Return to MenuExpeditionary Learning Takes Flight in JoAnn Riecke’s Class (Room 1)Expeditionary Learning really “took off” for Room 1 (K-1) students this year. Their theme — birds — provided opportunities to incorporate aspects of natural science observation, engineering, and scientific method into a full year of learning. Five, six, and seven-year-olds used emerging language and fine motor skills in a program employing writing as a primary learning tool.At an age when most kids have more stories than paper to fill them, JoAnn’s class was able to fill reams of folders with stories of many things— including birds. Using an approach intensely tailored to bring their own voices to print, students learned the basics of composing a good story: identifying a subject, selecting characters and actions, and then drawing them (actually and metaphorically) to a conclusive ending. “I learned a couple of years ago that children need time to learn about, and warm up to, a subject before they can compose their thoughts on it,” says JoAnn. “They began the year developing an interest using field observations at Greenlake, and we supplemented the subject with books and other learning materials in the classroom.” During the year, kids learned to tally statistics and write factual reports about their observations of birds at Greenlake and of other classroom exercises. A special event, the Wright Brothers exhibit at the Museum of Flight, introduced them to the engineering behind the flight of planes (and birds), and helped them to design and test fly their own paper airplanes in and around school. (This author was particularly impressed with their creativity when some of the kids immediately and spontaneously began changing the design of drinking straw gliders they were shown how to build at the Flight Museum.) At the same time, they learned the basics of story composition, penmanship, and phonetic spelling through subjects that they chose themselves. “If they can get a handle on the process involved and come to an assignment with ideas in hand, they are more likely to develop a ‘can-do’ attitude about writing,” says JoAnn. “It’s important that children develop their writing skills alongside reading. They support one another in helping the child learn. Kids are all different, but usually stronger in one or the other. Keeping these subjects together is important to me.” Part of the writing process is editing, and a large amount of time is spent on this, both as an individual task and in peer review sessions. JoAnn reports that other teachers say when older children get used to the editing process early, they find it easier to react to and incorporate adjustments and revisions to their work in all subjects later on. Of course, the biggest challenge to writing at this age may well be the actual amount of classroom time that can be devoted to it. Parent support at home is important to their growth and development. Volunteers in the classroom allow for individual help with “writer’s block” and “blank page syndrome.” Helping the children find, sound out, and spell words keeps the process moving forward.As the year comes to a conclusion, the kids are now composing fictional stories with their favorite birds as subjects and characters. “They are using their newfound knowledge to compose some delightful stories,” says JoAnn. The culmination of their study will be book about the birds of Greenlake, which will be a compilation of what they learned this year. It will be donated to the Seattle Public Library and be available at the newly remodeled Greenlake Branch Library. There are no shortages of ideas in a 6-year-old’s brain. I have seen my own son “take-off” this year and develop from a reluctant reader and writer into one who finds confidence in his own ideas and ability to communicate them. I wish I could have had such a hugely motivating program and teacher in my beginning years.
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