Ali Carrizal and Patti Sutphen's Kindergarten Classes - La Porte ISD, La Porte, Texas
Phase II
Phase
II: Investigation and
Representation
Fieldwork
We decided to begin our fieldwork by planning a trip to
Moody
Gardens in Galveston, TX to see the aquarium. The children brainstormed and thought of questions that they
would like to ask the presenter while we were on the trip.
They asked questions about the ocean and the animals that occupy
the ocean. They were so
excited and could not wait to arrive at our destination.
When we arrived at Moody Gardens, we were greeted by our tour
guide and were on our way to our presentation about ocean animals.
We played a game in which the children learned various facts about
the ocean and the animals. The
children asked questions they thought of previously and the presenter also
questioned the children to see what they had learned before coming to the
aquarium. The presenter asked
if she had answered the children’s questions and with nods, we were on
our way.
Finally, the moment we had been waiting for, the aquarium.
The children saw so many wonderful and new discoveries. We toured the aquarium and read the information provided on the
displays. The children
enjoyed seeing the Seal, Penguin, Shark, Jellyfish, Starfish, Lionfish and
Eels. The kids drew pictures
of their favorite animal and discussed the answers to the questions they
had previously written in their journals.
The children were very pleased with our visit to Moody Gardens, but felt that they had more questions relating to ocean life. So, we invited a guest speaker to come and visit our school. Bob Miller is the director of Science and Live Materials in our district.
Mr. Miller did a wonderful job of talking to the children about the ocean and the animals in the ocean. He was impressed with the knowledge the children had regarding the ocean and how much information they could provide him.
The field trip and guest speaker have been very helpful to
our children and allowed them to make and see the connections they needed
on oceans. They are producing
quality work as well as writing more in their journals.
The students have entered into Phase II of our project.
They have answered the questions they wondered about on the EKWQ
chart and are steadily moving forward.
They work independently in centers and really enjoy working alone
or in small groups. Their
work has been displayed in the hall and they have received rave reviews
from teachers, principals, and other students.
They are very proud of their work and are proud of their
accomplishments.
The parents viewed the hallways, and have made such comments, as “This is so nice!” or “Wow you all have done such a good job.” Our work in Phase II is almost complete and we are working on getting started in Phase III.
Phase II Information Copyright © 2001, Ali Carrizal and Patti Sutphen | Design Copyright © 2001, Cory Moravits | Property of LaPorte ISD