2nd graders CLIMB to great learning experience

Peirce second graders dig for fossils during a recent field trip for the
CLIMB program at the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier.

This year the second grade teachers have teamed up with the Chicago Children’s Museum by way of the CLIMB (Collaborative Learning in Museums and Beyond) program. This yearlong professional development project for pre-K to 3rd grade CPS teachers focuses on informal learning and strengthens the classroom-museum connection.

This past summer, Ms. Cortesi, Mrs. Delgado, Mrs. Guzman, and Ms. Hill attended an intensive summer institute that explored unique ways of using museum and non-school resources to meet state and classroom goals.

As a result, our second graders became recipients of a free field trip where they utilized the museum as a site for hands-on learning about insects, fossils, and dinosaurs. Additionally, the professional development workshops throughout the year have allowed the teachers to practice techniques to make their students’ learning visible through documentation.

Each teacher has created an evidence board highlighting the students’ chosen unit of study and reflecting what the children have learned. These boards will be on display during the free “Family Night” field trip in March. On that night, the Chicago Children’s Museum will be open only to our second graders and their families. They will have free reign of the museum while enjoying some light refreshments. All in all, the program is proving to be a rewarding experience for both the teachers and students, as well as their families!