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Ending an inquiry in the classroom

...while hoping to create life-long learners.
What learning must the kids come away with by the end of this unit? Should they be able to talk for some length of time about a few heroes? Will they pretend to become heroes for a day (for their summative) and then forget about it when the next inquiry starts? Is it good to have a summative at all as it seems pretty conclusive?
How about keeping the pictures of heroes up on the classroom and constantly refering to them when the need arises? My next unit is all about ecosystems. I think I will put up pictures of heroes of people who fight for animal rights...Jane Goodall, Gerald Durrel, etc. How will I encourage a higher level of thinking skills in the children. Right now some of them are blurting out facts with a lot of pride and confidence. Looking back at all the strategies and tools I used, it is a pointless endevour unless they are able to talk about heroes critically, from different perspectives. For instance,

Is Hitler a hero?
Who among these people is considered a hero?

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, who remained in orbit aboard the Command Module, and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, who landed on the moon and went outside with Armstrong?

 

How come Armstrong is so well well known compared to the others? Is that fair?

What is similar between Mahatma Gandhi. Dr King Jr and Nelson Mandela? Different? Were they equally effective leaders?

Class discussion will preceed these questions. The students will journal, talk and write about their thoughts. It is never too early for them to be critical thinkers.

Let us see how it goes.

Comments

  1. David WarrOctober 5, 2011 at 6:45 AM

    It will be good to have pictures up around the classroom, allowing you to make connections between different people and ideas.

    ReplyDelete

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