Many firsts

First day of math lessons and work block. First day of social studies. First Buddy Day. First game of our ole favorite Handball. Our morning work block is busy. Students are either engaged in a math lesson as a member of one of three math groups, working on math exercises, or choosing to complete spelling exercises, writing prompts, reading assignments or a nature journal entry. With such choice comes independence and responsibility for keeping oneself on task and productive.

Today Jon "discovered" Iona's backpack and its contents just like Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. We unpacked the word discovery and began investigating Columbus' second voyage to the Americas, which is where most textbooks conveniently end their tributes to Mr. Columbus. After reading some details about how the Arawaks were treated from primary sources, the question, "Why weren't we told this before?" was raised. Students began seeing how wealth, race, and power influenced the telling of what did and didn't happen.