TITLE:  Convening, Creating, and Conventioneering

AUTHOR:  Barbara Clark, Marshall Elem., Checotah, OK

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:  K-5, science

OVERVIEW:  Research shows most students have developed
negative responses to scientific vocations by the time they
have reached third grade.  Science is taught too as
supplemental ready, or dwelling on memorization and
vocabulary.  Students seldom see science as a vital creative
discipline that they use each day cleaning house, riding to
school, controlling pests, etc.

PURPOSE:  This project is an attempt to incorporate the
creative domain with science education using the study of
coelenterates, worms, and arthropods.

OBJECTIVES:  As a result of this activity the students will:
1.   Identify the life processes that an organism must
     perform to be classified as living.  (Getting energy
     and nutrients, using energy, reproducing its own kind,
     growing, removing waste, reacting to outside changes)
2.   Study characteristics of colenterates, worms, and
     arthropods.
3.   Create a creature from each of these groups.
4.   Write a story explaining how their creature performs
     the life processes.
5.   Participate in a convention for their animal.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
  After in depth study of colenterates, students develop a
creative story about their creature explaining how it
performs the life processes.  On  a designated day, students
bring their creations to school for a convention name the
"Sting Thing".  Students introduce their delegate and read
its vita.  The convention is concluded with a flotilla in
the class aquarium.

  A similar convention is held after students celebrated
worms (The Worm Squirm).  The students must identify the
life processes in their delegates story, and must classify
the worm as segmented, round, or flat.

  The Arthropod Assemble uses the information required by
former conventioneers, plus emphasis on niche and habitat.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1.   Each student's creature and story is evaluated during
     the convention.  The emphasis is on the understanding
     of the life processes.
2.   All students are encouraged to participate in this
     activity and are given credit for doing so.
3.   This activity is used for three animal groups, but
     could be used for others as students study them.

* This activity was a 1990 winner of the Business Week
Innovative Teaching Award.