Liz's Class Notes

It’s been a full and exciting month in our classroom! We’ve formed book groups that meet once a week to read and discuss together. It’s been wonderful to hear students share ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another’s perspectives. Students are journaling about their apprenticeships and reflecting on what they’re learning along the way. We’re also starting to think about building a digital portfolio to showcase that learning. This week, we focused on writing an inviting introduction that welcomes readers in and gives a sense of who they are as learners.

As part of our study of seaweed’s evolution, students created deep time timelines. The first event on our timelines is the origin of photosynthesis, about 3 billion years ago! To bring that idea to life, we ran a hands-on lab in which students observed photosynthesis in action. They timed how long it took spinach discs to rise in a cup of water placed in sunlight, and compared the results to discs in a cup kept in the dark. The discs in sunlight floated to the top because photosynthesis produced oxygen, which made them buoyant. In math class, students then graphed their data, connecting science and math in a real way. Very soon we’ll dive into endosymbiosis and continue exploring how seaweed evolved.

Next week, our Senior Learners will create artifacts of learning that will be on display in our gathering space. Please come by and have a look.