“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt in the heart.” - Helen Keller Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, our students have metamorphosed into confident author’s and speakers. Their increasing ability to wonder and observe their surrounding was a catalyst that led to the creation of more focused writing. This two-week program provided a wonderful opportunity to facilitate this process with these amazing children. Thank you! — The K-2 Teachers from Rm. 16
Grade 3
What an amazing amount of knowledge the students have amassed in only two weeks! The third graders became scientists who then celebrated their newfound expertise in all things snail. We began our week with a "One Small Square" activity where we used all of our senses to observe the natural world. Also, using sandpaper and hair gel, the students simulated how snails can glide over rough surfaces on a mucus trail. We used these experiences, combined with our classroom snail habitats, to compose Snail Trail poetry. Wrapping up the week, students drew from their own areas of expertise and came together to collaboratively construct and edit a group paragraph about land snail facts. We look forward to tomorrow's celebration where we will proudly share student work with families.
Grade 4-6
This week in the 4th-6th grade classroom, teachers challenged minds by asking, "Whodunnit?" Our student detectives worked in teams to determine who stole the jewels. The challenge was to back every statement with evidence. How sharp were your powers of observation? What evidence did you find in writing and in pictures to solve a crime? During our Sentence of the Week, students worked on the use of dialogue and possessives to incorporate into their writing. Today, we closed our two week writing camp by asking students to write a letter to a friend about their experience here, and by creating posters that display a variety of emotions. Students also created a detective log in which they solved a crime by analyzing and interpreting pictures and text.
Grade 7-12
This week, students in the 7th-12th grade classroom worked on spicing up their writing and bringing it to life through the revision process, both in small writing groups and as an entire class. They've also dabbled in writing from two different viewpoints (or voices) and juxtaposing these ideas.