Signs of Life: Second Grade labeling project

This is the second lesson in a project with a second grade class to label plants and the worm bin in the school courtyard.
In the fall I introduced the idea of labelling to the students and we looked at some examples of signs. Students visited the courtyard and reported in sketches and notes on Post-It's what they think a school audience would be interested to know more about on a sign.

This next lesson, students select a plant to label. The format of the label is a 5 x 7 inch Google Slide with a photo image, a sentence or two, and a QR-code to some more information.

Examples of 11 x 7 Garden Plot QR Code Signs using Google Slide format
Printed in color laser on polyester paper
by Mary Van Dyke for Jamestown ES

Draft examples in black/white of formats for 5 x 7 and 5 x 3 plant labels
by Mary Van Dyke

In this second lesson we work in small groups over two hours. I take six groups of four students out.
We tour the courtyard, highlighting the ecosystem value of the plants or plants with interest. Each student has pencil and paper clipped to a whiteboard.  Students can choose whether or not to diagram, sketch and annotate as we tour.

At the end of the tour we convene in the new popup greenhouse dubbed "the White House".

Students group into pairs, each pair decides which plant they would like to label. Some students - as an extension activity - choose to also diagram their selected plant.
After the class I tabulate the choices for the teacher - names of students, selected plant to label, whether or not it is native to northern VA,  and links to information resources on each plant.

The plants chosen today include:

The big native Willow Oak in the center of the courtyard that provides shade for us, and feeds the squirrels and provides shelter and habitat for other animals, and soaks up lots of rain too!

The flowering native Redbud tree where we notice lots of different kinds of native bees drinking nectar and pollinating the flowers.

The spectacular red and white Tulips that kindergartners plant each year.

Apple trees, where we see a ladybug.

Lavender - as its crushed leaves smell amazing.

The exotic rose-flowered Camellia

And beautiful native blue Bluebells

The Boxwoods that remind several students of Colonial Williamsburg.

Students also chose to study and label the beautiful flowering strawberries.

And the native Common Milkweed that is about to sprout in this bed.

Some students will label the worm bin - where today we observe worms, decomposing oak leaves, pillbugs and a spider.

This was a beautiful morning for this lesson.

I notice that given a choice, most second graders did chose to draw and diagram.
Some students though chose to only listen, rather than draw and annotate.
It will be interesting to see if the students who only listened, will design labels and signs as clear as the students that opted to diagram?

Next steps on this "Signs of Life" project over two weeks.

• Students work on writing a sentence or two about their chosen plant and develop a 7 inch wide x 5 inch high Google Slide with image, text and QR-code
• Print with color laser on to Xerox Never Tear water-resistant paper
• Metal sign holders, 7 x 5" horizontal available from SATO retailers, e.g. Speciality Tag and Label

Resources

See my recent blog on labelling and QR Codes 

Inspiration: The Love + Practice of STEAM

My teen daughter tells me this week that she wants to be a "neuroscientist who likes to practice music and play with clay". I listen and say, "YES!" aloud and in my heart. However, this week she had to choose between art and music at high school. Despite block scheduling and selecting options, I hope that she will continue to integrate her love of practicing the arts, sciences and languages.

On Valentine's Day I went to the Virginia Association of Science Teacher's conference on Inspiring a Love of Science with STEA*M (Science, Technology, Engineering, *the Arts and Mathematics). Keynote Speaker Margaret Hancock presented on "Thinking like Artists and Designers".  Her photos of the iconic Saarinen Womb chair and the Glasshouse by Mies Van der Rohe, reminded me of my architecture school days of thirty years ago! Then Margaret updated us to our digital ecologically-aware age with images from Patrick Dougherty's Stickwork and the architecture of Rural Studio.


Why S.T.E.A.M?
Observing and understanding nature is what Science is theoretically, but how and why? I never bought that "only observer" deal anyway. Did you? So the moment you acknowledge your active participation in systems: here comes integrating Engineering while gathering, hunting for and inventing the tools, the Technology, to help the observation, inquiry and the inevitable impetus to design and the iterative process. And whether you name it or not, you will add the Arts (and no doubt some aspects of religion or faith) to help with decision-making between various solutions and to acknowledge our basic need for symbolic references. Underlying patterns, economics and relations between all the variables there is a lot of Math, even if it is beyond your and my ability to solve for "x". So we have integrated STEAM in a nutshell. STEAM is more than just the sum of the parts:it shows emergence and synergy.

Talking of metaphors: I thought about calling this blog "Green STEAM Learning". But "Green STEAM" conjured up images of wilted lettuce and viridian clouds, so I went with the simpler "Green STEM Learning" to convey themes of integrated environmental education and sustainability.

STEAM at Home
Here is a simple example of "thinking like an artist and designer" and the synergy of STEAM in action at home.

My daughter and I spent some afternoons setting ourselves the task of making some jewelry together. We decided to go with a "cheap eats" theme and to collaborate. She decided to make Junk Food Jewelry while I made some Wearable Edible veggi brooches. And yes, we assessed plenty of social values and prejudices right there.

Junk Food Jewelry

We bought premixed polymer clay. And weighed the pros and cons and viability of alternatives such as homemade salt dough. Polymer clays are expensive, hence our decision to make small things. The color range can be enhanced by combining clays and adding pastel dust with a paintbrush. And you might experiment with some shaping tools in addition to fingers. Then you bake the objects in the oven for a few minutes to set.

Wearable Edibles

The engineering comes into play with questions such as:

• How to create objects that work on necklaces, brooches, bracelets?
• Do they balance well when you wear them?
• Do they move successfully with the body, or fall off?
• What kind of glue or fitting works best to fix a clay shape onto a metal armature?

It is a challenge to work within the budget, timeframe, technical capability and health and safety protocols that we have here at home -  or you might have in the classroom.

The creative and engineering processes are all about "having a go", experiments, analysis, feedback and iterative design. For example: the first peapod brooch toppled over on wearing. So I drew a cross-section and decided to hollow out the back and recess the brooch clip. This technique works well on the carrot and leek brooches too.

The peapods were easier to make if individual peas were baked first to harden, then clad with the pod layers and rebaked. The radish soft magenta color was achieved with pastel and water coloring - a more subtle shade than achieved by clay alone. We also used 3D modeling to good effect on the radish and chocolate chip cookies. The carrot and fronds were based on form of the pink cancer awareness ribbon brooch.

My daughter's Junk Food Jewelry and my Wearable Edibles selections both work on the symbolic artistic level, referencing well-known foods and vegetables at a miniature scale.

The result our collaborative, FUN, STEAM project-based learning.
We decided the plain chocolate chip pendant and earrings are a hit, and would sell like "hot cakes" with teens and other audiences.

Now two years on, my daughter still enjoys making and experimenting with polymer clay.  Her latest line is in "chibi" portraits as gifts to her classmates.

Emma's Chibi

Michelle's Chibi

She also takes classes at the community center to learn to throw pots, and she has chosen to study Ceramics at High School.

STEAM at Work
At this weekend's Love of Science and STEAM conference I went to other inspirational sessions. I heard George Mason Professor, Changwoo Ahn talk about his collaborative work:EcoScience + Art and current initiative: "The Rain Project - sustainable water management in an era of climate change" and his proposal for future efforts on food systems, soil and composting "The Dirt Project".

I enjoyed meeting Andrea Brothers from Micron Technology, and her multi-faceted presentation on life choices and career paths. She practices electron-microscopy to enhance yields of silicon memory products, plays violin and blends interests in art, science and technology. She played us her latest tunes, and shared her passion for innovation and design.

Andrea Brothers

STEAM at Play
I trained for many years as an architect. I also think like an architect unschooled. Here's one of my "early play dwellings", a Mouse House, or perhaps it is a model for a silicon chip?

On the Beach, Chios, April 1971

Here's to an integrated approach to education, creativity, experimenting and innovation, and to enabling holistic choices and designs. Whether or not you call it STEAM.


Thanks to Susan Bardenhagen for hosting VAST Region 8 PD Conferences, and being the VAST Region 8 Representative, and thank you to my daughter Maya, Andrea Brothers, Changwoo Ahn and Margaret Hancock for sharing their love and inspirations.

A Big STEM Project for 3 - 4 Year Olds and Up: Build Your Own Sandbox

Our vision is to make a sandbox for the kids. But what if perhaps we make the sandbox with the kids? After a one-minute conversation with teacher, aide and myself we decide to assemble the sandbox with the kids.

The result: I enjoy a wonderful afternoon building a sandbox with seventeen 3-4 year olds in the Montessori Program at Jamestown Elementary School.

The students do a great job. This is STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and project and place-based learning at its best.

• Let's have a go. We sit in a circle around the big box labeled "sandbox" and open it....  

•  It's exciting! Let's see what's inside. What do we do?

• We do lots of math. (The pieces are numbered.  How many corner pieces? How many side pieces? How many screws do we have?  And so on)
• The students follow diagram directions

• Everyone has a go and we use tools like Allen key, screwdriver and a hammer

• We learn teamwork

This "Build Your Own Sandbox" is a great STEM project for tots and adults.

To do your "Build Your Own Sandbox" project you need:
People: Two to three adults and up to 16 kids (3- 4 years old - or older) optimum
Time to assemble: One hour
Time to fill: One hour - plus play time!
Sandbox Kit: We use a KidKraft Sandbox, 5 foot square, (cost about $150 from Amazon.com). Cost of sand, pebbles and earth not included.
Tools needed: An Allen key is in the box. You might like to have an extra Allen key(s) so kids can share, and a hammer, a few old nails, and screwdrivers (flat and Philips) just in case you need them.

Next week:  We'll put the sandbox outside in a quiet place in the playground, and fill it with sand, pebbles and earth for digging.

Thanks to staff Rachel Kipperman and Margaret MacLaughlin at Jamestown Elementary school for facilitating this project with students in the Montessori Program.