A girl used a fan to demonstrate how wind velocity affected a tree branch. Another boy studied the hurricanes that plagued his father's native Haiti. Each project demonstrated the students' personal interests. The weather and transportation units meet CPS curriculum requirements and integrate core subjects like science, language arts, mathematics and social studies. Weather lessons require students to interpret data, then produce visual and oral displays of their new-found knowledge.
Parents regularly volunteer in Brent's classroom.
She usually gives them a copy of her lesson plan one week in advance. Sometimes they question the approach. They typically are reassured when they see that one complex word problem can access more higher-level thinking skills than 100 drill questions, Brent says. One of Brent's students, for example, initially wanted to present her weather project only orally. After another student helped her construct a poster, she realized the benefits of written communication, Brent says.