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Blog #6

 When I observed in a fifth grade classroom, the students were presenting their State research papers.  They had to follow a specific rubric and include certain facts in their presentation.  One of the things they were required to include was why they chose that state. I think the teacher was smart for letting the student decide. That way the student had an active role in choosing their state, and they usually had a personal reason for choosing that state.

Another requirement was that they student had to bring a snack or treat to represent their state.  In general kids love food, so they were all very excited to share their treats and they were all equally excited to eat what the other students brought.

At the end of their oral report the student had to answer three questions about their state from their classmates.  I think the teacher did a great job of engaging all the students from start to finish.  It was a project that involved multiple mini-projects, but also used different techniques to engage the students.  The model for this project is something I would definitely like to incorporate in my own classroom.

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