Lessons and Activities to support Collaborative Learning
Inspired by Strong Nations Northern Series, I created lessons and activities in a unit called, The Inuit and the Arctic. This unit supports and extends the Strong Reader books for primary students.
Incorporating video links with QR codes, and higher order thinking activities students are immersed in collaborative learning, including lessons on: the location of the arctic, the aurora borealis (northern lights and Inuit beliefs), arctic animals, types of snow, steps in building an igloo, Alaskan huskies, and arctic birds .
The Northern Series Bundle complimented with the Scholastic Trickster Tales series – Tulugaq and other Inuit Tales, offers a well rounded winter unit supporting the First Peoples Principles of Learning:
Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
Learning involves roles and responsibilities.
Learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge.
Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
Learning involves patience and time.
How I Use these Units:
Incorporating a collaborative learning style, I create daily stations for students to rotate though. By forming multi-leveled learning groups, students work together to support each other in understanding and completing the activities. I establish roles such as: Taskmaster, Reader, Detective, and in the case of a fourth person, Quality Control; students work together learning, communicating, and planning their approach in completing the activity. The description of the roles are as follows:
Taskmaster: Reads the task sheet out loud and discusses with the group what information they are looking for to complete the assignment.
Reader: Reads the book or section aloud to the others in the group.
Detective: Looks and listens for clues; information important to the response sheet.
Quality Control: Makes sure everyone in the group has the correct information written in their booklets, is on task and completes the task to the best of their ability. (This can be a shared responsibility when there are only three people in the group.)
Perfect for grades 2-4, this well rounded approach to learning will inspire learning while fostering a supportive community.
To learn more about collaborative learning, read my blog post: Strong Stories: My Greatest Discovery this Year!