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GLENVIEW DISTRICT 34
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APRIL 2017
Dear Community Members,
IN THIS ISSUE
We are excited to share with you today our newly re-designed community magazine. Truly, from the inside out we have completely transformed Schoolook to better represent our mission and priorities as a top-performing school district.
Twice a year, you will now receive Schoolook, with each issue dedicated to a specific priority we are exploring in Glenview District 34. The overall goal is to showcase how we are best utilizing our community’s resources to support greater teacher effectiveness and maximize student growth. These are not only the cornerstones of our strategic plan, but they are critical to ensuring a brighter future for us all.
The Science of Social Studies: Pioneering New Lessons in Science — Page 4
That is because soon enough, these young scholars will become active, influential change makers in a 21st Century economy. These students will be the businessmen and businesswomen, politicians, inquisitive scientists, award-winning authors and successful entrepreneurs faced with significant challenges to solve.
Therefore, when students leave Glenview District 34, they are not just prepared for the next step of their educational journey, but they have been given the necessary skills to be responsible, global citizens of the world.
We could think of no better place to showcase this critical learning than by dedicating our first redesigned issue to science. The implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards has been
A Pumpkin STEM: Seasonal tradition transforms into scientific study — Page 6
a major focus throughout our organization this year, and we look forward to sharing with you just what this looks like in our classrooms.
Sincerely, Interim Superintendents Dr. Griff Powell and Dr. Patricia Wernet
Stop Motion Science: Students Create Videos to Showcase Learning — Page 8
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SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
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The Science of Social Studies:
Pioneering New Lessons in Science
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he sounds of a fire crackling and popping could be heard in the background as students gathered around tables illuminated by candlelight. Buckets of kindling partially line the perimeter of the dimly lit room. On one table, a rainbow of quilt squares were spread about, each waiting for the gentle care of a small child’s hands to bring them together to
form a blanket that would offer needed protection from the cold. Another table was an assembly line of supplies – cups, strings, cotton balls and sticks. These would soon be used to make a toy that would serve as one of the rare forms of entertainment and a welcome distraction from the long journey they would be on as a family. Other stations of butter making, clothing washing, storytelling and candle making awaited the students who, for just the day, were not first grade students at Westbrook Elementary School in year 2016. They were pioneers of the new frontier, going back in time by 150 years.
Crossing Subject Lines
Coined the Prairie Pioneer Challenge, this was a culminating activity where students could put their knowledge of several content areas to the test. In addition to the lesson touching on math, social studies, art and social thinking, it
also incorporated the topic of engineering design included in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). “It was designed to be a project-based unit and allowed students to develop questions along the way that guided our instruction.� said First Grade Teacher Mandy Freer. “It also allowed students to participate and embody the history that we were trying to teach, as well as allow students the ability to design experiments or experiences to find answers to their questions.�
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t the beginning of the unit, students visited The Grove, a historical resource in the community that replicates life in the 1800s. Through this experience, students could begin to ask questions and make observations about pioneer life. They then formed their own “pioneer family� and participated in several activities where they had to design and engineer solutions to problems and, of
course, this was all done by candlelight (LED candles for safety purposes). As an example, students had to design their own wagon out of butcher paper, research and “pack the wagon� and then map out how long the journey to their destination would take. These lessons progressed over nearly a four-week period before students participated in the day’s culminating activity, which truly brought their classrooms back in time to the life on the frontier. “The overall learning target for the unit was to develop a deeper understanding of the lives of pioneer families and how these practices have changed over time.� said First Grade Teacher Deb Meredith. “By giving students the opportunity to engage in these activities, we feel we were able to accomplish that in a meaningful and impactful way.�
Big Changes With NGSS:
THE THREE DIMENSIONS Science and Engineering Practice The Science and Engineering Practices describe behaviors that scientists and engineers engage in
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Crosscutting Concepts
Disciplinary core ideas focus on the most important aspects of science content grouped in four domains: Ş 1IZTJDBM Ş -JǨF Ş &BSUI 4QBDF Ş &OHJOFFSJOH 5FDIOPMPHZ and Applications of Science
Crosscutting concepts have application across all domains PǨ 4DJFODF "T TVDI UIFZ BSF a way of linking the different domains of science.
ALL THREE DIMENSIONS ARE NECESSARY IN EACH UNIT & LESSON Page 4
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
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“I did it! I got it!” one student screams as his pumpkin delicately balances on the fence post made of plastic cups and play dough. The lesson, while new to the curriculum this year, is rooted in history at Henking. Each year, the school hosts an annual Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch for students to pick out their very own pumpkin. Instead of it ending there, though, teacher Carrie Malnor decided to take it a step further and use this as an opportunity to incorporate concepts of NGSS.
A
fter turning to Tech Facilitator Caryl Doetsch and Learning Resource Center Director Rachel Davidson, the three came up with the lesson that allowed students to ask questions, develop models, carry out investigations, design solutions and communicate that information – all key performance expectations associated with NGSS.
A Pumpkin STEM: Seasonal tradition transforms into scientific study
O
n a rainy, October day, kindergarten students at Henking Elementary gather around tables covered in a rainbow of materials. Play dough, wooden blocks, magnetic blocks, plastic cups, toilet paper tubes, and clothes pins are up for the taking as children begin to conceptualize their designs.
“One aspect I really appreciate about NGSS is that it encourages kids to investigate in hands-on ways and use their own natural curiosity to guide their discovery, ” Malnor said. “Lessons (like the pumpkin lesson) fit right into that--we present a “problem” and then challenge kids to solve it with a variety of materials, some parameters, and no direct teacher model to copy. There is no “right answer” and the kids always think of solutions I never considered!”
The students have been tasked with creating a “fence post” that a pumpkin could sit on for the length of the song “5 Little Pumpkins.” The “fence post” needs to be made out of two materials and be six inches tall. Cheers are mixed with the sounds of materials crashing to the tabletops as students work to finalize their designs. Page 6
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
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Stop Motion Science: Students Create Videos to Showcase Learning
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o understand what teaching science looks like to today’s students, you would need to look no further than Lisa Nathaus’ classroom at Attea Middle School.
On most days, the room is a buzz of activity as students conduct experiments, collaborate, document, research and engage with each other. As Nathaus’ describes it, this is “hands-on, minds-on” thinking. This is what Next Generation Science Standards is all about. “Science looks very different than when WE (yes, I am part of that group) were kids. It is a collaborative place where kids are sharing ideas and learning from each other and becoming self-directed learners.” she said. “It’s not all about reading from a book, answering questions and listening to a lecture.”
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SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
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As an example, during a recent lesson, students have been charged with creating a stop motion animation video. This is a culminating activity to their chemistry unit that, over the course of several weeks, focused on matter, elements, compounds, molecules, physical changes and chemical changes. The goal of the video is that they can clearly demonstrate their understanding of the energy and particle arrangement of a specific molecule as thermal energy is added and removed. In other words, how does the particle arrangement of a molecule like water change as it becomes a solid, liquid and gas? Students huddle around different tables throughout the room and begin to conceptualize how they are going to visually demonstrate these changes utilizing their iPad. They reference their storyboards, a previous assignment where they had to explain how the particle and spacing of the molecule changes. Now it is about taking that from paper to action.
Some decide to use markers and whiteboards while others use clay or a drawing application on their iPads called Animate. Some work in groups while others work individually. They manipulate materials, utilize technology and listen to each other’s ideas. In the end, many of the videos will look very similar. However, based on the molecule assigned to each student, the learning will all be different. And by sharing the videos with their classmates, they can pass along this knowledge to their peers. “In my class, I have always tried to make learning as engaging as possible. Having alternative assessment ideas such as the stop-motion is definitely one of these engaging activities.� Nathaus said. “You want to make learning fun while addressing the learning styles of all students. For those physical, visual, logical, social learners, a project like this should be right up their alley.�
District 34 Administrators
SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE Dr. Griff Powell Dr. Patricia Wernet Interim Superintendent of Schools 847-998-5004 BUSINESS SERVICES Eric Miller Assistant Superintendent for Business Services 847-998-5008 STUDENT SERVICES Kathleen Hart Michael Meyers Interim Executive Director of Student Services 847-998-5071 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Jennifer Nimke Director of Communications and Public Relations 847-486-7861 TECHNOLOGY Brian Engle Executive Director of Educational Technology 847-486-7855
Students at Attea Middle School create stop-motion videos to explain how the particle arrangements PǨ B NPMFDVMF MJLF XBUFS change as it becomes a TPMJE MJRVJE BOE HBT
)6."/ 3&4063$&4 45"''*/( )*3*/( Dr. Heather Hopkins Executive Director of Human Resources 847-998-5017 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Beth Tsoumas "TTJTUBOU 4VQFSJOUFOEFOU PǨ $VSSJDVMVN *OTUSVDUJPO BOE "TTFTTNFOU 847-998-5006 Kristy Patterson Director of ELL and Bilingual Programs 847-657-2479 '"$*-*5*&4 ."*/5&/"/$& $6450%*"- 53"/41035"5*0/ Steve Ruelli Director of Operations 847-998-5011 FOOD SERVICES Kimberly Radzinski Director of Food Services 847-486-7711
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SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
SCHOOLOOK | April 2017
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NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID GLENVIEW, IL PERMIT #80
LOCAL
1401 Greenwood Road (MFOWJFX *-
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Our Mission To empower children to be self-directed learners and responsible decision makers.
District 34 Board of Education Cathe Russe, President Jackie Lutz, Vice President Sam Ach John Heggie Natalie Jachtorowycz John J. (Jack) Murphy Chris Northwick
Find us on Twitter and Facebook Contact us Phone: 847-998-5000
Please look for our next issue dedicated to Social-Emotional Learning and how it has changed the way we teach and support our students.
Internet: www.glenview34.org Mail: 1401 Greenwood Road Glenview, IL 60026
Schoolook is published for citizens residing in the School District by Community Consolidated School District 34. +FOO /JNLF Editor