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In Digital Art, students researched famous photographer Ansel Adams. After research, discussions, and a brief video about his work and impact on conservation, students wrote about how his work impacts them, their community, and the world.

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I decided to try out The 3 Whys with my middle school independent study student as a way to prepare for a research project. I used it as an activator and found that it helped to deepen and extend the student's understanding of the real-world relevance of her topic.

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We have covered the functions of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the body in a previous unit. We are now starting a unit of Cellular Energy, ATP. Students completed an activity in which they calculated the number of Calories per gram in 6 common snack items. They then used this information to determine which had the more energy per gram from the Nutrition labels. My intention is to get them to connect what they've learned over several units to a real-world problem.

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I tried this with my Integrated class regarding mean vs. median and what each one tells you about a set of data. The written answers were pretty short (see above for an example), but we had a good discussion about the importance of understanding mean and median when looking at household incomes.

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I feel like I took a bit of a different approach on this, but I mainly focused on "physical literacy", which is the foundation of physical education. Teaching students confidence, motivation, and abilities to be able to participate in all sorts of physical activities. I asked the students what they thought it meant, and compared it to what they thought of when I said "physical activity". I wrote down what students said for physical activity, specifically physical activities that they felt they can perform skillfully and with full confidence. I then brought it back and said that they feel that way about those things because they are physically literate. I think asked the students who has younger cousins, siblings, nieces/nephews, and if they ever played games/activities with them. I told them how those younger children will look up to them and might copy what they do, and having various skills in sports/activities will help them grow in the long run as well. We also talked about non-physical benefits and abilities when it came to what we do in PE class: teamwork, social skills, collaboration, and communication. In terms of the world, we talked about how those abilities can help students with jobs, interviews, and college opportunities.

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Students reflected on why their chosen topic for their persuasive essay matters on an individual, societal, & global level.

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I incorporated the 3 Whys by asking students why improving their reading or math skills would impact them, others and the world. I then asked them to take a survey rating reading interests so they can engage in reading activities based on their interests while also addressing their individual reading needs.

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I used the 3 Whys in Band to ask the kids "Why is music and rhythmic literacy important: To You, To Your Friends and Family, To the World.

Many answers across grades 6-8 pointed towards

To You: So we can all read the same and play the music the same way.

To Your Friends and Family: So they can hear us play at our best and hear a great concert.

To The World: So people can learn music to their best, and some that go on to be great performers play out in the world. Then they bring revenue into the areas where they tour, and those towns/cities benefit, as well as the people that they take on tour with them, they have a job to support their families.

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I asked the 3 whys to my 7th grade students using a google form after a quiz on the topic of heredity. I was pleasantly surprised at the responses! Here are some examples.

Why does learning about heredity matter to me?

Learning about heredity matters to me because it helps me see how organisms evolved and where they got their traits from.

Why does learning about heredity matter to the community?

Learning about heredity matters to the community because it helps us understand why we all look different, and how our traits differ from our siblings and parents.

Why does learning about heredity matter to the world?

Because they want to know more about to make big discoveries, and know more about themselves. And we also want to maybe be able to find a cure and change the building blocks and maybe make genetic modification happen to humans with diseases. (sickle cell for example)

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In preparation for a unit dealing with civil rights, I wanted students to rediscover the Fourteenth Amendment. It is often overshadowed by the Bill of Rights, but the Fourteenth Amendment actually ensures that all people under the jurisdiction of the U.S. enjoy rights, "privileges and immunities." The amendment defines citizenship and guarantees equality under the law. Recent events show that the Fourteenth Amendment still matters--civil rights, civil liberties, birthright citizenship, and the insurrection clause. After completing a web quest on the history of the Fourteenth Amendment, students addressed the 3 Why's as a reflection at three stations. Why might the Fourteenth Amendment still matter to you today?

Why might the Fourteenth Amendment still matter to citizens around you (family, friends, city, nation)? Why might the rights embedded in the Fourteenth Amendment matter to people around the world? Students circulated through the stations and posted responses to the questions. The class engaged in a discussion of why the Fourteenth Amendment matters.

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The 3 Whys - Frederick Douglass and Education

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The 3 Whys - Frederick Douglass and Education

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Students responded to this quote by Frederick Douglass: "There can be no freedom without education." They were asked what they thought Douglass might mean by this quote and why might this quote matter to them. The students' responses touched on the importance of being educated in order to know their rights and make more informed decisions. They also stated that education gives people independence because they wouldn't need to rely on others. People also wouldn't live in fear of being manipulated by others. Then they made the connection to society and how an uneducated society can easily be manipulated by the government, similar to the society in Fahrenheit 451.

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Academic Support (Do Now activity):  Write one good sentence explaining why learning how to quote evidence matters to you.

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Academic Support (Do Now activity):  Write one good sentence explaining why learning how to quote evidence matters to you.

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Sample answers (edited for your benefit):

You should learn so you can make sure a sentence is right.

It's important to know how to quote evidence because if your teachers say to quote evidence, you will know how to do that.

So it will be easy to see your evidence.

It is important to know how to quote evidence so you don't get in trouble, so you're not copying.

Learning how to quote evidence matters because you need to know if it's the writer's words or the text's words.

It is important to learn how to quote evidence so you do not copyright someone. Also you sound more official to someone while talking.

Learning how to quote evidence is important I think because then you know it's from a story or book.

It matters to quote evidence to show that you did not write the sentence yourself and so you can argue [intelligently] if someone disagrees with you.

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I asked the Sunrise Academy students to think about the benefits of the vocational and work/study skills they have gained and how they might benefit from them in the future (real-world). We also talked about how we currently help our school and community. Some responses were....We help our school, community and businesses to run smoothly when we volunteer. We are learning skills to help us become adults, get a job, buy food and a house. It was interesting to see the connections the students made as they saw how important their jobs are. We also talked about what would be different if they were not there to help and the impact it would make. They now see the value in their work, not just a paycheck.

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We practice fractions operations every Friday. Today we reflected on all the ways students can anticipate using fractions in their own life and the ways they would expect others to use fractions that would impact them.

For example, students cited they would use fractions to cook, build, and practice engineering. They also reflected how others around them would rely on them to accurately work with fractions to cook for them and build for them. Conversely, they would expect others to accurately work with fractions if they were cooking or building something for them- think a contractor building an addition on your house or a plumber fixing old pipes. It was easy to expand this to the whole world and think about how accurate measurements make the world safe for people.

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At the beginning of the year I passed out a getting-to-know-eachother survey in which nearly half of my first-year students inquired some version of "what do I need physics for?" Not knowing their futures, I could only give them possibilities. The 3 whys gave me an opportunity to compel them to discover their own potential answers and connect their experience to physics. There is a station for each 'why' on which I've displayed hands-on tools, toys, documents and instruments of physics tailored to each 'why' question. As a group they took time to play and explore as inspiration to answer scaffolded 'why' questions on a group worksheet. They rotated to each table during the activity. Energy was high, everyone had fun, and a higher-than-average participation rate was achieved.

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The students are currently learning about how energy is transferred through conduction. In the unit students are challenged to explain how different things heat up and cool off, as well as apply that knowledge in a practical way.

In today's lesson students had to apply what they learned to construct a device that would minimize energy transfer from a hot liquid to the environment similar to a thermos or an insulated water bottle.

I asked the students the “Three Why’s” to see if students could extend their knowledge beyond the scope of the lesson and connect the topic to aspects of their lives and the world where insulation is used.

Reading over the answers, students' primary connections were how insulation could be used to keep people warm with jackets and other clothing. Also, how insulation is often used in homes to maintain a warm environment. An extension that comes to mind students could benefit from is researching how insulation is being used in different industries such as space flight and infrastructure.

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I had a high school student complete this exercise after participating in his 3 year re-evaluation testing. I had him reflect on how he benefits from testing today, the impact for his IEP and then the impact post high school. I feel the student took the activity seriously and he had some basic insight into the benefits of our work together.

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In Health Class, 7th grade students are completing their Decision Making and Problem Solving Unit. They are currently discussing healthy relationships and communication within this unit. The 3 Whys were meant to help students think about about how communication and interpersonal skills will help them in different parts of their lives. The three questions were

Why are communication and interpersonal skills important for you as an individual?

Answers included:

To communicate needs

It will help you talk to new people nicely

It can help you make friends and meet new people which can help you with lots of other stuff too, like getting jobs.

How can communication and interpersonal skills affect your relationships with the people around you? (I think I should have asked this question differently, *why are communication and interpersonal skills important for your relationships with the people around you?)

Answers included:

To tell them what you want out of a relationship

It could make them feel worse or better

It can make you happier and get you in less trouble

How will communication and interpersonal skills help you out in the world? (I think I should have asked this question differently, *why are communication and interpersonal skills important to help you out in the world?)

Answers included:

It will help you hold a conversation

Help you get a job

To build healthy relationships

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Juniors wrote an editorial as summative for their mini-capstone project. As a brainstorm before writing their editorial, they answered the three whys (along with a few other questions). This brainstorm grounded their thinking and prepared them to write a 500-word editorial that synthesized 3-5 texts that they read throughout their capstone process.

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During our morning Social Success class we have daily group discussions that always begin by discussing why the skills or topics being taught are important and useful. The topic today was "displaced anger". We watched a video on it and all discussed times we have displayed displaced anger and the circumstances around it. The students were all able to give examples of when they have experienced it and why. When we discussed why it's important to recognize this and what happens when you feel this way and act on it some of the responses were:

"It can change how someone feels about you."

"It can ruin relationships."

"You are hurting people's feeling for no reason."

"It doesn't solve the problem, it only makes it worse."

We wrapped up the lesson by discussing how anger is typically a secondary emotion and a response to another feeling like anxiety, embarrassment or fear and by continuing to work on our self-regulation skills we will keep getting better at managing our negative emotions.

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8th Grade ELA - All Quiet on the Western Front (WWI Novel)

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8th Grade ELA - All Quiet on the Western Front (WWI Novel)

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We are finishing our unit based around the whole-class novel All Quiet on the Western Front, which is a fictional novel focusing on the destructive impacts of WWI.

Students were asked why reading a fictional novel about WWI matters, keeping in mind the themes and messages they have identified in the book so far. This was an Exit Ticket students wrote after we read and analyzed a pivotal chapter in the novel.

I asked the questions in reverse order (world, then society, then individual) because I felt like as a WWI text, students would have an easier access point to see the book's connection to the world before understanding the book's connection to their own lives.

The next class, students worked on a writing assignment to analyze how the final lines of a chapter reveal the novel's attitude about war and highlight the effects of war. Students looked back at the 3 Whys to write their "So What" to their paragraph to show the larger significance of their topic statement.

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Example 1:

It helps me focus and I get work done, and I feel as if its a safe space.

" It allows for people to deal with what they’ve got going on with their lives. "

" Everyone deserves a place in school that they can go to emotionally decompress all while having a place to get their work done that feels safe. "

Example 2:

" It's a calmer room, less overstimulation and easier to self-regulate. "

" It provides a space for those who need it. "

" The world sucks at making accommodations and working with those that need help. Bryt provides those accommodations for those who need the assistance. "

Example 3:

" It’s a good room to be in to focus and do work, I’ve found I get a lot more done in this room than I do my classroom. "

" because when needed, we can get a break from the classroom and be provided with help from a teacher or a friend if needed, they can sit and still do work at their own pace. "

" It’s important for kids to have spaces like these available to them, for a better work environment that they have access to at any time as long as their respectful to the people around them and continue to work on their class work at a good pace.

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Studio Art-Putting in on the Table-3 Whys

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Studio Art-Putting in on the Table-3 Whys

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After several stunted attempts to put the "3 Whys" into both oral and written discussions, I have decided on a more permanent solution to get this critical thinking approach to sink in. Instead of just doing one-off exercises I am "Putting it on the Table" literally. The questions will be displayed on the tables as reference points for the teacher and students alike. Hopefully prompting thought and discussion both internally and outwardly.

I will edit/change up the words as time goes on to keep themes fresh and more effective.

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6th graders' thoughts on Saving and Budgeting Money, and Internet Safety.

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I had the 6th grade students brainstorm why these things are important as they've been studying these ideas in our exploratory. By having the students write out their thoughts, it made them reflect about why we're doing what we're doing in school. It also showed me where they are and what I need to do to enhance their understandings.

I will have the 7th and 8th graders read the 6th grades' responses, summarize what they wrote and add any missing details to consider.

The next time the 6th graders come, we will read the summaries and discuss the ideas that the 7th and 8th graders brought forth.

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Students just finished working on a review of their Module on Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities; as an Exit Ticket, I had students answer the '3 Whys' and modified them appropriately for the unit. Granted, throughout each module, I'll ask the students a variation of the 'whys' and try to incorporate any kind of real-world application to the module that we are learning at the time.

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The 8th Grade students have voted to pursue "School Funding" as the topic for our Civics Action Project.

The 3 Whys fit pretty seamlessly into this project. I posed the three questions through the lens of the topic of school funding (ex: "Why does the topic of school funding matter to me?...., etc.)

This led to some interesting conversations and I really appreciate how it forced students to look beyond how the Civics Action Project stands to benefit them personally. A lot of students have been fixated on the idea of what they stand to gain from improvements to school funding (ex: A new playground! New computers!) These questions forced them to think beyond themselves and consider the impact such a project might have on the broader community.

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Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Out of The Dust by Karen Hesse

While reading both novels, which take place during the Great Depression, sixth graders have been learning about life in the Dust Bowl. When asked the 3 whys, some responded:

This matters to me because it can teach me how people worked together through tough situations. This also matters to me so that I can learn what people went through.

This matters to the people around me because it can remind us all about the things that people may take for granted in life today.

This matters to the world because we want to learn from our mistakes. We want to prepare for the future and make sure these horrible events don't happen again, to make the world better and safer.

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"Why do the achievements and culture of the ancient Greeks matter to the world today?"

As a homework assignment. I incentivized deep thinking by offering a ticket reward for the top answers. I got some really interesting answers; everything from coinage, to democracy, to architecture.

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Students in Spanish 2H watched a 12 minute movie/short from Bad Bunny's new album which focuses heavily on the effects of gentrification in Puerto Rico. First, students learned what gentrification is, then watched the video.

The pink post its on the bottom are their examples of gentrification that we saw in the video.

The blue post its are their thoughts about how this could affect them individually. I read their ideas and asked the group to raise their hands if they agreed. Students were connected and thoughtful, even when there was a contrasting opinion from theirs.

The yellow post its are their ideas about how gentrification could affect the people around them. They each placed a post it on the board, then everyone got up and took one that was not theirs. Each person read someone else's idea and had to restate it or explain it. This was probably the most powerful part of the lesson. Students were able to validate, clarify, and exemplify the opinions of others.

The third set of pink post its asks students to think about the worldwide implications of gentrification. Students were thoughtful and quick to connect gentrification to the displacement of native people and people in Hawaii.

This group was thoughtful and connected to the activity. They demonstrated that they have learned so much from their social studies classes!

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During our music competition in March, we have learned about Bad Bunny's social impact in Puerto Rico and the latino culture. His latest album portraits a sense of nostalgia and celebration of culture. But also acknowledges some of the challenges that Puerto Rico and its people face these days, such as gentrification and the loss of its cultural heritage.

We had a lesson about gentrification and cultural displacement, and watched videos about these topics.

For our discussion I grouped students and through a gallery walk they had to answer questions and give their thoughts and opinions about these topics.

The outcome was great, students gave some good insights and showed understanding on these current matters.