Empowered Thinkers

BIG topic this week - INFORMATION LITERACY! 

We have been learning a lot about what it means to be literate in today's world, living in the age of information abundance. It's not just about whether or not we can read or write, but how we find, evaluate and use information and acquire knowledge. Information literacy essentially allows us to be in control of our learning and to become informed lifelong learners. Often, how a story is told can shape our feelings of an event, a person, or people. An author's view or personal opinions can sometimes influence their interpretation of events or human behavior resulting in information bias. To put our learning into action, we initially spent some time reading, analyzing, and evaluating two different books about Christopher Columbus. Learners were surprised to notice how different Columbus was portrayed in each of the books and wondered how that could be. Shouldn't books about real people in history be based on facts?  Through their own analysis and evaluations, they realized that each story's "truth" was likely shaped by the author's own ideas about Columbus and that having read both stories, they learned that maybe each contained some truth, but that they also reflected some of the author's own opinions. This exercise offered learners an opportunity to further develop their critical thinking skills so that they were able to make their own informed judgments about information - one of the most important literacy skills we can develop in twenty-first-century learners. This week's guest bloggers reflect on this practice.

The book Encounter is different from other books about Christopher Columbus because in Encounter, it portrays Christopher Columbus as bad and an evil human. In A Picture book of Christopher Columbus, he is portrayed more as a hero. It's important to be able to identify bias when reading or listening to information because you have to be able to tell if the author has a strong opinion about the topic that might make you feel a certain way.  - "Ritzi"

The book Encounter portrays Christopher Columbus very differently than A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus. In the picture book, Columbus is portrayed as very brave for sailing new seas and finding new land. In the book Encounter, Columbus was a very bad man for trying to take over the Native Americans' land. It's important to be able to identify bias because authors might put a lot of their own opinions into something and make it seem like it's all true. If you can sense how an author feels about a topic, then it is probably written with bias.  - "N.A.S.A."

The book Encounter portrays Christopher Columbus differently than A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus. The way that the two books are different is that in the picture book, he is portrayed as a hero to the Native people, but in the book Encounter, he steals their land and their resources and is seen more as a bad person. It's important to know when there is bias in a piece of writing because if you are not paying attention, you might believe that the information is actually true when there might be more than one perspective.  - "Mango"

The book Encounter portrays Christopher Columbus as mean, while in the picture book, he was portrayed as a hero. It's important to be able to identify bias so then you know what the author's viewpoint might be and so you don't get confused and mistake someone's opinion as fact. - "Cheese"

The book Encounter is very different than A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus because in the picture book, Christopher Columbus seemed nice, but in Encounter, he was portrayed as a thief. It's important to be able to identify bias when you are reading because you don't want to get the wrong information and then teach others the wrong information.  - "Mala"

In A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus, Columbus was portrayed as a hero, but in the book Encounter, he was portrayed as very unkind and selfish. It's important to be able to identify bias because not all information is true. Some information is based on opinions and we need to be able to see that and look for other viewpoints.  - "Deer"

The book Encounter and A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus portray Christopher Columbus differently because in Encounter, the author describes him as a cruel explorer and in the picture book, the author describes him as a hero and an amazing sailor. I find it hard to figure out which interpretation is correct because there are many different portrayals of him in different books. It's important to identify bias when reading and/or listening to information because sometimes authors can talk about the same person/people in very different ways, which might be based more on the author's opinion rather than facts. - "Glisten"

The book Encounter portrays Christopher Columbus differently from A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus because the picture book portrays him as a hero. Evidence of this is when the author wrote: "he was brave and forced his men on when they were wanting to turn back". The book Encounter portrays him as an evil man. Evidence of this is when the text states "he has a serpent smile". It's important to identify bias so that you can separate facts from opinions. - "Tazer"

It's important to identify bias because everything you read and hear is not always true.
- "Lize"

Exploring Energy Through the Design Process

Just when we were ready to wind down on our interdisciplinary investigation of Viking culture and evidence of their early encounters with Native people in North America, things were actually ramping up! 

Learning about the Vikings, their motives for exploration, and how Viking sieges influenced history, we were presented with the perfect opportunity to explore some of the types of siege engines they used and the science behind them - catapults in particular. Learners explored the types of energy within different types of systems, the forces and motion that play a role in designing simple machines, the relationship between potential and kinetic energy and the role energy transfer plays in each stage of launching a catapult's payload. This offered a unique opportunity for an engineering design challenge that required learners to investigate how kinetic energy influences the design of simple machines. Learners were asked to plan, design and test their own prototype for a catapult (given limited materials and time) that would later be used in our very own Viking battle siege (YIKES!). As we reflect on this experience and how the constraints and our design choices might have limited our success, there is much to learn about the importance of research and the iterative process that is used to continually improve a design or product. This week's guest bloggers reflect on this design challenge experience. 

My engineering design team did not do any research before we designed our catapult. If we had done some research, it could have helped our team better understand how the rubber bands should have been used. We used too many and it just made it harder to pull them back and increase the amount of potential energy in our payload. Research would have also helped us to figure out how to balance our catapult better. If we had more time to continue making improvements, we would have made a smaller catapult, maybe even a hand-held one. We might have also used a spoon instead of a cup because it would have made it easier to load during the siege.       - "Cat"

My team did not do any research before we started. It would have helped us if we did because we would have learned how to make the catapult launch more accurately and make a more stable base. If we had more time, our next iteration would have used a spoon instead of a cup to launch our payload.         - "Italy"

My design team did do some research to help inform our catapult design and that really helped us. We were first going to make a basic catapult with popsicle sticks and a spoon, but when we were doing our research, we figured out a better way to increase the amount of potential energy in our payload. If we had more time to work on our design, we might have put the spoon in a more stable spot because it was bending back too far and didn't launch the payload far enough during the siege.       - "Drain"

My design team did not do any research to help us get started because we were too caught up in our own ideas and just wanted to get started. We kind of blew it. Research definitely would have helped us in designing a better release and a more stable base so our payload would have launched further during the siege.       - "American"

Our engineering design team did not do any research on catapults or ways to increase potential energy. I think it would have helped if we did some research first because we might have made a sturdier catapult and figured out a way to increase the amount of potential energy to help launch our payload farther.     - "Tazer"

My engineering design team did not do any research and it definitely would have helped us if we did because we would have realized that our base should stay in place and not move. It was hard to launch our payload because our stand kept moving. If we had more time to continue working on our design, we would have used a spoon instead of a cup to launch our payload.        - "Lam"

Our team did not do any research before we got started, but it might have helped us learn about how different types of catapults work and what they look like to give us more ideas for our own design. If we had more time to work on our catapult design, we would change it so that it was smaller, it didn't have a base, and we could just hold it in our hands and fling the payload.      - "Rianna"

My team did not research catapults before we started, but it definitely would have helped us. If we knew how big to make it and how to design the best launcher, we might have done better during the siege. If we had more time to work on our design, we would have made a sling to launch our payload because when we pulled back on the rubber band to increase the amount of potential energy in our payload, it wouldn't go that far.   - "Water"

Doing research would have helped our design team have a better understanding of how we could have increased the amount of potential energy in our payload and to get other ideas as to how we could design the actual catapult. If we had more time to work on our catapults, our team would probably test every variable that was added as it was added.     - "Wifi"

We did not do any research, but if we did it might have helped my team and I make a better base and to make our catapult more sturdy. That way, it might have been easier for us to increase the amount of potential energy in our payload. If we had more time to work on our design, we probably would have changed how we attached the rubber bands so that they would stay tight and our payload would have more potential energy. -"Mango"

Our engineering design team did not do any research to help us with our design. We should have though. If we had more time to work on our design, we would have tried a whole new idea that would help us store the most amount of potential energy possible in our payload to help us launch it the farthest.     - "Dune"

Research would have definitely helped my team with our design process. If we had more time, we would have added more of an angle to the launcher so that it didn't launch our payload toward the ceiling. Another thing my team should have added was something to hold our payload in place so that it didn't fall out before we launched it.   - "Lil Sting"

My team did not do any research, but if we did, it sure would have helped us a lot. About 10 seconds into the siege, we realized our payload wasn't launching far enough, so we had to go with our "Plan B". If we had more time to continue working on our catapult design, we would have made a simpler catapult - maybe one that was hand-held like some of the other groups made.     - "Clover"

Our design team did not do any research, but I have a lot of schema/background so this wasn't my first time doing it. If we had more time to work on improving our design, we could have extended our launcher so that it would have increased the amount of potential energy in our payload.    - "Champ"

We didn't do any research to inform our design, but I do think it may have helped if we did because our catapult kept breaking during the siege. If we had done a little research, we might have had more success. If we had more time to continue working on our design, I think we could have added more rubber bands or tape to secure the spoon better to increase the potential energy in our payload.   - "Glisten"

Our team did not do any research, but if we did, it might have helped us to find ways to increase the amount of potential energy in our payload so that it would launch farther.  - "Rocky"

Reflections on Things That Matter

"Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education."  - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

More than anything, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. demonstrates the power of one voice; how the voice and the actions of one person can bring about meaningful change in our world. As the children head into the long weekend, we wanted to shine a light on the meaning of the MLK holiday and the relevance of Dr. King's dream today. At the heart of equality is accepting each others' differences, supporting one another, showing compassion and empathy and taking the time to show that we are interested in understanding where each of us is coming from. Dr. King paid the ultimate price for living out his dream so that we could know a world of equality. At this time, in particular, it seems appropriate to reflect on his words and assess our own words and actions as they relate to his dream. So, we asked the children: Fifty-one years after MLK's death, are we living his dream of equality? This week's guest bloggers share their thoughts. 

Though African Americans have more rights than they did before, I think we could still do better. We are still treating people differently based on how they look and how much money they have. I think we should stop judging people from the outside and start getting to know people on the inside.    - "Ritzi"

In some parts of the world, people have gotten better about treating people with kindness, including everyone and defending people's rights. In other parts of the world, not everyone is always welcome and that should change! I think that everybody should treat everyone equally and be kind no matter how different you are from them.   - "Soda"

I do not think that we are living Dr. King's dream. Yet. I believe this because unfortunately, some people are still being treated differently. For example, some people are treated differently because of what they believe in or how much money they have. I think people today should think "how would I feel if this were happening to me?" We need to have more empathy.    - "Wifi"

I think we are living only part of Dr. King's dream. I think things have gotten way better than it was 60 years ago, but we haven't reached total peace yet. Another reason I think we aren't living his dream is that we are arresting immigrants. I think we could all be a little nicer to each other.    - "N.A.S.A."

I think that we are not living Dr. King's dream of equality because some people are still not treated well because of their skin color or because of other differences. I think that we can treat people that are different better.    - "Yah"

I think most of us are living Dr. King's dream. After MLK, gave his "I have a dream speech", people started to realize that it didn't matter what we looked like. It matters more how we act. Still, some people judge others by what they look like. We can be better by setting an example for the people who judge.    - "Mala"

In my opinion, I don't think we are living Dr. King's dream. In most parts of the world, we are living in peace, but there are still some parts where people only see the outside of others. I think that maybe we could look more into what people are going through, then maybe we would understand what it feels like to be them.    - "Aloha"

Viking It and Liking It

As we begin exploring the reasons for European voyages across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, we find ourselves first introducing the Native American people to Viking explorers. We're not only learning about Viking culture and motives for exploration, but how archaeological evidence offers us proof of their brief time on the Atlantic coast of the North American continent, how they might have spent their time while they were here and investigate deeper into theories as to why they didn't settle for very long. This week's guest bloggers reflect on their learning experiences and share their thoughts and ideas about how they are synthesizing their learning so far.

I used to think that Vikings were people that just used to fight, but now I know that they didn't just fight, they were very skilled at making things like longships and tools and that they were good traders. I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that they had a tough time adapting to the increasingly cold climate and they didn't know how to hunt certain animals or find resources to trade or to make tools and weapons that were needed to survive.      - "Rianna"

I used to think that all Vikings were raiders, but now I know that only a small percentage of them were actually warriors. I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that they didn't find enough valuable resources needed in order for them to survive for a long time.        - "N.A.S.A."

I used to think that Vikings wore animal horns, but then I learned that there really is no real evidence of that. I was surprised to learn that their helmets were actually made of metal and had symbols carved into them that told stories. I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that the Native Americans didn't want them to stay and they were constantly fighting and the Vikings couldn't take it anymore. This theory is more believable than the theory about them having trouble adapting to the climate because the climate was not much different from Scandinavia (it was still kind of cold there, too). I'm still wondering why Vikings traveled west - why didn't they travel in another direction?     - "Wifi"

I used to think that all Viking helmets had horns on them, but now I know that they actually didn't. I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that the resources and food were so different than what they were used to that they didn't know how to use them or hunt them and it made it hard for them to stay alive and eat healthy. I am still wondering how they could have been out exploring if they were supposed to be taking care of their farms.     - "Water"

I used to think that Vikings were the same thing as cavemen, but I now know that they are very different. I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that they had a hard time adapting to a place that they weren't planning on going to (because they landed in North America by accident). They weren't prepared for the weather or how to hunt for different food.  Something I am wondering about is where the Vikings stayed the longest.      - "Ritzi"

I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that they had a tough time adapting to the new and cold land. The land features made it very hard for them to grow crops. I wonder how many Viking longships sank in the Atlantic Ocean. 

  - "Mango" 

I used to think that all Vikings were bad people, but now I know that most of them were actually peaceful people just looking for new places to settle and farm. I think the reason that the Vikings didn't stay very long in North America is that the Ice Age made it very difficult for them to sail between North America and Europe because it might be difficult to navigate in frozen water and icebergs. I'm still wondering why some of the Vikings thought it was okay to take other people's belongings.     - "Fia" 

Presenting Our Latest PBL Creations!

We had intended to share these projects before the winter break, but the holiday hubbub got the best of us. 

Below are the PBL projects created by students as a result of their learning experiences related to the early civilizations of North America. First, we've included all of the student video documentaries that detail the daily life of early Native Americans in various cultural regions. While we were hoping to also share videos of the live presentations (reader's theater scripts - screenplays written by students), it looks like we won't be able to do so as the audio component of the students' presentations malfunctioned (we had no idea this would be a problem until we viewed the video footage afterward). Instead, at the end of the video documentaries, we've shared a video montage of the live readers' theater performances. You'll notice in the video montage that kiddos had constructed scaled longhouses, plank houses, canoes, chickee huts, quarries and more. In both the documentaries and the readers' theater presentations, portrayals of daily life in the regions accurately reflected how the native people utilized their land and resources, adapted to their climates, and benefited from their soil (or not). These learners truly understood the answer to our PBL driving question: How does where you live shape how you live?

Enjoy!

Northeast Woodland Cultural Region (above)

Great Plains Cultural Region (above)

Southeast Cultural Region (above)

Southwest Cultural Region (above)

Pacific Northwest Cultural Region (above)

Great Plains Cultural Region (above)

Southwest Cultural Region (above)

Southeast Cultural Region (above)

Video Montage of Readers' Theater Presentations (above)

Small Hands, Big Hearts

Learners in "The Hive" participated in a local community service project on December 20th, supporting an initiative led by the Community Giving Tree here in Boxford. The Community Giving Tree's mission is to help low-income families in northeastern MA raise healthy children by providing recycled clothing, baby equipment, and other basic necessities. Every year, CGT distributes these much-needed items to more than 10,000 children. One of the items they look for, particularly during the cold-weather season, are new blankets. Our learners decided to earn a few dollars by doing extra chores around the house and in their neighborhoods. They then donated their earnings toward the purchase of materials needed to make no-sew fleece blankets.

Learners worked in pairs to make a total of TWENTY double-sided, fleece blankets. It was great fun to see how much enjoyment the children were getting out of making them, knowing the blankets would eventually make their way into grateful hands.

Small hands, big hearts. #wearemakingadifference

Digging Into the Past

Following our project-based learning experience related to the early civilizations of North America, learners engaged in an archaeological dig simulation to help them better understand how archaeologists conduct research for theories about migration, settlement patterns, and cultures in prehistoric periods in North America. Understanding how people lived before the present provides us with perspective, appreciation, and respect for the development and differences of modern cultures. As our learners will readily tell you, our knowledge of the past helps us realize how the present came to be and helps to guide our future. This week's guest bloggers share their reflections on this learning experience.

I was learning, having fun and getting a better understanding of how archaeologists dig and why. I carefully dug out artifacts and mapped them on a grid. The grid helped me to interpret the lives of the people in the past by knowing which areas were the homes of the people and where they might have hunted. My group dug up a lot of bones which suggested that our area might have been an animal kill site.  - "Cat"

When I was uncovering artifacts, I felt like an important archaeologist because it was cool to tag and map the artifacts. Mapping the artifacts on a grid helps us interpret the lives of indigenous people by showing us where certain activities might have taken place. We can infer if certain places were quarries or cooking areas depending on the types of artifacts we uncovered and where they were located. I'm still wondering how archaeologists come up with names for the different time periods.  - "Tazer"

I felt like I was an actual archaeologist digging up real artifacts. Using all of the tools and not my hands made me feel like I was doing an important job. Mapping the artifacts on a grid helped me see what the early people in North America did and how there were different activities during different time periods.   - "Wifi"

I felt excited when I uncovered all of the artifacts because I felt in that moment like I was an archaeologist (very sciency). It was cool to be able to tag the artifacts that we found and make guesses about how the artifacts might have been used. Mapping the artifacts on a grid told us a story about how the Native Americans lived.  - "Mango"

I felt proud and excited when I uncovered all of those artifacts from the past during the dig simulation. Mapping the artifacts on the grid helped us interpret the daily lives of Native American people because it helped us figure out how they used the artifacts and where they used them. One thing I am still wondering about is how do you know what spots are good for digging.  - "Water"

I really like digging and uncovering artifacts because it was fun and when I do hands-on learning, it helps me remember what I learned. Mapping the artifacts on a grid helped me to find out which areas were where early people lived or where a quarry or an animal kill site might have been located.  - "Mala"

I thought the dig was a pretty interesting way to learn and most of us didn't even know we were learning. Mapping the artifacts on a grid helped us to see how they lived and how their villages were formed.  - "Champ"

When we got to dig out artifacts, it was so much fun! I learned that there are different types of arrowheads and that the artifacts tell us what early people might have been doing in certain places - like maybe there were places where they hunted animals that were separate from places where they cooked and ate.  - "Rocky"