Friday, March 23, 2018

Revolution Board Games




We finished our week playing each other's  revolutionary board games. Our class loved sharing our games with pride, and playing all the other games with interest and curiosity. We also really enjoyed sharing our games with the other 5th grade classes!


Thursday, March 22, 2018

World Premieres of Stop Motion Films on The American Revolution



Drum roll please......Here they are! The original productions of the American Revolution Stop-Motion films. Grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy!










Friday, March 16, 2018

Models to Algorithms



Revolutionary Games

Our deep dive into the Colonial times in America is coming to an end. Recently, the kids finished different historic-fiction novels about the American Revolution. They were asked to select one aspect of the novel to research further. This could be a perspective, event, artifact, daily life, or trade. The list of ideas was endless! With their deeper research, they were asked to create a board game that brings their research to life. While we gathered research materials at school, most of this project is being completed at home. We can't wait to play each other's games next week!

Presenting in Gathering


Last Friday our class was asked to share their reflective poems from their play experience at Cassius Clay. While all read their poems aloud in class, only a few wanted to present their creations to the Lower School community. Here is a glimpse of the words they chose to tell the story and their reflection.

Archaeologists Uncovering the Past

Throughout our learning about Jamestown and the American Revolution, archaeology, artifacts, and other primary sources offered a lot of insight into the past. We adopted the roles of archaeologists when trying to understand colonial trades and towns. Together we looked at artifacts that were gathered in a city plot, and made initial observations about what we saw. We began to hypothesize about what colonial trade resided in that space based on the proximity of objects and how they were used together. Using primary source photos, art, and books, we found evidence to support our theories and arrive at conclusions. We discovered our archaeology plot was home to the milliner, blacksmith, tavern, and armory to name a few. Of the intriguing finds, a wig curler caused the most interest from the wiggery. We we were astonished to learn that most wealthy people wore wigs out of fashionable interests. Finding a brown rag doll amidst a bunch of broken kitchen pottery also piqued our curiosity. It was concluded that it was .a kitchen and the doll was that of an enslaved child, which led to a lot of storytelling. Together, the kids decided that archaeology was a science that helps tell the stories of the past.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Musicians!




American Revolution Meets Stop Motion

In our journey to understand different historical events leading to the American Revolution, we began by creating colonial characters that were dressed according to colonial fashions and their class. Our fashionable characters then made their way into a stop-motion movie. These movies have their characters either telling the story or responding to one historical event.
Beginning with research, the kids created a story board that helped them plan their story and how the characters respond.  Their story boards informed the scenes and story telling. Using a green screen, the movie-makers added backdrops that created the setting and added to telling the story. Finishing touches came from adding voice overs, sound, and editing. Stay tuned for the world premiere viewing of these fantastic short films!

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Cassius Clay

On Tuesday, our class was off to the theater, where we attended Cassius Clay. The kids loved the story, and the theatrical experience, however, the play also prompted a lot of discussion upon our return to class. When asked what felt important in the story, what nuggets do we want to tuck into our mental pockets, there was no shortage of answers. The highlights included:

  • There are two types of fighters; those who fight for themselves, and those who fight for people who can't
  • Why it is important to retell history with accurate details, including hateful language
  • The story of Emmett Till, and its connections with today
  • The power of youth activism in the lunch counter sit-ins, and its connection with today
  • How, despite his accomplishments, he remained a Black American who wasn't warranted equal rights
  • There are important beliefs that are worth fighting for, whether peacefully or  physically