In High School on Tuesday, the class welcomed Chief Judge Jeff Bates of the Southern District Court of Appeals. Judge Bates shared with the class about Safford v. Redding, a case involving the application of the fourth amendment in schools. After discussing the case with students and the appeals process it went through to reach the Supreme Court, the Judge asked students what they would decide. He then shared with them about two more recent cases in Missouri involving the fourth amendment in public schools, again allowing students to ask questions and make judgments in the cases. After his presentation, he made himself available to questions on a range of topics, and students did a great job utilizing his expertise. We were very grateful for the time he took to prepare such an in-depth presentation and the care he took to explain it to us. He also invited us to observe a day in the appeals court, so I’ll be communicating more with his office about a possible field trip.
Sixth grade students have wrapped up their presentations and their study of Reconstruction. We are now learning about the American west and its influence on the nation. Yesterday we used word association and gathered our ideas of what first comes to mind when thinking about the west, and from here, we will be learning the reasons for westward movement, how the US government was involved, how transportation changed over time, what groups of people lived there prior to white settlement, and answering essential questions about this time.
Seventh and eighth grade students went on a field trip to Smallin Cave this morning during their Language Arts and History class times. We had a fantastic guide who spent over an hour leading us down the trail and through the cave. Be sure to ask your student this evening what they thought of the experience and find out what questions they had.
This trip acted as a break from seventh and eighth grade students’ research projects, in which they have been tasked with asking a question of the past, from 1865 to 1900. The challenge of developing a good research question has led to some fruitful conversations and deeper understandings of events during this time. I’m excited to see the thesis statements they develop as they come to understand the answers to their questions.
Book club has broken into two groups to read and discuss book choices. One group chose to read a sequel to one studied in Language Arts last year, Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, while another chose to read The Lost Hero. Group leaders were assigned, and they led discussion on Monday. Discussion continued today, with students choosing their reading goals and discussion leaders for next week.
