One of the through-line messages of all my science classes is, "Science is Collaborative." This project draws attention to the collaborative nature of scientific progress while also acknowledging that, whether by accident or design, many people who have contributed to scientific knowledge are not given the full recognition they deserve. In this project, students research a "lesser-known" scientist who has now passed on and identify the contributions they have made to humanity. To help educate others about their scientist they build a small ofrenda to them. On the actual Dia de los Muertos (Nov 2nd), they bring their ofrendas to class and we have a small party/gallery walk to share what we learned.
I teach in San Francisco at a predominately Latinx high school so a good majority of my students are familiar with Dia de los Muertos and the beautiful local traditions our city has to celebrate it. However, of course not all of our students are fully aware of the holiday and its meanings--especially our international boarding students--so part of the goal of this project is to educate and celebrate a diversity of cultural identities under shared human themes of remembering and connecting with those who came before us.
Classroom Party Gallery Walk Reflection Form / Exit Ticket Questions:
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