Inch by Inch

With the earth coming back to life, students and staff at The David School are as high-spirited as ever! We have so many amazing projects going on and our Inch by Inch program is thriving. Many people know our garden program as just that, a program dealing only with the garden. However, there is so much more to it! Inch by Inch is a greatly expanded, interdisciplinary academic and vocational opportunity for all of our students. Inch by Inch goals and implementation are as present in the academic classrooms and wood shop as they are in the garden and kitchen. This month, I would like to highlight some of the amazing lessons our teachers have done that correlate directly with Inch by Inch and its mission.

Social Studies (taught by Sister Kathy Divaio)

Sister Kathy continually comes up with original and innovative ideas for lessons in her classroom. Nobody here was surprised by her creativity when planning her Inch by Inch activities.

In her U.S. History class, Sr. Kathy will soon be discussing the Industrial Revolution and how the invention of the cotton gin led to more slavery. As a precursor to this lesson, she has decided to work with her students to attempt to grow cotton. Students researched the best way for cotton to grow and have used different types of soil to see which yields the best results.

Sister Kathy also helped her students plan a wonderful Japanese inspired meal after they finished their unit on Japan. Students prepared Japanese Style Chicken in a Pot Soup, stir fry vegetables, shrimp and several other Japanese inspired dishes. It was a great experience for her students as well as a great surprise for everyone at lunchtime!

English (taught by Morgan Miller)

In Morgan’s class, she has really been able to implement the Inch by Inch goal of: Celebrate their Appalachian cultural heritage. When learning about Argumentative writing, she talked a lot about coal mining and its history and impact on Appalachia. She discussed the pros and cons of mining with students. Students were then asked to choose a side and support it. The assignment sparked excellent conversation and really turned out well!

Most recently, she taught a lesson on descriptive writing. Students were asked to try several varieties of the same category of food (they tried 5 types of: apples, nuts and chocolate.) They then practiced writing descriptively based on the five senses. Students really enjoyed getting to try new foods and learning in a non-traditional way.

It is so much easier to inspire students when you make learning fun!

Students tried different varieties of apples, nuts and chocolate. Here is one student exploring the different types of nuts (almond, peanut, pecan, walnut and pistachio.)

Science (taught by Molly Frost)

One of many initiatives we have here at The David School is recycling. While we take it pretty seriously, Molly’s science class used their unit on recycling to take our practices to the next level. In the unit they discussed the different types of recycling, when and why recycling began and the pros and cons behind landfill waste. She made a game into the school wide recycling initiative by offering prizes to the students who were able to collect the most recyclable materials. These prizes ranged everywhere from a “get out of class pass” to having the chance to pie their teacher in the face. It was so amazing to see students so motivated to do good!

Turning recycling into a game has proven to motivate our students! They love this hoop in their science class.

Woodshop (taught by Greg Howard)

Some of the most exciting work has been accomplished in the woodshop so far this year. Greg has been a great addition to our team and has really been teaching our students a lot about carpentry and working with their hands. Not only were grow lights constructed earlier in the year, but students have been hard at work on a greenhouse. We also have a lovely addition of student-made birdhouses that line our driveway. We’re excited to see what else these woodshop classes can impress us with…I hear that a chicken coop is in the works! Stay tuned.

The green house is looking great. They have constructed it so fast!!

Bluebird houses made by wood shop students.

We are so proud of our students and the amazing things that they have been able to accomplish this year. While we may be a little biased, we think they are the absolute best! We’re thankful every day for the Inch by Inch program and the benefits it brings to our school through so many different avenues. Please keep an eye out for the next exciting projects brought to you by The David School!