Inside the Hall: Middle School

From music to humanities, cross-disciplinary practices in Middle School choir

This semester, Matthew Pyles’ Middle School chorus classes worked in harmony with the humanities department to further connect students with the words and meaning in the music they performed. In 5th grade, Senorita Katie King and Senorita Vanesa Wenz visited class to teach students the lyrics to “De Colores,” a joyful song that celebrates the bright colors of creation. Sixth grade students visited the library to study the books referenced in their choir song “Stories of My Life,” including A Wrinkle in Time, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. As the 7th grade chorus learned “Follow the Drinking Gourd” for the winter concert, Director of Equity and Inclusion MarQuis Chappell joined to teach the class about Coded Spirituals, the religious songs often composed in the Christian African American tradition that held important meanings and messages during the time of enslavement.

Using research and strategy to understand ancient civilizations

From the battlefields of conquest to the battlefields of real estate, 6th grade history used interactive projects this semester to better understand life in ancient civilizations. The first project had students researching the culture and geography of different ancient civilizations to determine which would be the best place to settle. Students presented their findings in the form of persuasive commercials. From there, students put their knowledge of ancient civilizations into practice with the empire game. Students were divided into ancient empire teams, the Phoenicians, Hittites, Persians, and Babylonians, and worked to control the game board. Throughout the project, they had to complete jobs, collect resources, and grow their empire to surpass the competing teams. Using thoughtful teamwork, strategy, and reasoning skills, they gained a better understanding of why conflict occurs among civilizations and how it might be avoided.

Insect interest gets students buzzing with excitement

In 6th grade, Bekah Hassell’s science classroom was positively buzzing as students learned about the significance of insects and the value of understanding all types of species. At the completion of the unit, students embarked on a mission in the Stephanie Balmer Garden for Student Engagement. The goal: to identify the different types of insects living there and determine if they are beneficial or detrimental to the garden growth of the vegetables. The girls were each assigned an insect and applied their research skills, guided and assisted by Middle School Librarian Alice Bryant, to learn how their insect moves, when it is active, what stimulants attract it, and other significant attributes. They then used their research findings to design and build a trap in the Design Den to capture their insect. After setting the traps in the garden, students studied the traps, monitored effectiveness, analyzed results, and presented their findings to the rest of the class.

Student-designed bug trap