Mind-Craft: Building an Island

an ACOS moment

Every so often someone is able to demonstrate the capacity of what I dream of when I teach.  

As a science-teacher I am always running little experiments.  This year I am running a social-science experiment in Alberta combining, quite literally, Social Studies 8 with Science 8.

"How's that!?"  you ask.

Well, it starts with the history of Japan, and Water Systems.  Can a student learn the importance of understanding how to identify, categorize, describe the management of a water system... and at the same time walk through a history of Japan.

As far as I could tell this has never been tried.

But we've done something amazing.

Let me take a moment away from this for a second.  I want to talk to you about symmetry in Science.  This is NOT your mathematical version of symmetry we're all used to; you know, a triangle might have three planes of symmetry etc etc ad nauseum.

Symmetry in science points to the elegance and simplicity of the hand of God in creation.  Symmetry in Science tells us that if a formula, law, theory or project is bulky, large, filled with inconsistencies and difficult to break down (like many of my lesson plans) then it's probably not finished yet.  It is symmetry that has lead us to some of the most elegant and informative principles in Physics, Biology, Mathematics and Chemistry.

The most famous example being E=mc^2

If you know anything about the history of how that formula came about then you will find a miraculous symmetry that appears in the end which allows us to simply marvel and the immense simplicity of something as complicated as time-dilation, or relativistic physics.  For more on symmetry watch this guy -- it will change you forever:

http://www.ted.com/talks/marcus_du_sautoy_symmetry_reality_s_riddle.html

But I digress.

With some reading, some creativity and an elegant simplicity I have a student who has created a short presentation that shows;

1. an understanding of the formation of an island in the ocean near Japan
2. the features that would accompany that island's formation
3. the details of a water system that might form on that island
4. the connection between the water ways and the agriculture that grows in association with it
5. a historical view of how populations started to gather in Japan

And this all takes place in under a minute.  And it's not complete yet... 

This has been an ACOS moment.