Sanfordville fourth graders share knowledge using creative tech

Fourth grade students at Sanfordville Elementary School have been spending their library time working on a very special project that combined literacy, science, and technology. They recently released their results: two vlogs and two podcasts, all self-produced! 

The STEAM project, led by Sanfordville library media specialist Danielle Cancel, was a multifaceted challenge that asked students to, first, research a pair of animals and then turn their research into brief, well-crafted vlogs or podcasts. The first step of the project (the animal research portion) was inspired by the Scholastic book series Who Would Win, by Jerry Pallotta.

_{See a gallery of pictures from the research and production process below this story!}

The series, which includes more than two dozen titles, teaches readers the facts about all kinds of animals from around the world and throughout history -- reptiles, mammals, insects, even dinosaurs. The books address everything from an animal's anatomy and adaptability to its habitat and diet, and then uses those facts to imagine which animal would be victorious in a head to head battle.

The students worked in four groups, each researching its own duo of animals: dogs and horses, crocodiles and tree frogs, sharks and foxes, and sea turtles and sloths. The next parts of the lesson included organizing all of their new knowledge into presentations. And this is where the technology part of the project came in! You can imagine these presentations as the modern, tech-driven versions of the traditional oral reports and classroom presentations using posterboard that we all remember.  

"To share their brand new knowledge and hypotheses, the students collaborated to write their own scripts," Ms. Cancel said. "Then, they learned how to record and edit audio and video tracks, practicing skills like trimming and splitting clips, and adding music and backgrounds to their footage. They came up with fantastic news reports and podcasts."

By their collaboration, students gained a new perspective on how to share information in fun and engaging ways.

"The students really took a proactive approach to their learning, honing skills in technology that will give them many more ways to create, and to express themselves in the future," Ms. Cancel added.

The project introduced the students to all kinds of creative technology, including Ipads and Ipad pencils, green screens, microphones and sound isolation shields, and apps for editing audio and video clips, such as GarageBand.

And now, here are the results. 

Crocodiles & Tree Frogs Pod
Jack Milbauer, Dylan Conboy, Ethan Kasprzyk, Dean Larsen

Sea Turtles & Sloths Pod
Emerson Papacena, Charlotte Bird, Angeline McCormick

Sharks & Foxes Vlog
Siena Cerulli, Thomas Bossolina, Liam Murtagh, George Card

Dogs & Horses Vlog
Lily Collins, Liliana Martino, Reagan Hughes, Ellis Contreras