I'll HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT

Debate at the Old South Meeting House

This week, our crew delved further into study of the events that led up to the American Revolution.  We held a simulation of the debate at the Virginia House of Burgesses that led to the passage of Patrick Henry's resolutions of 1765, an act many viewed as treasonous. After this role-playing, we began preparation for our main activity of the case study--re-enacting the Debate at the Old South Meeting House.  The debate was held in Boston just prior to the Boston Tea Party, an event that further kindled the fires of revolt against the king of England. 

Think Tank

In preparation for the debates, as well as in many other learning adventures, our crew does lots of thinking.  Across the spectrum of thinking skills--from the basic acquisition of facts to the synthesizing of ideas from various sources--learners' brain circuits continually hum with activity. This doesn't just happen inside people's heads but also between them.  One way students record and share their understandings is via posters. Below are a few shots of thinking "made visible."

I Think I Can Explain That

Another way students improve their thinking and help others to do the same is when they get to do the teaching--either repeating a concept they've mastered or showing fellow crew mates a new way they've discovered to approach a problem. 

  

We Think We know Where We're Going 

Another way we grow in our thinking skills is when we connect and relate concepts from a variety of disciplines. For instance, when a recent math lesson combined skills in geography, reading, probability, multi-step computation, and writing. 

Tried and True Thinking

Finally, it may not be as glamorous and adventurous as many of our learning experiences, but a lot of good thinking and learning is still done with good ol' fashioned paper-and-pencil tests. They're a valuable tool in developing a mind's memory and reasoning capacities.