Mrs. McAlister and her Sunsational Sixth Graders
  • Mrs. McAlister's Blog
  • Mrs. McAlister's Blog
  Mrs. McAlister and her Sunsational Sixth Graders

Join us on our journey through sixth grade

Biomes Inquiry Project

10/28/2018

3 Comments

 
We’ve had a great start to sixth grade. I’m excited to share our first inquiry project. In science, we’re studying ecology. As an extension, we dove into a biome inquiry project.

We started by discussing the “Types of Student Inquiry” poster by Trevor MacKenzie and Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt. At the end of the year, we conduct a free inquiry on our personal passions. I really wanted students to see inquiry as a journey, something that is process as well as a product. The student’s perceptions and discussions about the poster were deep and targeted. They left the session feeling confident and supported. I was pleased with their level of engagement and understanding.
Picture
I introduced biomes through this video. After watching the video, we developed questions using the Question Formulation Technique. (The Right Question Institute at rightquestion.org is a valuable resource.)

Here is the sequence that we followed.
​

     -Students wrote questions individually.
     -In groups, students compiled their questions onto a poster.
     -I created a Google doc with all the class questions.
     -In groups, students categorized the questions as open or closed. (Document here.)
     -In groups, students changed several open ended questions to closed questions and vise versa.
     -Students finished the process by choosing three questions they were most interested in answering individually.
It was such a powerful experience watching students interact with their peers and ask questions. Their collaboration skills were excellent.

I created my own tally sheet of questions students were interested in answering. With student interests and content standards in mind, I created a choice board of essential questions for students to use for their inquiry.

When we introduced the inquiry project, students were instructed to choose four questions from the choice board to research. (Document here.) Because this was a controlled inquiry, I provided three templates for students to use. (Templates here, here, and here.) Each template had the same components: title page, four essential questions, captivating image, quote, map, and resource page. The required components were the title page, four questions, and resource page. The image, quote, and map were available for students that wanted to “level up”. Most students completed some or all of the additional options.

Part of my workflow to monitor students and their progress was for students to fill in the cells of the questions they would answer on their choice board and send me their Google slide link using a Google form. We also created a crowd sourced resource page for students to use. Additionally, I had a poster of the choice board where students wrote their names by the questions they would be answering. This became a support when students needed assistance with a particular question.

Students spent about 5 class periods researching, taking notes, writing their responses, and completing their slide deck. Experts in particular areas emerged during the week and became valuable resources to classmates. Some students shared how to insert links and images, other students were eager to share sites they found, while others shared how to use text boxes and word art on the map.
The final products were informative and scholarly. Just as important was the amount of student agency that developed during the unit. Because students were involved in determining the questions being used and choosing their own template, their engagement was high. We have a flexible seating environment and students regularly collaborate with peers. These structures amplified student success.

Take a look at some of our inquiry projects. (Links here, here, and here.) 

Next on our agenda is a guided ancient civilizations inquiry. If you’re on an inquiry journey, I’d love to be tagged in your posts. Trevor and Rebecca have an active community using the #InquiryMindset hashtag. Be sure to give it and them a follow.

#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤

3 Comments

Inquiry Mindset . . . Sharing the Love

10/6/2018

0 Comments

 
Wow! It’s been a busy but great start to the school year. My new group of sixth graders have settled in nicely and my partners and I are finding our flow. Not only that, I’ve been able to share my love for inquiry at two EdTechTeam summits, with our district GATE teachers, and at our school site Inquiry Mindset book study.

Here’s a quick recap.

High Desert EdTechTeam Summit

The teachers in Hesperia, California are amazing and passionate. I presented two sessions on inquiry, “Getting Started with an Inquiry Mindset” and “Leveraging Voice and Choice by Diving into Inquiry”. This was my first time sharing inquiry with others. I was honestly a bit nervous. Fortunately, the teachers were kind and eager to learn. The best part was meeting a couple of teachers that are equally as passionate about inquiry, @TechCoachGraham, @nunes_edventure, and @itsmrsking. Their knowledge and excitement for inquiry is contagious. Be sure to give them a follow. You’re sure to learn a lot.

Imperial Valley EdTechTeam Summit

Our local summit was a blast. After feedback from the first summit (thank you @MsVenturino and @meagan_e_kelly) I made some modifications on the sessions, particularly building in more collaboration and time for creation. (Links to the sessions here and here.) We focused on provocations, the inquiry map, and authentic pieces using Adobe Spark and GooLinks. I had so much fun watching teachers interact with the inquiry content, plan their next steps, and collaborate with peers. This is our third summit and the educators were ready to take their experience to the next level. Not only are teachers interested in technology, but how to use it meaningfully within their content areas. I’m excited to see where the #IVEducators go on their journey.

Sunflower School Inquiry Mindset Book Study

This has to be what I’m most excited about. It’s an honor to facilitate our school site in an Inquiry Mindset book study. At our first meeting, we covered chapters 1 and 2, characteristics of the inquiry teacher and 10 reasons to use inquiry-based learning. Our discussions were deep, meaningful, and student centered. One powerful experience was reflecting on the 10 reasons sketchnote, created by @rbathursthunt, using the stoplight strategy. It was a powerful reflective piece. We ended the session by visiting classrooms and having teachers share some of their inquiry spaces. One teacher has a rock collection as an inquiry provocation, a first grade teacher is conducting inquiry of plants, and two teachers share a library for both classes. Our next session will cover provocations and the Questions Formulation Technique. Here's the book study slide deck that we'll be adding to.

ECESD GATE Teacher Training

In our district, we have three elementary schools that have GATE programs for gifted and talented students. We started by reflecting on where we are in the inquiry pool. As part of the program, students participate in Passionate Kids Project. Students find their passion, connect their passion to society, research, write, create authentic pieces, and share at a celebration of learning. I used @trev_mackenzie’s inquiry map to guide my class last year. It was a phenomenal experience. For the teacher training, we followed two students on their journey. It was an effective way for teachers to see the implementation of the process and view student work firsthand.

Teachers had many targeted questions throughout the 6 sessions. My honest answer to any inquiry question is to honor your students. Know where you want to go, but let your students choose the path. They will take you on adventures you may have never dreamed of.

I'm excited to see where the inquiry journey takes all of us!
Picture
#MuchLove . . . Marilyn ❤
0 Comments

    AuthoR

    Welcome to my blog.  I'm an 80's girl embracing being a 21st century tech-girl with the help of my amazing sixth graders.  Join us as we journey through sixth grade.

    Archives

    July 2021
    June 2021
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.