Lessons Learned in Slate Valley
Celebrating amazing work of educators and students, Volume 4
Winter PE
Check out the examples below of the engaging activities done in PE classes the past few weeks at Slate Valley schools. FHGS students experience snowshoeing from kindergarten up. Even when losing a snowshoe, they keep on going. OVS students enjoy a COVID-modified bowling hoop challenge in which students attempt to protect their "snowman" from being taken out by a thrown ball. Mrs. Clarke's students build their own gymnastics apparatus for their outdoor gymnastics unit. PE helps kids practice persevering and have lots of fun!
FHGS Snowshoe Lesson
OVS Snowman Takedown Game
Take Down That Snowman!
CES Students Warm Up for Gymnastics
Snowshoe Pros at FHGS
FHGS Students Show Off Snowshoes
Practicing balance at CES
Showing Perseverance
Balance Beam Gymnastics CES
SVUVT Goes Nation-wide in Virtual Platform
Place-based Learning Whole Group Session
Breakout Group with Deb Ehler-Hansen and Kaylo Stevenson
Virtual Presentation Space
BVS Middle School Science with Mrs. Schuyler
In 7th/8th Science we had our DNA and ate it too! We learned that the backbone of DNA is made up of deoxyribose and phosphates and that each nucleotide has one base. The students created their own models with a Twizzler backbone and marshmallow bases. The students enjoyed looking at various DNA patterns after our model to see how just a switch in bases can alter eye color, risk for disease, and many other factors.
Students also learned about how genes pair on a strand of DNA, and in this activity, we learned what happens when DNA is put into random orders and how that can affect the traits of the organism. Students randomly selected one of four DNA segments for each trait of a dog (body shape, head shape, leg size, etc.). Students then interpreted the DNA pieces to draw their new breed to match. It was amazing for them to see how just one piece of DNA could alter the entire look of their dog with only four choices to choose from. As an extension, students then drew their own dog and worked backward to determine the DNA pattern for their new dog.
Tip Line
Don't forget to pass along "my cart and me" selfies or other photos that reveal how flexibly you are approaching teaching and learning in the pandemic.