What if you had the opportunity to build your very own castle? What would it look like? How would you defend it? That’s exactly what our 10th grade global classes had the opportunity to do as we we studied the unit on the Rise of Europe. We discussed the beginnings of Feudalism and the Manor economy. Students also looked at the lives of peasants, knights and the Germanic Tribes.
Mr. Berrios
Our ninth grade global classes just wrapped up a unit on Ancient India and China. We discussed in detail the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Buddhism. We also studied China’s dynasties such as the Shang dynasty and the Zhou dynasty.
Mr. Berrios
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said, “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” Teamwork is just one lesson that our students need to learn in order to become successful in life. Whether they go on to become a professional athlete, doctor, lawyer, business man, teacher, etc, they need to learn how to get along and work side by side with their peers despite their differences. Through sports, students learn that they are just one part of a whole and in order for the team to function they all need to contribute.
-Mr. Wong
In 9th grade we are learning all about salvation. Why we need it, how we attain it and the effect it has on our lives.
Mr. Lopez
This week students will be “playing teacher” by giving presentations on Asia’s First Civilizations, India and China. We just wrapped up a unit on ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in which we also compared these cultures to the emerging culture of the Israelites. The Israelites were (unlike their neighbors) monotheists whose God was seen as a protective Father rather than as fickle, violent, and anthropomorphic like the other ancient gods. We saw this first hand by reading the “Enuma Elish,” a Babylonian creation myth.
Mrs. Lapp
History students have been learning about the Revolutionary War and the founding of our country, focusing specifically on the ideas of liberty and order. Is it better that a nation has a government of the people with mistakes, or a government led by a dictator who imposes order? Currently we are studying the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and learning how the Constitution fixed many of these weaknesses by creating a stronger national government.
Mrs. Lapp
Government students have been learning about the founding of our country, focusing specifically on the ideas of liberty and order. Can liberty and order coexist? Students also participated in a passionate discussion about whether or not rebellion against a tyrannical government is justified. We are currently studying the Constitutional Convention and have even been having our own mock Constitutional Convention with delegates debating and compromising in order to form a classroom Constitution.
Mrs. Lapp
In the month of October, the English 10th grade class has been making our way through “Oliver Twist”, by Charles Dickens. Getting the students to spend time at home reading the book was challenging at first. As we discussed the novel in class more and accompanied the discussions with a short viewing of the movie here and there, the interest of the students was sparked and questions flooded the room. Exciting class discussions have borne from this novel, which included the life and experiences of a child and the treatment of orphans. Watching the movie allowed an expression of shared pain and sympathy. It is so exciting. At times the movie is the only thing that is desired, but we must – read on, at home and as a class! I have had the students use their creativity to start writing their own introductions of the book. Some humorous, some sarcastic, some filled with questions and all exceptional. I hope to include some of their own acting and drama with a narrator and judges, sort of like a mini-production. I’ll propose a choice of activities and we’ll see what the class chooses.
Ms. Farrell
In the month of October, the English 9th grade class has been making our way through “A Christmas Carol”, by Charles Dickens. Although the reading may be challenging due to the author’s language and numerous vocabulary words, the story is captivating and allows frequent opportunities to survey our life as it stands today. We have engaged in lively discussions which included the topics of: ‘How do you want to be remembered’, ‘How can you strive to live a life free of regrets’, ‘If you could change one thing in your life, what might that be’, as well as other similar topics of discussion. Usually there are so many responses; the discussion has to be cut off at some point, as we need to move on. We are spending much focus and proceeding with continuous momentum in this novel, because we have a goal to reach and prize to gain, which is to go to the theatre and view the movie on November 9th!
Ms. Farrell
In 10th grade Algebra, we have been studying the properties of exponents. I have been using my new SMART board to show the students the way exponents work. The students are doing a great job learning these concepts.
Mr. Boyd