November 21, 2014

This has been a whirlwind of a fall in the Art &Science room. Since the beginning of the year the Older Group has studied the Geology of Ohio, going on field trips to Ohio Caverns near West Liberty, Ohio and the amazing Cedar Bog south of Urbana. They have hiked in the Glen Helen on weekly basis. They have made pottery, sketched on a regular basis and painted ceiling panels which are currently hanging in a show at the Emporium in downtown Yellow Springs. Most recently OG children made “Egg Drop Devices” that were designed to keep eggs from breaking when thrown off the roof. After test the Egg Drop Devices when they enjoyed tasty omelets to celebrate our work.

Younger Group students have also been engaged in many different activities this fall including ceramics, painting, regular sketching, and more. The have worked on chemistry activities, color mixing and lego construction. Like the Older Group, YG children also enjoy a regular, weekly exploration in Glen Helen.

Perhaps it is safe to say that our big focus in YG this year is our exploration of the Yellow Springs community which we are calling, for now, The Yellow Springs Project. I am very pleased to be collaborating with Christine, the YG teacher on this multi-faceted project which contains elements of research, art, writing, hands activities at community sites, and links to related study. As an example, our field trip to WYSO led to an exploration of sound and radio waves and a look at the Electro-magnetic Spectrum. This project will continue throughout the year as we learn about and explore many of the institutions, organizations and businesses that make up our community. Look for an open house about the project in May, 2015.