In January, Kindergarten classes listed and acted out favorite dreams and goals. Arriving at The Land of Dreams we were told NO KINDERGARTENERS. Children practiced voicing their feelings of exclusion and unfair treatment. They learned how to protest peacefully. Their determined

Driving the City Bus

but non-violent methods finally opened the gates, and we all celebrated.

First Graders created and rode a city bus in preparation for the story of Rosa Parks. We imagined riding to and from jobs. We worked in offices, garages, beauty parlors,

Making Friends Across the Wall

stores, classrooms and designers studios. The bus was important in our lives. Confronted with a woman who thought the bus belonged only to her, the kids responded with comments like, The bus belongs to all of us. and You have to share.

2nd

Students Recreate a Sawmill in the Drama Room.

Grades reflected Dr. King's ideas about peacemaking.We developed a story about a town divided by a huge wall, and how the children made friends despite it.

Third Graders studied the influx of Europeans to the St. Paul area, and the development

4th Grader in a European Lace Factory

of farms and mills. Students set up a small town containing both a flour mill and saw mill. They created ways to portray a working day using props and costumes. Peace talks were held between the Dakota and the European settlers. Kids improvised speeches to give to one another.

Working in a British Metal Factory

Looking at the NE region of the US, Fourth Graders portrayed Native American and English people setting up trade. The Native Americans provided pelts, lumber and fish, while England supplied metal, cloth and hats for trade. We practiced actual

Columbus argues his case in front of Isabella and Ferdinando.

trading, communicating with no spoken language. Students then experienced factory life in England. Hearing more about America, they determined to cross the ocean and settle there.

Fifth Graders studied early European explorers in their regular

The Indian Queen Greets Columbus

classrooms. Drama class featured the voyage of Columbus. We enacted life aboard a small ship, using quadrants to find our latitude, climbing up to the crows nest, keeping logs and cooking. We compared the maps of today with those of Europeans during the1400s. We created written

5th Graders Read From Their Original Scripts

scripts based on classroom improvisation.

Sixth Grade classes worked on a variety of projects, each completed by a performance for younger classes. Click on the web links below for more details.

6th Graders Perform Shakespeare! Click for information and photos about Omley's Drama Project

6th Graders Host MLK Day Click here for more on Anderson's 6th Grade Drama project.

6th Graders in Ancient Greece Click here to see photos of Mr. Pham's class play.