International Baccalaureate Program

Educating for Excellence

 

Rigor + Relevance + Relationships = Educational Excellence

MYP in the Classroom

West High School

MYP Unit CMOG Collaboration: History, Chemistry

Instructors Diane Huggler, Sharon Boudreau, Susanna Seip

West High School (WHS) travel each spring to Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) for an intensive field trip planned by WHS Advanced Placement World History teacher Diane Huggler and Honors Chemistry colleagues Sharon Boudreau and Susanna Seip.

IB Middle Years Program (MYP) principles and guidelines were used by the three teachers to design the successful interdisciplinary lesson, with input and assistance from staff at CMoG. The broad essential question (How does technology impact people and the environment?) was further broken down for this lesson to a more specific content question: How is glass manufactured and how has it been used over time? Students were expected to learn how the materials and processes used in glass manufacturing have changed over time and place, and how glass use has evolved from decorative to more functional.

“This unit allows us to collaborate across subject areas to create a comprehensive lesson in which the students could see the connections between history and science,” said Diane Huggler. “Since we live in a town where the manufacturing of glass products has been vital to its history, we wanted to take advantage of a uniquely relevant educational experience for the students.”

Students begin the CMoG field trip with a lecture and slide presentation by Dr. David Whitehouse, CMoG Executive Director. The students then break into groups and rotate through three areas of the museum:

Ø Art and History Galleries — Students viewed exhibits featuring glass from early Mesopotamia, Egypt, Roman, Medieval and Islamic periods.

Ø Science and Innovation Center —  Students saw a glass-themed magic show and visited exhibits about fiberglass, glass ceramics and optics and observed a hot glass show.

As a follow-up to the lesson, each student writes an essay on how glass is made and how it has been used in the ancient and medieval times. “It is clear from the students' essays that they really made the connection between history and science,” said Huggler. “We are thrilled since that was the point of the unit!”