Curriculum Corner
North Merrick School District - Fall 2018
INQUIRY - Delving into Research
Meet the newest e-newsletter from the North Merrick School District - Curriculum Corner - which will be issued twice a year to take a deeper dive into the educational initiatives happening in the district schools. This issue focuses on inquiry - and how research skills are being integrated into the library media centers, classrooms and learning labs.
Library Media Centers as Hubs of Information
Students in all grades engage in research projects on a variety of themes including the changing seasons, countries and cultures, animal behavior, and a look back into past decades. The library media centers also reinforce assignments such as fourth graders searching for nonfiction titles and sixth graders compiling detailed book reports. The Library Media Centers empower students to become explorers of knowledge.
Classrooms as Arenas of Investigation
Research is an integral part of classroom learning across the subject areas but can be observed most directly within the science curriculum where students are building upon the fundamentals of the scientific method. They collect data, observe phenomena, and use logic to predict a hypothesis. Whether students work independently, in small groups or collectively, the classroom offers them the flexibility and confidence to acquire critical thinking skills.
Learning Labs as Models for Inspiration
The learning labs, home to the WINGS program and open to class use, are incubators for creative problem-solving. Students collaborate on and conduct online research, engineer Lego robotics to perform tasks, tap into deductive reasoning to break out of "Escape Rooms," or acquire the language of law to discover the facts during Mock Trials. The Learning Labs capitalize on divergent thinking.
North Merrick Educators Form Research Framework Committee
The North Merrick Research Framework Committee, composed of teachers representing all grade levels and Special Education, was formed to compile rich resources and produce a Research Framework Continuum to support teachers and students. The committee referred to the New York State's Information Fluency Continuum and other educational materials to create a customized framework for the North Merrick School District.
Technology Tools Enhance Research Outcomes
Were you aware of the breadth of the state-of-the-art technology available to North Merrick students? The tools range from SMARTBoards, Nureva Span Walls and HoverCams to laptops, Chromebooks and 3D printers to Google Suite, video editing software, and green screen graphics capability.
North Merrick School District
K-6 Public School District
Email: pr@nmerrick.org
Website: http://www.nmerrickschools.org
Location: 1057 Merrick Avenue, North Merrick, NY, USA
Phone: (516)-282-1846
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nmerrickschools/
Twitter: @NMerrickSchools