Winter Showcase

Driving Question: How can we use angle relationships to design a safe and efficient town layout? 

Task: The students were tasked with designing a town layout using their knowledge of angle relationships and real life logistical concerns in order to create an efficient and well planned town for the business they created. 

Interdisciplinary Learning: Math, Social Studies/History, Fine Arts, CTE 

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, compare & contrast, connect themes, arguments, perspectives, draw conclusions, connect problem & solution, develop vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Driving Question: How can we help the Gingerbread safely get from one side of the river to the other? 

Task: The students completed a unit on Gingerbread. We read many versions of the Gingerbread story. In some, the Gingerbread Boy, Girl, or Man was tricked by the fox. In a few of the stories the fox offered a ride across the river, but tricked the Gingerbread and ate them before they got across. The students were asked to figure out a way to help the Gingerbread of their choice get across the river safely. They were tasked with becoming engineers. The students worked cooperatively in groups to plan then create structures and modes of transportation to help the Gingerbread cross the river safely while remaining dry (the cookies would get soggy if wet). 

Interdisciplinary Learning: ELA, Math, Science, Fine Arts 

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, compare & contrast, make predictions, connect problem & solution 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Driving Question: What invention can you make to help solve a world problem? 

Task: For the 100th Day of School, students studied inventions from the past 100 years that impacted the world. The students were then challenged with picking a world issue and creating an invention to help solve it. Students wrote an information piece on the invention and a persuasive piece to sell it. 

Interdisciplinary Learning: ELA, Science

Instructional Skills Developed: connect problem & solution, use text evidence, make text connections - to self, text/media, world, develop vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills: Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Self and/or Social Awareness 

Driving Question: What does it mean to dress professionally? 

Task: Students were asked to articulate the meaning of dressing professionally and explain the importance of maintaining a professional appearance. Additionally, students were presented with the challenge of independently mastering the skill of tying a necktie.  

Interdisciplinary Learning: CTE, ELA

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, connect problem & solution 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Actively Listen and Speak 

Driving Question: What can we learn about apples? 

Task: The students were scientist and mathematicians and learned all about apples. Students compared their apples, measured and weighed their apples, described their apples, sequenced the life cycle of an apple, voted and graphed the classes favorite kind of apple, and listened to many apple read alouds to gain knowledge. 

Interdisciplinary Learning: ELA, Math, Science 

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast, draw conclusions, make predictions, sequence, develop vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Actively Listen and Speak 

Driving Question: How can we use our talents and interests to teach others something new? 

Task: First, the students brainstormed a list of things they are "experts" on. Then, they selected a topic and created a "How To" in order to teach their peers something new. Next, students completed a graphic organizer which included the ingredients/materials needed and sequenced the steps. The class has been working on sequencing events using four special words "first, then, next, last". Lastly, the class presented their "How To" projects to their peers. 

Interdisciplinary Learning: Math, Science, Fine Arts, ELA

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, sequence 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Creativity, Actively Listen and Speak 

Driving Question: How can magazine covers effectively balance the portrayal of positive and negative narratives in public relations?  

Task: Students were tasked with becoming professional "public relations specialists" with creating both positive and negative magazine covers. 

Interdisciplinary Learning: CTE, ELA, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast 

Life/Career Skills: Collaboration, Creativity, Communication 

Driving Question: What is the best way to thank a teacher for their service?

Task: Students in the Life Skills Class planned, created, acted out, and recorded a music video and tribute for their teacher. 

Interdisciplinary Learning: ELA, LOTE, Fine Arts, CTE 

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, connect themes, arguments, perspectives, draw conclusions, make inferences, sequence, make text connections - to self, text/media, world 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Driving Question: How do we effectively share our stories? 

Task: Students were tasked with creating compelling digital stories to written work in a different format.

Interdisciplinary Learning: ELA, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, develop vocabulary, author's purpose, analyze text structure, and main idea and details

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking

Driving Question: How can our Introduction to Teaching & Student Leadership Team high school students impart wisdom about growth mindset to our 5th graders?

Task: Students were tasked becoming teachers/presenters and engaging 5th graders in a lesson on the positive aspects of growth mindset.

Interdisciplinary Learning: ELA, SEL

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, cause & effect, connect essential ideas/themes, point of view/perspective, and vocabulary development

Life/Career Skills: Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Social/Self Awareness, Active Listening

Driving Question: How do patterns in the sky affect our lives on Earth? 

Task: Students were tasked becoming teachers/presenters and engaging 5th graders in a lesson on the positive aspects of growth mindset.

Interdisciplinary Learning: Science, Math, ELA, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Developed: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, compare & contrast, make predictions, sequence, use text evidence, develop vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Actively Listen and Speak