Adventures in a Common Core Experiment

Like any educator worth their salt, I question my ability to provide the best opportunities for my students every day. In the last four weeks, something wonderful has happened in our media center: students were actively engaged in meeting their curriculum objective. What's the most amazing piece of this puzzle? They knew it wasn't going to be graded.

I have a group of engaged, inquisitive, creative and thoughtful 8th graders who are attending my four-week enrichment session called Inquiry Learning and Research Skills. Our objectives tied in ITES Standards for Research Process, Sources of Information and Technology as a Tool. They met standards for the 8th grade Language Arts Social Justice unit. This is a snapshot of their process:

Week 1: Students met each other, then were placed in five small groups (5-6). I presented their objectives, Essential Questions and thematic focus. I showed the groups different at-issue themes from our resources in the media center. Groups selected three of their own choice. I selected one of their choices for their theme. Ms. Hetzell, our AG coordinator, helped in groups two days in each of the first two weeks. We worked collaboratively to assist students in research by helping students analyze information for credibility, bias, quality, authorship and timeliness. They used a variety of formats (online video, journal databases, magazines, newspapers and non-fiction text, plus interviews)

Week 2: Student groups met to discuss their first week findings, discard information that did not meet criteria, then agree on their focus within the group. They reasearched all week, taking notes, citing sources and discussing their findings. Homework was never required, but many chose to work outside of class on their research. (victory!)

Week 3: After finishing up research and completing citations, students worked in groups to choose one representative icon of their theme for each member of the group. This discussion lasted one class period, and they had some wonderful converstations!

We spent one period learning about murals and how they are used locally, nationally and globally. We looked at examples from Clayton, NC, Philadelphia, PA and Belfast, Ireland. Students noted how murals reflect perspectives of community and politics.

On the next day, we took a 'field trip' on school grounds, using our ipads to create the iconic images with the camera application. Student groups used transparency sheets and a dry erase marker to create contour drawings of their icons, then projected them to a 'mural' sheet, using an overhead projector.

Week 4: Students individually write summaries of their perspective on the issue, based on their research. They will need to reference their sources in their arguments; it will be a challenge! The final product will be their murals with their individual perspectives pasted (literally) around the images for a collective piece of artwork and writing.

This was a time-consuming and resource-rich project. It was very successful, which I attribute to allowing students to have choice in their learning. It made it a meaningful, enriched and exciting learning experience. I'll hear their reflections and take a plus/delta survey next to learn what the students thought about this project, and I'll be sad to see them leave to their next enrichment adventure.

I wonder what I'll do with my next four weeks and my new group of students?