Name MelissaCamacho
Submitted on 9/27/2005 8:59:10 PM
Topic: LC3
McKenzie,Danny,Carpenter,Jan (Spring 95). Investigating Fruit. Science Activities, Vol.32, 36-38.
Summary
In this article, we have four authors that have an activity for grades three through six to do a cooperative learning cycle in investigating fruit. With this activity, the students are in learning groups of three to five students, which the authors call "home teams". Then the authors take a step further and have one of each group to become the "investigative" team. The teacher who will teach the lesson will have five stations around the room for the investigative teams to explore. Within these stations are five different types of fruit that are in two groups, simple and compound. During the exploration phase the teacher will have the home team discuss their prior knowledge about fruit and then have one of each group become the investigative team to go out to the learning stations to use their senses to investigate the fruit. During the concept phase, the investigative team makes up a list of five to ten characteristics and then cooperatively discuss their observations with the investigative group to be presented as a lesson on the type of fruit each member examined and return to their home team and teach the lesson. lastly, the application phase is introduced. The students then apply what they have learned by having the teacher present the students with mystery fruits for the students to classify what group the fruits are in as well as describing characteristics about the fruits from the concepts learned during the lesson.
Reaction
I felt that this lesson really does help students work together to learn about fruit. Having the students in groups to explore, conceptualize and apply their knowledge and findings about fruit is very creative and fun for students. Allowing the student to explore in groups helps the students interact with each other. I feel that this lesson can be modified in a Kindergarten level as well. By having students in groups to only use their senses to observe simple fruit will be exciting for the students. They can also graph their findings using the senses. It really helps to have students communicate with each other, because they can learn from each other and become excellent in their social skills.