Vassal Lane 6th graders visited the
Harvard Museum of Natural History
on November 13th and 15th to explore evidence for evolution related to
social studies and science. Leslie Kramer and Marianne Dunne
collaborated on making the learning experience at the Museum focused and
meaningful for the 6th graders. The students participated in a Human
origins lab where they examined skulls of early man and tools that
humans have used over time while noting the major physical and
technological changes seen from
Australopithecus to
Homo sapiens.
The connections from the lab were directly related to their classroom
experiences and learning about Ancient History. Students have been
focused on two essential questions: “What is civilization?” and World
Geography “Why does “where” matter?” After the lab experience, students
explored the exhibit halls and sketched skeletal similarities of a human
forelimb, a bat wing and a whale fin. They also made observations and
sketched plant structures in the glass flowers exhibit and compared
fossils in the Romer Gallery. In addition, they focused on collecting
data about how the horse we know today has changed from its early
ancestors by looking at the adaptations and environments that have
enabled it to survive. In Science, 6th graders will be studying geology
this winter and ecology in the spring. The focused work on the exhibit
halls was intended to spark their curiosity about the upcoming units of
study and connect to two geology essential questions: “How much evidence
is enough evidence?” and “How does studying the past help us predict
the future?” The 6th graders, teachers and chaperones enjoyed exploring
and experiencing the wonderful objects the Museum has to offer.