The telescopes third graders at Tryon Elementary School decorated this fall weren’t inspired by pictures in a textbook. They were inspired by teachers who stood in the Galileo Museum in Florence, Italy, just months earlier, studying the very innovations their students would soon recreate.
Students learned about space exploration and how Galileo perfected the telescope. They created Galileo-inspired telescopes, complete with colorful prints or drawings on the exterior and functioning lenses inside.
Students also explored Venetian mask traditions. Venice is known for crafty and intricate mask designs, and students had opportunities to design their own masks similar to those tourists might purchase in Italy.
The authentic learning experiences were enhanced by teachers’ firsthand knowledge of Italian culture. Third-grade teachers Kelly Welch and Kendal Stoney traveled to Italy over the summer through a Slater Excellence in Teaching Award from the Polk County Community Foundation.
During their travels, the teachers experienced the Galileo Museum in Florence and Venetian culture, gathering ideas for bringing Italy into the classroom. The Community Foundation’s support of teacher professional development enabled the educators to create enriched learning experiences for their students.
The Arts and Letters module connected science, history and art through the study of Italian innovations and cultural traditions, providing students with cross-curricular learning that brought a distant culture into their classroom.
