TECUMSEH — Small groups of fifth-graders clustered around tables in Carrie Barden’s classroom at Tecumseh Middle School on a recent March morning, carefully testing water samples and comparing results.
Moving from table to table, Barden paused to answer questions and encourage students as they recorded their observations.
Moments like these — hands-on lessons that spark curiosity — are a regular part of her classroom. But Barden says teaching today often begins before the curriculum even starts…