Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Teaching Inquiry through Current Events: Japanese Earthquake





One of the most important things we can teach our students is how to ask (and try to answer) the right questions. The earthquake in Japan is a devastating event that opens up a myriad of questions for young people. Use these teachable moments to explore science, history, and human society.

See the following article on Edutopia for some ideas and a huge list of resources for exploring the topic.



Teaching Resources for the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
By Eric Brunsell
3/14/11


The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan is on the minds of all of us, including our students. The event and aftermath is tragic and the continuing nuclear emergency is a reminder of how fragile society can be. As educators, we can help our students make sense of these events and give them the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their world.

In their book, Comprehension and Collaboration, Daniels and Harvey provide a comprehensive vision of what inquiry can look like in the classroom. They describe the following components that can easily be used to bring the Japanese earthquake into your classroom.

Immerse: Invite Curiosity and Wonder
Introduce the topic by asking your students what they already know about the disaster. Follow this by brainstorming a list of “wonderings” that students have. You may want to set the context for the discussion by reading a small excerpt from a news article or by showing a video.

Investigate: Develop Questions, Search for Information, and Discover Answers
Individuals or small groups select and refine a broad question that they find interesting. You should help students with their question so that it provides an opportunity for them to delve into a topic and consider multiple sources of information. Students can use the web, library resources, and other media to search for information.

Coalesce: Synthesize Information and Build Knowledge
Students should identify a small number of “knowledge claims” that they have learned from their research. These claims should be supported by evidence from multiple media sources.

Go Public: Demonstrate Understanding and Share Learning
Students can share their learning in a variety of ways. For example, they can create newspaper articles, videos, audio podcasts, posters, or infographics. The resources below provide a variety of perspectives on the Japanese earthquake. Some of the resources may not be suitable for all children.



http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-resources-japanese-earthquake-tsunami?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29

Monday, March 7, 2011

National Pi Day-March 14th!

National Pi Day! Did you know there was such a thing?
Check out the Eminem impersonator as he sings of the angst and stress of trying to remember all those digits. You can also read an interview with Chao Lu, the world record holder, who memorized...67,890 digits! What!?

He messed up on the 67,891st digit or he could have made it to over 90,000!!!
http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/details/luchaointerview.html




Have fun!