A small group of older students have been discussing the important elements of a great story. First we considered setting and the children created a drawing or map of a place or setting that intrigued them. The following week we discussed character and the importance of considering the inner as well as outer traits of Read More >>
Archives for November 2014
Book Club: Two Tickets to Freedom
The oldest students have all read Two Tickets to Freedom: The True Story of Ellen and William Craft, Fugitive Slaves by Florence B. Freedman. This has been part of their social studies unit on the Civil War. After completing the assigned reading, they met in small groups to discuss questions that not only exercised their comprehension Read More >>
Lego Class
In Lego class we have been learning about simple and powered machines using hands-on activities. We investigated structures and forces, incorporating both rigid and flexible shapes in our deck chair and drawbridge. Applying principles we learned about levers, we made a drumming machine and windshield wipers. Attaching a motor provided opportunities for further exploration. After Read More >>
Vanessa Johnson, Mystery Guest
Our storytelling unit has begun! The gifted Vanessa Johnson kicked it off as our fifth mystery guest. She started her presentation with a clever interaction between herself and three future generations, played by our own Glady, Frannie and Lola! Artfully she demonstrated how stories are passed on from one generation to another and how we Read More >>
Lower Case Printing
A small group of students have been meeting once a week to practice their lower case printing. While working their way through the alphabet they have looked at similarities between lower case letters to help them form their letters correctly. The “magic c” for example helps them write the lower case o, d, g, and Read More >>
Sam Van Aken and his Tree of Life
On Thursday, October 30, Sam Van Aken was our third mystery guest of the year. Sam created, using grafting, a tree that can bear 40 different kinds of stone fruits. The children asked their yes/no questions and quickly determined Sam had come to share something about trees. But then we challenged them, in the remaining Read More >>