Keystone Magazine Learning the Keystone Way 2015-2016 EN | Page 51

teacher talks
If there is any subject that can
get students energized,
it is probably anything to do
with electricity. Students from
grade 3 concluded an IPC unit
called Bright Sparks focused on
this topic. Reada Wilkinson, prima-
ry school English teacher, tellS
you all about it.
O
ver the last
few weeks, the
grade 3 class-
rooms were
powered with
the excitement
of learning and electricity. Yes!
Our third graders just finished
their second IPC unit, Bright
Sparks! Through subjects such
as science, history, technology,
and international learning tar-
gets, this unit focused on elec-
tricity.
Their learning process involved
doing experiments that had
the students really excited. They
were able to create their own
circuits using a battery, wires,
lights, and switches. Students
made hypotheses and investi-
gated to see if their hypotheses
were correct. Now, they also
know which materials make for
good insulators and conduc-
tors. With such adventurous fun
comes the question of safety,
which we also discussed and
learned. Walking around the
classroom during lessons, I
could hear students say, “That’s
so cool!”, “Look at this!” and
“Wow!” It encouraged inquisi-
tiveness and prompted them
to ask, “What would happen if
we….” and “I wonder…” It was
electrifying to see and hear the
students enjoy their lessons.
The topic also led us to learn
about famous scientists who
have made an impact in the
field of electricity. We did this
through our work for English
Library. The students researched
about a few scientists, while also
learning about writing biogra-
phies. After reading about the
lives of Nicola Tesla, and Thomas
Edison, the students then went
on to write a biography about
a person they know. Students
chose family members, teach-
ers, and classmates.
The research continued in
their Chinese lessons; students
inquired into different ways
that energy is produced. They
worked in teams to create
posters that showcased differ-
ent forms of alternative energy.
They also compared the effec-
tiveness of wind, solar, and wa-
ter energy, and displayed their
learning in color bar graphs. We
decided to get more colorful
with this IPC unit in Art class.
Students created cityscapes
that incorporated lights. Their
work was extremely artistic,
innovative, and many of their
scenes and buildings were very
intricately designed.
On 11 December, we invited
parents to join us in our Grade
3 Electricity Museum. Students
and teachers worked together
to create exhibits to showcase
their learning. Students were
eager to demonstrate ex-
periments and share what they
had learned with their parents.
What a bright spark to end the
term on!
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