Lincoln Elementary's Transformational Day in D200

Lincoln Elementary’s fourth grade team is at it again! Banging, measuring and counting their way through an exciting hands-on day full of real-life learning, students pounded out reading, writing, social studies and science with a whole new set of skills! The third in a series of three “transformational days,” Construction Day scaffolded every academic subject, weaving them together in meaningful ways through the course of a day. Prior transformational days created and hosted by Lincoln’s fourth grade team this year include full days with a focus on Hospital/medical practices and party planning. Offering a new lens through which to learn academic skills necessary for particular vocations, Lincoln’s fourth grade team Cynthia Heilingoetter, Tonya Saporito, Joanna Wsol, Linda Gilgenbach and teacher’s assistant Virginia Lee rock in their students’ eyes!

From the moment the students got wind of “something cool going on” in their classrooms, they flocked to classroom doors at 9 a.m. to gaze upon the transformed environments. Once inside the construction site, they were presented with the transformative day topic/title and their academic goals for the day. In addition, each carpenter received: A carpenter’s hard hat, a tool pouch/belt, a mask, a carpenter’s pencil and a measuring tape (many of which were lent by fellow teachers or donated by local construction-based stores.)

“For the entire day we’ve turned our curriculum into a specific theme on construction,” stated Tonya Saporito. “We knew we were going to be finishing up our problem-solution and structure-related lessons, and heading into area and perimeter and a construction stem project in science, such as building a structure that can withstand an earthquake.” So they thought, why not tie it all together? In learning area and perimeter conversions, and turning feet into inches, students measured squares, rectangles and irregular shapes taped onto the floor, like the footprint of a building.

In studying the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Reading, students determined that there was a flaw in the architecture. The teachers then applied that knowledge to their science and delivered a lesson on how humans can prevent damage during natural disasters. Following through on that thought, students built structures comprised of straw, clay, string, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, washers, and clothes pins, which would then be tested on their ability to withstand an earthquake using an actual earthquake table loaned to them by the librarian’s husband, who works at a local high school. (The machine sways and vibrates and goes at different amps to simulate different earthquake movements.)

Students worked in partners to research on architects and architecture for Reading. They then presented their findings in 5-minute movies using “Flip Grid” technology on chromebooks set up in stations.

Why do they do it? “It helps make learning ‘real’ for kids- it’s fun, interactive and on the occupational side. It’s something they will remember forever, and I love seeing the joy coming out of them!” beamed teacher Joanna Wsol. “In addition to being authentic learning experiences,” Cynthia Heilingoetter explained, “cooperative learning activities such as those offered (such as creating a flip grid of a famous architect) during Construction Day require social emotional learning skills such as self-regulation… knowing how to request and wait for access to measurement tools and self=management of time per task to accomplish the expectations of the project. These types of learning opportunities place more ownership on the student to navigate all aspects of task completion from goal setting to making necessary revisions to produce a quality product.

“Motivation to plan transformation days stems from a philosophical approach to education that is rooted in experiential approaches that not only engages the student’s interests, but also prepares them for future learning experiences that will require more student ownership to navigate challenging opportunities that require creativity, collaboration, and perseverance. I also love reaching out to the community for involvement in our future leaders of America,” Heilingoetter added.

But doesn’t it take a lot of extra work? Getting ready for a transformational day takes a lot of creative teacher collaboration, and tapping into community resources for props, tools and decorative items. Then there’s the little dip into teachers’ pockets. But, look at the reception!