North vs South
As we studied Sectionalism and how the U.S. was beginning to divide. We compared the North’s and South’s views of the Constitution, and the idea of different kinds of contracts. We took time to talk about the difference between a Union and a Confederacy—asking what makes us one, instead of many? This brought up though-provoking questions about how to have unity when people are very different from each other.
Miss Jensen
Abolitionists
We studied people who were beginning to speak out against slavery—the Abolitionists. We studied men and women like Frederick Douglas and Sojourner Truth, and practiced parts of their famous speeches out loud. We wrote diary entries, pretending we were escaping from slavery on the Underground Railroad, and had stimulating discussions about the importance of recognizing Abolitionists as American heroes.
Miss Jensen
Morse Code
As the United States was expanding westward, many new things were being invented. One of the inventions that made travel and transportation faster was the telegraph, and the development of Morse Code. Students studied how inventions like the telegraph improved communication, and practiced writing their own telegrams in Morse Code! This gave us a profound appreciation for modern communication technology.
Miss Jensen
Pioneers
We began our second semester by learning about how pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail. Students completed posters, research papers, and presented about their findings. Even though everyone presented on the Oregon Trail, the variety of facts was very interesting. 7th Grader Isaiah Bienemann explained how when the wagon trains would camp at night, they would circle their wagons, making it easier for the group to protect itself from animal or human enemies. Student Karen Lopez showed the differences in men’s and women’s tasks on the trail, and the intense difficulty of both.
Miss Jensen
What happened in Wittenberg?
We spent time learning about how the church began in Israel, then spread to Rome, then spread around the world, and why it needed to be reformed during the Renaissance. We learned about Martin Luther and his ninety-five complaints about church abuses. Students performed skits, pounding ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany (well, we had to use the classroom 301 door). We watched parts of the movie Luther with Joseph Feinnes, and students wrote letters to Pope Leo X, arguing for Luther’s side. Students also wrote letters to friends, pretending to be Martin Luther in hiding as he translated the Bible into German.
Miss Jensen
Famous Figures
Transitioning from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, when western culture was reborn, we studied important figures such as Johann Guttenberg, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Christopher Columbus. We looked at how better science led to better technology, which led to better ships, and more exploration. Students had to pretend to be a significant Renaissance figure in front of the class and be interviewed. Students then had to guess whom each person was based on their contribution to society.
Miss Jensen
Coat of Arms
During our session on the Middle Ages, student studies heraldry. Students had to learn about the meanings of colors, shapes, and symbols that knights would wear on their shields or display above their doors. Students had to create their own coats-of-arms using Middle Ages heraldry symbols. This gave students a way to express their personality and character, as well as learn about how people lived in medieval times.
Miss Jensen
Middle Ages
After studying the Roman Empire and its fall, we studied the Middle Ages; when much learning and wisdom was lost for a while. Some students made model castles, some made posters, and some did projects on Middle Ages legends, such as Robin Hood and King Arthur. A few students studies the medical practices of the Middle Ages, inspired by our overview of the Bubonic Plague. Students reported on health practices such as blood-letting, medicinal herbs, watching the stars and planets, using frogs as medicine, and many other intriguing methods.
Miss Jensen
Catacombs
Students studied the beginnings of democracy in ancient Greece and Rome, and how these two empires shaped our culture today. Students made projects on the Roman catacombs—underground passageways where Christians would hide during Emperor Nero’s persecution. Some students made posters, and some made model catacombs out of styrofoam or paper boxes. This project also gave the students insight into the religious differences between Christians and Roman pagans, since the catacombs were also underground burial grounds, and Romans were too afraid of dead bodies to go inside them.
Miss Jensen
Temple of Dandur
After studying Ancient Egypt, the 6th graders took a trip to Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to see their Egyptian wing. Students got to go inside parts of the Temple of Dandur, learn about how mummies were made, and learn about Ancient mythology. The students were able to ask (and answer!) questions about Egyptian religious beliefs, burial practices, and daily life.
Miss Jensen