We have finished our first IB unit, and we are now well into our second. Our theme is Where We are in Place and Place, and our central idea is that the past impacts the present. We are working our way through the 20th century as we "Drive Through the Decades." We are focusing on events, people, entertainment and inventions. It is a lot, but the idea is not for students to be able to recall everything we cover, but to instead understand how all of those things have shaped who we are today. For example, we learned about the Wright Brothers first flight and how they changed transportation forever (as did Henry Ford with cars). We also studied how ragtime music was the first American music and that it led to several other styles of music, including jazz, which we are talking about this week. There are endless possibilities with this unit, and we will make as many connections as we can!
Also, we are working to have a few art focus lessons throughout this unit. We have been given the awesome opportunity to have an extra art class during this unit with Ms. Freeman who also teaches the UA Partnership art class. She is doing an OUTSTANDING job of connecting art to the current decade (this week, 1920's-1930's). She will stay with us through this unit and we will have an art show later to "show off" what we have learned! Also, we are fortunate to have a parent (and probably more than one) with a background in visual art. Coming up, he is going to help us experience being a painter through the eyes of Jackson Pollack. Not only is this an opportunity to have big fun and get messy, but it is also a great connection to modern art.
Whew. That is really only scratching the surface of what is going on in The Beehive. Stay tuned for Part 2. :)
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