Students in Ms. Lewis’ Gifted 6th grade class applied their metacognitive awareness through a self-selected project that incorporates analogical thinking.  The first phase of the unit includes lessons on analogies, and students must compare their personalities through critical thinking to seemingly dissimilar ideas.  For example, they are asked “Which are You More Like, a computer or a quill pen?” and must analyze their personality to see which object is more similar to them.  The second phase of the unit includes students taking online learning style inventories to gain awareness of how they learn best.  The final assessment piece is a product self-selected and created by students that must reflect one’s own strongest area of multiple intelligence and also demonstrate mastery knowledge of analogies.   Take a look at a few of the projects submitted by Ms. Lewis’ students:

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Click on each picture to view student’s examples of analogies

• Geologic Time Line 1
• Geologic Time Line 2

Day 1:

• Students did a prior knowledge activity where they applied the terms length and width to come up with their own equations for area and perimeter.
• Students downloaded a model of a school in SketchUp and explored using the zoom and rotate tools.
• Students recalled the book Three Cups of Tea where the author helped build schools internationally and had to work with dimensions. A tape measure was used to demonstrate distances in the model.
• Students used the tape measure tool in SketchUp to calculate the area and perimeter of the walls, roof, floor, doors, and windows. Estimation was necessary on some measurements. Download the Student Measurement Sheet.
• Students were shown how to create a model from scratch with the pencil tool, push/pull tool, and the paint bucket tool.
• Homework: Use the tools to create your own model. No restrictions! Present your model during a gallery walk on day 2.

Day 2:

• Students present their models during a gallery walk.
• Students are directed to work in table groups. Each student will have a unique model, but all within a group most have the same perimeter and area. Group members decide on appropriate dimensions for a school.

TIP: When drawing for specific dimensions, do NOT use the rectangle drawing tool. Use the pencil. While drawing a line, type in a number THEN unit THEN hit enter. For example to draw a 10 foot line, I would start drawing and hit 1 + 0 + ‘ and then enter to end up with a perfect 10 foot line!

Download Two Sample Brochures

1. Mrs. Wall read a children’s book to her ESL students.
2. Students then had to read a children’s book on their own.
3. Students wrote their own stories complete with setting, characters, and plot.
4. Once their stories were complete, they started making an electronic children’s book using ActivInspire. Students provided illustrations and imagination to create an original work.
5. Her students then shared their work with Ms. Turner’s class for discussion and evaluation.

Download Paula’s Book

What a great way to meet ALL of the standards and engage students!