Allison Weekly News: Maximizing student engagement through innovative strategies in lesson planning

Allison Academy’s teachers ensure that their students are receiving an interactive learning experience! Now, as we are approaching the end of the school year, the morale and motivation of our students are at a high level, which is contributed by hands-on activities, as well as creative lesson plans. Thanks to this, students achieve the best possible academic results, which is very important for the future of our students, and especially for our seniors who expect admission to the faculties. From experiments that explore the power of volcanic eruptions to creative government, math and art projects, Allison Academy’s students are able to gain a better understanding of the material and enjoy the learning process which will result in high grades!

In Mr. Washington’s Economics & American Government class, the seniors are currently working on a group project about the structure of the branches of government, which is helping them to learn how to collaborate effectively with their peers. He has also taken a creative approach to teaching Constitutional Law, by challenging his students to come up with their own amendments for an imaginary town and government with them as the head. By taking an engaging and creative approach to teaching, Mr. Washington helps students to get the best knowledge of the subjects through practical activities and making sure they’re prepared for final tests and grades!

Math can be a difficult subject for many students, but with a little creativity and a lot of enthusiasm, it can become something to look forward to! In a recent math class, the teacher used an engaging story to introduce the concept of pi to students combining elements of experiential, kinesthetic, and social learning. Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi was a story about a brave knight who had to battle a dragon in order to save the kingdom. As the story unfolded, students learned about the various calculations needed to find the circumference of a circle, such as diameter and radius, followed by a practical activity in which students measured cookies. At the end of the lesson, students were rewarded with a delicious pie for their hard work!

Science class continues to amaze us with the abilities they have acquired through practical experiments. Mr. George designed a new interesting experiment to help his students better understand the power and dynamics of a volcanic eruption. Using a balloon buried in the sand to imitate the ejection power of a volcanic eruption, the students were able to observe and measure the distances that different ejected materials traveled. The students were instructed to pop the balloon, and watch as the sand, rocks, and pebbles were ejected from the tray. After the eruption, the students were asked to measure the distances that the different materials traveled. This experiment not only gave the students awareness of the power of a volcanic eruption, but it also allowed them to gain a better appreciation for the science behind it.

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Ms. Milner’s art class followed a Dr. Seuss theme for the week, exploring the adventures of a young boy named Bartholomew Cubbins. Inspired by the book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck”, the students created their own representations of Dr. Seuss’s illustrations. The story follows the adventures of Bartholomew, who must rescue his kingdom from a sticky green substance called oobleck. The students were also able to experience the oobleck for themselves by making the substance with only two ingredients: cornstarch and water. Everyone enjoyed playing with the gooey, green substance and experimenting with its viscosity. It was a messy, but lively experience for our students and their artistic works delighted us!