Middle School Students Get a Taste of World Languages
Barstow's Sixth Grade Experience gives students who are new to middle school an introduction to world languages and culture, with a rotation in executive functioning as well.
This week in the Chinese language and culture rotation, students learned how to make authentic fried rice under the guidance of Cheryl and Chuck Payne. In the Spanish language and culture rotation, Brandon Pepin's students learned about the importance of chocolate in the historic region of Mesoamerica that includes northern Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and central to southern Mexico. Students roasted and ground cocoa beans and made hot chocolate. And not to be outdone, students in Julie Valluet's French language and culture rotation will make crepes next week, to follow up the faux macaron sculptures they've already created.
These rotations are about more than cuisine; they are an exploration of culture, global citizenship and geography, with introductory language learning woven into the course. As students develop an appreciation for each language and get a feel for speaking it, they may decide which one of the three — or maybe all of them — they want to pursue.
The fourth rotation in the Sixth Grade Experience is an executive functioning course taught by assistant debate coach and B-Line advisor Lucia Scott. Students are learning important organizational and study skills that they can use throughout middle and upper school, as well as into the future.
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These rotations are about more than cuisine; they are an exploration of culture, global citizenship and geography, with introductory language learning woven into the course. As students develop an appreciation for each language and get a feel for speaking it, they may decide which one of the three — or maybe all of them — they want to pursue.
The fourth rotation in the Sixth Grade Experience is an executive functioning course taught by assistant debate coach and B-Line advisor Lucia Scott. Students are learning important organizational and study skills that they can use throughout middle and upper school, as well as into the future.
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Learning to make Chinese fried rice in Sixth Grade Experience...
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...begins with understanding food in its cultural context — and measuring the ingredients!
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Roasting and grinding cocoa beans gave students a hands-on experience that teaches about the importance of chocolate in Mesoamerican culture.
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Students in the French rotation made faux macarons, but move on the real crepes next week!
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Executive functioning skills are critical to success in a rigorous learning environment. Learning organizational and study habits in sixth grade sets students on a course for success.
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