Room 204 is a class full of curious minds and students who ask good questions. It is this great sense of wonder that inspires me to follow the interests of the class and take an inquiry-based approach to teaching, particularly in Science and Social Studies. Let me share one example. We are currently studying the Human Body in Science and we have been learning about bones and joints. Yesterday, one student asked a fantastic question: "Why do bones bleed?" This student has seen meat bones that have been cut and appear to bleed. Immediately, students became engaged in this conversation because they too had seen this happen. On the carpet, we looked at some close-up pictures of bones and someone pointed to a poster on the blackboard that included a picture of a cross-section of a bone. We began discussing bone marrow. What is this mysterious matter buried deep in our bones? And thus, the question of the week was born: What is bone marrow? I will pick two names from a hat on Friday. Two lucky students who answer the question correctly will win a chapter book of their choice from Scholastic. Now I am inspired to extend our investigation and discuss bone marrow transplants and organ donation. This is what learning is all about.
Bone marrow found in a lamb loin chop.
Shining a light on bone marrow.
On a completely different note, we had a lively discussion in Social Studies today about the services provided by the municipal government. It was interesting to hear 10-year-olds arguing so passionately against the bike lanes on Pharmacy. Sounds like a potential topic for persuasive writing later in the year.
