| I don't know about you, but "punctuation" and "inquiry" never sat well together in my mind. It's was not something I particularly enjoyed teaching because there were all these rules and endless worksheets which all seemed to be a HUGE bore.
Then Steve Peha came to my rescue...yet again. On his awesome website there is a great document called "Conventional Wisdom". He showed the way to do a punctuation inquiry which adapted very well for my Grade 2 class. I found it to be very student centred and they turned out to have a pretty keen eye on how punctuation and other convention rules are used. Below is Steve Peha's example...I will share how I used it. Then, I read them a story. I chose Little Beauty by Anthony Browne because it was a sweet, simple story that had the punctuation we were looking for. I didn't want the students to work too hard understanding the story, I wanted their focus on punctuation! After I finished reading the story, I took example sentences and showed the students how to complete our punctuation charts. I talked about JACKPOT sentences, ones that had all the examples of the conventions we were looking for. Those sentences could be written more than once on each chart. Basically, the students were given these instructions:
Search in books for sentences that have the punctuation we are looking at.
Choose one sentence and copy it on the relevant chart.
Underline the punctuation.
Look for JACKPOT sentences, you can use that one sentence on ALL the charts!
Here are the students completing their charts. Once we started wrapping things up...I kept thinking, now what? I thought things went very well but it didn't seemed quite finished. How could I get the children to think about all of this in the context of their own writing?
I thought if students completed a Learning Journal, where they applied the rules to their own writing, things would seem more buttoned up in our little inquiry. In the first column of the Learning Journal, they had to copy the rules they had come up with from the chart. Then, they had to search for examples of these rules in their own writing.
This worked out well because they noticed places where they had not included punctuation or capitals...places where they really should have. They were allowed to revise their sentences in the Learning Journal |
 | conventional_wisdom.pdf | | File Size: | 387 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
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First, I had the students brainstorm conventions they see in book they read. They came up with a list:
- periods, exclamation points and question marks (I kept them together since they are at the ends of sentences)
-capital letters
-apostrophes
-speech marks
While the students went out for snack, I whipped together these charts....a la Peha!
Once we filled in the first columns of our punctuation charts, we looked at each sentence on each chart.
For each sentence, we did a Think-Pair-Share where students discussed why they thought that punctuation was there. We called these "convention meetings". Once they had agreed on why, I recorded it on the chart in the WHY column.
This took a LONG time. We did one chart a day until we were finished. The class got better at it as we went along. As you can see on the right, they were very insightful. I was especially surprised with their ideas on commas.
After, we shared questions we had. There were not too many questions but I think we will see more questions as the students become more aware of punctuation in their reading and writing.
You can change this for any punctuation or convention focus.
 | comma_learning_journal.pages | | File Size: | 51 kb | | File Type: | pages |
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| Altogether, this was the most fun I had teaching punctuation and conventions! I know this topic will still need review and revision with the class but it was certainly a great way to look at it deeply in a student centred, authentic way.
| | Formative Assessment
Although my students understood the concept of area and could accurately work out the answer to simple problems, I had observed them using a variety of approaches to finding the area of a square, rectangle or shape made up of their combination. Also, I wanted each student to become aware of the variety of approaches available amongst their peers so as to adopt the more efficient strategies that made sense to them. So it was time to design a formative assessment.
Reflection
I gave each small group one problem at a time to solve. As each group explained to the whole class how they solved their problem, I wrote their strategy next to the given problem. We used two types of problems: shapes on 1cm squared graphing paper and similar shapes on blank paper. Students were free to collect and use tools as they needed such as rulers or more graph paper.
Evaluation
As students listened to their peers, there were those lovely penny-dropping moments. When finished, we discovered that we were ALL accurate but not as quick. We agreed on a simple key to evaluate each strategy by using "energy efficiency stars" like they do on electrical appliances.
Students were not only able to learn from one another, but they now have an anchor chart to choose, try or remember efficient strategies when finding the area of these shapes. |
| | Each year we dive into a great unit of inquiry centering around the Scientific Method. Among other things, there is a lot of new vocabulary and concepts for our students (and their humble teachers) to wrap their heads around. So I made this short video to help explain a fair test, dependent and independent variables, control etc. Please excuse my lack of expression in the video, I am usually quite animated. I was trying to accurately use the correct scientific terminology, draw on my Bamboo, while recording on Quick Time and thinking in sequence, all at the same time - something had to give! I hope you find it useful. |
| | I've often found colleagues identify a problem with their students copying text when researching and having little success in summarizing into their own words the text being read. These dilemmas always pique my interest as they are easily resolved with teaching solutions rather than what may at first seem like a learner's problem.
| Research is like writing, the more connected a student is to the topic at hand the more relevant information they will find and higher quality presentation they will create. This makes for better learning experience students will receive from the process. Scaffolding young students research will support their success and set productive patterns and honest approaches in their future. They time we can spend teaching young students how to research productively (and enjoy it too) will save much future time and energy regarding issues of plagiarism.
So what is the 'teaching solution' to text-copying problems?
Get your students connected to their research.
How do I get my students connected to their research?
I'm glad you asked. The UOI Research Support worksheet will help guide your students (and maybe yourself) through the process of formulating a question, reading and selecting information (FINDING OUT) and the making of and sorting notes (SORTING OUT).
Before you begin, as is true with anything new, I would provide a short period of time for students to openly explore the topic (chosen or nominated), its boundaries and possibilities. This will make the process richer, quicker. | uoi_research_skills_supprt.pdf | | File Size: | 224 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
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| | | chatterbox_for_research_skills-formulating_questions_copy.pdf | | File Size: | 771 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
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| My class and I have been enjoying the mini-inquiry so we thought we'd tackle learning more about adjectives in the same way rather than using worksheets. It also provided the opportunity to use prior knowledge and our own work as a legitimate research source and in an authentic way. | |
| We needed to learn about terms for Data Handling so instead of teaching what it is and giving students a worksheet, I thought I would try using the same approach I had used for probability. I would give them a simple structure so they could learn the definitions but use their research skills to apply to their own data handling activities. I used a die roll ten times to provide an example of each (mode, mean, median and range) after which they found their own results. What was important is that it set up the opportunity to come to further questions rather than me letting them know in advance and when it wouldn't have held meaning or context to them. They simply asked when they were ready to learn. Questions arose such as, "What happens when you have two sets of numbers that occur the most?", "What happens when I get two numbers in the middle?" and "How do I divide a number that I don't know how to divide?" | |
I've been trying find ways in which to approach even the smallest of curriculum aims, through inquiry. Instead of turning to a text or a series of hands-on activities I could prepare and set up for my class, I thought about the type of learning that was most engaging for my students this year. It has always been when there has been a structure, organizer, process or schema to support their learning but at the same time keeping it open for them to explore freely and learn within it. Processes always delivered an appropriate balance between independence and support. I turned to my students prior knowledge and thought of using parts of the Scientific Method they had learned about and successfully used in a previous Unit of Inquiry. My aim was for them to use our thinking skill of application: making use of previously acquired knowledge in practical or new ways. After a brief discussion, note taking and a walk-through example, each student was able to work out the probability of a single event of their choosing.
As part of the Exploratory phase of our Creative Process during our How We Express Ourselves unit of inquiry, I am providing small daily prompt-tasks for students to experience some Arts they may not naturally choose, have interest in or be aware of.
Today I asked each student to choose from a book any Visual Art piece which they felt connected to. We would use our PAINT strategy from Writer's Workshop to respond to the Visual Art piece to then create an original poem.
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My aim is for students to use responding as fuel for their creativity and to expose them to a freer more creative writing format for poetry.
Tomorrow I will repeat this task but use Music instead of Visual Art. In addition, Jennifer Pittaway, our Music teacher and co-collaborator for this unit, has taken this idea and replaced the words with the elements of Music. I will try to collect this idea and post it up too.
I hope that you enjoy this and find it useful. Your comments and ideas are warmly welcomed.
Jen Pittaway, Leigh Ann and I have been collaborating again on our HOW WE EXPRESS OURSELVES Unit of Inquiry for this school year. Last year we learned a bunch and came up with a creative process to support students composing Music. Click HERE to read more.
This year we aimed to create a more Transdisciplinary Unit with a Creative Process for Arts including Drama, Music, Dance and Visual Art. We felt that students needed the freedom and opportunities to create, yet, they also needed some support or structure to help them along the way. We wanted something simple but effective for Primary age children. | |
Reflection
Waves of reflection throughout the process, in an Arts Journal through drawing, writing, pasting etc, provide the opportunity for students to capture ideas and develop them. Students learn about how they are being creative eventually informing themselves of their own creative process. Reflecting on feedback from others during the three phases, formally or informally, will help students improve their ideas, expression and understanding of their own creativity.
Inspiration and Exploration
The child remains at the center and any inspiration (internal or external) he or she must feel strongly connected to. Exploration is free and open without structure and goes hand-in-hand with finding inspiration and being inspired. Towards the end of this phase, students capture their inspiration in their Arts Journal and catapult themselves to consider the Audience. Once they have done this the come back to continue into the next phase.
Audience
Student's consider what they want their Audience to feel. They describe what connections they intend to make with their audience and what connections they want the audience to make with them. Students need to understand the ideas they will convey to their audience. They need to think of the messages they want their audience to leave with.
Expression
Which of the Arts or combination will best express their ideas, feelings, experiences, messages or make connections? Which elements of Arts will help them achieve this?
Record
Students make their expression permanent by writing their script, making their art, filming their dance, notating their music and so on.
Audience
Students perform and share. They reflect on the influence they have made on others through expressing themselves creatively.
I am sure you have heard about the importance of critical thinking in students. I know Natasha and I hear about it but we were always asking "That's great...but what does that look like?" I came across the beginning of an answer while trying to deepen my understanding of something else. Funny how that happens! Anyway, I was trying to learn more about concept-based teaching by looking at H. Lynn Erickson's book, Stirring the Head, Heart and Soul: Redefining the Curriculum, Instruction, and Concept-Based Learning.
|  I totally recommend this book! |
 I changed it to "Thinking Behaviours" to match up with our "Reading Behaviours" | Like any great professional resource, it led me to MORE great professional resources. For example, Richard Paul and Linda Elder's Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life. Now, this book is now on the Amazon order list so I haven't read it yet, but Erikson's book gave a bite-sized preview of what goodies may be inside. For example, it cites nine basic intellectual standards which are: clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, fairness and significance. It even includes questions we can ask of ourselves and our students to develop these intellectual standards.
Since I like things to have a bit of colour and pizazz, I have summarized the thinking standards below. I have added the definitions but the questions are taken from Paul and Elder (who were cited in Erikson). I'll update you on how I am using them in class. Also, if you find these useful in any way, do let us know how you used them! We are always on the hunt for new ideas to feature from fabulous fellow teachers!
| 9_thinking_behaviours.pdf | | File Size: | 31 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
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| 9_thinking_behaviours.pages | | File Size: | 121 kb | | File Type: | pages |
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