Tag: Eleanor K Smith Authentic Learning

Authentic Learning Turning Into an Authentic Project

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Authentic Teaching, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

I finally learned how to bake cookies.  Seriously!  I have never been able to bake cookies – my result was always a melted, burnt mess.  But thanks to a lot of instruction and patience from my daughter-in-law, I have finally mastered baking cookies.

So, for the first time, I am going to make holiday cookies this year.  I am going to use the recipes I have already mastered and change them slightly for the holidays.  For example, using red and green M&Ms only for my M&M cookies.  I am also thinking about how to tweak my chocolate chip cookies for the holidays.  Any ideas?

I have written about baking and cooking many times on my blog.  This is one of the best authentic ways to teach so many math and reading skills.

With the current pandemic, I was also thinking about authentic social awareness skills.  There are many single people in my neighborhood who have been isolating alone now for months.  I am thinking about leaving a plate of holiday cookies on several doorsteps.  I thought about doing this anonymously, but with food I think it is better that the receiver knows where the treats came from.

Doing this with children could easily turn into an authentic project.  Baking is just the starting point. Conversation while baking could turn into a project of making and leaving home made ornaments on doorsteps to brighten people’s holiday.  Or maybe making a small homemade gift. 

Perhaps this could turn into an authentic project learning about all the holidays people celebrate this time of year, and what gifts are usually given, if any, for these holidays. I would love to receive a gift from another religion/culture with a written explanation of what this gift represents. 

So, I started writing about my new-found ability to bake cookies, and am now thinking about leaving some unique gifts from other religions/cultures on my neighbors’ doorsteps, with an explanation about what the gifts represent. I need to do some research and planning. I will need to do some writing. And I am going to need to be creative. This is an authentic project!

Authentic Project Ideas – Butterflies

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

How many types of butterflies are there?  Where do different butterflies live?  Are there butterflies that prefer cool climates to warm climates?  Are there butterflies in cool climates?  Do all countries/continents have butterflies?

Do research about butterflies (Reading). Write a book about butterflies (Writing). Design a sanctuary for butterflies (Science/Math).  Build it (More Math). Photograph butterflies (The Arts).

One photo, unlimited authentic questions, unlimited authentic project ideas…

Authentic Project Ideas – Covered Bridges

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

We just did a drive through a neighboring county looking for covered bridges. There is something very beautiful and intriguing about a covered bridge.

So, what is the history of the covered bridge?  Why were they built “covered?”  Were covered bridges built all over the world or just in some countries?  Are covered bridges still built today?

Design a covered bridge.  Build a model of a covered bridge.  Create a map showing where covered bridges are located in specific areas.  Lots of authentic ways to explore covered bridges.