Explorer Mindset

With a new group of 4th graders, it was time to start building their explorer mindset so they were prepared to be my expedition crew from home. We dove right in using the National Geographic Explorer Mindset Framework. We began by brainstorming the explorer mindset attitudes of wonder, empathy, & empowerment.

Students were given posters to answer the questions: What are you CURIOUS about? What are you EMPATHETIC about? How do you feel EMPOWERED?

Afterward, students choose a location in the world they are curious to explore. Locations ranged from London to Paris to Ha Long Bay to even a backyard. It's crucial to remember exploration can happen near or far.

Students then applied geographic practice (an explorer mindset skill) by finding the longitude & latitude of the place they are curious to explore using Google Earth and the grid lines 🗺️ 

Meet the official 2023 Explorers!

Explorers wonder about the 🌍 Explorers care about the 🌎 Explorers enact change in the 🌏 

Patagonia Expedition Guide

In collaborating with our JDO partner class in Dublin, Ireland my 4th graders and Mr. Daly's 5th Class created a Patagonia Expedition Guide. We coined our project, "Connecting the Continents".  

Given the overwhelming amount of students (and adults) who ask, "Where is Patagonia?", we began our research with a Padlet for students to share what they already knew about Patagonia and what they were curious about for the region. As one of my students said, "Patagonia is somewhere in the far south of South America, and to be honest, not a lot of people know about it."

Click here to add your thoughts to our Padlet

Next up was meeting over Zoom to begin researching and planning our book together. First, we looked at a map to see just how far Patagonia (or more specifically Ushuaia-the Southern most city in the world) is from Massachusettes and Dublin. I really wished I had videotaped students shocked faces as I had to keep going further south, south, and even more south until we found it on the map. 

Like our previous international collaborative projects, students were split into groups and assigned specific locations from my expedition. Students brainstormed, researched, edited, and revised to create very informative guides for my expedition to share far and wide. We even created two editions so younger students could also learn about Patagonia. Check out the guide below and learn about Patagonia too!

Click here 🔗 to view our Expedition Guide to Patagonia

 

Start Spreading the News

Now that my Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship news was public it was time to start spreading the news. On our annual field trip to the Massachusetts State House, I received a very big surprise. During our tour, Representative Jones took all the Howe-Manning 4th graders into the House Chambers (something we don't typically get to do) and allowed them all to sit in the chamber seats. The next thing I knew, Representative Jones and Representative Kerans were calling me up to the floor where I received a citation from The Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives in recognition of my Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. It was a true honor to receive such recognition and made even more special by having all our Howe-Manning 4th graders there with me. 

Right 📸: Receiving a citation on the chamber floor from Representative Jones and Representative Kerans. Left 📸: Offical citation from the MA House of Representatives 

Next up was presenting at the Middleton School Committee meeting to update them regarding the particulars of my expedition. I was able to share the news of my citation from the State House and provide further details regarding what exactly the fellowship entails. 

Check out my full school committee presentation here (head to 25:56)

I provided a little geography lesson on where Patagonia is located along with where specifically I will be heading on my expedition. I also filled the committee in on some of the curriculum connections I've made so far and how this expedition has seamlessly been integrated into my classroom curriculum. Check out the full slide deck below: 

 

Where in the World Is Miss Klipfel?

My bags were packed, outfits selected, and reading supplies ready but those were not the only tasks to complete before I headed out for Washington, D.C., the glorious task of leaving sub plans lay ahead. 

It has become somewhat of a running joke in my classroom this year that I always say, "I have exciting news". Everything from announcing we are going on a field trip to taking a test begins with "I have exciting news." While working on their winter portfolios for student-led conferences multiple students even wrote they had a smile on their face when I said, "I have exciting news".

As I headed off to the National Geographic Headquarters, I left behind a little mystery for my 4th grade students because little did they know I had EXCITING news. At this point, I was still not allowed to share my Grosvenor Fellowship with my students (a task that was getting harder by the day) but I knew when I returned the news would be public. So the Where in the World is Miss Klipfel mystery began. 

Assignment posted in Google Classroom

I began by giving my students the coordinates for the National Geographic headquarters: 38.9051° N, 77.0381°. Given it was April of the school year, my students had spent the year building their map skills and geographic awareness to know exactly what to do with this information using Google Earth as a tool to help. Once students correctly used the coordinates to find my whereabouts in Washington, D.C., I provided them with the following emojis:📍🗺🇨🇱🇦🇷🏔🐧  along with the link to the National Geographic website. 

From here students wrote about where and what they thought I was doing. Answers ranged from working on Humboldt penguin conservation, visiting South America, trying out a new program National Geographic is offering to even bringing a penguin back for our classroom. I couldn't wait to return and share the official news of my upcoming Patagonia expedition.