Habits of Mind Infographics
As an elementary teacher, I plan to use Habits of Mind to help my students develop their skills as learners, communicators, friends, and citizens. The 16 habits of mind are linked to metacognition, mindfulness, grit, social and emotional learning, and creativity, all important and sometimes overlooked aspects of student learning. I think by specifically teaching the habits, students are more likely to practice them.
The infographic on the left has accessible images for language learners and a few words for early readers. The one on the right has more sophisticated language and images for older students. In my classroom, I hope to introduce all or many habits over the course of the year and choose one or two to focus on at a time that are relevant to the students and the topics we are studying. I would make larger posters of the chosen habits and refer to them frequently, giving specific praise when I notice students exhibiting positive behaviors linked to the habit.
The Secrets of Schooling Interactive Data Visualization
This interactive data visualization shows how schools of fish interact and move as a group to avoid predators. The scientists in this video use motion-tracking software, high-speed video, and statistical models to decipher how the animals’ speed, communication cues, and underwater environments affect the movement of the group. They also describe the underwater tank they have engineered to learn more about how schools of fish work. This video would be great for science lessons on many topics such as animal families, migration, adaptations, survival, and food chain. It would fit many science practices and concepts, including patterns, systems, structure and function, using models, and analyzing and interpreting data. As part of a unit on this topic, students could create their own models and descriptions of the schools of fish through many modalities including artistic expression, creative movement, charts and graphs, and writing. Students could also engineer their own methods for studying the movement or migratory patterns of animals.
Plastics Breakdown Infographic
When teaching about environmental awareness and the ubiquitous material known as plastic, I would definitely include this Plastics Breakdown Infographic. Not only is it a play on words and has many text features to point out, which would allow for teaching language arts standards, it has a lot of useful and interesting information on the harmful effects of plastic in the environment. In class, I would likely break up the infographic into parts and have groups decipher the meaning of each statistic or fact and then share out with the class. I could also pair this infographic with articles, such as “Oceans of Trash” by Scholastic and videos, such as National Geographic’s “How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean” (shown below). Students could research policies about plastic in Oregon and design solutions to clean up plastic or use less plastic in their homes and communities. I would also want to include a field trip when studying this topic. This could be out to the playground to see if we find any plastic trash, or to a local environmental agency or waste facility. It would also be interesting to bring in an expert in the field to further educate the students on plastic in the environment.
Wind Map Visualization
This interactive data visualization shows wind patterns across the United States. I could imagine integrating this video into a number of science lessons, including atmosphere and air pressure, impact of the sun on the earth, weather and climate, and geography and land forms. When teaching about conservation, this video could be included in a conversation about wind turbines. In social studies, it could be used to discuss modes of travel or explorers and travelers who used the wind to push the sails of their ships across the ocean. In mathematics, students could measure wind speed, perhaps even building an anemometer, such as this one in Scientific American. For younger students, wind could be explored through the concept of cause and effect. What effect does wind have on kites or balls or boats? This video could inspire creativity, and students could write about what would happen if we had too much wind or no wind. They could also illustrate a windy day and act out a windy scene.