Introducing PebbleGo to Y2: Jobs in the Community

PebbleGo is an online database for the early years, and this is the first year the school is subscribing to it.

To connect it to the current Y2 about jobs in the community, I had students work in groups of 3-4. Students shared one iPad and were assigned a job and had to research it.  As they worked together, they wrote down key points on mini-whiteboards.  

There are several advantages to PebbleGo:
- students are introduced to databases at an early age and learn that there is an online alternative to the Internet
- it is very focused on specific topics that are relevant to the early years, regardless of the curriculum 
- it is fact-based which is the basis of inquiry-based learning and suited to this age level
- there is an audio component to every article and subject headings. This helps both native and EAL students to learn words from linking the pronunciation to the written word and visuals.  For example, it was evident after this task that many Y2s did not know the word veterinarians, or did not know it was the full version of vet.  

Students were engaged with searching in PebbleGo, and collaborated well with each other in collecting and sharing information. 

Here is a video to give you a visual on this lesson.