By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–First-graders at Union City Elementary School are reaching for the stars.
An ongoing study of all things space has undoubtedly encouraged those aspirations.
Students have been using space projectors as part of the CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) curriculum domain in the classrooms of Jennifer Durham, Jessica Flood and Carrie Willis.
Space exploration has long been a favorite of UCES first-grade students who have enthusiastically absorbed every detail each day while also seeking more knowledge with in-depth questions.
“The astronomy domain is always a favorite of our students, and they love learning everything about space,” Mrs. Durham said. “It’s amazing to see their excitement, and when we first pass out the projectors, they are thrilled.
“It always surprises me when they ask questions that we, as teachers, really need to think about before answering. There are able to see real images (with the projectors) of the things we’ve studied, and they sometimes get so enthralled that they shout things out that they have learned. The projectors just make things so real for them.
“When I see their excitement and enjoyment in learning, it makes me love teaching even more.”