Look who’s following! Lausanne, White Station Middle and Elementary and Germantown Elementary School!
Lausanne Collegiate School
This impressive and independent school in Memphis, TN, has taught students from all over the United States and from over 65 different countries. At Lausanne, students are encouraged to “seek their own journey” and become an inquirer.
Sounds suspiciously like what we will be doing on this expedition! {wink, wink}
The middle school curriculum is based on themes for each grade level. The 6th grade theme is Connections and students connect their learning to themselves, others and the world. What a terrific chance to connect to our Weddell seal project and Antarctica, the fifth largest continent!
In Social Studies, they start off the year with a look at the geography of Antarctica and the explorers who braved the icy conditions to discover new lands. As they follow my trek to the ice, they will be exposed to a modern-day version of what these explorers endured.
In Science, students learn about the scientific method and how to apply it to scientific study. They are challenged to research topics and seek and evaluate a range of viewpoints that relate to real life. As they begin the scientific process of asking questions, my team of researchers will be available to answer questions they were not able to find in their initial research.
From the teacher: “We believe following Alex’s research will help our students not only learn more about Antarctica, but learn how a scientist conducts their research. Hopefully, this will open their eyes to ‘real-world’ research, problem-solving, teamwork and scientific study. We want our children to save our planet!”
Go Lausanne!
White Station Elementary and White Station Middle School
White Station Elementary and White Station Middle are located in the heart of Memphis, TN. Both are high-performing schools that provide great learning opportunities to their diverse student bodies and challenge their students to become responsible citizens and successful learners.
White Station Elementary has been recognized in Memphis Parent magazine as one of Memphis’ best elementary schools.
Kudos, White Station Elementary!
White Station Middle has been recognized as a 2014 National Magnet School of Distinction for the third consecutive year. Only a handful of schools across the nation receive this prestigious designation.
Way to go, Spartans!
What are they doing at White Station Elementary?
At White Station Elementary, the 4th grade students are reading Jennifer Owings Dewey’s book called Antarctic Journal and will now be able to relate their research of food chains, animal adaptations, climate change and survival to our PolarTREC experience. This partnership will bring a whole new meaning to the students, as they learn more about Weddell seals.
One of the teachers even said, “The students are so excited to share in this adventure, because it literally brings to life the stories they are reading, making them jump off the pages and into their lives!”
White Station Middle School
What a warm and inviting welcome I received at White Station Middle School! The students welcomed me to their school with handmade cards and signs! I even got my own White Station Spartans shirt to wear while I am Antarctica.
A word from 6th grade teacher Nancy Virgous, at White Station Middle School in Memphis, TN
“I love to use every opportunity possible to extend my classroom lessons to a real world application. Antarctica Revisited was an excellent method to apply that concept. It not only aligned with our world geography study of the continents, but also with other core subjects as well. As a 6th grade team, we included tracking the mileage in math, biomes in science and postcards in language arts. Alex’s presentation was perfect for our school. The students are so excited about the entire experience and can’t wait to possibly see their postcards and flags posted on her blog.”
Germantown Elementary School
Yet another exemplary school I recently visited – Germantown Elementary School! And I must say, this was an amazing group of students, who, by the way, will be sending 7 flags down to the ice. Can’t wait to see them fly!
Here’s a snippet from the librarian, Deborah Allen.
“The interesting habitat of the Weddell seal was the topic of the day when Germantown Elementary School third-graders met Alex Eilers, the extraordinary teacher from the Pink Palace. Students discovered that in months to come they will read, research and communicate with her online. They will stay in touch daily with Miss Alex and her study of the protected animals near McMurdo Station in the east coast desert of Antarctica!”
http://germantowneslibrary.weebly.com/september-events.html
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