Category: Uncategorized

September Collaboration. Greenfield  Science & Math Teachers excited about the kids coming back!

 

This year I fully enjoyed our final several weeks as we winded up the year developing board games for our final review. The board games were fun, creative and an effective culminating student driven activity. My goals were to encourage students to work cooperatively, use technology, review full year content and complete a community service project all-in-one.

I gave out a board game rubric and the course standards for the year. The sophomores in my biology classes had the MA state standards and worked in groups of varying sizes to design a game to review for our final exam. I provided an excel template and purchased business cards in bulk. In addition, I purchased arts and crafts, dice, spinners… and other items of interest.

It was important to give time for the kids to strategize and develop a draft of the game. Once the groups shared their games ideas and strategies they could amend their plan could begin the formal design.

It was so fun to hear about the creative designs, strategies and content. Student cooperatively designed the game and rules while they worked individually on the review content. One leader in each group coordinated all the questions from each member and e-mailed me instructions for each card. All of the instructions for the cards included topic, logos, questions and answers and color codes. My husband was a trooper and printed out all of the cards from our home after I proofread the questions. The kids were thrilled when they received back the finished products.

The whole effort took about 3 weeks of student driven work in the classroom and in the computer rooms. I had a great time enjoying sharing ideas and helping to problem solve. Once they were completed, I had the boards laminated and all the game pieces and rules were organized. We all wished we had more time to play more of the games other groups had designed.   I will try and paste some pictures of some of the game boards.

 

 

 

Here are a few fun pics of some of the Environmental Science kids beautifying a crosswalk in Greenfield this May.

I had such a great few weeks I gave the kids a challenge.  The Umbrella theme was Climate Change.  They had to gather information in any way they wish  and they had to take action locally.  It has been so fun.

We had several projects including….

A view of Greenfield’s Green Heroes- George Felogloy

 Spartan- Net Zero Homes

Net Zero Low income Housing- Sam Duncan,  & Julian Tores

Just Roots, Safe Routes to Schools, Energy Challenge

Net Zero Transportation – A Debate (Library station)

Griffin Ragozza and Ryan Barnes

Net Zero Transportation – A Debate (Library station)

Griffin Ragozza and Ryan Barnes

ARM- Acid Rain Romeo Thompson (Library station)

Cost of Clothing (Library station)

Sam Kennedy & Lily Richards & George Felogloy

Local Species at Risk (Library station)

Zack L, Don N, Richie B

A view of Greenfield’s Green Heroes- George Felogloy

Spartan- Net Zero Homes

Net Zero Low income Housing- Sam Duncan,  & Julian Tores

Net Zero Transportation – A Debate (Library station)

Griffin Ragozza and Ryan Barnes

Just Roots, Safe Routes to Schools, Energy Challenge

Hoop House- D’Naisha Lewis & Casey Antunes-(Library station)

Laughing Dog Farm

Grace DuSell- Children’s Book (Library station)

 

 

TeamSurvey

Angie and I have been working hard trying to gather meaningful data to show the positive impact of our “TEAM” project.  It is a hard task.  We first held informal meetings with our teams to help develop meaningful discussion questions.

Angie took those suggestions an put them onto Survey MONKEY.  It is so hard to do a great job.  Right now we are assigning each TEAM to a location to use the computer rooms and library to respond to the Surveys.  What a logistical nightmare.

My students have been investigating Greenfield Green Efforts.  Unbelievable!  Here are a few pics of my students interviewing several of our “Green Heroes’  What a great community.

I am having so much fun with our current project.  The requirement is Think Globally; Act Locally under a theme of Climate Change.  First we brainstormed any ideas, phrases… questions the topic that Climate Change brings up and then shared ideas of how we individually have an impact on Climate Changes. After one week We had Student video on Green Heroes in Town, A Children’s book, Song writing, Acid Rain testing, Greening our low income homes Project, student energy audits, “Bring Patagonia to Greenfield”; “How one class can make  a difference”; Student designed sustainable Hoop House Lab design… and so much more.  I hope to post some video, pics and a few student designed labs.

         

My students joined me for a fabulous workshop offered at GCC.  We joined new teachers, experienced teachers and community members.  It was so much fun. The kids joined the community and shared and learned about so many ideas that the energy was still apparent in class the next day.  We had to re-list all the new ideas we heard and discuss with so many new people.   Great Process.

 

We had a fabulous workshop at GCC that brought my Juniors and Seniors together with young teachers, experienced teachers and school community members.  The kids learned so much form other community members that we had to list the new ideas in class the next day.. So inspiring!