LG Expeditionary Thursday Update

In 6th grade, students have been reading Night Diary and on Thursday they learned more about Hinduism by visiting the Bhakti Center. Through this work, they explored many concepts - some new, some not - but they connect to each other in ways students might not have thought about before. For example, they’ll think about connections between Hinduism, vegetarianism, meditation, yoga, and mindfulness. In addition, students will got a chance to sample traditional Indian dishes. As a culmination, students will conduct independent research to create a presentation of their learning.

Ask your child what they’ve learned about Hinduism. How has it helped them better understand the book Night Diary?

Our 7th graders are kicking off their interdisciplinary Sugar Expedition: The Truth Behind the Wrapper. This rich expedition will delve into the history of sugar through the triangle trade, the science of how sugar affects the body, and the math of nutritional labels.

On Thursday, students will start the day by performing different exercises (squats, jumping jacks, and push-ups). Then they’ll learn about calories, and how many calories different foods have. Based on that information, they’ll convert their total exercises performed into “candy bucks” to spend at the candy shop. In the afternoon, students will watch Fed Up, a documentary that will change the way they think about eating. Finally, students will look at nutritional labels on different beverages to check their expectations about how much sugar is in different popular drinks.

As a follow-up, students took a trip to a local grocery store to get a first-hand look at how to make smart food purchases. What's actually in that peanut butter or tomato sauce? Which option is the better value? What kind of nutrition information can you find?

Ask your child what kind of information they can find on nutritional labels. How does it help them decide what to eat or drink?

So far this year our 8th graders have been studying geometric transformations: translations, rotations, reflections, and dilations. On Thursday they got a chance to take what they’ve learned out of the classroom and into the streets of Chelsea. As they walked the Math Trail, students followed a planned route and answered mathematical questions related to what they encountered along the path. Through the experience, students had the opportunity to connect mathematics to many subjects including art, design, architecture, science, geography, and history. Back in the classroom, they used rigid transformations to create their own tessellations, MC Esher style.

Ask your child where they see tessellations in the world around them. What kind of design did they make on Thursday?

Brooklyn Collaborative is a NYC Outward Bound School serving students in grades 6-12. We use the EL Education school model, which has its roots in Outward Bound.

Email: adamc@bcs448.org
Website: bcs448.org
Location: 610 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Phone: (718) 923-4700