For the first part of the year, the oldest students were part of a unit where they explored the scientific approach to problem solving and experimental design. Throughout the unit it was stressed that there are many different problem solving models. First students watched a video and discussed The Pellagra Story which showcased how Dr. Read More >>
Biomes
For this class, all of the 3rdgrade students learned about the ocean and the connection the creatures of the sea have to the land. They first watched a Bill Nye video talking about oceans. Then, the students created a food chain based off of sea animals that they knew. After that, they were read The Read More >>
Human Body Systems
The older students began their exploration of the human body by learning about the skeletal system. They took part in a variety of activities that helped them come to conclusions about the human body. Insightful discussion took place about what bones we have in our bodies and where they are located after jumping rope and Read More >>
Digestive System
After spending six weeks studying the skeletal system the youngest students turned their attention to the digestive system. First we listened to the book What Happens to a Hamburger? As we read this informative and funny book children followed the journey of what happens to our food from the moment we start to chew. In Read More >>
Habitats
Students in Kindergarten through second grade have been learning about habitats and the different species that live in them. So far we’ve read “A House for Hermit Crab,” written by Eric Carle as an introduction to what a habitat is. We’ve compared our own habitat to Hermit Read More >>
Human Body
Students in all grades have started exploring the human body. We begun by studying our skeletory system. All of the classes started with a jump rope activity where they explored what moved when they jumped. This led to a discussion on the “hard” things inside our body that we can’t see, but know are there. Read More >>
Highland Forest in October
Twice a year the students at The New School camp out overnight at Highland Forest. It is a magical two days at Pines Camp. On Thursday night parents join us for a potluck dinner and songs around the campfire. On our Thursday hike, after reading a book about birds nests, we challenged children to create Read More >>
Electronics
It worked! These boys were thrilled when the circuit they built in electronics class lit up the LED (light emitting diode). The hours of learning to identify, sort electrical components, and read circuit diagrams were successful!
Bubbles
Everyone has played with bubbles at some point in their life. However, many people may not think about what a bubble really is. What makes a bubble a bubble? Six of the students in grades 4-7 investigated the science behind soap bubbles through hands on experimenting. While we were doing our experimenting on bubbles and Read More >>
How Many Seeds are in a Pumpkin?
K +1st grade students explored how many seeds are inside a pumpkin. We started out by reading part of the book How Many Seeds are in a Pumpkin by Margaret McNamara. After we read about how the class in the book got messy and goopy emptying out pumpkins, we estimated how many seeds we thought were in Read More >>