Activities That Show Relevance/Connection to Student Learning

• Native American Homes - We had a month long Social Studies unit about Native Americans. Each student groups were assigned a Native American region along the United States. In addition, they were responsible for researching about their region's location, type of homes, tools, religion, cultural background, beliefs, and practices. Students were also required to build and construct a replica of their region's home. During their presentation, the students compared their homes in the CNMI with the homes that they just built. They discussed the differences between a latte stone house, a long house, a stone temple, and a tepee. This activity showed relevance to student connection because they were able to compare and contrast certain qualities and explain reasons why a home is built that way in different regions.
• Ecosystem Unit - We had a month long Science unit about Ecosystems. In order to teach students about the basics of an ecosystem, we had them conduct a hands-on investigation involving our school environment. Students were able to observe a certain plot in the school grounds and investigate the different interactions that were taking place. Some interactions included ants working together, a worm fighting for its life from several ants, a worm digging its way out from the sand, etc.
• Culture Unit - We had a month long Social Studies unit about Culture. Students were able to compare and contrast different cultures that are found all over Saipan. Different cultures include, Chamorro, Carolinian, Filipino, Chinese, Russian, Bangladesh, Korean, Japanese, etc. During our presentations, students were asked to bring a recipe and a dish that originated from their respective cultures. Students presented their dish and during lunch time, the whole 5th grade class celebrated a cultural feast. This unit helped us appreciate and learn more about the different cultures in Saipan.
• Body Systems Unit - We had a month long Science unit about Body Systems. We covered 7 different types of body systems: the circulatory system, muscular system, skeletal system, nervous system, digestive system, excretory system, and respiratory system. In this unit, the students were able to create a Body Systems Book and included several facts about each body system. Also, the students created a 2D representation of a body system. The students used everyday household objects such as pipe cleaners, beans, glitter, cloth, cotton, cotton swabs, clay, paint, yarn, string, etc. This unit was tied into a special addition of lessons for technology and people in Science. Students were able to connect certain technology such as x-rays (used to view the bones in the body), stethoscope (used to hear the heart beat), etc. and learn about careers such as a podiatrist, dietitian and nutritionist, dental hygienist, and physicians and surgeons. The students were able to connect the body system lessons with the technology and careers that they learned.
  
• Field Day - In order to promote a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits, our school conducted a Field Day. Sports that we played were relay races, basketball, volleyball, softball, and dodgeball. In this Field Day, students are able to realize that having a healthy lifestyle will enable them to perform better at the sports that they play and in everything that they do.