5th Graders Use Technology to Explore Kingdoms and Domains

By Assistant Head of School for Academics David Long

Recently, 5th grade science teacher Aaron Luke and ML technology teacher Mark Gerl teamed up to teach students how to develop a webpage while teaching their classmates what they learned about domains and kingdoms. At the conclusion of the project, students needed to be able to articulate four different kingdoms and domains while also successfully designing a website using Google Sites. 

Students were asked to synthesize their research into digestible bites, design an engaging landing page, create wayfinding for the user, and use a combination of text, pictures, and videos to demonstrate what they learned. Students also created a game or a Kahoot for website visitors to review what they have learned. Each student was given full creative latitude in creating their websites. At the conclusion of the project, students not only learned about domains and kingdoms but also learned how to synthesize and share information with users in a world increasingly populated by digital natives. 

We recognize that students must be able to work together in groups to solve problems, and along with interdisciplinary learning, collaboration is just one of the many skills that we instill and encourage in both students and faculty at Galloway. The 5th grade Domains and Kingdoms project is a great example of our faculty collaboration to engage students and deepen their learning through the use of both science and technology.