Classroom Implementation

Classroom Implementation: 

In a fourth grade classroom I would use a class blog for all the students to help create.  I would assign each student a day to observe the moon from home.  There job would be to create a prediction and an illustration of what the moon looked like during their observation day. They would also need to write a short description with the date, time, and explanation of what the moon looked like.  After students observed the moon on their assigned day I would have them create a post on the class blog during, class time, with their predictions, explanation and illustration.  I would send home the class blog url for parents to review and the schedule for students observation days.  I would write a letter explaining the purpose of the project and what is expected from each student during their assigned observation day.  I would encourage parents and students to leave comments and/or photos they found of the moon each day on the blog.  For the parents without internet access I would suggest they write their comments down for their child to bring to class, and we will add them to the blog.  I will also keep running blog pages for these parents so they can still be connected to the learning happening on the blog.  I would explain to the parents that this project is a great opportunity to share the learning with their child.

Each day in class we will create class charts, discussions, and experiments to answer the questions below:

1.       What causes the periods of light and dark during a day on Earth?

2.      Why are our summers warm and winters cold?

3.       Why is the moon visual during the day sometimes?

4.       Is the same half of the moon always facing the Earth if so why?

5.       Where is the moon, Earth, and Sun located during a new moon? 

The charts, discussion notes, and experiments will be added to the blog after each class session.  After the class completes the unit on the moon the students will be divided up into groups.  Each group will be assigned a question to explain the answer.  Their explanation will be placed on the class blog.  Students will be given the opportunity to make the assignment as creative as they wish with materials in the classroom.  

• This assignment could also be made into a class book where students create pages instead of post.  

• Students could also make posters explaining their learning about the moon.  The posters could be set up around the classroom and their parents could come and see their work.