Social-Emotional Learning Through STEAM Projects, Grades 4-5

Season Mussey

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781000541465
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Inclusive Education

Social-Emotional Learning Through STEAM Projects, Grades 4–5 helps educators target the development of social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies for high-ability learners through interdisciplinary, project-based inquiry. Aligned with STEAM content standards, each of the nine projects introduces students to a real-world problem through essential questions and the presentation of a primary source document. Both the content and the inquiry process support SEL competency development, from self-awareness to selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. As students work to understand and pose solutions to each problem, they gain the knowledge and practical skills needed to become more socially and emotionally competent individuals in their classroom communities.

Chapter 1 Teachers’ Guide to Social-Emotional Learning through STEAM Projects

DOI: 10.4324/9781003247449-1

Introduction to the Projects

Social-emotional learning (SEL) through STEAM projects is a series of nine learning experiences designed as projects that can be used as a supplement to classroom science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) instruction. Each learning experience is related to a real-world issue or problem in one of the following three categories: (1) the environment, (2) humans and health, (3) technology and society (see Figure 1.1). To understand and address the complex issues presented, students will need to develop both academic knowledge and social-emotional competencies.

Figure 1.1 Overview of the Nine Projects.

Purpose of the Projects

Learning in both academic and affective domains is the purpose of the selection and implementation of the nine projects. Teachers will guide students through specific inquiry processes to help them engage with each issue in a relatable context. Students will begin to understand their role in finding applicable solutions to real world problems. The nature of the problems selected, as well as the processes for learning, allow students to develop content knowledge, practice critical and creative thinking, and situate themselves in the world as potential agents of social and environmental change. They will have opportunities to work both independently and in collaborative settings. They will reflect on what they have learned and how they feel about their role in finding solutions to the global problems that they will inherit. They will dialogue with peers and adults about the complexities and outcomes of recent and historical events on our planet. Through participation in and completion of each learning experience, students will grow in the following core areas of social-emotional learning as determined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) (2017): (1) self-awareness, (2) social awareness, (3) self-management, (4) responsible decision-making, and (5) relationship skills.

Overview of the Project Design

Using problem-based learning as the pedagogical foundation, students are engaged in each individual project through the introduction of a real-world issue through text. Following the introductory text, students explore one or more primary source documents such as interviews, poems, scientific articles, or other media. The introductory text and primary source documents were strategically included to engage students, tap into their prior knowledge, and put the issue into a relatable context. As students begin to understand the scope of each project, they are invited to engage in dialogues about each problem, exploring possible solutions. They will begin to understand each real-world issue from multiple perspectives. Framed by essential questions, each project is aligned with content standards and SEL competencies appropriate for 4th–5th-grade students.

Introduction to the 5-E Model of Inquiry

During each problem-based learning (PBL) project, students will be guided through stages of inquiry using the 5-E instructional model (Duran & Duran, 2004). In this model, they will be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning. The 5-E model is useful for differentiating instruction, and therefore, teachers will be able to offer multiple modes and opportunities for instruction and assessment for all students based on individual needs. In the 5-E model, students engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate the real-world issue and their learning. This model allows for attention to the product and the processes of learning.

The 5-E model was traditionally developed for the study of biological sciences (Bybee et al., 2006). It has since been adapted across multiple disciplines and used across the curriculum to deepen student understanding of interdisciplinary concepts, and improve critical thinking (Bennet, 2021). Use of the 5-E model of inquiry can also increase academic achievement, improve attitudes towards learning, and improve scientific processing skills (Cakir, 2017).

In this text, the 5-E model will be used by teachers to guide students through a process of discovery as they seek to understand the issue presented and formulate their own ideas and answers to the essential questions presented.

Stages of Inquiry – The 5 Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate

For each project, students will have an opportunity to learn through five stages of inquiry. Each stage has a focus word that begins with the letter E: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate.

In each stage, students will use critical thinking to complete activities that are aligned with the academic learning outcomes, the social-emotional learning competencies, or both.

Engage

Initially, through reading comprehension of an introductory text, students will engage with the content. During the engage phase of instruction, teachers are working actively to elicit students’ preconceived notions and misconceptions about the problem. Teachers will also work to assess students’ current levels of knowledge and understanding about the concepts. Simultaneously, the students should be given an opportunity to assess their own levels of content-related knowledge and the SEL competencies targeted for growth. The pre-assessments can be made by posing the project’s essential questions before instruction begins.

Explore

During the explore phase of the project, students will investigate a primary source document related to the problem. Using critical thinking, they will analyze the source and draw some initial conclusions. They will explore the concepts further by completing activities independently or in small groups. During this phase, students may decide that they need to conduct more research in order to fully understand what they are learning.

Explain

Upon completion of the exploration phase of the project, students will explain what they have learned thus far. This stage will include an application of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. This phase of the project will usually include practice with oral or written communication. Teachers can facilitate learning during this phase by revisiting the essential questions. This is also an opportunity for the teacher to clarify, answer questions, and correct any misconceptions gained during the initial stages of learning.

Elaborate

Next, they will go deeper, elaborating on what they have learned through a creative, hands-on activity, writing assignments, or thought-provoking dialogue. In this phase, there will be a suggestion for a culminating product, where the students may take the multiple examples that they have studied and begin to develop some generalization or applicable conclusions based on what they have learned.

Evaluate

Finally, they will evaluate their learning through written reflection and assessment. The evaluate stage is an important stage for self-awareness and metacognition. Revisit the essential questions one final time. This stage is also the teacher’s opportunity to administer any summative assessments in the form of observations, rubrics, written assignments, or exams.

For each stage of inquiry, students may experience multiple learning opportunities through a myriad of activities such as reading, research, writing, small group discussions, presentations, classroom dialogues, reflections, model-building, self-assessments, etc. At each stage of learning, based on individual student learning needs, the classroom teacher can assess, supplement, omit, repeat, and/or change any of the suggested tasks.

A Note to Teachers: You are the expert when it comes to assessing your students’ needs and selecting and implementing instructional activities that will engage and inspire them! In each project, you will find multiple opportunities for learning and suggested learning activities. Feel free to use each project design exactly as it is presented or as a supplement to the awesome things you are already doing to promote academic learning, critical and creative thinking, and SEL development in your classroom. If everything in the project will work, use it all! If not, pick and choose what will work for your students this year. I trust you to do what it best for the kids in your classroom.

Expected Learning Results

During each of the nine projects, students are encouraged to engage in their own research and scientific inquiry as a journey toward solutions to the problem and answers to the essential questions. Along the way, through various activities, students are invited to dialogue with peers, adults, experts in the field, and others, as well as to look inward with self-reflective journal prompts.

Due to the complex nature of the problems, students have will have multiple opportunities to engage with and learn content and processes related to STEAM disciplines. For each of the projects, there are expected academic outcomes for learning domain specific vocabulary as well as opportunities to practice reading comprehension and writing processes.

Example of Academic Learning Outcomes from Project #1: Flooding

For example, in Chapter 2, Project #1 students dive into the topic of flooding. During this project, they will learn new vocabulary related to flooding such as the term: storm surge. They will also build a model demonstrating the impacts of storm surge and the resulting waves on a coastal community. In this experience, they are meeting science and engineering performance expectations for the Next Generation Science Standards for 4th- and 5th-grade science (National Research Council, 2013). Beyond that, when students read multiple texts and then write about the potential impact of flooding on a community, they will be developing some of the specific reading and writing skills outlined in the English Language Arts common core standards for 4th and 5th grade (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). Specifically, they will be reading informational texts and learning how to integrate ideas from multiple sources to write or speak knowledgeably. They will be writing their own informational texts using facts and evidence to c...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• 1 Teachers’ Guide to Social-Emotional Learning through STEAM Projects
• 2 Humans and the Environment
• 3 Humans and Health
• 4 Technology and Society