How do I teach applied learning .. resources, ideas?

[Create Your Ritual]

Hi everyone. I have been reading the posts at the hs board regarding rigorous studies. There were several posts on there about applied learning. I think I am beginning to see how to do this in science thanks to Lewelma's run down about science fairs, and Faithe (over at the hs boards science post), but can I ask what everyone uses to apply the learning and solidify concepts in other subjects?

 

Someone at the hs boards mentioned a book that told how middle school students at ps wished they could learn by DOING, more than just reading. Making things, projects, interviewing people, etc. So, I am hoping for ideas and suggestions in all subjects for the logic stage. How would I do this in math... are their books to bring applied learning of math & science together? Has anyone done this and seen the results they were looking for? What about the other subjects? Is there any way to have a project for each subject, or somehow bring several subjects together? (Hmm.... I am not sure if I am making sense right now.)

 

I think I am just feeling that although we had a good first year learning lots of grammar, new Latin stems, more math, how to type, cursive writing, ancient history, etc. I never did really get to the point of applying it to anything yet... I am afraid they are just going to forget it as quickly as they learn it if I don't do a bit more of this.

[redsquirrel]

one thing that comes to mind, and I am not sure this is what you are looking for, is SWB suggests that middle school students spend one math day a week applying their skills in real world situations. She mentions a math curriculum that leads the student through running a pizza business. It deals with profit, payroll etc. She also mentions assisting in family budgeting etc.

 

I didn't do it this past year, 5th grade, and I am kicking myself. I really should revisit that this year.

 

I hope this is what you are looking for. I think you mean something MORE when you bring up rigor. I too am always seeking rigor for my kids and have been skimming those threads with interest.

[Create Your Ritual]

Thanks Redsquirrel. I am remembering SWBs suggestion now that you mention it. No, I don't necessarily mean something more when I used the word rigor. Initially I had been reading all the posts on what 'rigorous' means, but what I am personally realizing is that I can teach all the RIGOR I want, but it will be lost without applying it and building on it each year. That's the part I am needing help with. I am VERY good at shoving lots of content into their head, but figuring out how to utilize the content and hopefully solidify the concepts with real world application is something I am lagging in.

 

That's why I liked Lewelma's posts about the 6 week science fair project because it puts on a break and allows them to figure out WHY this stuff is important in the first place. If I don't figure out how to do that with science, math, language arts (and if I could figure it out in history I would do it too) then I feel like it's going to end up being wasted time. Today for some reason how to do it, fit it in and succeed at it feels a bit daunting. ;-)

[lewelma]

Our education system has children learn in intellectual silos, but most applications are interdisciplinary. I would pick a real world project the student is interested in and then apply what has been learned from the student's many fields of study.

 

For example, my niece is a costume designer and she has to interpret the director's ideas, research the history of the period of dress, physically draw and paint the costumes, choose the materials they will be made of, work within a budget, make a presentation about the costumes, and then sew the costumes and fit them to the actors. This is a history, art, math, technology, sewing, and communication project.

 

Also, I think 1 big project a year is enough, possibly 2 smaller projects, but a project in every field would overwhelm me, personally.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Create Your Ritual]

Thanks Ruth... yes, I would definitely need something that integrated several subjects together. I know the science fair project would include writing, research, possibly interviewing, organizing, presentation, not to mention all the science being done. I like the example you gave with your niece as well. We are moving into middle ages next year... perhaps I could figure out how to integrate history that way. I don't think I am very creative because I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to do this in a fun way.

[Coffeemama]

You can do math application work in many of the middle school level science labs. That's one of the reasons I like CPO science, heavy on integrating math skills. This summer my Kids are doing a building project ( they don't realize I'm sneaking in math...)

 

After all this math thinking (If you were reading my other post earlier) I've now convinced myself to buy a triple beam balance! I can split the cost in half if we're using it for two subjects...right?:D

 

Kerry

[Luckymama]

You can do math application work in many of the middle school level science labs. That's one of the reasons I like CPO science, heavy on integrating math skills. This summer my Kids are doing a building project ( they don't realize I'm sneaking in math...)

 

After all this math thinking (If you were reading my other post earlier) I've now convinced myself to buy a triple beam balance! I can split the cost in half if we're using it for two subjects...right?:D

 

Kerry

 

...and divide the cost by three-----> a very low cost per child!

 

:tongue_smilie:

[Coffeemama]

...and divide the cost by three-----> a very low cost per child!

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

I like how you think!!!:lol:

[Capt_Uhura]

one thing that comes to mind, and I am not sure this is what you are looking for, is SWB suggests that middle school students spend one math day a week applying their skills in real world situations. She mentions a math curriculum that leads the student through running a pizza business. It deals with profit, payroll etc. She also mentions assisting in family budgeting etc.

 

 

Do you have a link to that curriculum? I used to have a link to one. I think there were three of them. One was running a book store. The other a toy store. And I can't recall the third. Darn I can't remember.

[K&Rs Mom]

Do you have a link to that curriculum? I used to have a link to one. I think there were three of them. One was running a book store. The other a toy store. And I can't recall the third. Darn I can't remember.

 

Is it Your Business Math? I can't wait to start this with mine - they already love the idea of running a business and will be thrilled it counts as math!

[8filltheheart]

Hmmmm. Well, in our family it doesn't actual resemble anything like school at the younger ages. We LOVE strategy games and spend hrs as a family playing them. My kids love legos and Zome tools and will build just about anything. They play a game they invented called Little City where they each design their own businesses, create advertising, and actually compete for the other kids to buy at their business. They perform plays that they create and produce.

 

They develop more skills through their own invention than my intervening sometimes.

[Capt_Uhura]

Is it Your Business Math? I can't wait to start this with mine - they already love the idea of running a business and will be thrilled it counts as math!

 

OH MY GOODNESS YES! That's it!!! Thank you!

[redsquirrel]

The one I was thinking of is called "Math On the Menu"

[Wee Pip]

SaDonna - that is exactly where my head has been going lately:)

I just read the book The Global Achievement Gap, and the author uses projects and challenging questions as tools for bringing in applied learning. His examples were fascinating and very creative. One way was to ask challenging questions. One example he gave in math class (Algebra 2), the students were put in groups and asked to solve a problem that required both Alg 1 and Geometry knowledge to solve it. It also could be solved different ways, so the students were challenged to find different ways to solve it, and explain their answers to the class. Another example he gave was in writing (often linked with science or history or lit) in which the writing started with a unique idea. It reminded me of Ruth's science because the topics truly went beyond the typical "write about an author, famous person, or animal", and dove into unique ideas and analysis. The writing truly involved developing one's own "hypothesis" and exploring it through research and experimentation (i.e., experimenting with an idea on paper or thru a project). I realize we're limited on how much we can teach this in the elementary years, but the Logic stage is a great time to start. Instead of writing ABOUT the Civil War, the student might ask themselves Why Do I Think the Civil War Happened? Or, Could the Civil War have been prevented? - it is a pulling together of research AND analytical skills. So I think this applied learning can happen in different ways and different subjects. I've been very eager to read all I can on this, so keep it coming! (and link me to other threads like this one, lol!)

[Create Your Ritual]

I read a long post here

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152424&highlight=project+based+learning

 

someone posted "academic excellence is meaningless if it occurs in a vacuum". I think I just need to have dh start integrating more hands on learning like rebuilding an old bicycle, or engineering and building a new fort with the kids. We've come off of two busy years and are looking forward to things slowing down enough to actually ENJOY homeschooling the dc.

 

I absolutely love the sample of the Business Math Series that I saw tonight. My dd is already begging me to buy the Pet Store one for her to run. That's cool. I am going to check out the other one too Redsquirrel.. thank you.

 

Wee Pip.. those are excellent suggestions. 8FilltheHeart I would imagine if I were to sit back and realize all of the 'learning' my kids are doing while they are playing I wouldn't be trying so hard right now! ;-) Not to mention the fact that we live on a cattle ranch/wheat farm and just the other day they were fixing fences, running cattle to a new pasture, and enticing the horses to follow. They do get a lot of real world applications, but I can't ever think of cool things like the costume designer who budgets and makes their own outfit. I'll have to get grandma in on the sewing action for that one, but it's certainly doable and would be a lot of fun for them to head to a fabric store with a design and budget in mind that they had researched about before hand. I love all of these ideas, and would love to hear more!

[Create Your Ritual]

Coffeemama I remember liking the way CPO integrates math into the equation. I wonder if I can pull some of those resources into our Elemental Science Logic Stage Biology for next year.

[Arch at Home]

Scouting offers lots opportunities for applied-learning. Nothing inspires my oldest to write or present than a GS badge or award. Last GS Cookie season the girls earned the Cookie Activity Pin which involved putting together a business plan. Cookie Sales offered much practice in public speaking, money handling, and tracking sales using a spread sheet.

 

Other badges have required researching cookie history, organizing field trips for other girl using mass transit, and being part of a planning committee.

 

In school I always disliked projects which had no apparent benefit other than to teach a lesson. Like my girls I would have eaten up a project with a purpose and real world outcome, even if it was only a badge.

[AuntPol]

If your child is in Scouts or 4-H, there are lots of activities and projects that apply "skills." There is research, charting, interviewing, writing, making presentations, volunteer work, projects, etc. (If your child is not, look at the online merit badges, etc to get some ideas)

 

Far Above Rubies/Blessed is the Man curriculum has a lot of project based learning ideas. Just looking at the Units online might give you some inspiration.

 

You can turn a lot of things into applied learning without them realizing it. For example, my daughter wanted horseback riding lessons. I had her research on the internet all the local places that have them. She made a database so she could put in place, distance, cost per lesson, length of lesson, number of kids in class, type of riding style, etc. I had her calculate the cost of gas to drive to each place and then figure out how much it would actually cost and the cost per minute of class. I had her research different riding styles to see which one she wanted to learn. She also had to email several places to get more information. She narrowed it down to the ones she was most interested in and we visited those places. She called or emailed to set up interviews, prepared questions to ask, etc. Then she made a presentation w/ charts made from excel and presented it to her dad and I on which place she wanted and why. This involved research, mapping, math, computer, typing, writing, phone skills, interviewing, note taking, presenting, etc and she never once thought of it as "school" because it was her interest area.

Edited June 29, 2011 by AuntPol

[AuntPol]

Also in the logic stage, especially grades 7 and 8, kids are ready for getting a budget and making their own decisions. This can be a clothing budget or a party budget, etc.

 

I gave my daughter a budget for her 12th birthday party and other than to drive her to where she needs or apply my credit card to the online purchases, I stayed out of the way.

 

She wanted a Monster High Costume themed party. Monster High is not available in the local stores but Party City has it online. She looked at that and what was available in the stores that wasn't Monster High but had similar looks. She figured up costs of the Monster High themed and costs of plain black or pink things, etc. She figured up costs of store bought cake vs homemade, etc. She put all of this in a data base.

 

In the end, she ordered some Monster High themed stuff online (and found coupon code LOL) and some stuff from Dollar Tree and Five below. She decided to save money by using evite instead of mailing inventions. This required her to email/call a few moms to get the emails of other moms that are not my friends so not in my email. She created her own decorations by printing out graphics from Monster High site and and gluing them on cardboard and dowels, raiding our Christmas and Halloween decorations and dress up box, strobe light, lava lamps, etc. She was very resourceful and measured various things to make sure she had enough, etc. For example, she lined our walk way w/Monster High Skeleton Heads glued to cardboard and dowels. She figured out the spacing, measured the walk way on both sides (it curves so not same on both) and figured out how many she needed. SHe also had to problem solve how to make our living room dark enough for the strobe light to be effective (she used $1 plastic table cloths over windows and the walk through between living room and kitchen and made designs on it with pink sticker stars). She made her own costume to look like one of the characters AND helped almost 50% of the guests with their costumes. She made her own cake (and had to use math to make sure she had enough for her guests, doubling the recipe, etc). She came up with the cake decorating design (cake decorating is her hobby). She made up "ghoul juice" and other funky foods and made them herself. She came up with the activities and made the music playlists. She made pie chart of time and how much she should allot to eating, opening presents, and various activity ideas and what songs would go where. She made the goody bags, and wrote the Thank You notes.

 

Everyone who came has raved about this party. None of the parents can believe she did it all by herself and did it for $200 (a good chunk of it going into goody bags for 20 girls!). Again, she had to research, make a database, do a lot of measuring and calculating, writing, problem solving, decison making, time management, budgeting, visual art skills, and real life skills of cooking, baking, sewing, decorating, and cleaning all without it being "school."

Edited June 29, 2011 by AuntPol

[8filltheheart]

Another thread made me think of Junior Achievement. http://www.ja.org/about/about.shtml

[Ali in OR]

Here's one for the world of language arts. My girls have decided that they want to try NaNoWriMo this year. They'll do the kid version--not a whole novel! I've decided I'll do it too and we'll suspend other writing assignments for the month of November. This will also give them lots of practice typing and we will use it to learn basic word processing. And editing. One dd will write historical fiction--she's already doing some research. The other will do an original story. I think I'll have them do some illustrations and then we'll make them into real books for grandparent Christmas gifts.

[Create Your Ritual]

Great ideas everyone. I am learning a lot from them. I hope they keep coming!

[KAR120C]

I would pick a real world project the student is interested in and then apply what has been learned from the student's many fields of study.

Science fair projects are a major focus for us each year (because that's where DS's major interests lie...) but he does history projects and literature projects too - whatever comes up, really.

 

The way we do it is less directed by my teaching (that is, I don't really sit down and say "how is this going to incorporate all the skills in my list?") as much as by his interest. Sometimes there's a competition involved, which can both add a little extra excitement and add requirements that push him a little bit out of his comfort zone. So as far as how I "teach" it - most of what I do is send opportunities his way when I hear about them, and help guide him through requirements, deadlines, etc. And then when it's just an assignment from me (rather than a competition with its own requirements) I leave a lot of the options open. Like next year's history and literature assignments... one of them is that I want "something" about immigration to the US and Canada in the 1940s (around WWII). It could be a research paper, it could be a work of fiction or film or art, it could be interviews with his grandfather and great-uncle (who each immigrated then, separately), it could be almost anything. Whatever it is, it's going to require research, plenty of reading and note-taking, some interpretation of data, and then whatever output (writing, filming, whatever) he chooses. I'm trusting that when he's done a little reading (what I assign) that something will spark his interest, and that will lead to a good question, which will lead to more resources, which will lead him to how he wants to approach the assignment. If there are skills he needs first, we'll pick them up as we go.

 

The science fair project is similar. He chooses a question and spends most of the summer tracking down background research, contacting people who can give him some general direction, narrowing his focus, writing all along, does some trial runs to test out procedures (keeping a lab notebook), works out what math he'll need for his data and analysis and tracks down resources if it's anything he doesn't already know, writes his procedure, performs his experiments, collects and analyzes his data, and makes his conclusions. By that time he has probably a 20 page paper in pieces, and he spends a few weeks assembling it into a single document and then editing it or re-formatting it for different purposes -- research paper, science fair display board, oral presentation, Q&A notes, and depending on what competitions he might enter with it, he's done videos and power-point slide shows too.

 

Really though - with any of these it's not been a question of setting out to teach him to apply what he knows so much as helping him answer his own questions. He always has questions. Some of them can be answered just by reading or googling, but some of them require a more concerted effort and a wider range of skills. As long as he manages his resources - doesn't forget to write down where he read something, doesn't lose track of his original question as new possibilities arise, keeps his notes together, keeps an eye on deadlines, etc. - I pretty much let him run with it. It has turned up a lot of possibilities I would never have set out to do, but which suit him to a T. Like apparently anything can be turned into a Lego stop-action animation. Anything. :lol: Some projects require a lot of "language arts" type skills, and others are extremely heavy on math. As long as his methods suit his question, I don't try to manage that. They all require research and organization, and I leave the rest up to him.

[K&Rs Mom]

Here's one for the world of language arts. My girls have decided that they want to try NaNoWriMo this year. They'll do the kid version--not a whole novel! I've decided I'll do it too and we'll suspend other writing assignments for the month of November. This will also give them lots of practice typing and we will use it to learn basic word processing. And editing. One dd will write historical fiction--she's already doing some research. The other will do an original story. I think I'll have them do some illustrations and then we'll make them into real books for grandparent Christmas gifts.

 

We did this last year and plan to do it again. There's a workbook on their website to help with planning out your story and explaining some writing basics, so we used that in October then did the actual writing in November. They really enjoyed it!

[SailorMom]

http://www.christianbook.com/building-math-everest-trek/peter-wong/9780825164156/pd/764156

 

We are doing this for 8th - the publisher has three or four out now. They look excellent for math, engineering, and physical science applications....