Julia Lawrence, Candy Blesse, Majory Prisco, Jenni DeWald, Mardiece Patrick, Sherry BurnsSullivan, and Amber Pierce
Program Objectives/Application to State Standards:
The following objectives directly correspond to the Common Core State Standards and to the Next Generation Science Standards. An extensive number of standards will be covered.
To increase collaborative conversations with diverse partners on 5th and 1st grade topics which build on ideas and expressing their own ideas clearly.
To instruct younger students about topics 5th grade students have studied.
To follow agreed upon rules of discussions and carry out assigned roles.
To read and write informational text as we explore science topics.
To gain a deeper appreciation of our immediate bioregion after studying topics we read through exploration and observation.
To gain hands-on experience with the Next Generation Science Standards under the heading: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Assessments:
The assessments will be ongoing through:
Observation of how well the older students communicate their knowledge to the 1st graders
Analysis of writing in the science journals
Knowledge in Action – The final Sagehen Field Station science learning day where 5th graders provide lessons and 1st graders have opportunities to relate their learning to hands on experiences.
Methods:
Over the course of 6 weeks 5th grade students will be partnered with 1st grade students. The 5th graders will come to 1st grade classrooms for 30 minutes a week and work 1 on 1 or 1 on 2 with children teaching what they know about the following topics: insects, birds, plants, and camouflage. If this grant is approved, 5th grade students will review purchased texts in their homeroom classes and then instruct the 1st grade children on the content of the text through reading, questioning, discussion and explaining. The children will also work collaboratively to complete science journals about the topics in the texts being read. After the 8 weeks of building background the students will have the opportunity to explore these topics at Sagehen Field Station with the older students being the instructors and mentors to the younger students.
Sharing the Grant:
This grant will benefit at least 165 children in both 1st and 5th grades. All the teachers in both grades are invested in the program and committed to its success.
Truckee Elementary's PTO funded the books we used last year.