The addition of the new science kits and standards has created a curriculum squeeze. This brings to mind the lemon squeeze I learned about at summer camp as other campers and I tried to squeeze our bodies between two giant boulders. We got through, and I will figure out how to fit all this curriculum and learning into the hours we have. I keep thinking and rethinking the plans so that students have the chance to learn the standards in worthy ways with the time we have.
From now until the end of April, we'll focus heavily on the math standards. We have about ten weeks to review all the standards prior to the tests, and I'll focus in on the main concepts four days a week and use the science lab day to focus on math project-based learning related to more hands on concepts such as volume, measurement, and geometry. I may integrate these concepts with our science study too. For example we can use the balances with measurement work and study volume also via math and science.
Then once the math is complete, I'll focus more on the main science activities and explorations prior to our science MCAS tests. That will be fun and a good way to make the science memorable just before the tests.
Further, hopefully we'll receive a few grants we've written and will host a number of expert visitors that will build knowledge in all areas of the curriculum and break up the focused study of the next ten weeks.
Once we complete all of this learning, it's onto the project work of the fifth grade play, global cardboard challenge, and the global changemakers project, then the many wonderful end-year celebrations.
Educators who are continually updating teaching/learning efforts to meet standards and teach in modern ways have to continually re-prioritize time and effort to meet these many mandates. As long as we have decision making authority and the ability to be creative, I don't mind these expectations and tests. Yet, we do have to be mindful about how many tests, how much time they take, and how we use the data to enrich our efforts rather than to demean students or their teachers.
