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Description
This learning experience describes an investigation of disasters
following an inquiry process based on Bloom's six levels of thinking.
Students moved through different stages of inquiry to locate,
organise, present, and evaluate information. A range of activities
were carried out to support and enhance their inquiry. These activities
involved the integration of various ICT technologies to assist
and enrich learning.
The six levels of thinking are identified
in the inquiry process below:
1. Knowledge
Immersion
A variety
of resources and methods were used to immerse students in the
subject of disasters. These included visiting speakers (local
disaster survivors), videos (Civil Defence, natural disasters),
books, newspapers, and a wall display (featuring key questions
for inquiry).
The Internet and email were also key tools. Students
were taught skills for searching the Internet for relevant information,
for example, how to use keywords, and how to access websites using
links within the school Intranet.
Students were also shown how
to email relevant sources using links listed on the Intranet.
(Prior to starting the unit, the teachers had posted a list of
websites and email addresses relevant to the topic of disasters
on the Intranet).
Exploration of these resources raised questions
and stimulated interest and curiosity. This set the scene for
further inquiry. Students selected a disaster to investigate further.
Activity 1: Factual recount
Students were presented with the task
of writing a factual recount about the disaster of their choice.
Recount skills were taught through sharing stories (from books
and newspapers), modelling writing, and outlining the writing
process.
Students could choose to work collaboratively or independently.
Their recount needed to include information addressing the what,
who, when, where, why, and how questions related to their selected
disaster. Information was accessed using the resources introduced
during the immersion process.
2. Comprehension
Activity 2: Emotive
recount
Students were asked to express the story of their chosen
disaster from the perspective of a survivor. This was to be written
as an emotive recount. The class looked at stories from different
points of view, and explored emotive language. Students gathered
authentic information for their recount by interviewing survivors
of disasters by email or fax. Information was also gathered from
visiting speakers.
3. Application
Activity 3: Categorising disasters
Students grouped disasters under headings of their choice and
justified their decisions. For example, disasters were grouped
by type, or time etc. Laminated cards displaying the names of
different disasters were used. In groups, students explained their
choices, and recorded one of their groupings to post on a web
page (this was to be created at a later stage of the unit).
4. Analysis
Activity 4: Survival kit
Students were asked to suggest
and justify items to be included in a survival kit for a particular
civil defence emergency. The teacher outlined the type of emergency,
for example, a flood. The class discussed what would be needed
and why. Students planned and made a model of a survival kit that
would be suitable for the emergency. These were presented in class.
5. Synthesis
Activity 5: Emergency procedures
At this level students
used knowledge acquired through out the unit to create a set of
procedures for a civil defence emergency. In preparation several
lessons were spent focusing on procedural language. The class
looked at how to sequence ideas and write clear, concise instructions.
The class also explored the idea of using flow charts as a visual
aid to illustrate procedures. Examples that did or didn't work
were viewed and discussed. Criteria for creating an effective
flow chart was identified and set by the class.
Students planned,
designed, and created a flow chart detailing the procedures to
follow during a civil defence emergency in South Canterbury. These
were presented and shared in class.
During the unit the class had been gathering findings about
disasters to share with the rest of the school. They decided to
share this by creating web pages for the school Intranet. Students
were introduced to the web publishing program FrontPage.
Basic skills such as, designing page layout, importing pictures,
creating hyperlinks were taught.
The students published their
findings about disasters on to a web page and included links to
the class 'Disasters' index page.
6. Evaluation
Activity 6:
Students judged the effects of their chosen disaster by using
the C & S: Consequence and Sequel thinking tool developed by Edward
De Bono (http://www.edwdebono.com).
This helped to evaluate the immediate-, short-, and long-term
effects of the disaster on people and their environment.
Students also evaluated the activities
they worked on, in terms of enjoyment and encouraging thinking.
Information sources that were used during the unit, such as the
Internet, books, videos, were also assessed.
The teacher designed
a quiz on New Zealand and international disasters for the students
to take part in.
At the end of the unit the class discussed and
reflected upon new learning and skills they had gained through
engaging in the inquiry process.
Note: C & S: Consequence and Sequel, is one of the CoRT lessons
(CoRT is named after the Cognitive Research Trust established
by Edward De
Bono for the teaching of constructive thinking in schools).
It is a tool for looking ahead to see the short, medium, and long
term consequences of an action, plan, decision, rule, invention
etc. Further information can be found on CoRT for Schools (http://www.edwarddebonofoundation.com/cort1.htm). |
