Communicating

Context

After studying Paul Fleischman’s novel “Whirligig” and viewing “Pay it Forward”, students were asked to make their own personal whirligigs, mobiles, or ya-ya boxes that demonstrated their personal journeys.

The teacher provided the following instructions:

Create your own version of a whirligig that represents who you are and what you want to be known for. A mobile would have items hanging from it that represent your likes, dislikes, accomplishments (what helped you achieve them), and future goals (what you need to achieve them). A ya-ya box would have images or things that represent who you are on the outside, or how people see you, and what/who helped shape you; and then, the inside of the box would represent what people don’t know about you and/or your future aspirations, and what/who will help you achieve them.

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Student Work Sample

• Transcript of Copy of My personal whirligig (PDF)

Teacher Reflection

This student’s work illustrates self-determination, and to an extent, self-regulation. He shows self-awareness and understanding of how people saw him versus how he saw himself. He included what he liked and didn’t like and demonstrated acceptance of the path he experienced.

Context

This student participated in a district workshop with professional poets and learned how to use poetry as a medium to discover personal awareness. In her poem, she discusses her lifelong challenge of being naturally thin and the trauma she has suffered to her self-image and in her relationships.

In her poem presentation, she takes her audience through her personal journey and by the end of the poem, expresses how she now feels and the acute personal awareness she has gained through her experiences. Her presentation provides an opportunity for others to learn from her experience.

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Activity Video

Context

A class was conducting an inquiry on what technology was needed to explore extreme environments such as the depths of the ocean. When one of the students made an interesting connection between the extreme environments of the deepest parts of the ocean and submarines, the teacher noticed a keen interest in the class, and presented a challenge to create submersibles via the classroom blog.

While many students formed teams for this project, some chose to work individually. The teacher also made a submersible and he posted his trials on his blog for each phase of construction. Through the blog, teams and parents were able to follow and facilitate discussion with each other. 

Students brought their submersible to the front of the class and demonstrated/explained:

1. What did you learn about submarines?
2. What was the greatest challenge you faced? Were you able to overcome this?

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Activity Photo

Student Reflection

• Making a Submersible

Context

Students created mind maps to summarize their learning. Students had to analyze what they had learned, make connections between ideas, and synthesize their thinking to produce these representations of their thinking. They reflected on the question: “How does studying changes on the earth reveal secrets from the past and impact our future?”

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Student Work Sample

Context

Students were asked to develop ‘one-pagers’ to communicate their understanding of a short story. They were required to include a summary, a question and answer, a quotation and analysis, a symbol and analysis, a title with thematic significance, and their opinion. Afterwards, students reflected on the process (i.e. why they chose the layout, the significance of each component, and how this assignment assisted in demonstrating their comprehension and thinking). The images and texts that students produced became new representations of their thinking.

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Student Work Photo

Student Reflection

• The Lost Thing Photo (PDF)

Context

Students watched the science fiction film "Gattaca" after studying genetics. The film's title is based on the first letters of guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine, the four nucleobases of DNA. This student wrote an essay in response.

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Teacher Reflection

He found the movie very interesting as it provided him with a different perspective on what he had learned in class. His essay describes how he felt the movie portrayed discrimination and prejudice in the futuristic society of Gattaca. He defended his analysis by using examples from the movie. He reported that he enjoyed writing this essay and that he did not find it hard to put his thoughts down on paper because he found the ideas in the movie interesting to comment on.

Student Work Sample

• GATTACA Essay (PDF)

Context

A class was exploring Environmental Sustainability as it pertains to current resource management topics and problems facing Canada. Students were given time to research topics and create documentaries that explored the pros and cons of their respective topics (see project description). 

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Student Work Videos

Teacher Reflection

This project facilitated the development of research skills, collaboration and communication skills. Students had to look at both sides of the issue and consider the different stakeholders that might be impacted by their decisions. They were very engaged in the research component as well as the mock interviews that they incorporated into their videos. Students enjoyed the documentary film festival when all the groups were ready to show their finished work.

Context

As part of an optics unit, students made pinhole cameras. The teacher asked them to assess their work in a video, and provided the following instructions:

• Explain what worked (with respect to exposure time, lighting, positioning of camera, other information)
• Explain what didn't work (with respect to exposure time, lighting, positioning of camera, other information)
• Explain what you changed and why (this is the conclusions and changing variables parts of the scientific method)
• Explain what was going on with lighting and how it influenced your picture (was there enough getting in? too much light? was the shutter open for too long? shutter not open long enough? was light reflecting off the snow? was light reflecting off something in your camera?)

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Student Reflection Video

Context

A class wrote stories to read to their Kindergarten buddies. Students considered their audience as they developed the plot, characters, and setting. They used simple words and bright, friendly cartoons and tried to make their PowerPoint accessible and engaging for Kindergarteners.

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Student Work Sample

• Story for Kindergarten Buddies (PPTX)