The third grade students are learning about Economics in Social Studies this period. They are learning about goods and services, supply and demand, producers and consumers, income, the difference between needs and wants, opportunity cost, and how money/currency makes it easier to trade, borrow, save, invest, and compare the value of goods and services. By the end of this unit, students will understand most people have a limited amount of money that they can use to buy the things they want and need; that because money is limited, people need to make good choices about how to wisely save and spend it. Through a fun and engaging S.T.E.A.M. project, students will also have the opportunity to be entrepreneurs by producing their own goods or services. They will practice being in the roles of consumers, producers, and entrepreneurs. This hands-on project provides students the opportunity to practice their mathematical skills in calculating and accounting for inventory levels, costs, profits, income, and how to manage money and time wisely and efficiently.
-Alice Kong-
2nd grade visited the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College and learned about how to save water to help planet Earth. Ms. Smarty Plants was really funny and knowledgeable about plants, California and how much fresh water humans use. We planted baby succulents and were given water saving plant seeds to bring home grow in our gardens. Even though it rained that day we still had a lot of fun on this adventure.
– Emily Loomis-
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The fourth graders have been working on changes to Earth’s surface in science. Mrs. Jacoway helped organize a multi-stationed experiment so that the students could work with a variety of types of erosion. They worked collaboratively in groups reading instructions, performing the experiment, and analyzing the results to answer questions.
Cathleen Anderson
The fourth grade students brought some of their unused books or the ones that have been read and reread many times to exchange with others in their class. The books were in French or English. They were exchanged to encourage and motivate other students to read as well as create a sense of community through sharing and giving to others.
Cathleen Anderson
On Thursday, November 15th, the 5th grade students demonstrated their science projects in the auditorium. After reading about William Kamkwamba, a Malawian boy who had designed a windmill out of discarded items in order to provide water and electricity to his home, the students set out to design their own useful machines with discarded materials. Student projects included pet food dispensers, weight-reducing levers, water dispensers for plants, and many more. On Thursday, they presented their finished projects to parents and to fourth grade students.
Emmanuel Parello
Project based learning allows students to work with a purpose and to use their skills in real life situations. After the 5th graders measured the area of artificial grass needed, the order was made. The facility team is working hard to install everything. The result already looks clean and beautiful.
4th graders have been working with Jacob Johnston during art class. After a step by step process, the result has been presented in front of the school. These additional touch of color welcomes everybody to SDFAS.
Technology in education allows students to work on multiple skills in one lesson. That’s what Caroline Dumas’ 2nd graders did, using the BookCreator app. Students were able to write, draw, organize what they had learned during their class delegates elections. They could even record their voices to repeat what they had written: a great way to practice oral language and share their work with their parents! Collaboration was also key in this process: many questions were answered by peers on how to create their very own interactive books.
In history, the fourth graders have been learning about the natives of San Diego, the Kumeyaay. They have learned about their skills, government, trade systems, and their management of natural resources. Today they were able to see and experience life as a Kumeyaay native at the Torrey Pines State Park. The park provided docents that took small groups around the reserve to explore the flora and fauna encouraging them to take on an archaeologist perspective regarding those who lived here before us.
Cathleen Anderson & Sylvia Aka
For the last 2 months, Kindergarten students have counted, added and subtracted by programming little robots called “Beebot”. Meanwhile, the 4th graders were learning how to code polygons using “Probot”, an advanced version of the “Beebot”. In addition to the required Geometry skills, they acquired specific coding knowledge: loops, logic and debugging.
All this work led to a meeting between both classes so they could share their new skills during a cooperative lesson. The older students had to program their Probot to trace different polygons. Then, they asked the younger ones to name the figures in French and English, and to point to the correct word among others on a document. A great active pedagogical experience, full of kindness and cooperation to learn better.
Project based teaching and hands-on activities have been one of several practices at SDFAS. This year, a whole school project is dedicated to gardening, planting, and water.
Today, 5th graders worked on measurements in a real situation. They had to calculate the amount of artificial grass that the school will have to order. After measuring all surfaces, planter boxes, and tree circumferences, they came back to their classroom and made the final calculation.
The artificial grass will be ordered during the weeks to come and the area will be ready to welcome students from 1st to 2nd grade, who will then use the planter boxes.
