-

|

Experimental Design

At the beginning of the year, we started a unit on Experimental Design.  Students had to “Save Fred” a gummy worm from drowning by only using paper clips.  Students had to write down their procedure and then decide if they had done the procedure in the best way possible. They compared with peers and discussed Read More >>

|

Leo Lionni Author Study

In fall of 2024, students in the younger grades met once a week and focused on the theme and author’s purpose of a story. A book by Leo Lionni was read and connections and predictions were made, while discussions were had about the topic of the story. After each story, we worked on creating a Read More >>

|

Artavist

Each week, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders learned about how various art forms can be used as a form of activism. In the beginning, students learned about the term, artavists, meaning individuals that use art to be an activist. After learning about artavists, we read the book,  Artavist by Nikkolas Smith. While reading, Read More >>

|

Static Electricity

Electricity  This fall, the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh graders have been learning about static electricity, atom components, and electromagnetism. We started the unit by exploring the impact that electricity has on our lives. Students took a scavenger hunt around the school to develop a collective list about items that use electricity. Then, students created Read More >>

|

Paper Airplanes

This winter, the five older students in grades 7-8 participated in a unit on engineering a better paper airplane. First they had to choose three different types of planes to make (they couldn’t all be based on the basic dart) and then decide what constraints they would put on making the planes. As they searched Read More >>

|

Worms

This fall and spring our K-2s have been learning about Earthworms. We began by digging for real worms outside. We found some. We observed their behavior and drew them. We learned about what worms need to survive, their external features,their internal body parts, and their importance in our ecosystems. We have drawn and colored representations Read More >>

|

Local History

Towards the end of the year we started a unit to learn about Syracuse’s past. We started with learning about how the development of the Erie Canal in the 1800’s impacted our city, bringing economic prosperity and immigrants to our region. In class discussions and games helped us learn about the people who both were Read More >>

|

Electricity 

At the end of the year the students started learning about electricity. They were challenged to figure out how to light a lightbulb when given only a lightbulb, battery and one wire. In the process they learned about complete circuits, and the important parts of a battery and bulb. After lighting the bulb they were Read More >>

|

Book Club: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Students read the book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Each week they were responsible for reading a set of pages and writing 5 sticky notes. Each sticky note had a fact they learned about Chinese culture from the book. Students were also required to participate in a discussion about the book. Each book club Read More >>

|

Ancient China for Middle Students

At the beginning of our Ancient China unit, the class filled out a KWL (Know, Want to know, and What I Learned). They were only able to fill out the K and W parts, however most of what people knew was about the Great wall of China. So the unit began by learning about the Read More >>