Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Celebrating Earth Day in Digital Learning at the Little School

Earth Day is an opportunity to make a commitment to learning more about the environment and how you can help to protect it. The students at the Little School have participated in many projects in Digital Learning that have helped increase their knowledge of our planet.


Grade 5 has been learning about the effects of invasive species on our environment. Invasive species are capable of causing extinction of native plants and animals.  Students completed research on an invasive species strand using school/library databases as well as government sites.  They then created "wanted" posters displaying the dangers of the species on local environments.





Grade 4 has been working on the First Lego Jr Mission Moon robotics challenge.  Though their focus has been on colonizing the moon, they studied clean energy when learning about building solar panels using their Lego sets.  The students made great connections for the need to conserve our Earth's natural resources.




Grade 3 has discovered strategies for caring for our world's greatest natural resource; the ocean.  Students participated in a live documentary with Discovery Education on the impact of plastics on the planet.  Students have also done a live Skype with Iain Kerr the chief executive officer of Ocean Alliance to learn about their recent ocean research expeditions. The students were excited to learn about, "Snotbot" a drone that allows researchers a non invasive way to learn about the whales.


After a biography research unit on people who make a difference, first and second graders had the opportunity to do a live Skype with world-renowned conservationist and scientist Jane Goodall. Not only did students learn about Jane's work with chimpanzees but they also discovered ways that they can make a difference by helping people, animals and habitat's through Jane's organization, Roots and Shoots geared to inspiring kids help the environment.



Kindergartners studying the life cycle of plants have programmed Bee-bots to follow the steps of a seed blooming into a plant. They have built their own "plants" in the Makerspace and then labeled the parts in a class e-book.  They completed the digital learning unit with stop motion videos.