ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT – Forensic Project Update
This past week we have started working on a project called Unsolved Mysteries. We all got to pick what we wanted to learn about. We got to choose from the Lost Colony of Roanoke, The Great Chicago Fire, and Amelia Earhart. We started to research using primary sources to learn more about the unsolved mysteries. We had to learn about the theories of others and we created our own ideas of what happened. In the project lab we have two journeys coming up, one to the sheriff’s department and another with a private investigator. We have also been working on identifying our hair and our fingerprints, which help us when we are looking at crime scenes, and solving mysteries. We have been working on our detective and observation skills. We are looking forward to learning more about these things in the next few weeks.
-7th Grade Collaboration
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The sixth graders just finished their Language Arts novel Roll of Thunder hear My Cry. The book was about a black family (the Logans) going through the struggle of the 1930s in Mississippi. The main character’s name was Cassie. Us sixth graders enjoyed this book because of the exciting plot that goes throughout the book. At the end of the book it was really eventful and interesting but depressing at the same time. We learned more about the struggles that African American people went through in times like these. In conclusion the book was very sad but exciting.
-6th Grade Collaboration
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Near the end of October we got assigned to a new science project where we had to make an analogy of a cell. To do this we picked real world systems, here are some examples that classmates came up with, a ski resort, plane, ice rink, and a valley. We had to label all parts of our cells throughout our analogy. For example, on a plane the mitochondria might be an engine because it powers the plane. Along with our model we had to create a three column sheet saying what our organelle was, what it was in our model, and why. Earlier in the project we studied parts of the cell and took this knowledge to a microscope and looked at some cells in onion skin. We also looked at our cheek cells by swabbing the inside of our cheeks and looking at the cells under a microscope.
-Owen and Will
STUDENT CORNER – 8th Grade Capstone Experience
In the past couple of weeks, 8th grade students have been starting to form their capstone presentations. They have just chosen their topics and are beginning to write up their project proposals. Some examples are, Kale Sarthou being focused on making a skate park in Victor, Jackson Kinney is interested in illusions, Jennie Julius is working on women in sports, Owen Smith wants to study snowboard innovation, and Will Nubel is doing wildlife in Teton Valley. They will be working on these projects for four or five months and finishing up sometime in March. The purpose of the project is to combine all the things the 8th graders have learned and experienced through their years of learning and put it into a self-chosen project that is place-based and is interesting and important to them. Hopefully other classes will be able to hear about them as these projects are formed and are completed.
-Jennie Julius and
Kale Sarthou
