| Looking Ahead | | Sue Rockwood’s Primary class is taking up the Scholastic “Classrooms Care” challenge to read 100 books in school. The Thematic focus has shifted to Europe and to vegetables and gourds. In language and culture class, students read and discussed the book "A Spree in Paree" about a farmer in France who, along with his farm animals, visits the sites of Paris. They talked about the difference between country living and city living, and some of the landmarks in Paris that the animals visited.
Students are discussing scarcity and abundance and harvests and feasts. As the class learns about different traditions and holidays, students will share favorite family recipes, stories, and songs.
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| Literature Circles | | New literature circles in Audra dePrisco’s Intermediate class began with the theme, “A Change of Fortunes,” exploring kids dealing with massive change in their lives. This thread runs through a number of titles, whether it’s Jemmy trying to find a way out of being Prince Brat’s whipping boy, or Matilda looking for a way to outsmart the Trunchbull, or Esperanza trying to make her way in a new country, or Pip who’s not sure which is worse: dealing with an escaped convict or a sister who has brought him up “by hand.”
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| | Middle Ages | | Greenwood Intermediate students got a glimpse of life in Europe during the 1000 years known as the Middle Ages in their social sciences unit. They looked at pictures showing knights, castles, and medieval folk, and viewed pictures of artwork from the era, making observations, trying to guess the order in which they were created. Students worked with student teacher Cassandra Heaps to brainstorm what they already knew about the period as well as some questions and interests they’d like to pursue.
Student “kitchen science time” included making a staple of the medieval peasant’s diet, barley. Students looked at barley’s origins and some lore.
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| T.I.M.E. | | Primary students were introduced to a “Peace Table” with a puppet play about a donkey who was upset with his friend, horse, who jostled him in line. Their friend, tiger, helped them with suggestions for avoiding the problem and dealing with feeling upset. The acronym “T.I.M.E.” stands for: T Take Turns talking and listening; I Use I-messages (I felt…, I don’t like…); M Make suggestions and choices;
E End by shaking hands and saying “Thanks!”
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| | Mexican Games and Chocolate Travels |
Intermediate and Middle School students played Mexican games, including a version of Ulama, a Mesoamerican ball game played by both Mayans and Aztecs. This version allowed students to use anything but hands and feet on a very light ball (not the 7-11 lb solid rubber ball usually used).
In social science, the group read about how chocolate traveled to Europe from Mexico. Students used maps to trace its route through European countries where ingredients like sugar and milk were added before following it back across the Atlantic to our own state and the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania. They also reviewed the chocolate-making process and began designing a flow chart using Inspiration concept mapping software.
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Classic Tales
Primary students were regaled with two classic tales by their “Mystery Reader” of the week. A parent of one of the students surprised the class and read The Wild Baby Goes to Sea by Lindgren and Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.
| Literary Day
Greenwood Friends School students, faculty, staff, and parents celebrated Greenwood’s Halloween tradition, Literary Day. Everyone dressed as favorite characters from books; from Harry Potter to Dr. Seuss’ Horton, from superheroes to fairies, from witches to pumpkins, the school community embarked on a parade around the playground after introducing themselves and their accompanying books.
| Mock Trial
With Middle Schoolers acting as prosecuting and defense attorneys and fifth graders serving as paralegals, work continued on the mock trial of Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés, (who is being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity). Students learned about basic trial format, studied the statement of facts for the case, and brainstormed topics for research to aid lawyers as they put together theories of the crimes. Classmates put together opening arguments, vetted “experts” to act as witnesses, and worked on their direct and cross examination questions.
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