7th Grade Updates - Quarter 3

Mrs. Reese and I are partnering to work with 7th graders on an extended project called “Going Local.” Work for this project will cover both science and information/technology curriculums, and will be graded by both Mrs. Reese and me. 

This form of learning, called “Project-Based Learning” (PBL) has shown to be more engaging and authentic for our students. You can find out more about PBLs here.

This ongoing project will allow your child the opportunity to take on the role of a scientist/engineer by choosing a local ecosystem (backyard, field, pond, etc.) and then going through a series of steps to describe the ecosystem, define an environmental problem/challenge within that ecosystem, develop a plan to implement, and then carry out and evaluate that plan.  

This is something new for our 7th graders, and puts them in a very active role, in which they can make many decisions for themselves. I will be facilitating the majority of the activities involved in this project, some of which will require students to keep track of due dates and deadlines.

I will take the project step-by-step, and most work will be done through Moodle.  Due dates will be posted there and in RenWeb Homework.

At this time, we have been spending a few classes getting ready to begin Step 1: Defining and describing the ecosystem.  Students are to spend the next few weeks deciding which local ecosystem they would like to choose. Here are some tips given to the students: 

• Make sure the boundaries of your ecosystem are clear. 
• Choose somewhere you can easily get to: Your backyard, a local park, or pond. 
• You can also choose somewhere on the school campus. 

Inspiration for this project comes in part from the Pacific Education's Institute website and curriculum for project-based learning.

Parents, if you have any interest in helping to mentor students for this project during the design and implementation phases, please let me know!