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Vital Signs: The Good Health Network
This project was written to incorporate the state grad standards as part of our district's Health and Science curriculum.
We decided to make the project cross grade level, spanning grades 2-4. Previously the "human body" was solely a second grade unit. We also decide to integrate various subjects and expand on the content to include many health issues related to health and nutrition, whereas the previous curriculum centered on the basic systems of the body including central nervous, respiratory, and skeletal. The length of the unit also changed from a six week study to a year long endeavor.
We are very excited about the change of instructional delivery systems. We have come a long way from a basic self contained classroom delivery to including sessions in our science labs and technology labs. We have access to the community and global classrooms through the use of the Internet, e-mail, and QuickCam.
In the past students were introduced to the human body through the use of textbooks and art projects. The experiments were redesigned from all teacher directed lab lessons to include challenge sections that would foster engaged learning. There wasn't an exchange of information between classrooms and students were given specific instructions for the Health Fair projects. Now students decide what they will research and how they will share the information at the annual Vital Signs Health Fair in March. They are also responsible for their own timelines and assignments
Basically, all the information and strategies in Vital Signs are new.
Very little of the old methods and procedures from the previous curriculum
were kept. We remained focused on the Human Body and maintained part of
the lab sessions.
The evaluation procedures are markedly different than before. Previously,
the students were evaluated by a written test based on subject material
from the text. Now students work together in teams to accomplish various
goals and have individual responsibilities, and then must report their
research back to the team. A rubric designed with the help of students
determines their grade. The teacher is the facilitator rather than the
leader.
We are excited to be able to continue to improve and experiment with
the Vital Signs project!