To provoke students thinking and engagement at the beginning of a unit, a provocation is extremely valuable.
Below are some examples of provocations, I have used in the classroom.
Below are some examples of provocations, I have used in the classroom.
How much plastic do we use?
Transdiciplinary theme: How We Organize Ourselves
Central Idea: There is a process involved in the production and distribution of products.
Prior to this provocation, students had created a definition of a "product".. This provocation began with a "Talk & Walk" around the school. Students went for a couple laps of the hallway and discussed the materials that are used to make products with a partner. After creating a web of different materials that are used to create products, students decided that most of the products in our classroom were made of plastic.
To help students understand just how much plastic we had in our classroom, they were challenged to put everyone made with plastic on the mat at the front of our classroom.
This provocation led to many "Ah Ha" moments for the students and made them even more curious about the materials are used to make products.
Some of the student questions that arose from this provocation included:
Is plastic a raw material?
What is plastic made of?
Why do we have so much plastic in our classroom?
Following this provocation, a couple of students took action and went home and research about plastic and shared their learning with the class the next day.
Central Idea: There is a process involved in the production and distribution of products.
Prior to this provocation, students had created a definition of a "product".. This provocation began with a "Talk & Walk" around the school. Students went for a couple laps of the hallway and discussed the materials that are used to make products with a partner. After creating a web of different materials that are used to create products, students decided that most of the products in our classroom were made of plastic.
To help students understand just how much plastic we had in our classroom, they were challenged to put everyone made with plastic on the mat at the front of our classroom.
This provocation led to many "Ah Ha" moments for the students and made them even more curious about the materials are used to make products.
Some of the student questions that arose from this provocation included:
Is plastic a raw material?
What is plastic made of?
Why do we have so much plastic in our classroom?
Following this provocation, a couple of students took action and went home and research about plastic and shared their learning with the class the next day.
Migration & Refugees
Transdiciplinary Theme: Where We are in Place and Time
Central Idea: Human migration involves challenges, risks and opportunities.
Purpose: Get students interested in migration and begin developing an understanding about the reasons people migrate.
How it worked: Grade 3 students came to school to find their classroom doors taped off with do no enter signs. Each class was told a different reason their classroom was taped off. One class was told people they needed to migrate people people didn't like them for their beliefs, another class was told about a war coming their way, and another class was climate refugees.
My students were the climate refugees. Our story was like the lived in the Gobi desert and the sandstorms were getting worse and our crops weren't growing anymore because of the expanding desert. We then walked around the school to the back area where we met up with the other "refugees" to begin our day of learning.
The simulate how challenging learning is in a refugee camp, the students put into groups of 10 and were given only one piece of chalk, one fiction book, and one newspaper. They were instructed to create a Venn Diagram comparing non-fiction books and newspapers.
Students take away from this provocation, was a new appreciation for school, and empathy for students who have to learn in these types of conditions. This provocation led to several questions about refugees, refugee camps and the reasons people migration.
Central Idea: Human migration involves challenges, risks and opportunities.
Purpose: Get students interested in migration and begin developing an understanding about the reasons people migrate.
How it worked: Grade 3 students came to school to find their classroom doors taped off with do no enter signs. Each class was told a different reason their classroom was taped off. One class was told people they needed to migrate people people didn't like them for their beliefs, another class was told about a war coming their way, and another class was climate refugees.
My students were the climate refugees. Our story was like the lived in the Gobi desert and the sandstorms were getting worse and our crops weren't growing anymore because of the expanding desert. We then walked around the school to the back area where we met up with the other "refugees" to begin our day of learning.
The simulate how challenging learning is in a refugee camp, the students put into groups of 10 and were given only one piece of chalk, one fiction book, and one newspaper. They were instructed to create a Venn Diagram comparing non-fiction books and newspapers.
Students take away from this provocation, was a new appreciation for school, and empathy for students who have to learn in these types of conditions. This provocation led to several questions about refugees, refugee camps and the reasons people migration.