Fire Island Students Explore Humankind Using Various Learning Tools

Woodhull Elementary School students on the Primary and Intermediate teams recently presented their culminating activity for the “Where We Are in Time and Place” unit of study. 

During this interdisciplinary inquiry, students examined the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind. They focused on the relationships and interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations from both a local and global perspective.

As a complement to their study, students in first and second grade organized their learning in stations. They created visual representations of the lessons learned in the classroom in the form of murals, dioramas, interactive white board activities and even a game of Twister. 

The Intermediate Team, comprised of grades five and six, used a newscast format and “broadcast” from Channel 5626 to document their newfound knowledge. The videos included live performances as well as interviews, a travelogue, breaking news and even a cooking segment.

The sharing of their learning experiences helped to increase the students’ awareness of and sensitivity to the experiences of others beyond the local community. These types of hands-on projects also reinforce the district’s commitment to developing the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside.