The school year is in full swing and learning is evident throughout the building...
The school year is in full swing and learning is evident throughout the building...
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Each year, the Fifth graders at Bonny Slope donate a gift as they transition to Middle School. For the first few years, the gift has stayed on site. In the past few years, students and parents have clung to the idea of "taking action" and have instead donated a gift that has gone beyond our school walls.
In keeping with their Exhibition theme, and recognizing important issues around our world, our students and parents have chosen to partner with The Water Project. This morning, someone from The Water Project talked to Fifth grade students about the organization and how their donation will help. The students asked great questions and were thrilled about the opportunity to support the building of a well for a school yard in Africa that has no access to clean water. During the upcoming months, our families will be able to track and follow the progress of the well as soon as the building begins. What a perfect example of taking action and making our world a better place! If you're interested in learning more about The Water Project, check out: http://thewaterproject.org/ Our 3rd Grade students have been learning about how people adapt based on their understanding of weather patterns. As a culminating, summative activity, students were asked to design a house in a specific climate region that would be able to withstand the weather elements in that climate. This not only touched upon many of the Social Studies standards, but it also included the Engineering and Design standards.
It was so much fun to see these homes drafted, planned & designed to withstand rain (from a watering can), snow (flour, powdered sugar or marshmallows), and heat (hair dryer). As I walked through the classrooms, students could truly explain how the design of homes and people have to adapt to our weather patterns. Great job 3rd Graders! To better connect with the concept of Interdependence within our economy, Second Grade students went on a trip the Washington Square! While there, they made and recorded their choices as consumers and future producers & advertisers. Some graphed how stores displayed their products, some conducted quick interviews with other consumers, and many were overheard making connections from their learning in the classroom to what they observed in the stores. This experience was a great way to bring the interconnectedness of our economy to life!
In the upcoming weeks, students will discuss and present findings from their field trip, make choices as producers and discover ways to advertise their products/services to prepare for the Second Grade Market! Central Idea: Choices & events impact the economic system. Students are inquiring into: The structure of the economic system (Function) and the interdependence within the economic system (Causation). On Monday, while students had the day off, our teachers were hard at work. We were fortunate to have Dr. Lynn Erickson here to guide us for a day of concept-based teaching & planning. Concept-based instruction is at the heart of the IB philosophy and she is a leading expert, researcher and practitioner in this area. Having our staff engaged, collaborating, and hearing the same message was a great way to re-energize and invigorate our teaching practices!
To kick off their new unit, Second Grade teachers lead students through a powerful learning experience. Being that their unit centers around the economy and the concept of interdependence, students participated in a "teacher market" in order to experience supply, demand, producers, consumers, advertising and money. It was a short, 20-minute immersion activity that will serve as a constant reference throughout the unit. What a great learning opportunity!
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AuthorJennifer Oordt Archives
March 2018
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