Introduction
My middle school students would say that recycling matters, however they would not hesitate to crumple up a piece of paper that had a minor pencil written error on it and toss it towards the trash bin. Many adults would also say that recycling makes a difference yet they too trash a multitude of "junk mail" received daily. We say we care about our environments; we say we value the things we have and the place we live. Yet our actions, including reactions and inactions, speak otherwise.
I teach at John Hay Academy. We are a Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth grade school in Chicago's furthest Westside neighborhood of Austin. We have about a 98% African American population. About 93% of our students receive free or reduced priced lunch services. We are a neighborhood school and most of the students live within walking distance. The surrounding community has a high rate of transiency which leads to some instability in school attendance as students move from school to school. This unsteadiness contributes to students coming to sixth grade with varying levels of prior knowledge.
I teach two 140 minute blocks of sixth grade math and science. Each of my two classes has thirty-two students enrolled. We sit in cooperative learning groups of six students per table. All learning in our classroom must have a cooperative element to it. Most students are able to choose their own learning community groups. Nearly all my students share an interest in science and the discovery of answers to questions past and present. Nothing delights both my students and me more than the light bulb moments of new discoveries, further inquiry, and thought provoking analysis. Math and science allows students who struggle with reading and writing an even opportunity for success. Hands on manipulatives, experimentation, and kinesthetic learning evoke a positive response to scientific and mathematic principles. Science instruction in my classroom lights fires, both figuratively and literally. It is my student's favorite time of day. This passion, creativity, and willingness to explore are what I will tap into greatly for this ten week unit.
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