One of the unique aspects of Stephen S. Wise Elementary School is our Project
Studio classroom, which is always alive and buzzing with inquiry-based learning
that ties into our social studies curriculum. Students are eager to get to Mr.
Meth and his room so that they can dive into new experiences every week. Our
first grade is learning about communities, and a part of this study is an
examination of community workers. They have learned about postal workers,
firemen, and construction workers and the picture above is our first grade
construction workers learning how to make a suspension bridge. An interesting
connection that the students made was the work that is currently happening on
the Mulholland Bridge, and they have a new sense of appreciation for this
engineering.
Second grade is studying multicultural lessons with a focus
on Kenya, Brazil and China. Each class is taking a virtual “trip” to their
country, and so far they have exchanged their currency, learned the language,
checked into the hotel, and have tasted the foods. They are learning about what
defines a culture, and their work will culminate in a travel scrapbook with
photos and mementos from each activity.
Third grade studies Los Angeles
and they have learned about Native Americans, African Americans, Jewish
Americans, and Asian Americans that are all Angelenos. They met an herbalist,
looked at artifacts on loan from the Autry Museum, and are leaving today for a
field trip to Chinatown where they will participate in a walking tour, eat a dim
sum lunch and do Tai Chi in the Plaza.
If you haven’t had a chance to
visit our Project Studio I invite you to stop by and see the magic for yourself
– you will be amazed at what our students are experiencing every day.