Clubs/Programs

The guidelines for enrichment clusters are easy to follow. First and foremost, all cluster activity is directed toward the production of a product or service. Enrichment clusters are not mini-courses! There are no unit or lesson plans. However, a series of start-up activities help students find and focus a problem that the majority of the group wants to pursue.

 

All third, fourth, and fifth grade students will take in Interest Inventory that will provide us with information about topics they are interested in pursuing. We will work to match student interest to adult interests. 

The facilitation of an enrichment cluster can be illustrated by following a group of students who started "The Video Production Company."

 

Students were interested in the medium of video and its impact on audiences. The teacher who coordinated this cluster was familiar with the operation of simple video equipment and she also knew community persons who would volunteer assistance in this area. This cluster quickly became interdisciplinary in nature.

 

Product development required that students deal with scripting, story boarding, drama, set design, costumes, cinematography, and video editing. A unique feature of clusters is that everyone does not do the same thing. There is a division of labor that models real-world productivity, and everyone contributes in his or her own area of specialization. The group is connected by a common purpose, but each person is special because of the unique contribution that he or she makes to the overall enterprise.

The initial meetings of the Video Production Company focused on answering the following questions: