One of the best parts about teaching science are the ample opportunities for students to work collaboratively to accomplish a task. The research tells us that learning is social, and we know that the middle school brain is social, so group projects always seems like a great idea - until they aren't. Case in point, we have been building model houses out of cardstock and straws and using temperature probes and the thermal camera on the iPads to see where the houses are losing heat when placed over a heat lamp. The idea for the project, and some of the resources we have used, came right from The Teaching Channel, and the other 8th grade science teachers at my school thought it sounded like a great idea too. Hands on? Check. Using technology? Check. Blending the four components of STEM? Check. Real world connections to the study of heat transfer? Check. What could go wrong?
My cohorts and I decided to form groups of 3 for this project, yielding about 10 houses we had to store for each class period. Because we had a limited number of hot glue stations the group members had to take turns assembling their houses, so I expected a little downtime (I had asked students to bring in glue guns but only 3 did). What I had not anticipated was that the 1 person working, 2 people socializing model would persist throughout the project. I felt like I spent about 90% of each period playing "whack-a-mole" trying to get everyone engaged in the analysis of the initial data and the insulation of the house, rather than visiting students in other groups or playing with the supplies and materials. I generally do not have classroom management issues like this, which is probably why I feel exhausted right now, but I can't quite put my finger on where I went wrong this time. Is there a flaw in the project design? Was 3 too big of a group for this type of project? Have I just forgotten how 8th graders act during Term 4 when the buzz of who's taking who to the 8th grade formal is all around? I suppose it could be any of these things, or perhaps some combination of all of them! At this point, I am hesitant to try this project again (right now I am just ready for it to be over!), but I know it is a really great fit for MS-PS3-3 of NGSS.
What are some strategies that you use to make sure everyone is participating in group work? Do you have an ideal group size that you swear by? I'd love to hear your ideas for managing groups when faced with limited amounts of supplies. Maybe I can salvage this project for next year!
My cohorts and I decided to form groups of 3 for this project, yielding about 10 houses we had to store for each class period. Because we had a limited number of hot glue stations the group members had to take turns assembling their houses, so I expected a little downtime (I had asked students to bring in glue guns but only 3 did). What I had not anticipated was that the 1 person working, 2 people socializing model would persist throughout the project. I felt like I spent about 90% of each period playing "whack-a-mole" trying to get everyone engaged in the analysis of the initial data and the insulation of the house, rather than visiting students in other groups or playing with the supplies and materials. I generally do not have classroom management issues like this, which is probably why I feel exhausted right now, but I can't quite put my finger on where I went wrong this time. Is there a flaw in the project design? Was 3 too big of a group for this type of project? Have I just forgotten how 8th graders act during Term 4 when the buzz of who's taking who to the 8th grade formal is all around? I suppose it could be any of these things, or perhaps some combination of all of them! At this point, I am hesitant to try this project again (right now I am just ready for it to be over!), but I know it is a really great fit for MS-PS3-3 of NGSS.
What are some strategies that you use to make sure everyone is participating in group work? Do you have an ideal group size that you swear by? I'd love to hear your ideas for managing groups when faced with limited amounts of supplies. Maybe I can salvage this project for next year!