Liz Moore’s Biotech (H) class has been given a lofty task. They each have “$10,000″ to invest in a biotech company, the goal obviously to see a substantial return. They will not be graded on how their virtual money grows, but the experience will teach them a great deal about the biotech industry. But how [...]
Sustainable farming
John Wilson of New Earth Compost Company/ T.A. New Earth Farm came to talk to Tina Whitaker’s AP Environmental class this past Wednesday to explain the impact of chemical farming and alternative methods of repelling bugs and maintaining rich, healthy soil through composting and crop rotation. The students discussed the chemical reactions in soil that [...]
Not a Moment Wasted in Pre-K
I began my Lower Experience with the Pre-Kindergarten class, hosted by lead teacher Carol Parker. At the end of my visit she asked me if it was what I expected, and I had to honestly say that I had no idea what to expect! Though I’ve walked down the halls a hundred times and looked [...]
A Tour of the Lower School
With my office housed in the Upper School and because I teach an Upper School course, I only get to see the Lower School in isolated bits. So this semester I have made it my goal to spend a day with each grade to get a better handle on how our curriculum develops throughout the [...]
Juan de Pareja
Tina Howard’s 6th graders are in the midst of reading Juan de Pareja, a historical novel about the slave who worked for and studied art with Spanish artist Diego Velázquez in the 1500′s , becoming himself a well-known artist, despite the fact that his social situation normally would have prevented this. What a wonderful coincidence [...]
Conflicted about chocolate!
At Café Dolphin this week, you will find a big, delicious looking display about the history and making of chocolate up by the hot food line. Last week’s nutrition lesson was about unique grains, such as quinoa, which was very interesting, but somewhat less tempting. So leave the cafeteria, turn left, and you find in [...]
Race ya!
Elaine Galanides invited me to see part of an ongoing activity that her fourth grade enrichment class is doing, which is to engineer a race car. There are four groups of two that are competing to design the fastest car within certain guidelines. The car must be between 4 and 6.5 inches, and it cannot [...]
Fractal Rock
Fractal Geometry – by Helen Johnson, MS Math Department Head Pre-Algebra Honors students get a glimpse into the world of fractal geometry – the geometry that is the foundation for the astonishing computer graphics that have evolved since the early 1980’s. Fractals are: ever repeating, ever diminishing, infinitely more complex Students tried their hands at [...]
Kindergarten Pow Wow
The kindergarten classes learned about Native Americans as a lead-up to Thanksgiving, and today the lesson culminated in a pow wow held in the Lower School music room. The students filed in wearing traditional Native American dress – vests for the boys and dresses for the girls, made out of a white cotton material cut [...]
“Chalk Talk”
Does radical Islam cause U.S. military presence or does the military presence cause radical Islam? I don’t know about your family, but if someone brought this topic up in a gathering of my extended family, butter plates might start flying. So when Karen Marshall told me that they were discussing 9-11 in Global Affairs, and [...]
