Lunch and Conversation!
Posted by Carina BlackwellRecently, our seventh and eighth grade language students went on a lunch field trip!
The purpose of this trip was to practice their language skills outside of the classroom, and to have a better understanding of the culture. The Spanish students went to an authentic, Columbian restaurant where they ordered their food in Spanish, and even tried to do the traditional dance. Meanwhile, Mandarin students went to an authentic Sichuan cuisine restaurant to experience the culture. They were not only there to place an order in Mandarin, but also to try to start a conversation with the staff.
All the language students were engaged and motivated to participate in this wonderful journey, in a realistic environment. They should be all proud of themselves for speaking a foreign language and not being afraid of making mistakes. It’s all about learning to become comfortable when speaking, and learning that you really can do it!
#GOGATORS #UNAFRAIDSPIRITS
Celebrating the Unsung Heroes in History
Posted by Krissy PondenUnsung heroes are individuals who accomplished incredible acts of bravery and compassion during their lifetimes but remain largely unknown to contemporary generations. Each student selected an Unsung Hero and researched their story by identifying important events, historical context, and relevant artifacts. They also reflected on how the hero’s story is relevant today and what we can learn from their character traits and actions. The students then created a work of art in a media of their choice that illuminates the hero’s story and honors their contributions. Students wrote artist statements demonstrating their learning and sharing the insights they gained from doing this project. The projects were shared with our school community during an evening art reception and presentation where students read their statements alongside their work.
where students read their statements alongside their work.
Click Here to view the complete “Unsung Heroes” online gallery.
Turkish Coffeehouse Sip + Tweet
Posted by Ariel Warshaw7th grade Humanities students wrapped their study of the Middle East by learning about the history of coffee. When they arrived to class, they were excited to see that the room had been transformed into a Turkish coffeehouse from 1633! We read about how Ottoman Sultan Murad IV outlawed the consumption and trade of coffee, along with the establishment of coffeehouses, throughout the empire. The students were shocked to learn that those who violated this decree faced fines, imprisonment, and even death!
Black History Month – a Time For Reflection
Posted by Krissy PondenIn the month of February Unquowa celebrated Black leaders, recognizing their innovations in science and contributions to history, literature, art, and mathematics.
- PreK students enjoyed reading and discussing the famous Black women in the book, Dream Big Little Leader. They asked lots of questions and celebrated each other’s uniqueness.
- Kindergarten students read a variety of books and discussed important historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Ruby Bridges, and George Washington Carver.
- First graders began each morning in BHM month reading and discussing figures from both the past and the present. Students focused on artist Kehinde Wiley, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, and gymnast Simone Biles among others.
- Second graders incorporated BHM into their literacy time. After a group read aloud, students read independently or in small groups to practice reading strategies. They discovered the stories of Henry Box Brown, Dave the Potter, Satchel Page, and Jackie Robinson.
- Each third grader researched a famous Black leader, created detailed portraits and wrote a poem about the life and achievements of that leader.
- Fourth graders puzzled together a large portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and decorated it with their own dreams. They created illustrated timelines highlighting important events in history to recognize the efforts that African Americans have made in the struggle for equity and justice.
- In literature class, fifth graders read Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, a story about a young African American girl who sewed a map to freedom in a quilt. In humanities, students also read about Etta James and listened to her music, learned about Jean Michel Basquiat in art and created mixed media paintings inspired by his work.
- Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade art classes learned about a different Black artist each week and sixth graders further discussed artists such as Kerry James Marshall and Bisa Butler.
- Seventh graders watched Titus Kaphar’s TED talk, “Can Art Amend History?” and in Mr. Izen’s Spanish class students were tasked with a project to create a video or an essay highlighting both a Black and Hispanic person that has brought a positive contribution to society.
- Eighth graders visited the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum to deepen their historical analysis on their studies of race, slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow America They also learned about the origins and innovations of Afrofuturism.
Teachers also participated in professional development discussions on how to ensure they are presenting inclusive and celebratory representation during Black History Month. They had the opportunity to create “zines” inspired by Black-Latina educator and art activist Jennifer White-Johnson’s project, “Zine-Making for Justice and Joy”, that she led at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
While February was a time to celebrate Black individuals in history, we recognize that Black History is American History, and we strive to embed these lessons and discussions throughout the year at all levels and in all disciplines. It was important to pause and reflect this month to honor the contributions and sacrifices of those who paved the way and those who are continuing to work towards a just and equitable society.
7th Grade Spanish Celebrates Black History Month!
Posted by Thomas IezinFor the last couple of weeks the students in 7th Grade Spanish class have been working on their Black History Month Project. For this project the students have decided to either make a video or an essay in Spanish highlighting both a Black and Hispanic person that has brought a positive contribution to society. Along this research the students also highlighted the reason we should be celebrating the person they selected. The students have chosen to highlight the following people: Rosie Perez, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Sylvia del Villard, Carmelo Anthony, and Jennifer Maritza McCauley.
Energy Pyramid Jenga
Posted by Joshua BartosiewiczAs the 7th graders continue to learn about relationships in Ecosystems, we were able to play a game that demonstrated the potential effects of an energy Pyramid or food web when the balance is thrown off. After learning about producers (organisms that make their own food for energy for survival), consumers (organisms that eat other organisms for energy for survival) and decomposers (organisms that breakdown rotting or decaying material) and the food web; the class indulged in a game of Jenga, but this was no ordinary game of Jenga.
The Jenga tower represented the energy pyramid. The Jenga tower had sections of different colors and each color would represent a certain category of organisms. For example, the base level color represented the producers because every living organism that can’t produce its own food relies on the producers for survival. The next level up from the producers would represent the primary consumers (the animals that are eating the plants/producers) like small rodents. Moving up from there would be the secondary consumers (animals that eat other animals) like snakes and fox. The next level would be the tertiary consumers or apex predators like sharks, grizzly bears or eagles. The final level is representative of the sun considering most living organisms (with the exception of chemotrophs and a few other organisms!) need sunlight for survival.
This game showed how one disturbance to any section of the jenga tower (energy pyramid/food web) can have a ripple effect and result in the ecosystem failing or in this case, the tower to fall down. In the end of the lab, students had a better understanding of how each organism in an ecosystem rely on each other for various things such as food.