FROM THE HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL KATIE GIBBONS
SYMBIOTIC LEARNING We live in a symbiotic, interdependent, and relational world. To best reflect and adapt to this interconnected reality, students at AVS Lower School are immersed in daily STEAM education. An outstanding example of the network of relationships through which our students learn is the second grade class’s “Doggy Dilemma” project, crafted this past school year by teachers Katy Barber, Melanie Do, Sarah Jashington, and Tira Sims. After studying early humans and before the ancient civilization unit, students embark on a captivating journey to explore the symbiotic relationship between early humans and domesticated wolves over 15,000 years ago. In researching the origins of specific dog breeds, the students discover how the partnership between humans and dogs played a crucial role in the development of human civilization. For example, dogs assisted in important tasks, such as herding livestock, guarding settlements, and providing companionship. Below is a closer look at the Doggy Dilemma experience: SCIENCE Through scientific inquiry, the students investigate the classification of living things, life cycles, and natural and human selection that led to the domestication of canines. TECHNOLOGY Using the online brochure program Printing Press, the students create their research projects by applying their typing skills, navigating the internet to provide relevant links, and printing their creation.
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