Transportation: A Moving Experience
School: Schoolcraft Learning Community
City/State: Bemidji, MN
Grade(s): 1
Format(s): Poster: Informational
Subject(s): English Language Arts, Social Studies, Visual Arts
Project Overview
First graders at Schoolcraft Learning Community in Bemidji, Minnesota participated in an Expedition entitled Transportation: A Moving Experience.
This expedition consisted of three case studies: Engineering, Timeline, and Service Project. The first case study focused on math and science learning targets: measurement, forces, engineering different vehicles. The second study focused on social studies learning targets: creating a timeline, how transportation has changed over time, and how transportation is different around the world. Lastly, students focused on how we could solve a problem within our community: educating people about human-powered transportation. This case study consisted of working with the Bemidji Parks and Recreation Director, interviewing 14 community experts, and creating life-sized collages with an advertising agency to be displayed in the downtown area.
Students worked with their art teacher to learn about photography, composition, contrast, font selection, and creating a background. Students also worked with a technology integration specialist to take photos, organize information from community experts, and build collages using physical assets along with an app on an iPad. Finally, students went through the revision process with the advertising agency to make visually appealing collages to display on downtown kiosks.
The expedition culminated with a Celebration of Learning consisting of a walking tour of the downtown Bemidji area to see the installed collages. Students created a map showing the location of each kiosk and invited family members, community experts, and students and staff from their school to participate. The kiosk collages will be on display for one year.
How This Project Can Be Useful
- Excellent example of an interdisciplinary collaboration that had genuine community impact
- Shows how young students can master new skills with outside experts
- Highlights a combination of photography, artwork and writing by young students
Relevant Resources
Common Core State Standards
| Standard | Long Term Learning Target |
|---|---|
| W.K.2 |
|
| W.1.5 |
|
| W.1.6 |
|
Additional Standards
- MN State Standard - I can describe why people choose certain modes of transportation. 1.2.1.1.1
- MN State Standard - I can describe community problems and work with my crew to solve them. 1.1.1.1.1
- MN State Standard - I can explain how different vehicles help people every day. 2.1.2.2.3
- MN State Standard - I can create maps to show the location of (trails, kiosks) in my town. 1.3.1.1.1
- MN State Standard - I can use location words to describe the placement of (kiosks, trails) in my town. 1.3.1.1.2
- MN State Standard - I can describe transportation problems in my community (scarcity as key word). 1.2.3.3.1