Students in 7th-grade science carried out a lab to learn to distinguish observation from inference. They recorded their observations of some locally sourced slugs, noting several of their interesting adaptations. They were then asked to make inferences regarding the function and significance of each characteristic. They learned, for instance, that slugs have two optical and two tactile tentacles, all of which retract when they are touched. They were intrigued by the asymmetry of the slugs' breathing holes on their right sides. They were also able to observe the slugs' unique mode of locomotion by viewing them upside down through a transparent petri dish. Don't worry...no slugs were harmed during the course of the lab. Click the photo to the right to see photo gallery.

A sneak peek of Mrs. Koziara’s Upper School Dance Composition and Performance class allowed us to glimpse the beginnings of student-inspired and -led choreography. As the group appeared deeply engaged in creating their “movement sentences,” she quietly explained to us that the first semester focuses on the students' own work--and that a “toolbox” is needed to expand their ability to create. So together the students had created lengthy lists of action words that could be placed within at least one of four categories of movement (traveling, sinking, nontraveling, and rising); these verbs become the motivation for their movement, and we watched as they each created a unique “movement sentence” or “phrase” comprising four words--one from each category. Next, they changed their unique phrase by modifying one of the elements such as level, path/direction, or timing. Then they attached counts to their phrases. And toward the end of class, one student (drawn at random) taught her phrase to the others, and they performed it in unison as a class. (The joy in the synchronized result was palpable!)