The Grade 6 unit called "Age of Exploration" is on....like DONKEY KONG!
Objective of 1st Lesson?
WHAT IS A MAP?
and
WHAT IS WRONG WITH MERCATOR PROJECTIONS?
and
IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS, WHY IS IT THE MOST POPULAR MAP STILL USED?
So let's start off by reviewing some VOCAB.
(i.e. What is a GLOBE? Some students did not know...yikes!)
THEN
split the class in half
and get
50% of students to draw a map on an air balloon
and the other
50% of student to draw a map on an orange.
It was a LOVE-HATE relationship for some.
Steeeeeeeady, steady....
Once maps were complete,
students were asked to carefully
POP balloons
or
PEEL oranges.
Lots of focus...maybe a little too much.
Not the easiest thing to do for some...especially, since the juice added
a different dynamic to what I call
"MESSY HANDS"
QUESTIONS attempted to tackle;
WHY was it hard to make your map?
WHAT were some problems you came across with putting a SPHERE shape on paper?
*Crickets*
"The whole things was impossible Ms.Wells, just impossible."
Epic FAIL number one....or was it a learning MOMENT?
Who knows.
Next-up,
students were asked to put together this paper projection of the earth...this one was MUCH less MESSY!
Bahahhah~!
...But still, VERY challenging for some.
Students struggled, some couldn't even fold on the dotted lines...
...Ms.Wells had to help a little.
...or a LOT!
My face after a 90 minutes class.
I was STUNNED that kids needed SO MUCH help folding paper - WOW!
*Important Note to Self*
Do MORE "hands on" work with Grade 6 students.
The end product for most students.
But did they actually learn anything about HOW
this map is a better, more ACCURATE depiction on the world?
Probably not.
EPIC FAIL numéro deux.
*sigh.
No comments:
Post a Comment