The Advantages of Being a Biped

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Images (top to bottom):  1: Class conducting focused foot research (observing the roles of the heel/ball, toes, big toe, arch, etc., in walking); 2:  Ben carrying a tube of glue stick balanced on a whiteboard, walking as a biped;  3:  Rhynardt carrying apple as a quadruped; 4:  Emily balancing a full cup of water as a quadruped;  Rhynardt & Ben rolling at the finish line after carrying water balloons as quadrupeds.  

For video of this activity, see biped on BOT.

As my former students will recognize from the photos above, we're currently studying human ancestry in my 6th grade class.  It's a fun unit, with lots of hands-on (and feet-on) activities.  

In photo 1, students walk around the school barefoot, with their attention focused on various parts of their feet, exploring questions such as:  What is the role of the arch in walking?  What does it do for us?  What is the role of the heel, and the ball of our foot?  Why is the skin tougher there?  Can we observe the small muscle contractions in the bottoms of our feet as we walk?  What's going on there?  Etc., etc.

Understanding requires that we interact with a skill or concept from multiple points of entry, and in a rich context.  Thus, in exploring the advantages of being bipedal, students are asked to transport a variety of objects (a meter stick, a tube of glue stick balanced on a whiteboard, a dictionary, a cup of water) both as a biped and as a quadruped.  

I don't mind that the activity is noisy and draws attention, particularly of students in other grade levels.  I'm not concerned that our walking barefoot around campus looks a little weird.  These activities are a public demonstration of teaching for understanding, and a reminder that our teaching need not, and should not, be confined to the four walls of a classroom.