Third Graders Learn About Simple Machines

Effective educators, no matter what they teach, must have a basic understanding of how students think and learn when designing learning experiences. One of the perspectives that underlies my philosophy of teaching and learning is Lev Vygotsky's socialcultural learning theory. A Soviet psychologist from the 20th century, Vygotsky believed learning occurs in social contexts often with adults or more capable partners guiding students through the learning process. His theory states that each learner has different levels of abilities and an optimal zone in which learning takes place. This zone, called the zone of proximal development, can be maximized if a child receives guidance and support from a skilled partner. Many of the projects in my classroom follow the instructional strategy of cooperative learning where students work in small, mixed-ability groups in hands-on projects to take advantage of the skills and strengths of their classmates.

This week, third graders worked with partners to learn about simple machines. After a lesson to build background knowledge about the qualities of simple machines and the six different types, students set off across campus on a photo scavenger hunt. Using digital cameras, students were asked to take pictures of each kind of simple machine. Photos were uploaded to the computers and used to create posters in Comic Life. Teamwork was required throughout all stages of the process as students supported each other during their learning.