Second Graders Engaged in Innovative, Integrated Study Focusing on the Olympics

At this year’s Quest for Teaching Excellence Conference, sponsored by the Greater MetroWest NJ Day School Initiative, keynote speaker A.J. Juliani provided an inspiring presentation focused on innovation and project-based learning. Using these inspirational ideas, the Lower School faculty met last month to discuss ways to make this method of teaching applicable to their students. While teachers and specialists from each grade level brainstormed meaningful, innovative and integrated approaches, the 2nd grade teaching team recently put their ideas into practice with a unit of study about the Olympics.  

 

In General Studies classes, students are learning about various countries participating in this year's Olympic games through nonfiction text study. Second grade math classes are focusing on graphing, including tracking the number of medals each country receives on a giant graph. In Judaic Studies, Kitah Bet has been learning about past and present Jewish Olympians and about those competing for Team Israel this year in Beijing as well as those from the US and Canada. Each student recorded information about one particular Jewish Olympian and created amazing bulletin boards to display the medal count and their research on Jewish athletes. Our students are so excited to continue their integrated studies about the Olympics over the next few weeks!