I teach fourth grade in a small rural central Pennsylvania town. We have a very tight budget, but I try to incorporate as many activities as possible into our curriculum. I want to make the experience of learning memorable, and am constantly devising new stations, labs, and other fun activities to help key ideas stick in my students' minds.
Hands-on activities allow my students to fully experience the topic we are discussing.
Rather than simply reading about a science idea, the children live it! This multi-sensory approach anchors the concepts in the minds of my students and has helped them to become some of the top performers in standardized testing in our district.
My Project
History: Last year I received a metal detector for Christmas. The detector tied in perfectly with our science unit on energy. The detector provided an exciting hands-on addition to our discussions of circuits and electromagnetism. My intent was to have the kids use the detector during class as a supplement to the unit. The kids loved it so much, however, that they asked to form our school's first club: The Metal Detectors! For the remainder of the year, a few kids from the club would join me at recess to detect the school grounds (our school was built back in the early 1930s and the area has historical roots going back to the late 1700s). The lessons the children have learned via the club have stretched far beyond the original lessons on energy. The students learn about soils, insects, local history and more!
Since completing our first project "Digging for Treasure" we have seen another explosion of club growth!
The kids can't seem to get enough of the school's new favorite hobby. Some of the children received detectors for Christmas or birthdays, but there are many students who do not have a detector. Because detectors are not cheap, I do not allow them to use another child's detector (in case something would happen to it). Currently, they use my own personal detector, but that detector will shortly be unavailable because my own boys have become interested in the hobby and will be using it at home. We need a detector that can be shared by the students so that all children have a chance to participate equally in the club.
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