There are different styles of learning and different approaches to teaching. But one thing seems to remain constant…active student involvement is relational to sustained learning.
“Tell me and I forget,
teach me and I remember,
involve me and I learn.”
Last week the second graders had some new teachers for three afternoon periods. The 6th grade Earth Science standards build upon those learned in 2nd grade. So the 6th graders came down to the classroom, ready to teach the second graders about what they have learned about specific events that can change the Earth’s surface.
The first group talked about tectonic plates and the role they play in how mountains are formed. This was followed with an interactive lesson on creating rice krispie mountains.
The second group built on the tectonic plate lesson and discussed the ins and outs of volcanoes. They then played around the world with the 2nd graders to test their knowledge.
The last group talked about tsunamis and earthquakes, once again building on previous lessons. They showed two quick videos, had students write down something they had learned and then finished up the lesson with a rousing round of Jeopardy.
These hands-on activities provided a stepping stone for our Earth science unit coming up after Winter Break and gave the 6th graders the chance to teach what they had been learning in their classroom. Ask your second grader to teach you something that they learned during these presentations.
Because after all…