Nothing creates more buzz around a 3rd grade loon research project than a giant loon, complete with a "Lunch To Go" bag full of fish! Mr. Labatte, our OHE principal, stole the show for our 3rd graders who were studying loons, our Minnesota State Bird!
Our 3rd grade teachers, Mrs. Lorenson, Mrs. McCollough, and Mrs. Ryan, pulled out all the stops to help students learn about loons! They invited a guest speaker from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to share insights, and they gave students a chance to create their own paper mache loons!
Finally, our teachers asked students to create and share their learning digitally using Google Slides. This was the first time our 3rd graders created a digital slideshow, so we had to begin with the a few basics. As part of their research, students gathered facts about the loon habitat, food, appearance, calls and fun facts. Once they had their facts, they began their slides. I shared with students a few "how to" tips along the way, like adding a theme, images and text, along with formatting "dos & don'ts".
Once students created their Google Slides, they digitally shared their finished slideshow with their teacher via Google's sharing options. They also had a special day to share their slideshows with our OHE 1st Graders! This project wove together so many elements (creative, digital, & research) for students, and their finished projects were wonderful reflections of their learning!