K'nex Swing Ride

The students in Class IV worked cooperatively to construct a K'nex swing ride, while learning about simple and complex machines. They are in the process building a ferris wheel which will be added to the swing.

East Asian Studies Outreach

Class V enjoyed a trip to Wesleyan University's East Asian Studies Outreach Program. During the trip, they experienced a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, made their own homemade sushi and learned some basic calligraphy.

Rock Climbing:

Students are challenging themselves on the LDFDS climbing wall as part of our adventure education unit in P.E. class.

Slow Gliders:

Students in Class II designed "slow glide" airplanes, meant to travel long distances.  After testing several designs, students took their best planes down to the gym and measured their speeds, graphing their results.

Puppet Making:

Students in Class III use their creativity to make handmade puppets for a puppet show performance during Friday activity period.

Building Thermometers:

Here, students from Class I performed various experiments to learn about the effects of warming and cooling temperatures in the atmosphere.  They built thermometers and barometers to observe & compare temperatures and pressures around the school environment.

Poetry:

Students in Class III use their knowledge of the parts of speech to write poetry about their favorite things.

Electrolytes:

Students in Class V worked on a lab project that examined the levels of electrolytes in different types of drinks.  They were surprised to find that milk was one of the best conductors of electricity.

Newton's Laws:

Students in Class II completed a series of short labs to demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion.

Solid or Liquid?:

Students from Class I discussed and described properties of solids, liquids and gases.  Here, students used basic kitchen ingredients to create a colloid and learned that it can be both a solid and a liquid during different phases.

Animal Cells:

Students in Class III made 3-D models of animal cells out of play dough and then labeled the parts.

Saturnalia Celebration:

During Latin class, the students in Classes IV & V celebrated Saturnalia, "The Return of the Sun", just as the ancient Romans would have. Students learned about the celebration, created small sculptures (a traditional gift) out of soap and enjoyed feasting on crepes with honey.

Cell Functions:

The students in Class V have been working on stop animation films showing how proteins are made.  The films will show mRNA traveling through the cell and eventually exiting as a protein.

P.E. Cooperative Games:

Students participate in an activity called minefield as part of an adventure education unit.  Students work on communication, cooperation, and trust to be successful in the activities.  

Metric Airplane Project- (math)

Students designed their own paper airplanes, sketched them to size on graph paper using metric measurements, then tested them for either distance and accuracy (how close they could fly it to a stationary target), and then we graphed the results.  

Collaborative Painting:

Students are working to create a collaborative painting.  This is achieved by dividing up an image and each student painting a section.  When all of the sections are painted they are put together to reveal the image.

Paper Chromatography:

Students in Class II recently completed paper chromatography experiments.  Using Mr. Sketch markers, the students looked at how combinations of different inks are used to create the marker colors.  They also learned about additive and subtractive primaries, and calculated the retention factor of each ink, reporting their final results on colorful posters.

Cooking Lunch:

Students in Class IV worked together to plan, prepare and cook lunch. Our menu included fried chicken tenders, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.

Great Expectations:

Class 5 is currently reading  Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.  We will be analyzing character development, universal theme, and other characteristics of classic literature.

Djembe Drumming:

Students took part in two all-day djembe drumming workshops in June led by drumming instructor Don Culp. Students were taught the basics of djembe drumming by classroom, and then those interested in taking their experience to the next level participated in a "master's class". The Djembe is a skin-covered hand drum shaped like a large goblet and is meant to be played with bare hands. The name of the djembe comes directly from the saying "Anke dje, anke be" which literally translates to "everyone gather together" and defines the drum's purpose.

Don's discussions with the students highlighted the

importance of determination, dedication, respect, responsibility and open mindedness as it relates to drumming but more importantly to happiness and success in anything they wish to achieve in life.

Don holds the rank of 8th degree black belt teaching his own concepts in a style called Shizen-do, is a certified personal trainer and the head instructor of Don Culp’s Karate Studio/Whole Arts Training Center in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He is a song writer, respected session drummer/percussionist, as well the production coordinator for concerts and has also invented, patented and successfully marketed a dog related product called the Pro-Leash. For more information about Don check out his website at http://www.donculp.net

Reebops:

Students in Class II are studying genetics and inheritance in science. They created figures called "Reebops" out of marshmallows, gumdrops, toothpicks, etc. Each "reebop" had unique characteristics selected at random from chromosome strips made to represent the dominant or recessive alleles inherited from the parents.

Eminent Domain:

Students in class V have created models of properties that they must defend against the government in an Eminent Domain hearing.  They also must care for their property during a number of situations that may affect their home or business (lost jobs, health inspections, winning the lottery, floods, tax payments, etc.).

Marshmallow Catapults:

Students in Class II applied their knowledge of energy and forces to create catapults out of shoeboxes, rubber bands, plastic spoons and other everyday materials. They tested their creations to see which catapult could shoot a marshmallow the farthest, and the closest to a designated target.

Roller Coaster:

Students in Class IV worked cooperatively over a 3 week period to construct a K'nex roller coaster. The finished product contains over 3000 pieces and stands just over 5 feet tall.

Worry Dolls:

Students learned the Guatemalan folklore about worry dolls than created their own.

Animation Theater:

Students in Class II & IV participated in a workshop presented by Eli Whitney Museum. The students learned how to wire circuits that caused four LEDs to flash in sequence and created four frame drawings to project in their "mini-theaters".

Electricity:

Logan and Ron experiment with switches, batteries, wire and small light bulbs.

Inauguration 2009:

Students school wide joined together to witness the Inauguration of our 44th President Barak Obama as he was sworn into office.

Parent Night:

Students and parents of Class IV spent an evening together arranging flowers, swapping homemade cookies and conversing.

Holiday Baking:

The members of Class II spent some time celebrating the season by
baking holiday cookies to share with their friends and families.

New Arrivals:

Class V welcomes the addition of a guinea pig (Lenny) and two hamsters (Boris and Mickey D). Our new guests will be observed as they demonstrate different aspects of animal behavior.

Soccer:

Students are learning skills and concepts needed to play soccer.

Mag Lev Trains:

Students in Class II and IV participated in a workshop presented by
the Eli Whitney Museum. The students built models of magnetic
levitation trains.

Math Class:

Two students in Class I working in math enjoying the gifts that come from teaching and learning together.

Cooking:

Parents and Students from Class III picked apples from Lyman Orchard and baked homemade apple pie!

Day of the Dead Celebration:

Class III made Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) to share with the school on Nov. 7th.

Woven Mandalas:

In art, students have continued to explore circular design. Most recently they created woven mandalas. 

Current Events:

Class V held a presidential forum based on their studies of political figures.

Parent Breakfast:

Students in Class II prepared a breakfast for their parents using locally grown and organic ingredients.  They also participated in a guessing game, in which they had to ask questions to find out the identity of a mystery person whose name had been placed on their back.

Camping:

The students in Class IV went to Little City Campground for a day. They built a campfire, roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch, played outdoors and went for a hike in the woods.

Foraging:

Class V has been learning about foraging behaviors in animals. Students participated in a simulation activity related to this topic.

Glaze Firing:

A fresh batch of beautiful pottery creations hot out of the kiln.

Force and Motion:

As a part of a "force and motion" unit in science, Class 1 explores the motion of marbles and the forces acting on them. This experience provided opportunities for the students to reflect on the process of invention and problem-solving.

Climbing:

This month in Physical Education, students are using the LDFDS climbing wall to challenge themselves and get off the ground!

Multimedia Presentations:

Students are hard at work in Technology class, adding the finishing touches and music to their Keynote presentations about the topic of their choice.

Student Boxes:

In Class I, Students put together boxes representing important aspects of themselves using photographs, words and drawings.

Fall Gardening:

The students in class V are using the garden to learn about annual and perennial plants.  They are harvesting annual seeds and planting perennial bulbs this fall.

Adventure Education:

Students have been participating in activities designed to improve cooperation, communication, physical fitness, decision making, and problem solving.

Goldfish Pond:

The students in class IV are using the tea garden pond to study ecosystems. They are learning about different kinds of organisms that inhabit the pond—in particular, the Koi (goldfish). Mark and Charlie are shown observing/feeding the fry (baby Koi).

Day of the Dead:

In order to expand our appreciation of different cultures we will focus on celebrations that are held around the world. For our first effort, Class III created Calacas (a colloquial Mexican name for a skeleton) to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos ("Day of the Dead," which is similar to our Halloween celebration).