Survivor project: we did this project last year (see earlier blog post near the start of this blog).
Survival project is five years old, and it started as a PBL activity. Empathy is the biggest change in this project and as we have reworked it we have moved more towards getting kids to really live and understand the challenges inherent in early peoples. Kids have appreciation and understanding of early peoples, and that's what we really wanted them to get. Cooperation v conflict piece. Having them do things in authentic ways where learning is real. Tying in common threads all the way through curriculum to the design center. Tie ins to the books they read, etc.
Students build shelters and basic hunting weapons as part of this unit of study. The biggest difference from last year is that we did a two day build on shelters instead of just one day. This way students could plan it out more and also see if their shelters could stand up overnight. Making fire was not a part of the build this time around. We added in making water vessels and spear making/throwing (tool making) this year as it was a better use of time and also more student-friendly (could be tested indoors or outdoors). Materials for structures were more standardized to be more even for all teams.
This time around we had students do open ended research and then use their social studies book to get more specific info about their region. We also had a parent come in this year to talk with students - they are a survivalist, teaches Marines on survival techniques, and it was intense. Kids learned a lot from him and they enjoyed that lesson immensely.
Bottom line? Kids love this project! They made spears and got to throw them at a box. The tool making was the best part of this for the kids. Better appreciation for the fact that it is difficult to make things and live with primitive tools. They see how hard it is to "hunt" so they end up realizing berry picking. Of 60 kids only 4 had successful spear building (spear stuck in the box). The difficulties of making work-able solutions with basic materials was a BIG realization for kids. Great learning!
Reflection:
Next year - start bringing in materials at the start of school so that we have enough materials for all teams. We need to make a stronger curriculum tie in: how does geography and climate affect culture and housing for people. They are learning about different regions, etc.
