The Older Kids used their knowledge of maps to create a map of their own country. They included a key, scale, compass rose and lines of latitude and longitude.

The Older Kids created an interactive map of Tenochtitlan and taught their classmates about their topic.

The Older Kids created an interactive map of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and taught their classmates about their topic.

The Older Kids ran so many laps at our annual Fun Run. The money they raise will be used to buy some new furniture and other additions for our classrooms. Here are just a few photos of the event.

Our Ellis Island simulation was a great success. We had immigrants from Russia, Poland, Italy, Greece, Finland and Germany arriving by ship. They had to pass through several stations to prove they would be strong, healthy, law-abiding and productive citizens of America before finally taking the oath of citizenship. Our students embraced their immigrant roles and loved every minute of this afternoon. Only a few had to be deported!

Since we are studying the Industrial Revolution, today we learned about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in the late 1800’s. It was an engineering marvel at the time, and pretty impressive even by today’s standards! It is an incredible example of human ingenuity during an era of huge growth in the USA.

The kids then worked with a partner to try their engineering creativity. Their job was to use only straws and tape to build a bridge spanning 10 inches. We tested each bridge to see how much it would hold. In the end, they all learned some important strategies and had fun doing it.