Picture above is one of the first things I saw when I walked into Space Center Houston. I was absolutely amazed and in that moment, I knew I was in the right place! I'm thinking of John F. Kennedy's famous speech in Rice Stadium at the University of Texas on September 12, 1962. If you're not familiar, these words gave life to the space program. They challenged the country and forever changed history. "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." I thought about these words as we finished our unit and I was grading their final projects. (I know I'm a space geek. I also dreamed about the James Webb Telescope the other night. ) At first, I was underwhelmed. To be completely honest, I was frustrated. I had designed a rubric and the projects were not scoring well. Several questions came to my mind. I wondered:
After pondering, I realized that I was expecting the work of high schoolers. I had envisioned a project that I had done my sophomore year of french class. I also needed to remember that my students didn't have experience with this type of project. I gave them a lot of choice and didn't provide any examples. So, I took a step back and revised the rubric. Every project wasn't stellar and some students didn't even complete a project, but learning took place. I learned that I need to provide examples, visuals and review expectations. I learned that the end of the year may have also not been the best time for this major project. I learned that I need to create more learning opportunities like this student centered project, so that they can show growth throughout the year and be able to produce a high-quality creation by the end of the year. I learned how the growth mindset can help you, regardless of age or job title. I did sneak in an assignment that I hadn't planned when mapping out the unit. I was inspired by our field trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and am trying to provide more art opportunities in my classroom. So, I asked students to create a new book cover for Hidden Figures, the Conrad's Class Edition. We looked at the covers for the hardcover and paperback. They had to include the title, author, edition and New York Times Bestseller. It had to be a full page design related to the book and include color. The rest was up to them! Ms. Shetterley, if you're looking for a new design, let my kiddos know! Check out these awesome examples:
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AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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