched Costa Rica's Indigenous tribes and their cultures. The goal was to simply share time with the kids of the Cabecar and share as much with each other (language, food, games...kid stuff). The plan was that 10-12 students at a time would visit on a monthly basis. The students would do art/craft projects together (my students were introduced to the Cabecar's "barkcloth", a cloth that is produced from the bark of a certain tree and pounded with a rock, in the river. We learned a lot from them), play soccer, and shared language with their Cabecar friends. The Cabecars have kept, and maintained their native language, which is not related to either the Spanish or English that my students spoke, although they do speak Spanish which was a link with the 2 student groups. They students decided, together, that they would compile a Cabecar, English, Spanish dictionary. Using Spanish words as their starting point the Native children brought what would be equivalent (although structure and sound were unique to them and totally alien to us). They would discuss, and agree on a definition, write it down, then record the pronunciation. This became a favorite part of their trips and was an immensely rewarding as they shared words, their meanings, pronunciation and usage, stories, and culture while developing respect for each other's culture and a close friendship.
" 5th Grade Cabecar Craft Exchange" Community service, intercultural awareness, math,
record keeping, organizational skills, creative and
critical thinking
The Cabecars created very unique crafts using the materials at hand from the forest. They were most often made from their "barkcloth" and were dolls, forest animal figures, and decorative pieces. They also made, and used for hunting, bows & arrows, and spears made from local wood, for hunting and fishing. They demonstrated these with amazing accuracy and taught us how to use them. They also set up tables with their crafts to sell when we were visiting. This was the primary way money was generated for the tribe as they lived mostly in and from what the forest offered. Although they lived much as they had for many generations, things like medical needs, and medication required that they generate an income. My students to expand their market and sell their crafts at school to bring more income to the tribe.my class organized a business plan and organized a class business.
On each trip to visit the tribe, students would purchase items to re-sell at school. Students would set up tables to sell from, two mornings each week, before school. Profits from the sale of the crafts would go back to the tribe. The sale of the items averaged 100,000 colones, or about $250/month at that time, that was sent to the tribe. Students used math skills (the 4 math operations, percent, averages, cost/profit, graphing, and more) to keep track of purchases, costs, and profits.
record keeping, organizational skills, creative and
critical thinking
The Cabecars created very unique crafts using the materials at hand from the forest. They were most often made from their "barkcloth" and were dolls, forest animal figures, and decorative pieces. They also made, and used for hunting, bows & arrows, and spears made from local wood, for hunting and fishing. They demonstrated these with amazing accuracy and taught us how to use them. They also set up tables with their crafts to sell when we were visiting. This was the primary way money was generated for the tribe as they lived mostly in and from what the forest offered. Although they lived much as they had for many generations, things like medical needs, and medication required that they generate an income. My students to expand their market and sell their crafts at school to bring more income to the tribe.my class organized a business plan and organized a class business.
On each trip to visit the tribe, students would purchase items to re-sell at school. Students would set up tables to sell from, two mornings each week, before school. Profits from the sale of the crafts would go back to the tribe. The sale of the items averaged 100,000 colones, or about $250/month at that time, that was sent to the tribe. Students used math skills (the 4 math operations, percent, averages, cost/profit, graphing, and more) to keep track of purchases, costs, and profits.
"Building Bridges and Friendships" Project Community service, intercultural
awareness, math, record keeping, organizational skills,
creative and critical thinking
In order to reach the Cabecar Reservation a river, the Rio Zent, must be crossed, and then hike an hour up a mountain. The tribe was often cut off from the nearest store or medical help by the river. Crossing the Rio Zent meant wading across in water that was usually waist deep, students and adults arm-in-arm. The river could, however, rise and flow quite rapidly when there was rain in the mountains sometimes making the crossing difficult, dangerous, or impossible. It was when a family, two children and their mother, whom my class had come to know very well were caught in such a torrent and lost their lives that led to this project. My students decided that a bridge was needed and set out to find a way to both finance and build a bridge to make accessibility to necessities easier. This spawned the "Building Bridges and Friendships" project. This was a student directed project with three goals;
1) to raise funds to build a bridge across the Rio Zent
2) to design a suitable bridge to build
4) to find/arrange a way for completion/ construction of a bridge that would give easier access for the Cabecar Tribe members to
be able to safely access medical care and basic necessities.
We partnered with the Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica and organized various activities to raise money for their goal. These included
* the sale of indigenous crafts
* car washes
* sponsored a concert with a Symphony Orchestra from Oregon (raised about $1000)
* a "Building Bridges and Friendships Talent Show and Dinner"
*** A short explanation of the "Building Bridges and Friendships Talent Show and Dinner"
Students planned and orchestrated the entire show and dinner. They organized the talent show, designed, printed and sold tickets for the show, determined the menu and food and other materials necessary for dinner and a show. Students recruited talent, decorated, cooked and served the meals and cleaned. We served 300 people and raised almost $3000 towards the construction of a bridge.
We continued to raise money and ended up with close to $6000 for bridge construction.We then partnered with La Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense (FHCR), The Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica to write a grant that was presented to the Embassy of The Netherlands who awarded, through the Humanitarian Foundation, $25,000 for bridge construction.
The bridge is a 120 meters long walking bridge 10 meters over the Rio Zent and was completed, and opened, in 2006. It has since served as a conduit for continued service and education projects for the Cabecar Tribe.
The project utilized math skills, writing skills, research skills, social studies, critical thinking skills, community service, and was an incredible learning experience for all involved.
awareness, math, record keeping, organizational skills,
creative and critical thinking
In order to reach the Cabecar Reservation a river, the Rio Zent, must be crossed, and then hike an hour up a mountain. The tribe was often cut off from the nearest store or medical help by the river. Crossing the Rio Zent meant wading across in water that was usually waist deep, students and adults arm-in-arm. The river could, however, rise and flow quite rapidly when there was rain in the mountains sometimes making the crossing difficult, dangerous, or impossible. It was when a family, two children and their mother, whom my class had come to know very well were caught in such a torrent and lost their lives that led to this project. My students decided that a bridge was needed and set out to find a way to both finance and build a bridge to make accessibility to necessities easier. This spawned the "Building Bridges and Friendships" project. This was a student directed project with three goals;
1) to raise funds to build a bridge across the Rio Zent
2) to design a suitable bridge to build
4) to find/arrange a way for completion/ construction of a bridge that would give easier access for the Cabecar Tribe members to
be able to safely access medical care and basic necessities.
We partnered with the Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica and organized various activities to raise money for their goal. These included
* the sale of indigenous crafts
* car washes
* sponsored a concert with a Symphony Orchestra from Oregon (raised about $1000)
* a "Building Bridges and Friendships Talent Show and Dinner"
*** A short explanation of the "Building Bridges and Friendships Talent Show and Dinner"
Students planned and orchestrated the entire show and dinner. They organized the talent show, designed, printed and sold tickets for the show, determined the menu and food and other materials necessary for dinner and a show. Students recruited talent, decorated, cooked and served the meals and cleaned. We served 300 people and raised almost $3000 towards the construction of a bridge.
We continued to raise money and ended up with close to $6000 for bridge construction.We then partnered with La Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense (FHCR), The Humanitarian Foundation of Costa Rica to write a grant that was presented to the Embassy of The Netherlands who awarded, through the Humanitarian Foundation, $25,000 for bridge construction.
The bridge is a 120 meters long walking bridge 10 meters over the Rio Zent and was completed, and opened, in 2006. It has since served as a conduit for continued service and education projects for the Cabecar Tribe.
The project utilized math skills, writing skills, research skills, social studies, critical thinking skills, community service, and was an incredible learning experience for all involved.
" Middle East Peace Plan" Research skills, writing, geography, world history, debate, and critical thinking, cooperative learning
Country Day School is an international school with an incredibly diverse student population (one of my 5th grade classes was made up of 18 students from 12 different countries) and my class included students from Israel and other middle east countries. The ongoing political situation between Israel and Palestine was of great concern to my students and we set out to learn as much as we could about both sides of the situation and to design a plan for peace. The final plan/product was sent to the United Nations.
Country Day School is an international school with an incredibly diverse student population (one of my 5th grade classes was made up of 18 students from 12 different countries) and my class included students from Israel and other middle east countries. The ongoing political situation between Israel and Palestine was of great concern to my students and we set out to learn as much as we could about both sides of the situation and to design a plan for peace. The final plan/product was sent to the United Nations.
Blue Valley School, Guacipelin, Costa Rica 5th Grade
"The Annual 5th Grade Dinner and Talent Show"
At Blue Valley School the "Annual Dinner and Talent Show" was continued. For our first event my class again partnered with La Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense (FHCR) to raise funds to assist in the purchase of a home foe a Nicaraguan family in la Carpio. The family's 11 year old daughter suffered, and was battling bone cancer and her one wish was that her family had a place of their own. Through the Dinner and Show we raised enough to provide funds for half of the purchase of a home. La Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense (FHCR)provided the other half to purchase a home for the family where our new friend could feel safe and recover.
Each of my subsequent classes organized and ran a Dinner and Show with funds raised being donated to the school's Community Service Fund.
"Annual Balloon Race" Physical Science, scientific method, math, writing, cooperative learning,
design/critical thinking, analytical thinking, Final product (Balloon Race)
The "Balloon on a String" demonstration of Newton's Laws of Motion was expanded to allow students to think creatively and use problem solving skills. Students, working in groups of three, designed and tested ways to increase the speed of their balloons. The activity culminated in a race of all the teams designs.
* Teams first gathered baseline by timing and determining speed from 10 trials and figuring the average speed (mean), median speed, and
range of speed
* They then researched, shared ideas about modifying their balloons, tested their ideas, and decided on a design to race. These were
shown on graphs and posted. Designs were things like weight added, wings, and various stabilizing methods.
* Students then prepared a report that included trials, design ideas, and test results.
* We then had a Race Day and students raced their designs against each other.
"Design a Hotel" Environmental Science Biome Study, critical thinking, organizing/planning, research,
writing, website build/design, final presentation, cooperative learning
In this annual science activity, students worked in teams of 3 and chose a biome and researched about it. They presented their findings to the class. They they designed an environmentally friendly hotel/resort for that biome. They included type of construction, energy generation, food sources, waste , recycling, water, and environmental activities. They they built and published a website for their hotel (we used Weebly.com). We then held a "Vacation Fair" outside our classroom and invited classes, parents, and administration to view and listen to each groups "sales pitch"/explanation of their hotel and why and how it was environmentally friendly.
"Punta Achiote River Study" Environmental Science, biology, math, report writing, analytic thinking, critical thinking, cooperative learning
This was a two day study of a river that empties into the Pacific Ocean at a beach named Punta Achiote just north of Uvita. The study was to determine the cleanliness/quality of the water in the river. Students use nets to catch macro invertebrates. In the evening students separated the macro-invertebrates, identified each species, and utilized a dichotomous key to determine the water quality of the river. Teams of students then recorded their results, and analyzed them to determine the cleanliness of the water based on the organisms found and prepared, and presented a report. This was an annual trip with each new 5th grade class.
"The Annual 5th Grade Dinner and Talent Show"
At Blue Valley School the "Annual Dinner and Talent Show" was continued. For our first event my class again partnered with La Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense (FHCR) to raise funds to assist in the purchase of a home foe a Nicaraguan family in la Carpio. The family's 11 year old daughter suffered, and was battling bone cancer and her one wish was that her family had a place of their own. Through the Dinner and Show we raised enough to provide funds for half of the purchase of a home. La Fundación Humanitaria Costarricense (FHCR)provided the other half to purchase a home for the family where our new friend could feel safe and recover.
Each of my subsequent classes organized and ran a Dinner and Show with funds raised being donated to the school's Community Service Fund.
"Annual Balloon Race" Physical Science, scientific method, math, writing, cooperative learning,
design/critical thinking, analytical thinking, Final product (Balloon Race)
The "Balloon on a String" demonstration of Newton's Laws of Motion was expanded to allow students to think creatively and use problem solving skills. Students, working in groups of three, designed and tested ways to increase the speed of their balloons. The activity culminated in a race of all the teams designs.
* Teams first gathered baseline by timing and determining speed from 10 trials and figuring the average speed (mean), median speed, and
range of speed
* They then researched, shared ideas about modifying their balloons, tested their ideas, and decided on a design to race. These were
shown on graphs and posted. Designs were things like weight added, wings, and various stabilizing methods.
* Students then prepared a report that included trials, design ideas, and test results.
* We then had a Race Day and students raced their designs against each other.
"Design a Hotel" Environmental Science Biome Study, critical thinking, organizing/planning, research,
writing, website build/design, final presentation, cooperative learning
In this annual science activity, students worked in teams of 3 and chose a biome and researched about it. They presented their findings to the class. They they designed an environmentally friendly hotel/resort for that biome. They included type of construction, energy generation, food sources, waste , recycling, water, and environmental activities. They they built and published a website for their hotel (we used Weebly.com). We then held a "Vacation Fair" outside our classroom and invited classes, parents, and administration to view and listen to each groups "sales pitch"/explanation of their hotel and why and how it was environmentally friendly.
"Punta Achiote River Study" Environmental Science, biology, math, report writing, analytic thinking, critical thinking, cooperative learning
This was a two day study of a river that empties into the Pacific Ocean at a beach named Punta Achiote just north of Uvita. The study was to determine the cleanliness/quality of the water in the river. Students use nets to catch macro invertebrates. In the evening students separated the macro-invertebrates, identified each species, and utilized a dichotomous key to determine the water quality of the river. Teams of students then recorded their results, and analyzed them to determine the cleanliness of the water based on the organisms found and prepared, and presented a report. This was an annual trip with each new 5th grade class.