Blending Tradition with Innovation: Students Explore Groundhog Day Using Books and Digital Tools

Leading up to Groundhog Day on February 2, first and second grade students utilized both books and technology to learn about the holiday’s history and traditions. In the First Grade, students read The Substitute Groundhog and discussed what it means if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow. They used the Doink app and a greenscreen to make their predictions against a backdrop of Gobbler’s Knob (pictured), where Phil resides. Second grade students learned that Groundhog Day traces back to German traditions and explored the holiday’s origins using Discovery Education, a digital learning platform. After watching videos and recording new facts, they added their recorded audio predictions, photos, and facts into class e-books using the app Bookcreator. “This was an excellent opportunity to blend traditional and new learning methods,” said Megan Trumpler, Media Specialist who led the projects. “Students loved using their creativity and making their predictions!”