Upper Elementary’s Week as the Senior Students at McGuffey

During the Middle School trip to Chicago, Upper Elementary students enjoyed a special week of their own with the Upper Unit to themselves. This week, their big project was to help to develop the McGuffey Games Curriculum, a collection of educational games that support different curricular goals for each grade band.


UE students playtested several games and filled out reports on what they were like to play and how they could be useful to each subject area. Then they created card games of their own, writing the rules, playtesting their games and asking for feedback, revising the rules, creating a final rules sheet, and designing the cards and the box. After finishing their games they filled out a Game Developer Report about their experience. They are looking forward to sharing their games with the Middle School students.
Grade 5 went upstairs each morning for a special math class with Kadriye, exploring new challenges such as the coordinate plane and had a wonderful time. Grade 4 continued to work hard on math downstairs. Many of them designed card games based on math!


On Wednesday, we began our new science unit, Weather and Climate. We took advantage of some available cardboard and the beautiful weather to build forts in the outdoor classroom to work in, measured temperatures in different locations, and set up a mini weather station. The forts were a wonderful place for reading as well as doing science and working on games.


Thursday, we walked to Patterson’s and had brunch together. We practiced table manners and how to represent McGuffey while out in the community, just as the middle school students do on their week-long trip. Students ordered for themselves and were respectful and curious. Michelle and the staff of Patterson’s were delightful hosts, and our students thanked them for a delicious meal as they left. Thanks to Chip Murray for accompanying us!


On Friday, Upper Elementary hosted the third graders for our first Step-Up day, where they get to know the Upper Unit. The third graders joined us for a work period; UE students shared their science lab activity with them and the third graders shared their biome work. Afterward, they had recess and lunch together. 


It was a special week for UE in Art and Music as well. Musical rehearsals have been in full swing and generated a lot of buzz. Many exciting art projects headed home as well.

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