HOT TOPIC: Frontiers
Volume 2, Issue 35 - May 21, 2006"The 21st century world students live in is in many ways a known quantity. Science has brought us such understanding of how and why things work and our relationship to everything around us, much of the world today has lost its mystery. Because the unknown has become less and less predominant in our lives, the frontiers in our lives are less evident. Still, there are frontiers out there.
The notion of a frontier is an intriguing thing; unexplored, unknown territory and the fear and promise it represents. In another age it was the horizon at the far end of a body of water or a neighboring moon in the night sky. Today it includes the outer reaches of space, the deepest recesses of the earth, and the micro worlds of disease and human genetics. Penetrating these frontiers requires curiosity, courage, creative and critical thinking, and tenacity. Students need experiences that will help them find these qualities in themselves and create a frame of reference for encountering emerging frontiers in their future. It’s an exciting time to be in education!
Looking for ideas for integrating the frontiers theme into your classroom? Consider Looking for Space and Come Sail Away, two units teachers have developed with me that emphasize the frontiers concept. You can find them on the Building Bridges Unit portion of the Surfaquarium web site at http://surfaquarium.com/MI/Units/. I hope that the resources in this week’s edition of the Digital Dozen Newsletter will help you break down the four walls of your classroom and open it up to the possibilities for exploration and discovery in today’s frontiers!"
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