In Spring 2017, Elizabeth Bell’s first grade crew explored storytelling through imagery. Using Mayan stories, students identified types of storylines and how imagery is used to convey meaning, both directly and metaphorically. In this process, the Bell Crew connected with Reno muralist, Erik Burke. Together they created an image of the SELS’ story and a [...]
Expedition Express: The Art of the Story History is the study of people and how they lived across time and regions of the world. The Mayan civilization began over two thousand years ago, but we know their story because of the art and artifacts they left behind. Stories can be brought to life through the [...]
Expedition Express: Light and Sound Engineers! The Bell Crew is wrapping up a mini-expedition exploring the connection between light and sound vibration as well as investigating the path of a beam of light. Students have spent the past several weeks working as scientists to observe, wonder and record their findings about light and sound. They [...]
Expedition Name: I Love the Mountains! Case Study #2: Trailblazing! I can use the SIERRA norms to overcome challenges. I can design a realistic goal for myself. Case Study #2: My Sierra Nevada I can identify local mountain peaks. I can describe my connection to the mountains around me. Case Study #3: Weather or Not [...]
Expedition Express: I Love the Mountains! An expedition that explores how challenges make us stronger… and how our Sierra Nevada Mountains are special. In case study #1, we will learn the importance of persevering through physical and emotional difficulty. We will learn about goal-setting in the context of mountaineering and later use that knowledge to [...]
We are using our kindergarten "bear paws" to scratch beneath the surface of our learning. Our young minds are growing and expanding as we embark on this non-fiction study of the American black bear. Here is the framework of our winter expedition: Title: The Strength of a Bear Guiding Questions: What makes a bear a [...]
We are off to a wonderful start in kindergarten! It has been a delight to get to know this new group of SELS students. Our crew is starting to take shape as a thoughtful and interested group of young learners. Expedition News: Title: Building Community Guiding Questions: How do we build community? How do we contribute [...]
SOUND & LIGHT ENGINEERS We are off to a grand start with our month-long expedition, Sound & Light Engineers. Brooke Landis, local science/engineering expert, will continue to work with our crew throughout January to explore the ways sound and light travel. Thus far, we have been working as scientists to observe sound and light and to question and investigate some of our ideas on these topics. During the second half of the month, we will become engineers and learn about the design process, so we can design and build devices that use sound and light to communicate. Swing by our room any afternoon this month to see your youngsters at work. The atmosphere is literally buzzing with excitement and learning! […]
SELS Summit Day brought to you by the Bell Crew/First Grade… Who: Entire SELS student body and staff members What: First annual SELS Summit Day Where: All-day hike to Castle Pass When: Tuesday, October 28th Why: To experience ADVENTURE, CHALLENGE and COMMUNITY! How: With the help of amazing staff, parent drivers and chaperones! The first annual SELS Summit Day served as the final product of the first graders’ expedition, entitled “I Love the Mountains!” The expedition focused on goal setting, adventure and developing a sense of place through the mastery of local geographical landmarks– specifically, the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the week preceding the event, the first graders made goal-setting presentations to each SELS crew (K-8). The presenters used first-hand experiences to demonstrate how breaking a goal into manageable parts makes an impossible goal feel possible. In addition, the first graders presented their own hand-drawn “peaks profile” to teach their peers how to identify the main peaks visible in our area. SELS students used the profile as a resource on Summit Day to identify local mountains. […]
Expedition News Title: I Love the Mountains! Guiding Questions: How do challenges make us stronger? What is special about our Sierra Nevada Mountains? Case Study #1: Trailblazing! Learning Targets: I can use the SIERRA norms to overcome challenges. I can design a realistic goal for myself. Case Study #2: My Sierra Nevada Learning Targets: I [...]
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
