H.E. Bonner Elementary Students Take Part in the USS Yorktown’s Blended Learning Program

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–On Wednesday, students from H.E. Bonner Elementary took a fun field trip to the USS Yorktown to participate in its Blended Learning program.

During the program, students were divided into groups.  Those groups rotated through various interactive stations.

Some of the scenarios they faced included handling an oil spill in the Cooper River.  The students were tasked with finding the source and location of the spill, figuring out how to best mitigate and clean up the spill and deciding the environmental impact.

Teachers were also able to talk about the unique features of the local estuary while asking students to complete tide charts.

They then had the opportunity to show students creatures and features of the local environment, allowing the students to touch and feel, and talk about what is needed for continued survival.

During the interactive stations, students were also able to learn about the Doolittle Raid in World War II and were tasked with helping the Navy successfully send pilots off on a mission and helping them return safely.

The group was divided into navigators, code breakers and operators and will have to work in independent groups to successfully complete the mission as a team.

The 5^th grade curriculum is based on a reading series of two books published by Patriots Point Institute of History, Science & Technology.

The books are provided to the schools and the classes spend time working through them before they come to Patriots Point to complete the lessons.  The books are a science textbook, “Oscar I am!” and a history book, “Harry I Was!”

Students are also able to spend time touring the USS Yorktown and the Medal of Honor Museum to learn about United States history in a real and tangible way.