Teachers: Michelina Francisco, Judy Nguyen & Brianna Dotson
Grade & Subject: Kindergarten
School: High Tech Elementary Mesa

During this project, students studied the Mesozoic Era. Each child became an expert on a creature through research and discovery. Students learned about the size of their creature and practiced measurement and comparison as well as explored different genres of writing including informational and opinion. Through peer critique and drafting, students put an emphasis on proper punctuation and sentence structure. They became paleontologists, archeologists and activists, studying fossils, living fossils and artifacts by doing many fieldwork experiences. Students learned about the importance of creatures of the past and present, their own identity and the impact they have on the world around them.

Teacher Reflection

During this project we learned to let ideas of both students and teachers flow. This was the first time our team designed our very own project and during the process we continued to be flexible and grow as the project unraveled!

­—Michelina Francisco

Student reflection

At Exhibition,  I was happy to tell people about Plesiosaurus, some of them were happy and scared because some of them thought that Plesiosauraus were still alive but I taught them that they were extinct. My favorite part was seeing my parents and showing them my book. I wrote about everything that we learned, and I was happy because I was all done and I wrote a real chapter book!

—Charlotte W.