Students in Julie York’s 4th grade social studies classes, at Bennett Elementary, have been studying different cultures and applying their map skills beyond the typical curriculum of find X on the map.
The students recently had a Skype session with another classroom somewhere in the United States. Each classroom took turns asking geographical questions about their unknown destinations to narrow down the search. After several rounds of questions the students learned they were talking to kids from Pine Valley Elementary in Wilmington North Carolina!
Once the respective locations were uncovered the students began asking questions like, What types of foods are commonly eaten in your area? Are there any celebrities from your city? What is the temperature like there during the summer? Once the Bennett students learned t
hat the kids in North Carolina eat a lot of fish due to their proximity to the ocean and that the temperatures are relatively the same during the summer they couldn’t wait to share.
The kids showed off the Texas flag, talked about how cotton is grown around here, that they eat lots of steaks and Tex-Mex cuisine and of course shared that Lubbock is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the late Buddy Holly.
This was a great lesson to coincide with the National Digital Learning Day, taking place on February 17, 2016. The students were able to take their normal curriculum and add the technology element to truly captivate their learning experience. They look forward to researching North Carolina more and hopefully chatting with the class again soon!
