Barbara Cagle

 Challenging students to think for themselves is often difficult in this day of technology.  

The Pre-Graduation Initative class includes students who have a history of being 'behaviorally challenged'.  Many of these students have ADHD, HD, and various other problems that are severe enough to have slowed their progression through school but not severe enough to qualify them for special education options.

The photo is one of my class working on an experiment that demonstrates the properties of molecules, catalysts and chemical reactions.

 Right some students are choosing books for a reading assignment in a Reading class.

I believe reading is reading and students should be given opportunities to CHOOSE their own materials rather than being told what must be read.  Obviously we must often read materials we have not chosen, but encouraging reading must include options that engage and encourage students.

Having read some stories about Egypt, students began asking how people could have built such massive structures. With such a high interest I used the opportunity to study how location influences building practices, language and writing development, an myths and legends.  Students choose a medium that they could work with and created a Pyramid.  At left two students work together to 'cut stones' for the structure while others did research, wrote their names in hieroglyphs, modeled conopic jars and other items to include. 

Below is their finished project. It includes each of the students' names in heiroglyphs, several statues, a mummy, conopic jars, an ancient Egyptian Game, and a story board to teach others about the Pyramids and Egyptian Culture. 

This was an all inclusive project in which all students participated.