In sixth grade, students have begun presenting on their river civilizations. The Egypt team bravely volunteered to present first, and they did a great job demonstrating strong research skills. We also had the opportunity on Wednesday to join third and fifth grade students in a presentation from the American Indian Center of Springfield. Students were able to learn about and view the different regalia of the dancers, the various dances and the reasons for them, and about the importance of the drum. The presentation ended by inviting students to join in a friendship dance around the classroom. It was a fantastic lesson on indigenous culture!

In seventh grade, students wrapped up their mock trial and completed a self-assessment. From here, we’re fleshing out a few more details about British colonial America and the factors leading to the American Revolution. They’re very interested in continuing with debate and/or mock trials to build their understanding and skills in history class, so we’ll look for ways to incorporate this style of learning more frequently.

In eighth grade, students have been studying British colonial America and looking into some of the factors that contributed to the Salem witch trials. We read through the Mayflower Compact as a group on Monday, supporting our reading comprehension as well as our understanding of primary sources. The group took some time Tuesday to celebrate their learning around European colonization with a trip to C-Street and Van Gogh’s Eeterie. This was a great chance for 8th grade students to build confidence in skills they’ll employ on the eighth grade trip, especially around spending time together as a community of learners.