After an unexpected snowstorm kept us housebound early this year, we were eager to return to campus. Our students have returned full of energy and ready to learn as much as possible during the rest of the year. Discover some of the latest collaborative lessons that we’ve been enjoying lately!
By creating a town and role-playing different community jobs, our Grade 1 Students truly brought their unit to life! From the baker to the postal worker to the hairdresser, our students had a wonderful time exploring how people collaborate within a community.
Not only did the children help to design the props, they also labelled the different buildings, tools and products for sale. The activity also provided a fun way to organically incorporate math skills; students practiced telling time, using money and developing their mapping skills as they moved around the community. They all had a fantastic time!
Students in Grades 2-5 have started to have town-hall style meetings to consider new ideas and share opinions in a grade-wide setting. These informal out-door assemblies will be held once a month to encourage students to have their voices heard.
The meetings kicked off this week with a focus on how to wear a mask properly. Students confidently reminded each other of the importance of our hygiene protocol. Teachers also shared some ways to make sure a mask fits properly. Other students made comments about what they are observing around them. All items that wished to be discussed can be brought forward; the floor is open to all.
Our intrepid inquirers have been putting their skills to the test with a fun outdoor learning projects! Using materials found around campus, Grade 4 Students worked collaboratively to assemble recreations of early settlements.
These days were part of their latest unit, where they looked at building techniques of early settlers. Students focused specifically on modern stone-age houses, designing the layout of the house and using thin twine to weave the walls. They also practiced making knots on large logs before attaching them to the roof of their structures. Finally, in the afternoon, they applied a cob (clay, sand, straw and water) before attaching straw to the roof. This outdoor activity was a fun one that allowed us to better understand early settlers.
What could be more collaborative than improv acting?
The Madrid-based theatre company “Jamming” came to lead Drama students in Grades 7-11 in activities that stretched their improv muscles. The group, which is considered one of Europe’s top companies for improv, came to give a demonstration to the students of their work and engage them in different activities. This very successful event was a wonderful opportunity for our students to put their improv skills to work.
As part of the NAE collaboration with MIT, our students are tackling one of the same questions asked by NASA for their Mars exploration.
Grade 8 students have been working in teams to figure out which method would work best to produce oxygen from the Martian carbon-dioxide atmosphere. Their tests, based on the MOXIE experiment, are challenging them to figure out which filters would work best for this task. Check back soon to see what our students discovered!
