Doherty
March 11, 2021
A Deep Study of Erosion
Unit II students are learning all about erosion. Their dynamic study includes research on the Grand Canyon, the Southwest region of the United States, and the utility of natural and man-made dams. “We learned about how the Grand Canyon was formed from the process of erosion and learned about the four states in the Southwest region—Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico,” said Unit II teacher Sherri Linville. The research also included art projects, in which the students painted pictures of Texas’ state flower, bluebonnets, and crafted coil pots as they learned about the Pueblo tribe of indigenous people. To further understand the formation of the Grand Canyon, the students poured dirt in aluminum pans, shaped the dirt into a small mound on one side of the pan, and watched the movement of the dirt settle into a flat surface in the pan. On a second try, the students reshaped the dirt into a mound, this time adding sticks, pinecones, and rocks. “After pouring water onto the mound that had vegetation and rocks, the students were able to observe how these things combat erosion and help the environment,” said Linville.
Putting Spanish Language in Context in Unit I
Students in Spanish teacher Maria-Fernanda Torres’ class recently applied their growing Spanish vocabulary to reading. The practical application of the words allowed the students to build true literacy in Spanish, said Torres. “The students are learning how to read short sentences in Spanish and we have been focusing on numbers, so the passages they are reading in context are about numbers.” Torres said the exercise will continue to build students’ academic stamina around learning a new language, pronouncing the words, and being able to appropriately apply the words to reading and writing in Spanish.
Becoming Authors in Unit I
Unit I students are learning about authors, firsthand. As part of their literacy studies, the students have been reading and writing nonfiction books and making observations about the physical organization of books, and similarities and differences between the two genres. Unit I teacher Joan Claybourn has also pulled components of the students’ recent science unit on animal classification into their literacy work. “The students each chose an animal to research,” said Claybourn. “After researching, we made books to share with Ms. Linville’s class. Our books included a table of contents, introduction, information about the author, facts, a diagram, and glossary.”
They are What They Read
Kindergarteners recently got in touch with their favorite books by transforming into the books’ characters! As part of the kindergarten literacy curriculum, students in teachers Lindsay Pietroski and Cyndi Kenyon’s classes picked a book and let their imaginations take over. “It’s a purposeful way to celebrate Read Across America Week and engage students in literacy,” said Pietroski. “The students really got into the dress-up activity and connected with the idea of bringing words on a page to life.”
Pre-kindergarteners Celebrate Black History Month with Songs
Pre-kindergarteners of all ages enjoyed a live Zoom singalong with Barbara James, a local award-winning scientist, to celebrate Black History Month in late February. James invited students to sing and dance to a variety of songs, including “This Train is Bound for Freedom,” “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” and “This Little Light of Mine.” James also sang songs celebrating George Washington Carver and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds teacher Julie Brackett said James visits the class in-person during a normal school year and shows students dances and games that go with the music. “This year, because of Zoom, we danced more independently of each other to the music and we invited kindergarten to join us on our video calls,” Brackett said. “The students love to dance and often Ms. Barbara invites them to play instruments along with the music.” Brackett said students’ favorite song James plays is “Wade in the Water,” which was used by abolitionist Harriet Tubman. “Our hope is to give the children an opportunity to appreciate music along with compassion, love, and diversity,” Brackett said.
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Five Stingers Sign to Play in College
Five Stingers from the Class of 2024 signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college.
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