Skip to main content

The Peopling of the World

           Recently I cruised through an Upper School ninth grade history class where students were grappling with the history of the human race. It looked quite different than the Western Civilization classes I had visited in the same classrooms just a few years ago. In this class, we started with essential questions – the why behind the exercise of the class. We were being asked to consider whether or not people ultimately made their way to the Americas by one method or many methods – apparently a historical debate that has raged for quite sometime. It was a question without a clear answer, even in the world of our adult scholarship, but our ninth graders were going to take it on in a 45 minute period one Wednesday morning in History class.


            The kids were paired off – with one computer a piece – to consider eight different archaeological findings including names like Kennewick Man, Buhl Woman, and Luzia Woman. While I am sure these are all famously known by our parents, I had literally never heard of any of them. The teacher set the kids off with some basic who, what, when, and where parameters and were given about ten minutes. At the end of that ten minutes, all of these famous archaeological discoveries had been researched and catalogued by the ninth graders. We began the process of sharing our findings. What our teacher was able to do so masterfully, however, was push the students further. After they had the facts, he asked them to construct meaning by asking questions like: what does this one tell us about how people possibly migrating 12,000 years ago? Does it seem reasonable? What are the problems with some of these theories we are considering? All of this was integrated with images facilitated through technology. It was not seventeen kids coming up with seventeen factual reports but a class of our ninth graders collectively building a theory about the history of humans through research. I actually forgot where I was, as I was spellbound but the possibilities of our ancestors as a nation. 


            For me this was Curriculum 2020 in action in our classrooms already - today. Rather than being asked to learn a fact or theory and remember it for a test, our students were creating the theories. Rather than read facts out of a textbook, our kids were actually seeking out the content on their own. It was how they synthesized this content that actually mattered. I wish you could have been there with me, as I bet you would have lost yourself for a moment as well. It gave me hope for our direction, and I found myself ready to go back to high school. I have not said that too many times in my life, for the record. I need to visit more classes more often.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

E.T.

I don’t think everyone is aware that for this period between Thanksgiving and Winter break, grade levels within the Middle School temporarily re-organize themselves to offer interdisciplinary learning experiences to break up the regular routine of class. This year, I was asked to participate in the “Machine Pilot” aspect of the seventh grade effort to explore the concept of extra-terrestrial life (E.T.). Seventh graders are asked to consider who, out of anyone on the planet, they would choose to send into outer space to interact with alien life forms and why. Our students are told they can literally choose any person on the planet, and the focus need not necessarily be someone with experience in space travel. In fact, they are asked to envision a pre-programmed ship with one seat, leaving them to consider not just technical skills but who would we want to represent human kind in this first interaction. They research, create resumes, write persuasive cover letters and are ultimately as
Post a Comment
Read more

The Campus as Mission

Yesterday, I was fortunate to spend an entire day with our board in retreat to discuss the future of Berwick Academy. The day included strategic conversations about the future of financial aid, innovation, and our amazing campus. In considering the strengths of the Berwick campus, almost everyone spoke to the remarkable quality of our main quad, the blend of old and new buildings, and the incredible open space we have to support our programs. There is an aura of learning and support on this campus that is clearly bolstered by the physical space and buildings. This sense will only be strengthened by the addition of the new Wellness Center next year. Looking ahead, there are still improvements to be made. Certainly parking is a concern, and we continue to dream about new facilities that might make the Berwick experience even more special for our students. One of the key insights that emerged from these conversations was the way in which the physical campus needs to reflect the
Post a Comment
Read more

Sugar Shack

Late April always brings the excitement of the BPC benefit, and I want to encourage the community to attend on April 28 at the Sheraton in Portsmouth. Certainly it is a fun way to gather and celebrate what makes BA so special, but it is also true that the funds raised through BPC help move our school forward in such compelling ways. Just this week I was reminded of this reality after I was invited to offer feedback to Krysta Ibsen’s eighth grade science project. As many of you know, Krysta has become famous for her Sugar Shack projects, which teach our kids aspects of science and entrepreneurship through the practice of making maple syrup. Clearly this is an example of student directed learning, where kids get to pursue individual interests within the broader educational construct. What I have always loved about the event is that it changes every year, and this year Krysta charged the kids to propose a real model for a permanent Sugar Shack we might build on campus someday. Kids
Post a Comment
Read more