Middle School Past Classes
Enrichment for Upper Elementary and Middle School (2017-2018)
Junkbox Wars
This enrichment will challenge students to use their imaginations, scientific knowledge, and a box of "junk" to create a variety of devices that perform an assortment of tasks. The projects target technological design standards and incorporate others depending on the project. The Junk Box Wars projects are modeled after the Junkyard Wars TV show that aired on the Learning Channel network. Students will work together in small groups to design/build a variety of Challenges. Each challenge will extend over 2 class periods. The first class will introduce the parameters of the Challenge, cover related physics/engineering principles, and provide groups an opportunity to brainstorm general ideas. Students may continue to communicate and brainstorm designs the rest of the week but no Junkbox supplies will be provided and no pre-building at home allowed! The second class will consist of a 45-minute Build Time using Junkbox supplies followed by Competition.
Instructor: Jayne Besjak
Middle School
Science: Natural Disasters!
We will explore extreme weather conditions as well as geologic circumstances that can lead to natural disasters. The class will examine how weather data is collected and how to interpret it. We will also learn about Earth’s structure, tectonic plate interaction and how that’s related to earthquakes and volcanoes. Students will create a model of a floodplain, study seismic activity and devise a safety plan as to what actions should be taken during an emergency.
During class the students will enjoy relevant hands-on activities, engaging discussions and the construction of good arguments. There will be several collaborative projects which will demonstrate student mastery of the material by applying what they’ve learned.
Homework: Students will be responsible for weekly readings and assignments as well as several group projects throughout the year. They must be available for virtual collaboration.
Instructor: Jenifer Pascal
Spanish I
This class will be the equivalent of 1st year high school Spanish and is open to MS and HS students (7th grade and up). This is an immersion class taught by a native speaker/educator. Students will use an innovative visual textbook based on the QTalk method and must commit to 2+ hours of homework each week. The class includes assessment/tests/grading.
Instructor: LEARN Associates
Historical Inquiry: Modern American Period
Why is culture important? When is war justified? How should we handle conflict? How should resources be distributed? History is more than dots on a map or dates on a timeline. Using an inquiry-based approach invites curiosity and exploration and ties history to today using questions we struggle to answer in our time. In this class students will engage with these questions and more as they interact with each other in small groups to brainstorm and refine big questions framed around social studies topics through inquiry-focused projects and discussions, research, and document analysis. Through these activities students will defend and present their findings to the class to further understanding, with the ultimate goal being to develop independent learning, critical thinking, and research skills necessary to ask and answer their own questions.
Instructor: Kim Rogers
Enrichment for Upper Elementary and Middle School (2017-2018)
Junkbox Wars
This enrichment will challenge students to use their imaginations, scientific knowledge, and a box of "junk" to create a variety of devices that perform an assortment of tasks. The projects target technological design standards and incorporate others depending on the project. The Junk Box Wars projects are modeled after the Junkyard Wars TV show that aired on the Learning Channel network. Students will work together in small groups to design/build a variety of Challenges. Each challenge will extend over 2 class periods. The first class will introduce the parameters of the Challenge, cover related physics/engineering principles, and provide groups an opportunity to brainstorm general ideas. Students may continue to communicate and brainstorm designs the rest of the week but no Junkbox supplies will be provided and no pre-building at home allowed! The second class will consist of a 45-minute Build Time using Junkbox supplies followed by Competition.
Instructor: Jayne Besjak
Middle School
Science: Natural Disasters!
We will explore extreme weather conditions as well as geologic circumstances that can lead to natural disasters. The class will examine how weather data is collected and how to interpret it. We will also learn about Earth’s structure, tectonic plate interaction and how that’s related to earthquakes and volcanoes. Students will create a model of a floodplain, study seismic activity and devise a safety plan as to what actions should be taken during an emergency.
During class the students will enjoy relevant hands-on activities, engaging discussions and the construction of good arguments. There will be several collaborative projects which will demonstrate student mastery of the material by applying what they’ve learned.
Homework: Students will be responsible for weekly readings and assignments as well as several group projects throughout the year. They must be available for virtual collaboration.
Instructor: Jenifer Pascal
Spanish I
This class will be the equivalent of 1st year high school Spanish and is open to MS and HS students (7th grade and up). This is an immersion class taught by a native speaker/educator. Students will use an innovative visual textbook based on the QTalk method and must commit to 2+ hours of homework each week. The class includes assessment/tests/grading.
Instructor: LEARN Associates
Historical Inquiry: Modern American Period
Why is culture important? When is war justified? How should we handle conflict? How should resources be distributed? History is more than dots on a map or dates on a timeline. Using an inquiry-based approach invites curiosity and exploration and ties history to today using questions we struggle to answer in our time. In this class students will engage with these questions and more as they interact with each other in small groups to brainstorm and refine big questions framed around social studies topics through inquiry-focused projects and discussions, research, and document analysis. Through these activities students will defend and present their findings to the class to further understanding, with the ultimate goal being to develop independent learning, critical thinking, and research skills necessary to ask and answer their own questions.
Instructor: Kim Rogers
