Posters with names and pictures of notable people are hanging up in the hallways at Holman Middle School. It’s not just decoration. Pirate Academy and seventh grade students are using the QR codes printed on each sheet for a scavenger hunt.
Math and science teacher Emily Difani said science teachers Teresa Hutti and Natalie Walker created the posters for about 50 diverse professionals.
“We wanted a way for students to see that scientists and inventors look like themselves,” Difani said. “A lot of them are actually located in the St. Louis area and we learned about them through the STEM Teacher Quality (TQ) Institute.”
QR codes are a great way to engage students and incorporate technology into the classroom.
“We linked information about each person using the QR code and students had to go around the school and hunt for their individual with the iPad,” Difani said.
After grabbing a piece of paper with a profession on it, they have to walk quietly around the school to find the person associated with that position.
“The students will then read the biography of that person and when we are done, they will share with the class one interesting fact they learned.”
The teachers are trying to expose the students to future possibilities.
“We were really just trying to get the idea that learning about science doesn’t just happen in the classroom,” Difani said. “It can take place anywhere.”
Photo gallery: https://pattonvillesd.smugmug.