The temperature may be cool but Windward Science is heating up! On January 25 and 26, our 8th Grade Science students held a special showcase in the Center for Teaching and Learning featuring the coding projects they created in Earth Science. 8th Grade students learned how to use a variety of sensors, lights, and motors as they each built practice circuits during the first week of the project. Then the 8th Graders worked in teams to plan and execute their ideas for an interactive earth science exhibit in our Shirley Windward Museum of Science. Windward 7th Graders and faculty members served as audience members for the museum exhibits, which covered subjects such as plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
“It’s incredibly valuable for my students to have the experience of coding circuits for a purpose, to see their ideas come to fruition as they work, and to see the value of their work reflected back to them through the interest and engagement of student visitors at their exhibits,” said 8th Grade Science teacher Gage Loveless.
Working alongside fellow 8th Grade Science teacher Becky Carter, Gage and Becky created this authentic assessment for students as a way to encapsulate the first semester of Principles of Science II, providing a project based learning opportunity that gives students daily practice with time management, individual accountability, and communication while working together towards the shared goals. It was a great exhibit for all involved!
