Friday, January 31, 2020

Science, Science Everywhere!

In the winter, the 8th grade Science curriculum is divided into a few different units. The first month of the term is spent studying human sexuality and genetics. Students learn about reproductive anatomy and physiology, reviewing internal and external human anatomy and the processes involved with human reproduction. Students also learn a number of gender and sexuality terms to better understand the variety of human experiences and we had a visit from the educational representative through Planned Parenthood last Friday. She taught the students about the three different general types of sexually transmitted diseases (bacterial, viral, and parasitic) as well as discussing methods of birth control and STD prevention. Students had the opportunity to practice proper condom application using wooden models and asked some great questions about healthy sexuality.

Students also learned about the science of genetics through two labs. First, they learned about reproduction on a molecular level, diving into the structure of DNA and the human genome. Students learned about how DNA makes up chromosomes and the history of human genome mapping, which enables us to place certain traits on specific chromosomes. Students explored how reproductive genetics affects the expression of traits through dominant and recessive genes, and mapped out their own traits, matching chromosomes with traits and assessing the probability of trait expression. In the second lab, students created Punnet Squares to explore the probability of inherited traits with different situations of dominance and recession. We also matched the class's expressed traits with the probability of those traits appearing in the general population.

In mid-January, we shifted our focus in Science to the Avalanche Unit, which incorporates physics, chemistry, psychology, and geology (among other scientific disciplines) to help students understand how to travel safely in the snowy backcountry. Thus far, students have learned about the triangle of snowpack, weather, and terrain that we humans venture into when we explore our backyard. We've learned about how snowpacks are a "horizontal representation of the winter's snow and weather," and had the chance to create simulated snowpack in the lab using various edible products to represent different types of snow: brown sugar as a wind crust, white flour as new snow or slab, white sugar as facets, and potato flakes as surface or buried surface hoar. Students then applied angles and triggers to their simulated snowpacks to see how the layers interact under pressure to eventually slide down a variety of surfaces. Yesterday, we dove into the chemistry of snow, learning about how snow metamorphizes over time and with various pressures like wind and sun. Fun fact: When snowflakes are falling from the sky, they are referred to as snowflakes, but once they hit something (the ground or another surface), scientists called them "snow crystals" or "snow grains."

    

The big focus now is preparing for next week's backcountry ski trip. During this trip, students will continue their exploration of snow science, learning how to dig snow pits and conduct field tests to assess the snow's stability. Students will also embark on a study of the mind as they learn about the heuristic traps that we can fall into when we are making choices about safe travel. With rapid warming predicted this weekend, followed by a relative plummet in temperatures next week, we will surely see some interesting snow chemistry in action!

Friday, January 24, 2020

8th Grade Spanish Happenings



8th Grade Spanish



Tik Tok video we made in the fall when we were talking about Tik Tok dances the students liked. (Sorry it's sideways! My video editing skills are low) 


Our Day of the Dead Altar

Students playing a vocabulary game in the core structure of the class: the Circle
Fall vocabulary about the Food Unit: health good, junk food, spend, global warming, employees, they grow, to name a few.... 


Asher, Campbell and Sebastian (Jesús, Pedro y Nacho) acting out a favorite scene from a holiday movie. 

Words about all kinds of superstitions we have when we got on the topic of good luck and bad luck after eating 12 grapes in 12 seconds (good luck in many Spanish speaking countries at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve)

Walker deciding that this was the most comfortable way to write. 



Students trying out the tradition of eating 12 grapes in 12 seconds. Turns out, it's really hard, and maybe even a little bit dangerous. 

In Spanish, communication and proficiency are the goals. Students are moving deeper into the Novice High and even Intermediate Low level, aiming to produce complete sentences most of the time. We work on Interpretive (reading and listening), Interpersonal (speaking and interacting spontaneously on unrehearsed topics), and Presentational (presenting, convincing, give your opinion) skills every week. The curriculum comes from them and their interests, and as you can see from some of the snapshots below, our vocabulary lists are truly organic. What ends up on the board are the words students can't say when they're trying to talk or write about a topic and they get stuck. As conversations evolve each day, students are faced with the task of communicating about unexpected topics: a night on an outdoor trip when the boys tried to scare the girls, a scene from the show Wildkratz, or how they spend Christmas day (we still can't believe Carter can wait a whole day to finish opening all his presents).  


This fall we dove into the 8th grade Food Unit by talking about their trip to the Tetons, what they did there, and the impact that food has on our planet. They watched a movie called Landfillharmonic about a student orchestra in Paraguay in which students play on instruments made from recycled materials from the landfill where their parents work. 

Students studied maps of the Spanish speaking world and all were able to reach 100% accuracy on seterra.com. We made a Día de los Muertos altar and honored loved ones who had passed, and we studied the tradition of Three Kings' Day in the Spanish speaking world and compared it to Christmas. One day we ended up making a TikTok video (see below) when we were talking about what made up their personal sense of culture. 

Most recently, Gaston Zuain has joined Calysta as an intern from the Teacher Training Academy. He is both observing and teaching parts of class and bringing his unique perspective having been born and raised in Argentina. He's a wonderful asset to the class, and the kids love his Argentinian accent (y's, ll's and j's sound like "sh")

 Students have been talking about superstitions they have and why they believe them. We have recently been comparing the differences between the Upper School and Middle School based on their visit day to the Upper School. Most students decided they think the Upper School is better, and one student shouted out, "¡He terminado con la escuela media!" ("I'm finished with Middle School!") 


Thursday, January 9, 2020

In the eighth grade French classroom, communication is the goal. The eighth grade French students consistently bring a wide variety of topics, opinions, and stories to class. Through interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational activities, students practice their speaking, listening, comprehension, reading, and writing. They can create skits, drawings, stories, presentations, questions, and games with any topic. Every day is an adventure with their great sense of humor and enthusiasm for fun. This is a class full of curious, creative, and imaginative students. Yay!


In the fall, we talked about our diets, the food pyramid, and healthy and unhealthy food. We compared diets of different countries. Students wrote and spoke about what they should and shouldn't eat in their diet. This segued into what teens should and shouldn't have, such as tattoos and piercings. In the photo, the class shows off the tattoo they might get.





Mère Noël visited class before winter break. Students practiced asking her questions and listening and writing her answers. Apparently, she doesn't ski much, but she likes to go sledding.





Beverly Roberson (SVCS former parent) visits class once a month and has wonderful conversations with the students. Her daughter, Hannah Conn (SVCS alumna), visited today and we talked about routines and daily activities. We also discussed whether you should or shouldn't go to bed late on the weekends and sleep until afternoon!


Not only can these students create improv skits with vocabulary, speak with visitors, and give their opinions, they can even speak ONLY in FRENCH to kindergarten age children. These students were amazing when they worked with kindergarten students building marble courses. The eighth graders spoke French with the kindergartens, encouraged them with words, and worked with them to build their creations. It was really a true community building experience. Bravo!