Authentic Project- School playground, gr 7 Structures

One project my grade sevens threw themselves into and just loved was their playground design.  We are a new school without a playground and our parent council is working tirelessly to fund raise for one.  I took the desire for a recreational space for our students as an opportunity to weave some authentic learning into our Structures and Forces unit.  This was my first real attempt at project based learning.  I had no idea how much work it would be!  In the end, the students loved it, they learned many learning objectives at a deep level and they felt connected to their school community quickly.

I am very grateful for my 3 day training with Charity and the Buck Institute on project based learning.

Here are some of the handouts and student samples from the project.

Ideal Playground

Grade 3 Buddy Questions

Key Ideas Checklist

Self Evaluation

Data Reflection

Exam analysis

So the learning does not stop when the exam is given back...

Depending on how I approach things with my students, everything become assessment for learning. A good example would be my grade nine students' unit summative assessment- a "typical" unit exam with multiple choice and numerical response questions to mirror our Provincial Achievement Tests they must write in June.  I could simply mark it and pass it back to the kids- they look at their mark and the learning stops.  Instead, I incorporate an effective strategy I learned from a colleague.  The students get back their exam booklet and an analysis sheet.  They look at each of the learning objectives that were on the exam and reflect on how well they understood.  I am not sure where my colleague got the idea, but it does a great job of keeping the focus on students' mastery of learning outcomes.  My students appreciate the time to reflect on their learning and set goals for specific areas they need to still learn.  I have valuable conversations with my students about learning, not about marks.  The added bonus is that my students feel less pressure from the exam- they know it is to check for their enduring understanding and not to generate a percent for a report card per se.  For students with anxiety or who struggle, it takes off a huge stress for them and refocuses their attention on what counts- their learning.  Here is an example from my grade nine chemistry exam.

Chemistry Exam Analysis