Becoming a School of Rigor

Edmunds Elementary is making it’s way as a “School of Rigor.”  Teachers are having kids work together  more and use critical thinking to solve problems on their own.  As one example, 3rd grade students in Mrs. Olson’s classroom worked together to create the tallest free standing tower that they could,  using only marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti.  One student in each group was tasked with recording their work and progress which including drawing diagrams and labeling them as they attempted several styles of assembly.  Another student was in charge of leading the group and keeping it on task, making sure that everyone was participating in the process. The students were excited to become engineers and they worked together well! Some of the teaming strategies are new for the classrooms but everyone is putting their best foot forward for students to accomplish processes and goals by engaging in more critical thinking.