STEAM activity

I had such a great time planning and teaching a Gingerbread Man STEAM activity in 2nd grade this week. We based the activity off of this question: How can we help the Gingerbread Man get across the river safely? Their ideas were thoughtful, creative, and well implemented! Take a look at some of their creations.

Google Forms

Ms. Johnson's 6th graders are hard at work on a math PBL. To kick-off the project the groups were working on making a Google Form to share with teachers at Latimer. Each group was assigned a grade level to work on. The project will be focusing on Math Night at their school. Here they are hard at work:

Publishing Party in Kindergarten!

I had the joy of visiting Mrs. Flanagan's Kinder kids at Payne last week. They were presenting their writing from Writer's Workshop. The class was so proud to stand up and read what they had been working on. Not only was it creative but they were all so thoughtful! Here are a few pictures from that day.

CUE Rockstar TOSA Conference

A few of us were able to attend the CUE Rockstar TOSA conference this weekend in San Francisco. We saw some great (and funny) presentations discussing technology and ways to help our district and staff. We also went on a picture walk to create a photo collage of words we saw in everyday things.

Visiting an Outdoor Classroom!

I had such an incredible time visiting Amy Trayer and her K/1 kids. Every week they spend Wednesday outside in the Moreland Woods. Here is what Amy said about it:

This year several K/1 classes at EDS have been spending the day outdoors in the Moreland Woods as part of our curriculum.  Having the woods on site means we can take our classes out there and use the amazing resources it offers right on campus.  My students spend all day Wednesday out in the woods in an outdoor classroom environment.  With the help of parents, we have stations set up that include reading, journal writing, games, art, math and a heavy emphasis on science. Having an outdoor classroom allows students to explore nature and learn through hands on activities that encourage creative thinking, curiosity and motivation.  We notice that our students are focused, engaged, happy and excited to learn when out in nature!

Many other grades and classes at EDS are spending time out in the woods and using it for different PBL projects.  This has been a great opportunity to build our school community especially when the older kids are teaching the younger ones about science related concepts and caring for the woods.

Research has shown that by giving children opportunities to explore in nature we are teaching them how to solve their own problems, control their impulses, modulate their emotions, see from others’ perspectives, negotiate differences, and get along with other as equals.  By being out in nature and the real world, children are taught lessons of personal responsibility, self-control, and sociability.

The K/1 team applied for and received an Innovation grant from MEF to support the outdoor classroom!  We are so grateful for this support and look forward to building a science rich curriculum and creating an environment that benefits our students' overall health and well being.  

Follow my outdoor classroom on instagram: @edsroom19

~Amy Trayer. K/1 EDS