EIGHTH GRADE
The 8th-grade class has fallen into a steady space of working together online via video conferences and offline independently. We are continuing our Geography block. This week we transitioned from Economic Geography to Geography and History of Asia. The 8th-grade students are learning about history, geography, and economy as inter-related subjects. They have explored how sugar production in the New World fueled slave trade and how European merchants, among others, benefited from a Trade Triangle that connected three continents from the late 16th to early 19th centuries.

This week, we shifted our attention to Asia and studied the rise and fall of empires in the East. The 8th grade learned about the voyages of Admiral Zheng He and the golden age of culture and science in China. We used online sources of the Metropolitan Museum, The British Museum, and the Ceramics Museum inside the Forbidden City to study art and traditions of the time. The students are now working on their 2-dimensional rendering of a Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain vase.

We are continuing the Cyber Civics and Language Arts program, as well as math. To sharpen their digital skills, the 8th graders are learning to use Prezi to create animated presentations on topics such as Tibet, endangered species of Asia, The Great Wall, Mount Everest, modern-day China, etc.

Another highlight of the week as an experiment we are conducting in Cyber Civics. Right before we found out about the school closures, the 8th-grade students developed a list of 100 fun media-free activities. We embarked on an experiment of staying media-free for 24 hours and then writing a composition about this experience.

I'm looking forward to reading the essays and discussing their experiences.

~Ms. Domokos