Halloween Collaboration with SU students

In 1999, The New School started a tradition of celebrating Halloween with sophomore students from Syracuse University’s Communication Design Program. A few weeks prior to this annual event the SU students visited The New School to work in small groups on a collaborative, problem solving activity. This year each group of elementary and college students were challenged to invent and design a new game. Last year they had to design and create a way to protect an egg, which was later dropped from 14 feet!
For Halloween these same small groups of New School and SU students collaboratively created a 5 minute skit based on their costumes. This time the New School students visited the Warehouse to perform their skit which included music, props and our year long theme: “Inspiration, Imagination and Invention”

China Mystery Guest

On Thursday, October 28, 2010 we were hosts to our first Mystery Guest of the year. Our thirty students had three minutes to find out why Emily was at our school. In those three minutes they could only ask Emily yes or no questions. Our students quickly guessed Emily was with us to teach us about China so then they tried to narrow down the focus of her visit. They asked, "Are you here to teach us about the Great Wall?" "Are you here to teach us about Chinese culture?" After the three minutes were up, Emily shared an informative power point presentation on life in China, its history and its culture. Following the whole group presentation Emily taught two smaller groups of students the art of Chinese calligraphy.  It's trickier than it looks to hold the brush the correct way and to keep the point on the tip of your brush!

Ancient China with older students

China is a fascinating country full of many ideas and technology. Many great inventions, which we still use today, originated in Ancient China.  The landforms in China served as barriers and isolated the country from the world around it for many years. Travel and communication, within as well with neighboring countries, was difficult. 

Students, grades 4^th through 8^th,  learned how China’s geographical features have impacted China. To start the unit off, the students were introduced to China through its inventions. The students were assigned four inventions and were asked to determine where and when the invention was made. When they convened later they found out that these inventions were mostly invented in China. Only two inventions they discovered were invented in India and Europe. Later the class discovered both these inventions were in fact originally invented in China, but because of China’s geographical isolation other countries, such as Europe and India, received credit for the invention. This fact led us to develop a timeline comparing the dates when inventions were made China and in the Western World. We then asked the question, "Could the time difference in the date of inventions have been caused by the geographic barriers in China?"

China’s barriers of mountains, plateaus, deserts, rivers and seas made it difficult for even the Chinese within China. One activity demonstrated to the class how difficult it was to communicate and travel within China. Each student took on the role of one of these barrier and had a visual of what China’s barriers looked like. This led to a map activity in which the students had to identify the major barriers by color as well as answer questions based on the labeled map.

To end our unit the students were given articles about two major rivers: the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. While reading these articles, the students realized that these rivers were unlike the other barriers because they benefited China. The rivers provided rich soil, a source of food, a way of travel, cooking, as well as cleaning.

Field Trip to see Laura Heyman’s photographs

On Thursday, October 14, the older students went to the Lightworks Gallery to see an exhibit of Laura Heyman’s (Ace’s Mom) photographic portraits taken in Haiti. Prior to leaving the school the children located Haiti on a map. We also reflected back to last year’s explorer unit and asked the question, “Who from the west might have ‘discovered’ the island? We also discussed Laura’s question, “Can someone from the first world see/photograph within the third world without voyeurism or objectification?” Much of our conversation was about the meaning of the label 1st  world and 3rd world.

Once at the gallery, children were asked to study all the photographs and select one that was especially interesting to them. They were then assigned to draw from Laura’s photograph and write about what they felt the subjects were feeling, what were their interests, and what were the relationships between subjects in each photograph.

Laura was able to come and answer their questions and engage in a lively discussion for the final 20 minutes of our visit. 

Ramps

The younger students in Karen’s ramps science unit have discovered ramps all over the New School.  They tried climbing to a platform on the playground without a ramp and with a ramp and discovered that ramps make our work (and play) a lot easier!  Sharing places where we have seen ramps and inclined planes, helped us realize how often ramps are used in our community.  This week we experimented with designing ramps with different lengths and heights in the block area in preparation for our ramp experiments next week.

Book Clubs

Ancient China

 The younger children (grades K through 3) started their study of Ancient China by considering what an invention is. What was the earliest invention anyway? Then each child was given an invention and asked to illustrate it. As we shared the drawings and discussed what life could have been like without the invention of toilet paper, paper, gunpowder, wheel barrow, kite, matches, parachute, compass, umbrella, toothbrush, yoyo, chess, paddle wheel and the printing press we soon learned that all the inventions had one thing in common. They were invented in China – a long time ago.

During Read Aloud the children have listened to four books by the same author: Virginia Walton Pilegard’s Warlord’s Beads Warlords Puzzle, Warlords Fish, and Warlord’s Kites. Each book focuses on the same character and setting. Readers soon learn how the abacus, tangrams, compass and kite were invented. After reading the books, children had the opportunity to then sign up during Investigations to learn about magnetism and make their own compass fish. This week they learned about the abacus and made their own. Next we will make paper and a kite!

Mystery Powders

Mystery Powders – Who Done It?

Older children (grades 5 – 8) are excited about becoming forensic scientists as they try to figure out who stole the youth group’s money from the Temple. Incriminating evidence was left behind in the form of a white powder. After researching local white powder manufacturers we found three companies: The Ace Company, Bug Company and Eek Company. So who stole the money? Could it be Vergil Vermin, Ronald Rat or Thelma Thief?

During science class, which takes place during Investigations in the afternoon on Wednesdays, students working in small groups were given samples of powder from each company. They observed the powder and then added liquids Bop, Tap and Zip and observed and took meticulous notes of the reaction.

Once they have tested the three powders they will be given a sample of the powder (the evidence) found at the scene of the crime. By referring to their notes and observations we hope they can prove without a shadow of doubt, the identity of the culprit. Then a warrant for the arrest of Vergil, Ronald or Thelma can be issued! Stay tuned! 

Cubes and Parquetry Pieces

During Math Center, the youngest students have started out this school year exploring math materials.  We began with looking at and playing with cubes and parquetry pieces.  Students were given time to build, explore, play and describe what their pieces could make.  Then we had a discussion about the differences between the cubes and parquetry pieces.  
During our next center, each student was given 15 blocks and had to use at least 10 to build anything they wanted.  After their masterpiece was complete, they had to switch with a partner and "copy" their partner's design.  Designs ranged from a U shape to a "car".  The students then played this copy cubes game the following week on their contract.  
Our latest center has been exploring the parquetry pieces more.  Students made a shape book tracing and labeling each shape.  They were then given a puzzle to cover with shapes.  In these photos, students are working on counting out how many hexagons, triangles, squares, rhombuses and/or trapezoids it takes to cover a puzzle.

Solids, Liquids and Gases

One of the younger students' science classes, started out exploring how to describe "mystery" objects.  Pairs of students were given bags with one object inside and had to come up with five words that described how these objects felt.  Students' lists included words such as: bendy, fluffy, hard, soft, rough, smooth, sharp and silky.  


When we gathered back together as a group, pairs that didn't know what was in a mystery bag tried to guess based on the 5 descriptive words.  After we discussed the descriptive words, the teacher pulled out one more mystery bag.  She told the students that their mystery objects were one type of object and the new mystery object she had would be classified differently.  There was a brief discussion on how all their mystery objects could be the "same" (a shell, a flag, a teddy bear and a feather) until a bag of water was pulled from the teacher's bag!  Then students knew that their objects were "solids" and the  teacher's object was a liquid.  


During the second class, we further explored solids by challenging each student to build the "tallest" tower only given paper cups, foil, tape, straws, cardboard, paper, rubber bands and popsicle sticks.  We first explored the solids we could use and talked about what would be "sturdy" and would help build a large tower.  


We will continue to explore solids, then move on to liquids and then gases!

Westcott Street Cultural Fair 2010

For many years we have enjoyed being part of the Westcott Street Cultural Fair. Our participation increases our visibility in the University neighborhood, and helps us build community. At Kid's Corner, located in the Petit Library parking lot, The New School offers inexpensive and healthy snacks, free face painting and chess and checkers. Current students and alumni are an important part of this event.  They are wonderful spokespersons for the school and they bring the vibrancy of the school into the community.  

For the past two years we have also enjoyed being part of the parade. This year we walked as "endangered animals." Children created "hats" to represent their endangered animal. At school children sketched their animal and located its habitat on a world map. Do check out the display in the front hallway. In the near future children will create multi-media representations which will be displayed at Barnes and Noble and at The Galleries library downtown.