Inspired by Lucy Calkins’ Poetry: Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages, the youngest children explored writing poetry. The unit starts with a poetry museum, which asks children to write about objects that have been collected. As each object is observed children are encouraged to see with poet’s eyes, to see the unusual in ordinary objects. As Read More >>
Archives for May 2014
Socrates Trial
Socrates was found innocent! At his trial at The New School, our children rewrote history. The re-enactment of the trial of Socrates marked the culmination of three months studying Ancient Greece by the entire school. To set the stage, children created a set showing the hills of Athens and the Parthenon set against Corinthian columns. Read More >>
Lewis and Clark
Our Lewis and Clark unit began with a Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) exercise using a map showing the Louisiana Purchase. Then we discussed President Thomas Jefferson’s instructions to Lewis & Clark before they set off on their mission. Students had to take on the role of Meriwether Lewis or William Clark and write a letter Read More >>
Mesopotamia
This fall, the middle group of students studied Mesopotamia. They began their study by looking at the differences between settled and nomadic people. Outdoors, they participated in a role play scenario in which they were nomadic Sumerians hunting and gathering food, creating shelter, and making clothes, tools and weapons. In small groups they read “If Read More >>