Moon Phases

Over the MoonMrs. Bouffard's Grade 5 Scientists Study Moon Phases

Last week in Mrs. Bouffard's science classes students went on a lunar mission.  Their task was to understand and identify the phases of the moon and how the Sun, Earth, and Moon interact with each other.  
Students were given a choice board of activities to further demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Then it was time for take off!Students went on a Google Expedition to the Moon with Apollo 11, Apollo 17 and Space X.What a thrill!

Technology Essential Questions:

How does this digital tool help improve collaboration and/or communication?

Are there technological solutions or enhancements to supplement what is being taught?

Why are exploration and creation an important part of learning?

How can we give students voice and choice in their learning?

2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Curriculum Framework:

3-5.CAS.a.1; 3-5.CAS.c.3; 3-5.CAS.c.4; 3-5.CAS.c.5; 3-5.DTC.b.2; 3-5.CS.a.1; 3-5.CS.b.2

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Augmented Reality With Google

Google's Augmented Reality Pioneer Program Comes to Spofford Pond!

On Tuesday, Google Ambassador Caleb J. spent the day with students and teachers in grades 3 - 6 to demonstrate augmented reality.  In this beta version, students got to see Google's next big undertaking before it is released to the public.According to Google's definition, "Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view."  Students explored the forces of nature, bees, dinosaures, the skeletal system, plants and more.
It was an awesome experience!Thank you Google for coming to our school and letting us investigate your newest technical endeavor: AR Expeditions!

Student Explorers

Some students left feedback on Flipgrid about their experience.
Check it out:

More Information:The Wild and Amazing World of Augmented Reality (article)
Google Expeditions AR (video)


Technology Essential Questions:Why is exploration an important part of learning?
How can an augmented reality experience motivate students and inspire active participation?How can we leverage a tool like Flipgrid to increase engagement and amplify student voice?
2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Curriculum Framework:3-5.CAS.a.1; 3-5.CAS.b.1; 3-5.CAS.c.4; 3-5.CT.e.26-8.CAS.c.1; 6-8.CT.e.2 - .3

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Virtual Reality Redux

Volcanic Virtual Reality in Grade 4 SparksGreat Conversations & Collaboration

The Google Expeditions kit at Spofford Pond School has seen a lot of action lately - this time in the 4th grade.  As part of their studies of "Forces of Nature", science teachers used the kit to enhance the experience of understanding volcanoes.  Students could follow or lead the expedition. The expeditions took students inside volcanoes, around the Pacific Ring of Fire, into Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii and other volcanoes around the world.Immersed in the virtual world, I heard students exclaim "Wow!"  "Awesome!"  "I feel like I am right on the edge of the volcano!"  "I wonder what those hot springs would feel like or smell like?" "Did you see the size of that caldera?"  "That scientist is really close to the lava flow!"Focused on successfully leading their followers through the expedition, I heard guides learning Russian, Icelandic, Amharic and Hawaiian on the fly.  We decoded foreign proper nouns like:  Karymsky, Kamchatka, Dallol, Grimsvotn, Kilauea, Halema'uma'u and Pu'u Loa.We stepped out of the virtual world to ask questions like:  "Where is the closest volcano that I can visit?"  "What type of scientist studies volcanoes?"  "Where is the biggest volcano?"  "Which volcano had the world's biggest eruption?"Students came to this event with background knowledge based on their science studies.  Students came out of this event as if they took a field trip around the world.  How great is that?

Technology Essential Questions:

How does this digital tool help improve collaboration and/or communication?

Are there technological solutions or enhancements to supplement what is being taught?

Why are exploration and creation an important part of learning?

2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Curriculum Framework:

3-5.CAS.a.1; 3-5.CAS.c.3; 3-5.CAS.c.4; 3-5.CAS.c.5; 3-5.DTC.b.2; 3-5.CS.a.1; 3-5.CS.b.2

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Virtual Reality

Spofford Students Travel the World with Google Expeditions

 Thanks to a grant fulfilled by the PTO's Teacher Wishes program, several classrooms had a unique technological experience with virtual reality goggles. 

Using our new Google Expeditions kits, students are able to break through the four walls of the classroom and visit places like the San Diego Zoo in California and Moscow, Russia.  Sixth grade students got to tour the home of a Syrian refugee family as they adjust to their life in Lebanon.  And that is just the beginning.  Currently there are over 600 expeditions available for viewing, complete with guided scripts.  Several expeditions come with lesson plans as well.

Through the use of the virtual reality goggles and the read-aloud guided tour from Google Expeditions, teachers are able to supplement what is being taught in the classroom.  Virtual reality goggles immerse students in an interactive, three dimensional learning environment that makes you feel like you're really there.

I guarantee this kit will be well used by classrooms all around Spofford Pond!

Technology Essential Questions:

Are there technological solutions or enhancements to supplement what is being taught?

Why is exploration an important part of learning?
How can a virtual reality experience motivate students and inspire active participation?

2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Curriculum Framework:
6-8.CAS.c.1; 6-8.DTC.a.1-2; 6-8.DTC.b.2; 6-8.CT.e.3

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Grade 4 Science Exploration

Forces That Shape the Earth's SurfaceStudents in Ms. Davis' science classes have been studying various forces that shape the Earth's surface.  Topics have included:  volcanoes, earthquakes, water, ice & wind.  Students worked as small groups of scientists (volcanologists, seismologists, hydrologists, glaciologists & aeroligists) and researched their topic through both print and online resources.

Additional resources came from two experts in the field as classes had virtual guest speakers, Geologist Cynthia Gardner and Seismologist Seth Moran, talk to them about their experiences at USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory at Mount St. Helens.

Student scientists were then challenged to present their findings in a shared Google Slides presentation, answering the following questions:"How do forces shape the landforms that make up Earth's surface?""How does Earth's surface change due to forces?  Are these rapid or slow processes?""How do people try to control or understand the effects of these forces?"Upon completion, each team of students presented their Slides to the rest of the class,demonstrating their scientific expertise.Check out these finished presentations:

Lesson Objective:

Use text  and online information to collaborate with teammates on a Google Slides shared presentation.
Presentations will reveal student expertise about one of four forces that change the Earth’s surface.

Students will work in cooperative groups, research information in books and on the Internet, synthesize information collected during research, and apply/present facts and information in a multi-media product.

Essential Technology Questions:

How can technology be used to enhance a topic and communicate knowledge?

How can we use this software to create original, innovative works and ideas?

How does this digital tool increase collaboration and communication?

Essential Science Questions:

What different forces shape the landforms that make up the Earth’s surface?

In what different ways does the Earth’s surface change?

How do people try to control or understand the forces that shape Earth’s surface?

How do we use information gained through research to expand our knowledge of the Earth’s surface?

Essential English Language Arts Questions:

How do authors write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly?

How can we paraphrase, in our own words,

from informative text to display knowledge and understanding of a topic?

How does interaction with informative writing and researching provoke thinking and response?

2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Curriculum Framework

3-5.DTC.a.2, 3-5.DTC.a.3, 3-5.DTC.b.1, 3-5.DTC.b.2, 3-5.DTC.c.1, 3-5.DTC.c.4, 3-5.DTC.c.5

Common Core Standards:  Grade 4 Language Arts

RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.5, RI.4.7, RI.4.10

W.4.6

SL.4.1, SL.4.2, SL.4.5

2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework

4-ESS1, 4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS3-1, 4-ESS3-2

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Grade 4 Virtual Guest Speaker

As a start to their science unit on forces that shape the Earth's surface, fourth grade students in Ms. Davis' class had the pleasure of listening to a live virtual guest speaker, Cynthia Gardner, Geologist from theUSGS Cascades Volcano Observatory at Mount St. Helens.
Ms. Gardner told the students what happened at the volcano in 1980 and what Mount St. Helens taught us about the way volcanoes behave.  Learning more about a volcano’s history and studying its past eruptions helps us to understand what a volcano is capable of and how to prepare for the next eruption.  There was even a live Q&A session at the end.
What a great experience!  Thank you Ms. Gardner!

Technology Essential Questions:

How does this digital tool help improve collaboration and/or communication?

2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Curriculum Framework:

3-5.CAS.c.4, 3-5.CAS.c.5, 3-5.DTC.b.2

2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework:

4-ESS1-1, 4-ESS2-2

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