PBL Mini-Unit Reflection

I started out with what I thought was a great idea having the second grade students create a model of how pollution worked. I thought we could create a concept map of all that they knew and then have them do a little internet research to add to that map. From there they would then create a model how pollution in Lake Michigan would effect them in Roselle. By creating this model they would have to be able to identify all of the different parts of the pollution "system" and then be able to describe or at the very least recognize the relationships between the different parts. Even this task I thought would be very challenging for my second graders.

In looking at the research Craig presented in class I found that this task would be far out of the cognitive reach of the second grade students. I struggled to find a way to have a way that these second graders create a model that was appropriate for their age on pollution. I thought about having the students create a cause and effect chart or a fishbone diagram where they could show how one thing came after another in a more linear way, but I didn’t find that the effects of pollution was very linear at all. I thought about being the facilitator for the class to create the model, but decided that it would be better for the students to create their models on their own. Because I couldn’t find a good way to have my second graders do the project I decided to do the project with the fourth graders who also learn about pollution in science.

To do this project I decided to create the concept map in Inspiration. By doing this I will be modeling the software that the students will be using to create their model. I also thought that by having the students work in groups they would have a better chance at figuring out how to create a model.

I have not yet had a chance to implement this lesson, but plan on doing so next week. I look forward to seeing how their models turn out and what connections they come up with. I anticipate that having the students put all their previous knowledge out in front of them will make it easier for them to see the relationships between the different things that they know. And, as they add to their previous knowledge through research it will help them even more to see how the bigger system works.