A Field Trip Back in Time

Andrew Stevenson, Cherokee Creek Boys School Teacherby Andrew Stevenson, Social Studies Teacher, Cherokee Creek Boys School

We just completed a field trip that was in conjunction with a unit covered in class on the Industrial Revolution. In class, we’ve been focusing upon on individual entrepreneurs, inventors, and political figures from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. On the field trip we delved more into what life might have been like for an individual who lived during this time period.
Field Trip to Agricultural MuseumWe did this by visiting the Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina in Pendleton.

 

Activities for our students included:
  • assembly line basics while mass producing paper airplanes;

 

  • removing seeds and cleaning actual cotton by hand, followed by seeing the machines that were developed during the 19th century to clean cotton;

 

  • using a basic loom to weave by hand, then studying the much larger industrial loom;

 

  • students created timelines of inventions from Eli Whitney’s cotton gin up the flight of the Wright brothers as our guides walked us through these inventions’ impact upon society;

 

  • Field Trip to Agricultural MuseumOutside, students were tasked with removing corn from the kernel by hand versus doing it with simple machines. They also ground the corn into a usable product;

 

  • Finally, we were taken to their gardens and animal pens where students interacted with American Guinea Hogs and various heritage poultry breeds while learning about animal care.

Field Trip to Agricultural Museum

Throughout all of this students were exposed to various other exhibits including farm implements, water systems, and local exhibits including a list of South Carolina Century farms (farm ownership by the same family over 100 years), including the farm they recently picked muscadines at (shameless plug for the Stevenson farm!).

 

Also of note, the staff at the agricultural museum were incredibly impressed by our boys and specifically complimented their firm handshakes and inquisitiveness. Our students were great ambassadors of Cherokee Creek Boys School during this trip.

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posted by jleslie in Uncategorized and have Comment (1)

A Different Lens

Academic Dean Denise Savidge

Academic Dean Denise Savidge

This past Monday, Language Arts dovetailed with Current Events and History as the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden became the topic of the day. Most of the boys here at CCBS were 2-4 years old when 9/11 occurred, too young to remember the event itself and to experience the shockwave of emotions that overtook the nation at the time. But many knew someone who was affected by the tragedy in some way and had very strong opinions on it.

The natural reaction expected from the boys was received: the, “justice was served,” “he got what he had coming,” and “I’m glad he’s dead,” comments were numerous. But then the discussion went another way…the boys researched and viewed the celebrations that were held near the White House and in Times Square. They read the backstory of the Navy Seal operation and the history of Al Qaeda ad Bin Laden himself. They heard of the woman who lost her life as a human shield for a terrorist. All the appropriate news sources were fair game for digging in and finding the story without YouTube assistance.

The boys were then asked to rethink the situation and decide how the celebrations fit with their own personal values and the values expressed in our Lessons of the Medicine Wheel: How did the people involved show Love, Truth, Courage and Wisdom? Were they behaving as Visionaries, Warriors, Teachers and Healers?

Their words are inspiring:

We need our leaders to tell the truth without blame or judgement. We also need our leaders to be insightful to see what the terrorists could be thinking before they do it. We need the people to be healers. We need to be loving and lovable…we need to shine the way when all other lights go out. To our country’s thinkers, they need to be wise and trust that we’ll find the way and be flexible to whatever could happen. We can make this country stronger than it has ever been before. -AB

I think the celebration of the death of Bin Laden does not fit well with any of the four levels of CCBS. I think (that) solemnity would fit more. With the Visionary you are supposed to accept his death. For Teacher…you are supposed to be trusting. Therefore, you can trust the US Military and all of our armed forces. Healer would be most relevant because you are supposed to be forgiving, therefore forgive what he has done even though it would be really hard because of everything he has done. -SD

They (the people celebrating) are not being Teachers, because if we are celebrating someone dying, what are we teaching a kid and everyone that looks up to us? -MH

Each of us has our opinion about the recent events surrounding Bin Laden’s death. The exercise was not meant to bias our students one way or another, but to offer an opportunity for them to think for themselves, to examine this story through a different lens and to apply their understanding of the medicine wheel to a world event. I was impressed by the seriousness they brought to the assignment…and look forward to watching these bright young men continue to grow!

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posted by jleslie in Discovering What is Real and True and have Comment (1)