ST1.6
The interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum includes a focus on real world applications.
Embedded Files
ST1.6 Narrative
ST1.6 Narrative
Strengths
Through authentic learning experiences, Lincoln Elementary School is increasing student engagement and building life-long learners. Teachers are developing STEM literacies with school-wide and grade level STEAM (interdisciplinary) projects based on College and Career Readiness Standards. Students are presented with problem-based, real-world scenarios where teachers are facilitating student learning. The learning experiences are engaging and include authentic resources such as learning with live animals. Teachers use these STEM experiences to integrate math, science, social studies, reading, and writing concepts in an applied format. Parents commend us regularly on the value of learning the students receive.
Weaknesses/Challenges
Successful PBL lessons are planned well in advance to ensure guest speakers and other resources are available. Planning for interdisciplinary problem-based lessons/activities that are engaging and purposeful takes a significant amount of time and flexibility. Providing ample time to collaborate, research, and prepare for these types of lessons and activities is a challenge.
Action to Sustain Strengths/Action to Address Weaknesses
To sustain our strengths, teachers will work collaboratively to tap into the knowledge and expertise of colleagues, parents, and the community when planning their problem-based lessons. When planning, teachers will begin with the end in mind by identifying important student outcomes related to content and skills. Teachers will foster the development of interdisciplinary content and real world connections through mini-lessons, text integration, investigations, videos, field trips, visitors, and rubrics. Collectively these components will continue to lead to successful student learning outcomes for all students.
Time for teacher learning and planning is critical for school reform. To overcome our challenges of time and flexibility, we are planning on restructuring our PLC meetings to focus on quality not quantity. We plan to reduce the frequency at which we hold our PLC/Data meetings and increase the amount of time we have together to work collaboratively.
Key Exemplars
Key Exemplars
PBL Lesson Plan with Interdisciplinary Connection
STEAM Lab Lesson Plans and Schedule
These plans are lessons from the STEAM Lab that connect to the classroom teacher's instruction. The STEAM Lab teachers works with the classroom teacher to start or extend into the Lab.
School Garden
School Garden
At LES, all students in K-5th grades planned PBL projects that will serve as learning stations in our School Garden. Kindergarten and 5th graders researched all about our local and migrating butterflies. First graders set up homes for American Blue birds and other visiting feathered friends. Second graders learned all about important vitamins. They researched the nutritional value fruits and veggies have. Third graders learned how to tell time by using shadows based on the Earth's rotation. They created a sundial for the garden. Fourth graders researched all of the amazing places in Alabama and created a cardinal direction station. Through cross-curricular connections, our garden now lends itself to instruction in math, science and social studies with stations throughout for students to read and explore.
Click on the link to visit the LES School Garden Website:
Importance of the Food Chain
Importance of the Food Chain
As part of a unit in science, fifth grade LES students were given a challenge to complete that was related to the Food Cycle. Their task was to create a food chain that demonstrates how energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food web. Students researched and problem-solved to come up with different solutions. They worked collaboratively to create their finished products that best represented their solution. Through research and reading, students had to apply social studies and math skills by examining the habitats in which various producers and consumers live, including data in charts and graphs, in order to create an accurate food chain solution. After learning about the parts and the importance of the food chain, students reflected on their learning experience using Flipgrid. Students watched each group and provided feedback.
Farm-to-Table
Farm-to-Table
As a partner with Callie's Kids Farm-to-Table project, the LES Green STEAM Gardening Team planted a fall garden of different types of lettuce, herbs, and chard to donate to Southern Classic Farmer's Market. Southern Classics Restaurant and Catering is under the management of Martha Boydston. The goal is to provide tasteful locally grown and harvested fresh food to the public in a restaurant setting. The restaurant is also run as a business to ultimately make a profit. In math, students discussed what is needed for a business to be successful by analyzing plans for profit and growth. The Jacksonville State University Culinary Arts Program rotate student chefs-in-training through the program who will offer their own personal dishes as "specialties".
Through research and reading various articles, students increased their understanding that local food is often more nutritious; Local food is better for the earth; The local economy benefits when consumers buy their food locally; Farm-To-Table offers diners a wide variety of fresh seasonal food choices; and growing locally promotes better understanding of where our food comes from which in turn can decrease food insecurity. Students will learn hands-on young entrepreneurial skills.
Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting
In this PBL project, students created a KWL and a need to know list on how to answer the driving question. They began researching by reading online digital articles and recording their information in their PBL notebooks. The students created a Board Builder in Discovery Education on worms and a worm mascot on Chatterpix. The students learned how to set up a worm bin with foods that can be turned into casting, how to make vermicomposting tea, and ways to harvest the natural fertilizer. The students used math skills to measure the items needed for the bin and weighing the foods to add. The students created a presentation of their choice to convince others to vermicompost. This real world connection was then used in our outdoor garden as soil and vermicomposting tea to provide the plants with nutrients.
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