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Animal Classification Part 3

This fall we resumed an Animal Classification Class that we had started last year.  It included last year’s children and our newer children as well.  We began with a long read aloud (and slide show-once we figured out how) called The Most Beautiful Rooftop in the World by Kathryn Lasky.  It is a dense book Read More >>

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Slave Trade

After the social injustice occurrences this past summer, The New School took it upon itself to educate its students on the history of social injustice in order to gain a better understanding of what is happening in our country. You could see our students learning about slavery and injustice all over the school. From Julie’s Read More >>

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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 >>

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Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the US Constitution

     The Constitution Convention of 1787 inspired us to reenact the almost four months of debate that took place in Philadelphia as the forty founding fathers debated ho0w to modify the Articles of Confederation and then finally threw them out altogether and started a new. Each student in grade 4 – 8, were each assigned Read More >>

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Local Government 2020

This unit began soon after we switched to distance learning and we had to adjust and modify the curriculum accordingly. Instead of taking the students to visit the three branches of local government in Syracuse, we invited representatives of each to be interviewed via Zoom. Before each Zoom interview, students had to research the representative Read More >>

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New World Social Studies Class

This December we wrapped up a unit on Explorers from all different time periods and people going to all different places (space, underwater, to the arctic), and we moved to just learning about the “New World” that was “discovered” by Europeans. To kick off this unit, we read the book Encounter by Jane Yolen.  In Read More >>

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History and Lincoln

  Students in the upper grades this fall started a unit on the Civil War.  Before we delved into this history topic they were asked three questions to respond to individually and then discuss as a group.  They were asked: What is history? Who Cares? Why study it? Some of their responses were: Events leading Read More >>

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Declaration of Independence

In the fall of 2019, students in grades 4 and 5 were part of a social studies unit studying the Declaration of Independence. First they reviewed the 13 colonies and read books about the Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Concord and the ride of Paul Revere. They considered what made the people living in the Read More >>

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Explorers- Social Studies

The explorer’s unit required students to first examine the difference between nomadic and settled homes. Students also examined nomadic lifestyles and how they are similar/different to an explorer. Students discussed why explorers choose to explore (to find new places, see new things, learn new things, etc.). Students were assigned a specific explorer and completed book Read More >>

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Writing Workshop with Paul

Three of our middle school students participated in a four-session workshop designed to enhance the skills of developing writers. In preparation, the students read “War Horse” by Michael Morpurgo — a story of World War I told through the eyes of a horse. Students discussed the the book and author’s writing style, and then wrote Read More >>