This Wednesday, we launched a new unit on Media & Communication. We began by introducing two essential questions and having students reflect on the answers, first in writing, and then in a group discussion. We recorded initial conjectures and thoughts, which we'll add to as we go. Our essential questions and initial conjectures. Students shared… Continue reading Do News Organizations Have an Obligation to Tell the Truth?
"Is knowledge possible without language?" We kicked off our Reader's Theater read-aloud of The Miracle Worker with this question. Students emphatically decided that the answer is "yes" and pointed to all kinds of non-propositional knowledge one might have, like how to ride a bike, play a sport, or knit a scarf. Students all agreed that… Continue reading The Miracle Worker
This Wednesday, we followed up the school-wide visit from Anawon by reading an except from the non-fiction text Braiding Sweetgrass, called "The Grammar of Animacy". This chapter explores how the structure of the Potawatomi language changes the way we relate to the natural world. The author details her struggle to learn the grammar of Potawatomi,… Continue reading What does it mean “to be a Saturday”?
Students received new elective placements this week! Students will remain in these electives until the end of the school year. Check out this semester's offerings below:
To launch an investigation of symbolism, we played abstract concept dictionary in class on Monday. Students were broken into small groups and given words like "Loyalty," "Power," and "Justice," and had to find a way to convey these concepts to their peers through drawings. In addition to a great team-building exercise, this allowed students to… Continue reading Abstract Concept Pictionary- Teaching Symbolism
This week we finished reading our book group books, and launched into an investigation of themes within them. On Wednesday, students met with their book groups to make a mind map of themes in their books, and to make connections between our class and whole-school themes. Today, we started to work with Ms. Camilla to… Continue reading Visualizing Theme
Today we spent Health and Wellness talking about our values. We began by discussing what a value is. Articulating this was not easy! While students were able to give many examples of values that they held, pinning down the difference between a value and something that was valuable was difficult! Eventually, we decided that a… Continue reading What Do You Value?
Every Monday we meet for book groups. After an initial book tasting, students were placed in groups of 2-4 students to read either To Kill a Mockingbird, Monster, The Outsiders, or Red Scarf Girl. Each group meets with a teacher for about 30 minutes to discuss the text. Each book deals with issues of social… Continue reading Book Group Mondays
We've spent a few days recently thinking about what makes something a human need. Are human needs just what we need to physically survive- air, water, and food? Do things that are essential for mental well being- love, a feeling of belonging, self esteem- also count as needs? Students sort "needs" and "not-needs" Students began… Continue reading What Makes Something a “Human Need”?
Each Wednesday, per the Class Constitution that students created, we gather as a class to hold a legislative assembly and address community problems we've been having. After investigating the many forms democracy can take, Room 3 students decided that our community was small enough to be able to institute a direct democracy. Every Wednesday students… Continue reading Our Legislative Assembly: Community Problem Solving
Room 3 Blog 