LINK TO OUR PRESENTATION: https://prezi.com/view/8Tpb0lCbgTSYyNE6kX8m/ Thank you, attendees!
Educators at Westbrook High School aimed to design an activity that would empower the school’s freshmen to become critical thinkers and help them prepare for the rigors of sophomore year. To this end, at the end of the school year, teachers created and carried out an activity for all freshmen called Work the Problem. Teachers divided students into teams and gave them a series of tasks that aligned with each core class and its standards. The premise was that each team was trapped in the middle ages and were trying to repair their time machine to return to the present. In each content area, students solved skills-based challenges and were awarded pieces of the puzzle that would make their time machine operational. This event was a culmination of the skills learned throughout the year and the ultimate demonstration of peer collaboration. By putting their thought processes to direct action, they proved that they are on their way to becoming independent, lifelong learners. Participants will see how Work the Problem and similar activities can encourage students to demonstrate skills acquired over the year in core academics, work collaboratively in small groups, solve authentic problems that activate prior knowledge, and overcame obstacles through problem-solving.
