MIDDLE SCHOOL
Unit:
This week, students began the final phase of our Social Studies unit: presenting their deep-dive research into the world's most fascinating Ancient Civilizations.
To ensure a comprehensive understanding of these complex societies, students are utilizing the G.R.A.P.E.S. framework, a powerful tool that helps them categorize and analyze history through six essential lenses:
Geography: How the land and climate shaped the culture.
Religion: The beliefs and practices that guided daily life.
Achievements: Lasting contributions in art, architecture, and technology.
Politics: Who was in charge and how the government functioned.
Economics: How the society traded and managed resources.
Social Structure: The hierarchy of the people within the civilization.
It has been inspiring to see the students move from the "world-building" phase of their own original societies to applying that same academic rigor to real-world history. From the engineering marvels of Rome to the intricate social systems of Ancient Egypt, our scholars are demonstrating impressive critical thinking and public speaking skills.
We are incredibly proud of the hard work and curiosity they have shown throughout this journey! Stay tuned for more highlights as the remaining presentations continue through next week.
Life Science:
Students, after spending a good amount of time examining how the living and nonliving components of ecosystems function in a multitude of ways, have shifted their focus to how they interact with the world around them. It started with time spent running a digital simulation in which they controlled a water catchment area. By making choices about the use of the land in terms of agriculture, tourist attractions, water facilities, or replanting native forests, they were able to unpack the balance of making money and being financially sustainable, while being ecologically responsible and making sure the environment and drinking water remained safe. After considering the factors people must consider to make just one area sustainable, students have started looking at real-world cases of species that are vulnerable or endangered. After analyzing why these species are at risk of extinction and who was responsible for the decisions that led to these circumstances, students must develop their own action plan outlining the steps that can be taken to help restore their chosen species to a healthy state.
Middle School Spanish
We have been working on a street food project in which students are creating a menu for their own (imaginary) street food stand. When everyone is finished, we will have a market roleplay day where everyone takes turns buying and selling food from each other in Spanish. It will be a fun and different way for students to practice using useful real-world phrases with each other!
HIGH SCHOOL
Spanish 2 (9th grade)
We have been doing lots of things in Spanish class. Reading Don Quijote, watching a Mexican reality cooking competition TV show, and working on a project where students do a cultural deep dive into various cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries. We also visited the kitchen this week to make croquetas de jamón, a traditional Spanish appetizer, speaking only Spanish.
Spanish 2/3
Last week in class, we visited a local Mexican art museum located in downtown Santa Barbara that has a variety of Mexican folk art. We got a personal tour of the space from the curator, who is very knowledgeable and passionate about Mexican art, and we all really enjoyed visiting the museum and hearing about the research they are conducting on a region of the world and all the art.
History
In history this week, we have been discussing the Roman Empire, focusing on its rise and transition from Republic to autocratic Empire. While students have continued working on part 2 of their Snapshots through History project, focusing on the Roman Empire, they have been working on what they chose at the beginning of the year. They gave a presentation on life in their region during the early Bronze Age, and now they have moved forward in time and are preparing to present to the class what was happening in their chosen regions sometime during the Middle Ages.
Biology
After concluding their exploration of genetic models by asking and exploring answers to the question "Why are calico cats always female?", students have begun to unpack the concept of evolution. They brainstormed and shared their own understanding of what evolution is, and began untangling "What is evolution?" and "What are some of the impacts of and causes of evolution?” This led to a discussion of the basis of this theory, and was a great lead into their current project - answering the "how do we know this?" of evolution. Students are each examining a piece of evidence used to support the theory of evolution or to explain observed phenomena, and are making videos that explain how this evidence was discovered, how it is analyzed, and how it is used to support modern scientific theories.
