Students in the 6th grade have begun reading the book 1493 by Charles Mann. In the book Mann explores the wide reaching impact of the Columbian Exchange. Students have been introduced to the 'spiderweb' discussion method and started to hold their own student run discussions. In this discussion method, students assess their class discussion against a rubric and set goals for themselves for upcoming discussions.
6th graders have all chosen a topic for a Columbian Exchange research project. They have been introduced to the Noodle Tools Platform for note taking which they will use in both Humanities and Health throughout Middle School. Students are currently hard at work researching the origin, the travel, and the modern day impact of their topic. Topics include plants, animals, and diseases that were passed back and forth between the Old and New Worlds after the initial voyages of Columbus and other European explorers.