Curriculum and Learning Strand: Learning Through Context

Special situations grab our attention, and arranging instruction and learning experiences within the context surrounding these situations can spur student interest and engagement to new heights. Whether we refer to it as "place-based" or "situated learning," it is still all about learning through context. Who doesn't enjoy immersing themselves in the events of a special time in history, or the study or lab of a famous scientist—or, role-playing the activities and simulating the design process of an inventor who changed forever the way we live? We often seek it out in the books we read and the movies we watch. But there is also learning to be had...