Giving Students Choice

This semester our Year 6 girls have been studying History focussing on the following Inquiry Questions:

Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?

What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development of Australian society?

The girls selected a migrant to investigate. After preparing many inquiry questions they began research and how they’d like to present to their peers. I’m always intrigued and inspired by their creativity and enthusiasm……and enjoy seeing how engaged they are when they have freedom and can take ownership of their learning!

Here is the 6 History Task Term 4 2016 (002) A few girls shared family stories, others famous migrants living today, some from 20 century and two students asked to tell my story!

“Mrs Child you’re a migrant may we share your story?”

It turned out to be a positive experience and gave me the opportunity to reflect on my life….but more on that later!

Presentations were varied, some girls choosing to use no-technology and others combining technology with physical displays. As a group we all enjoyed sitting listening to a podcast of a radio interview of a migrant…..looking at a cardboard radio! Reminded me of my family when I was a child!

Two students painted a large time-line collage and made Aurasma stories with parts of the time-line being the trigger images. They presented using Apple Air TV.

A number of girls made animations, stop motion movies (a few below). One student had 524 stop motion photos! She was totally engaged in the process of creating. She also created a Kahoot! for her audience to enjoy after watching her animation….great atmosphere was captured!

Lego is always a favourite….

An eBook was created in Book Creator by two students who are very keen tennis players!

Two students made a 3D timeline and told their story referring to the items as the story unfolded.

Poster with an iPad inserted into a panel was creative.

Shadow puppets, Power Points and iMovie interviews are a few more of the methods used by the girls to present to their audience!

The variety of presentations captured the audience attention 100%!

Had to smile when a student dressed in my racing gear 🙂

Scratch was used to tell a father’s story. So uplifting to hear and watch how proud the students were telling their stories, especially a family member’s life.

The girls telling my story used the app GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine to support a large poster which told my life. I just loved the one which illustrated how my mum put very large bows in my hair!!!! She made the bows change colours in the animation, it was so cute:)

As I said earlier I wasn’t sure I had done the right thing…..but it turned out well when I read part of the script the girls had put together for their presentation…..

…became a rally car driver and proved that no matter what gender you are you can do anything….

This made me realise that I was demonstrating to the girls that although motor sport is dominated by males……as a female it hadn’t held me back, I had led by example of being successful in my chosen sport!

…in the Solomon Islands she helped sick children in remote locations and did charity work for the community….

Using my driving skills I was able to access remote villages to collect children and bring them into Honiara for treatment and education.

…teaching at St Aidan’s and I think that is one of the best things anyone can give to the community….

Teaching is a passion and I’m so pleased my students see teaching as such a wonderful profession!

Our last History lesson for this year I created a Kahoot! for the girls to play in teams, we all had heaps of fun. We celebrated by sharing food the girls brought in representing concepts covered this year.  I loved the scones, cream and jam for the ‘Ten Pound Poms’, of course we had Federation Biscuits and Anzac Biscuits and some Italian bread for European ‘Populate or Perish’!