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Grade 7: Prepping for DC

Seventh grade teachers are implementing new ideas to enhance the Washington DC trip this year as a result of their professional development experience at High Tech High last fall. Their goal is to make the trip a more integrated project, rather than a stand-alone experience, that will impact students more profoundly, according to Kelly Gaudet, English teacher.
Seventh grade teachers are implementing new ideas to enhance the Washington DC trip this year as a result of their professional development experience at High Tech High last fall. Their goal is to make the trip a more integrated project, rather than a stand-alone experience, that will impact students more profoundly, according to Kelly Gaudet, English teacher.

One way students prepared for deeper learning was by researching various monuments, museums and points in US history. They chose one aspect of the city (or Gettysburg Battlefield) to explore in depth after narrowing their focus to one aspect of their topic, such as the importance and architecture of the Jefferson Memorial. They wrote summaries and are prepared to share their learning with their classmates while on the trip. “Students are learning new information about their topics and are clearly excited to go see the focus of their research in person,” says Emma Perkinson, history teacher.
 
Once they return, students will reflect on the trip and create a culminating project that expresses their growth. These “Sacred Spaces” pieces will draw from the students’ daily journal entries following visits to war memorials, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, Gettysburg Battlefield and other sites. New this year, they will share their work with younger students to build excitement in Graland’s rising seventh graders.
 
Good luck to Grade 7 and the team of chaperones who leave Monday for their DC trip. We look forward to hearing about your experiences!
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.