SAM:  A Compelling Way to Teach Science at The Independent Day School

 Students in third, fourth, and fifth grades at The Independent Day School in Middlefield, along with their science teacher, Paula Mansfield, are using SAM (Stop Action Movies software), and laptop computers, to construct an understanding of the reasons for the seasons. SAM is a highly compelling educational tool with which students’ apply creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills to explore content and work to construct meaning in a lesson. Working in small groups of two or three, students collaborate to share knowledge, discuss ideas, and develop a plan before creating a stop-action animation video story, using their laptops, that represents what they know about the topic. Paula Mansfield says students enjoy sharing their work and engaging in lively conversation, which increases retention of information, as well as enriches the learning experience in the classroom.