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Hi Veronica, you have some wonderful ideas that are not too complicated. The allow for easy planning and for children’s agency. You have included how you would integrate your ideas across the curriculum areas. I especially like your idea for SPHE and fostering a sense of responsibility among the students. This is really important for our environment and also it gives students the opportunity to show how they can be responsible.
To introduce this lesson I would display a map of the zoo or a local amenity such as Lough Boora discovery park. I would then pose some questions to the students e.g. do you know what this is? What information does it tell us? Where is this place? Why would you need to use this? Etc. Once we have had an active discussion in small groups and whole class I would then show the children their locality on Google Maps or Geohive again asking the children questions to get them thinking. In groups I would then ask the children to come up with some places that we could create maps of. I would try to steer the children in the direction of creating a map of the school, the yard or their local area. They would make their maps in groups using A3 paper. If they are doing their local area. They can use Google maps or Geohive to help them complete their maps. We have Beebots in our school. I would like to use them some way as the children use Beebot maps.
This is a very interactive lesson for students. I like the way you have included suggestions for integration across some of the other subject areas. This will allow the children to gather data and to think critically about the information they have gathered. Your lesson is local which is really nice and makes the information relative for the children. There are many potential ways to extend the lessons you have suggested.
Having read Maeve Liston’s paper I agree that just knowing what the letters STEM stands for it not enough for us as teachers. STEM and STEAM education is becoming more essential for students as they are going to be faced with a different world as they grow up due to the rate of change and growth in technology. Inquiry based learning affords students the opportunity to engage in problem solving tasks, ask questions and become critical thinkers. Which are essential skills for 21st century learners.
STEM in my classroom is not integrated as I often teach the aspects of STEM as separate subjects. However I do see the value of integrating the subjects together; planning and creating lessons that allow students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics together. I use coding platforms such as scratch and we do the VEX robotics competition and I find both these tools allow students to think as engineers and they enable the students to apply their mathematical problem solving skills such as critical thinking and teamworkHi Patricia, you have a well structured lesson and I think your 3rd class students would really enjoy how this lesson is structured and there are lots of opportunities for inquiry based learning. I like the questions you have suggestion at the start of the lesson I think this will spark curiosity and discussion among your class.