Sixth grade explored the question “What does a perfect society look like?” and created their own personal Utopias which they then had to advertise in a pamphlet that would entice people to come join their society. They had to explore what makes a society perfect, how it remains perfect, and what might happen to someone who deviates from that perfection, among other things. Their creations ranged from floating cities to isolated islands and prioritized all kinds of different things from elder care to green, sustainable energy, to equality, and many others. It was so fun to see what they came up with and, by extension, what matters most to them. This project introduced the novel “The Giver” which they began once presentations were over. They are already asking a lot of questions and we’re barely past chapter 1!
7th and 8th grade began an adventure into Science Fiction with the short stories of Ray Bradbury. Remarkably prescient for his day, Bradbury continues to delight audiences with his interesting takes on media and the fear of human obsolescence. They began with “The Veldt,” continued with “There Will Come Soft Rains,” and will finish this week with “The Pedestrian” all of which will lead them into Bradbury’s masterpiece “Fahrenheit 451” when they return from the break.
High School began their unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece of the roaring 20’s, “The Great Gatsby” by researching some of the prominent things in the society of the day. Each group was given a different aspect to research such as architecture, government, fashion, etc. which together helped the students to contextualize the content of the novel. They began reading it as soon as presentations were completed and are enjoying it so far. We’ll continue with it after the break.
