Water color in County Farm Park

We got out in the sunshine today and worked with water colors!

Bigfoot Math: Measuring foot length and stride patterns

As part of our investigation of Big Foot lore, we're evaluating the methodology of the evidence gathered. 

In Math, we spent some time creating and measuring a range of human stride patterns: 

STEM: Desktop natural selection

A predator prepares to feed. 

We spent our STEM time today with a simulation that we called "Desktop Natural Selection." We broke into three-person groups, each with a specific role:

Cryptozoology: pondering Big Foot

Our current theme is Mythology, and we've spent much of this week studying the (pseudo)science of cryptozoology, focused largely on the myth of Big Foot. 

We kicked off the week by viewing some infamous footage:

Ford River Rouge Plant tour

We visited the Henry Ford River Rouge Plant last Friday, the highlight of which was touring the factory where the Ford F-150 is assembled. 

ART: Guest artist Jennifer Hoffman

Artist Jennifer Hoffman visited school today to teach us a little about working with watercolors. Everyone tried out different techniques, such as dry brushing and using salt or alcohol on the paint. Everyone came away with a mini-masterpiece or two! 

Place Out of Time: The importance of reflections

Our Place Out of Time experience is nearing its conclusion, and the middle school gathered this morning to begin talking about the value of reflection. We opened with a few quotes. The first two come from John Dewey.

• “We do not learn so much from experience as we do from reflecting on our experience.”
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• “Perhaps the greatest of all pedagogical fallacies is the notion that a person learns only the particular thing he is studying at the time.” 
• 
  
• – John Dewey

(New vocabulary words for most of the group: "pedagogical" and "fallacies.")

The third came from a source a little more familiar to many of us: 

Place Out of Time banquet!

We kicked off the week by attending the annual Place Out of Time banquet on Monday! We'll be posting a more detailed write up soon. In the meantime, take a look at this amazing gathering of luminaries from throughout time: 

Practicing calculating volume in Math

Practicing calculating volume in Math

The Jackson 5 (+1)!

The K-1-2s were treated to an unannounced, impromptu performance of the Jackson 5 song "ABC" at lunch today!

(See the video by clicking below)

Math on 4/1/2014

Sam gave a difficult assignment in Math morning. In fact, most felt that it was absolutely impossible. In fact, it was! Happy April Fools' Day! 

After some time spent attempting to work on the problems alone, students quickly figured out that they weren't able to be solved as written. They were then given a new assignment: identify why each problem is impossible, then rewrite each to include the information required to solve it. 

S P R I N G

At long last, Spring! We're READY.