Encourage tinkering with ideas, relationships, connections. Set up situations where students have to find information not readily available in school texts. Provide opportunity for students to design open-ended explorations of the concept. Provide multiple options so students can plan a unique "proof" of learning.
Research and Projects
Objective: Students will successfully complete two activities that require them to collect data from resources, inquire, record data, problem solve, make decisions, and manage their time so they complete them on time.
Activity: 1) Students will choose two of the following biomes to write a report on: desert, tropical rain forest, grassland, deciduous forest, tundra, taiga. Students will use a variety of resources to write their two reports.
2) Students will choose one biome they reported on. Small groups will then be romed based on those choices. Each small group will create a model of the chosen biome. Students can bring materials from home and use materials from school to create their models
