One of the most loved parts of micro schools is the focus on student centered learning. Read more about Micro Schools here. However, in order to make student centered learning effective you need to choose self paced activities that are appropriate for each individual student.
While it may seem overwhelming to try and choose activities appropriate for every individual student’s it doesn’t have to be! Especially with our Learning Quests!
What are Learning Quests?
Learning Quests are an original product of The Core Coaches. They are mini research projects that guide students in exploring a topic. Typically, these topics are related to science and history. However, we have a wide range to choose from that covers important themes for the entire school year.
Each Learning Quest includes several different activities. You can assign one activity from the learning quest each day as a mini assignment, or the entire learning quest can be completed in one day. Therefore, offering you several ways to help students explore self-paced learning.
In addition, these activities are perfect for extended learning! Therefore, when students have completed work more quickly than other students they can continue to learn on their own by engaging in a Learning Quest.
Moreover, these are great for supporting struggling students. Most of our Learning Quest activities are bundled into four quests. Therefore, if a student was not able to demonstrate proficiency with the initial learning quest, you can assign them a second one to continue practicing on their own for homework.
How Do Learning Quests Work?
An important part of effective self-paced learning is to provide students with the tools they need to be successful. Including giving them clear expectations for every assignment. This is why all of our Learning Quests follow the same format.
Therefore, once you have taught your students how to complete a Learning Quest then they will know what to expect each time. While the content will change depending on the topic and learning level, the structure will remain the same. This allows students to focus on the content because they already know what to expect from the format.
Learning Quest Structure
Below is an outline of the structure for each learning quest.
- Themed focus activity
- Informational texts with pre-recorded audio that can be read aloud to students
- True and False Facts activity with movable pieces
- Infographic and vocabulary activity with movable pieces
- Theme specific activity with moveable pieces
- Sorting activity with moveable pieces
- Link to a video clip (video linked to YouTube)
- Writing response pages
- Quiz
Beyond consistent structure, there are two formats you can use. You can use Learning Quests digitally by uploading them to Google Drive or into Seesaw, or you can print them.
If you choose to use the digital format consider uploading the Learning Quest to Lumio. Lumio is one of our favorite platforms to support digital learning. It is easy to use with any Learning Quest.
While we encourage the use of digital learning in micro schools there is also room for printed materials. This adds variety to the classroom and helps students stay engaged. Moreover, printed materials are great for students who do not learn well digitally or get distracted while online.
To help support you and your students we have made ALL of our Learning Quests available in both digital and printed formats! Just another way to make lesson planning easy in a micro school. Click here to read about the 3 benefits of Micro Schools.
Ready to Teach Activities for Self Paced Learning
Now that you know what a Learning Quest is it is time to look at some of these amazing resources! Keep reading to see some of our favorite bundles.
Each bundle includes four different learning quests around a similar theme. Therefore, making it easy for you and your students to explore a new topic every week each month.
How to Find the Right “Grade Level” for Your Classroom
As you know, micro school classrooms include students of different ages. Here are a few of the most common groupings for micro school classes.
- 3 to 5 year olds
- 6 to 8 year olds
- 9 to 11 year olds.
However, most of us are used to traditional classrooms that are centered on one age at one grade level. Moreover, most learning resources are labeled for different grades: kindergarten, first grade, second grade, etc.
Just because learning activities may be labeled for traditional classrooms doesn’t mean you can’t use them in micro schools.
Activities identified for grade levels are still amazing resources! You just need to know how to find the right grade level that corresponds to the age range in your micros school classroom.
Use this breakdown to help you find learning resources for the different ages you teach.
- PreK: 3 to 4 year olds
- Kindergarten: 5 year olds
- 1st Grade: 6 year olds
- 2nd Grade: 7 year olds
- 3rd Grade: 8 year olds
- 4th Grade: 9 year olds
- 5th Grade: 10 year olds
- 6th Grade: 11 year olds
Independent Learning Science Activities for 6 to 8 Year Olds
Our January Independent Work bundle is the perfect blend of lessons in personal growth, science, and history.
These are the four themed activities in this bundle:
- New Years Resolutions
- Civil Rights
- All About Snow
- Polar Bear & Polar Animals
As mentioned earlier, each of these independent work activities follows a similar format. However, each activity is modified to include content related to the specific topic. Take a look below to see the specific lessons included in each of these four themed lessons.
New Years Resolutions Independent Work
- Riddle Time focus activity
- Informational texts with pre-recorded audio that can be read aloud to students
- Note catchers
- Setting Goals activity with movable pieces
- Top 5 resolutions activity with movable pieces
- New Year’s resolution reflection and writing activity
- New Year’s Eve timeline infographic and ordering activity with moveable pieces
- Link to a New Year’s story video clip (video linked to YouTube)
- Story comprehension activity with moveable pieces
- Writing response pages
- New Year’s Quiz
Civil Rights Independent Work
- Puzzle focus activity with moveable pieces
- Informational texts with pre-recorded audio that can be read aloud to students
- Note catchers
- Who Am I? matching activity with movable pieces
- Protecting civil rights infographic and writing activity
- Basic civil rights sorting activity with movable pieces
- Link to a Laws, Rights, and Responsibilities video clip (video linked to YouTube)
- Vocabulary activity with moveable pieces
- Writing response pages
- Civil Rights Quiz
All About Snow Independent Science Work
- 2 Truths and a Fib focus activity with moveable pieces
- Informational texts with pre-recorded audio that can be read aloud to students
- Note catchers
- Snowflake Life Cycle infographic and activity with movable pieces
- Fun in the Snow writing activity
- Types of Snowflakes infographic and sorting activity with movable pieces
- Symmetry diagram and activity with moveable pieces
- Writing responses pages
- Snow Quiz
Polar Bear & Polar Animals Independent Work
- Picture riddle focus activity
- Informational texts with pre-recorded audio that can be read aloud to students
- Narwhal labeling activity with moveable pieces
- Reindeer infographic and reindeer adaptations matching activity with moveable pieces
- Polar bear infographic and True/False questions activity with movable pieces to check answers
- Link to video clip (video linked to YouTube)
- Polar animal features sorting activity with movable pieces
- Polar animals chart and sorting activity with moveable pieces
- Writing response pages
- Polar Animals Quiz
