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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 14 March 2008 SUBJECT: Great Inquiry Shown at Good Hope's Fourth Grade Science and Social Studies Open House
Pamela Buckley and Cindy Mault 's students demonstrated their Social Studies learning in projects ranging from Government and VI history to weather. Jashaun Willocks made a rain gauge, and said he checked it at 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. for seven days. "Our weather patterns are awfully strange here," he commented. The teachers emphasized a Good Hope value in keeping the projects "green." The presentation boards, paint, and materials were from reused supplies collected at home and on campus. One student, Matias Roca, inverted the Styrofoam found in a computer shipping box from the school lab, painted it yellow, to become a remarkable rendition of Government House. Pamela Buckley said this is a great way to ensure their students are prepared for the research required of them as they move into higher grades. "The projects require thorough research including a research paper and presentation component. This is another opportunity for us to instill a love of learning by allowing the students to select their own topics that they are passionate and curious about and do in-depth exploration." Cindy Mault noted many of the projects would be made into centers for the class to enjoy for the rest of the year. Many projects contained an activity to provide hands-on learning. Blaine Lancaster's classification project featured a homemade game where two people raced to place picture cards on the categories of Fungi, Animal, Plant, Protists, or Monera; adult visitors were facing off and amused to be stumped when placing odd looking organisms in the latter two only to be differentiated by the membrane or lack thereof around the nucleus. Ky'Ara Hodge discovered that lemon juice vs. vinegar in stain removal is no match, vinegar was the clear winner, being sure to note that overall the longer you leave the stain untreated the less it fades no matter how you try to remove it. Kaie Jarvis wondered if you smell an apple and taste an onion, will it taste like an onion. Sure enough she not only found her answers but conditions as well. Kaie stated, "pretty much the younger you are the more advanced your smell is, my father tasted an apple that tasted just like an onion while my grandma only tasted an apple." Sana Hamed-Asad exclaimed "the main factor that makes this a winning activity is the inquiry." Nadia Bougouneau, parent of Fourth Grader, Cereyna, was visiting the Open House and shared it was a school based and student-driven project, she was so surprised to read her daughters research paper for the first time this afternoon and recognized a level of sophistication in the work that made her very impressed. Cereyna's Earth's Land project explored different landmass types with research done on the school grounds. "I've enjoyed this project because it showed me that whatever I put my mind to, I can succeed at it. It also showed me that I could do a bundle of things all at the same time, but still by myself." She threw in that this included making cookies for the reception! ###
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