Making Learning Meaningful

We believe in authentic inquiry with students. Therefore, we have implemented hands-on and exploratory learning. Grade levels are integrating project-based lessons into their curriculum. Kindergarten used exploration to explore the soil. First grade has completed makerspace activities on plants, habitat PBLs, Weather PBLs, and hands-on exploratory lessons on magnets. Second grade completed makerspace lessons on stars and force and motion. Third grade created habitat projects, a pollution STEM challenge, and hands-on rocks and mineral lessons. Fourth grade coded the water cycle and made weather tools in the maker lab. Fifth grade completed many projects and authentic inquiry lessons, including inherited trait maker projects, hands-on labs to model weathering and erosion, and a PBL called SHARK Tank that integrated math and science. Students used electricity to showcase an original product and sell it to the sharks in an original project. Students in third, fourth, and fifth grade also participated in a One Fair where they chose to create a Science Fair, Engineering Fair, or Technology Fair. We had three students go to the district fair. All three students placed, and one went on to the state competition.

At SPARK, student-led inquiry is the heart of our school's learning and culture. This begins with our teacher's thoughtful and detailed planning that goes into creating strong units of study that provide authentic inquiry while still being based on the Georgia Standards of Excellence. Throughout the units, we integrate all of our learning moments, project-based learnings, and extended inquiry around the unit of study's central idea. This gives students the opportunity to research, support their thoughts, hold authentic discussions, support their reasonings through claim, evidence and reasoning which is embedded into students' writing instruction. As students continue collaborating and discussing, the learning is truly is authentic because they feel ownership.