The first Hawaii Science Standard is all about doing science. Hawaii is big on asking the teachers to change their ivory pali wordspeak into real talk. I give it to my students like this,"I can do science like scientists do!!!" the three exclamation points are very important.
Sounds simple, but I have created a check list of skills that they must achieve before I let them off the hook and allow them to mark the standard as achieved. The check list is down below.
To make learning science more meaningful and to connect what we are learning at school with home or culture is a requirment for me and my curriculum. So I ask students to do a Home Project in which they ask their parent (or adult at home) to tell them a story that they remember being told when younger. Then the student draws a cartoon strip (a storyboard) of the story. They bring it back to school and tell the story to their homebase (4 students in each homebase). The students give the storyteller a grade based on a rubric of General Learner Outcomes (on time, followed through with the project, respectful of others, food communicator). Then each student compares the scientific methods we have been learning in class with the oral history traditions of indigenous people as a way to document and pass along information.
I have a four step process in this home project. I find chunking (taking one step at a time) the project easier for a seventh grader to accomplish. First they go home, corner their folks and have them tell the student a story (attachement two below). Next they draw what they remember as a cartoon strip with NO WORDS! (my students love this part, see attachment three below). Then they tell the story to their homebase and their peers rate their storytelling (see attachment four below). Lastly they reflect in their journal, comparing and contrasting oral history traditions with the scientific method.
Today is the day they bring in their cartoon strip, and tell their stories. This is always a wonderful learning experience as the many cultures of my students are brought to light and shared. Just how does scientific methodolgy compare with oral history in so far as accuracy and interest. Stay tuned and you'll find out for sure!