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Ayotola Oronti's picture

Watershed activity

        Getting dirty in this activity atually reminded me of my 4th grade students who will do anythig to be in this kind of activity. We got a chance to move around, be involved and engaged. It also allowed for creativity on the part of every student. There were suggestions on where would be dangerous to build a house or have a farmland. Somebody even suggested that a particular spot will be ideal for residential area.

       In my science class we did a unit on LAND & WATER. THE WATERSHED ACTIVITY reminded me of the water cycle that my students did then. In that unit, students observed precipitation, erosion, landscaping, community factors etc. This will be a great extension for the watershed activity.

Students get to be inquirers in the unit. They make predictions and build their own models which confirm or dispute their  predictions. One good thing about this is that the students get to read, write, do math, social studies etc, which are all part of science. It becomes interdisciplinary as every discipline is involved.

I am also particularly interested in the fact that it brings pictures to life, in the minds of young learners, which they can turn to words for elasticity of ideas. Going back to our Metaphors / Similes for science, it really comes alive as RECESS AND LIFE.

Thank you, Judith, for all that hard work, preparing and presenting this lesson. My vision has been renewed :).

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