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 >>
Density and Viscosity
Density and Viscosity This fall, the five seventh and eighth graders have been exploring the similarities and differences between density and viscosity. We started by defining the terms: demonstrate, model, interpret, density, viscosity and environment and then watched a video on determining the different densities of oil, water and syrup. Students asked ten questions of Read More >>
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
This fall students read “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. The book is about a kid, named Junior, who lives on the Indian reservation. He was born to Salish Indians, a Coeur d’Alene father and a Spokane mother. His intersectionality of identities caused him to feel like he didn’t fit Read More >>
Bill Peet Book Club
Over the past two months, the 8th graders participated in a book club where they read Bill Peet: An Autobiography. Some people may be familiar with the name Bill Peet because of his children’s books that he created including, The Wump World, Hubert’s Hair Raising-Adventure, and Ella. Before his success in children’s literature, Bill was Read More >>
Life
by Paul OttesonSecond semester science teacher for 7th and 8th grades Biology has been this year’s science focus for the older students, using the curriculum suggested by the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP). It was my pleasure to join the teaching team for the second part of the year to take on Genetics, Read More >>
Properties of Light
Students in 7th and 8th grade participated in a light class this fall that explored the topics of reflection, refraction, absorption and color. To start this unit, students were asked to build a “chamber” out of paper where they had to reflect the light into the pyramid. This simulation was to show how Ancient Egyptians Read More >>
All American Boys Book Club
During the fall semester, our student teacher, Julie, hosted a book club with the 8th grade students. The book she chose was “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. She chose this book as an extension of the student’s learning about systemic racism. “All American Boys” allowed us to look at some of Read More >>
Four Voices
A group of older students studied speech writing in a 5-session, online class. We listened to speeches written by Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, and watched Martin Luther King deliver his “I have a dream” speech. We also discussed techniques for making writing for spoken voice more effective, and analyzed three videos delivered Read More >>
Four Voices
A group of older students studied speech writing in a 5-session, online class. We listened to speeches written by Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, and watched Martin Luther King deliver his “I have a dream” speech. We also discussed techniques for making writing for spoken voice more effective, and analyzed three videos delivered Read More >>
Systemic Racism
Our children, our students, live in a world that has developed all kinds of media and ways to transmit information, disinformation, ideas, and images. They hear the media, adults, other peers talking about events and opinions as they move through their days. Some of these ideas are exciting and innovative, others are darker and disturbing. Read More >>