On February 26, Clara H. Carlson School fourth graders in Rina DiRe’s class entered a different world as they transformed their classroom into a Native American museum exhibit, marking the culmination of their history unit on the Algonquian and Iroquois tribes.

In collaborative groups, each team researched a specific tribe, including the Cayuga, Erie, Lenape and Mohawk peoples. Students delved into the tribe’s location, climate and geography, as well as their tools, artwork, and the roles of men and women. Using household materials such as popsicle sticks, cardboard and cotton balls, the students built models of the traditional homes of their assigned tribes, such as longhouses and wigwams. 

During the exhibition, each group presented their tribe’s history and culture, showcasing poster displays and handmade artifacts. As their classmates listened, they took notes on the new facts they learned.

This hands-on project not only sparked creativity, but also fostered meaningful discussions, and strengthened teamwork and public speaking skills. This was the first museum-style project for the fourth grade class, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. According to Mrs. DiRe, the students loved the opportunity to learn through hands-on activities and to collaborate with their peers.

The museum exhibit was followed by a creative workshop on February 27, where the students crafted their own wampum belts, further deepening their understanding of Native American culture.

 

Date Added: 3/7/2025

To culminate their science unit on the structures and functions of living things, Elmont’s Clara H. Carlson School first graders in Mrs. Jaeger and Mrs. McNamara’s class became scientists and engineers; collaborating in groups to design and create objects that solve a problem through Project-Based Learning. 

Throughout the unit, the students learned about the various structures and functions of plants and animals, such as how webbed feet can help aquatic animals swim in water, feathers help keep birds warm and allow them to fly, and how tails help to keep their balance. 

As part of the PBL, the first graders were introduced to the overall driving question of the unit, “What features and behaviors of living things help them survive?” To create their projects, the groups utilized the guiding question, “Can animal and plant parts give people ideas to make a tool that solves a problem?” 

 Each group designed a useful tool based on the function of a plant or animal’s feature, such as a helmet to represent a turtle’s shell, a window pole for a giraffe’s long neck, a seed organization box for a sunflower, and a drinking device for a flower. The students utilized household items – like bubble wrap, straws, popsicle sticks and tissue paper – to create their objects in class.

 

Click here to view the First Graders at Clara H. Carlson School Create Useful Objects as Part of Science Unit on Plants and Animals slideshow.

Date Added: 1/31/2025