Imagine 26 kindergarten students sitting on stools 4 to 5 to a table. They have a paper in front of them that has been folded to create 4 rectangles. They have written their names, or part of their names, and numbered two of the rectangles with a 1 and a 2. One of their classmates, Diego, is chosen to pick a touch bag from twenty-two brown paper bags with mystery objects inside. He chooses number 5. I ask him to not use his eyes, only his hand, and he takes me literally. He closes his eyes, and just to be sure he doesn't look, also places a hand over his eyes. With his other hand he reaches into bag 5 and touches an unknown object. I kneel down to be eye to eye and prompt him to describe the object. "It's long." "It's smooth". It's hard." "It's a circle." With those descriptions, the kindergarten students then predicted with words what the object might be. "I think it's a pencil." "I think it is a toy." When several students have predicted what the object might be, they draw there prediction in box 1. Most students get something down that matches at least part of Diego's description.
When the object is finally revealed and placed under the document camera, there is a gasp of awe. No one had seen a hot glue gun glue stick. Amid squeals of delight, the teachers were able to direct students to draw what they saw in box 2.
And so began the 2nd week of MESA lab at Centennial Elementary. Without exception, students K-5 are fully participating in the labs leading up to our work with Thorne Ecological's Poject BEAR (Buliding Environmental Awarenss and Respect). Students have gone over lab rules, Centennial TRACKS, (Trust, Respect, Attitude, Cooperation, Keeping Safe), and the MESA vision. All students have begun to predict and dialogue around "What does a scientist look like?" They have also begun to observe, predict, make claims, give evidence and document their work. Imagine the possibilities as the year unfolds!
Centennial MESA is available to EVERY student k-5th grade. When pre-school is ready, MESA will be available to them, too, in their classroom rather than in the lab.
The first two weeks have been more successful than my planning or imagination led me to believe, and I plan and imagine a great deal. I finally feel somewhat settled in the midst of a new school and a new position. Today a student and his grandmother came in the school and walked briskly down the hall. I was hailed with a robust "Good Morning" by the student and I overhead an even more robust explanation given by the boy to his grandmother: "THAT'S my science teacher!"