Academics
Elementary
Brainstorming Using the Power of "I Wonder"
Today we tied together our Being a Writer curriculum with our social studies/science unit of study on the Polar Regions. We are reading chapters from the book, "Polar Lands," and practicing our notetaking skills in our "Investigation Journals." We pause during different parts of the book to identify important facts and keywords that we would like to record in our science and social studies journals. This can be a challenging skill in second grade, but our second grade researchers are working as a team to develop strategies and support each other when taking notes while listening to content materials.
After reading chapters on the land, people, and animals of the two Polar Regions, our scientists brainstormed lists of "I Wonder" questions that they have about specific topics that relate to either the Arctic or the Antarctic. Each researcher will meet with Mrs. P to review their "I Wonders," and each second grader will collaborate with Mrs. P to choose one topic of interest to study further. Next week we will use these questions to guide each scientist's research and follow our Project-Based Learning model to create student-driven, individual, unique presentations of what they've learned.
Please click on this link to learn more about the power of "I Wonder" questions and inquiry-based learning:
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/i-wonder-questions-harnessing-power-inquiry
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Boulder Country Day School, where academic distinction meets education with character. BCD is a top rated, accredited private school in Boulder, Colorado where every child has the opportunity to discover their own unique excellence. Distinguished by small class sizes, outstanding faculty, engaging academics and a focus on community, our preschool, elementary and IB middle school teachers strive to create a well-rounded educational environment that balances traditional subjects with the arts, world languages, athletics and knowledge based units.
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