"Too often we give children answers to remember, rather than problems to solve." - Roger Lewin
Cool Things With Words
Words are cool. And powerful. And beautiful. Sadly, that feeling isn't typically conveyed in most writing classes or curricula. "Cool Things With Words" is a writing class, inspired by Bravewriter and Michael Clay Thompson, that will embrace the cool, the powerful, the whimsical, the fun, the thoughtful, and the beauty of words and writing. Through interactive, engaging activities, we will explore the cool things you can do with words, writers and writing. And we'll add in a splash of grammar.
Recommended ages: 8-12
Recommended ages: 8-12
September 12-November 21st (no class October 17th)
10am-11:15am
$150 per student
Location: Uptown Heating and Cooling Community Room
3554 Bryant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
10am-11:15am
$150 per student
Location: Uptown Heating and Cooling Community Room
3554 Bryant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
We Want Chickens!
A real-life problem about backyard chickens and local government
Backyard chickens are all the rage these days as people return to raising their own food, gardening, and connecting to where their food comes from. Many communities allow chickens, but some still do not. We'll take on the problem of convincing a city to allow backyard chickens. Along the way, students will learn a lot about chickens, how local government is set up, and how to get your voice heard in your community.
We love problem-based learning! It engages students on a deep level encouraging them to see problems and solutions from different angles so they can create a solution that encompasses the needs of everyone involved. Problem-based learning helps to develop critical thinking skills and cooperative engagement. On the first day, students are introduced to the problem- a local city currently bans backyard chickens, but many residents would like to see this changed. We then dive into research and learning mode using videos, talking with experts, reading, Socratic discussion, and asking lots of questions. One of the first things they learn, is you cannot solve a problem without fully understanding it. From there, we expand our knowledge until we can succinctly state what we are trying to do and then we use our creative problem solving skills to solve it. Every single time we teach these classes, the solution is different because the kids come up with different answers. We take into account the different strengths of the students so that everyone can engage at the level and in the way that is most interesting to them because everyone has different strengths and interests that they bring to the problem solving table.
Recommended ages: 8-12
We love problem-based learning! It engages students on a deep level encouraging them to see problems and solutions from different angles so they can create a solution that encompasses the needs of everyone involved. Problem-based learning helps to develop critical thinking skills and cooperative engagement. On the first day, students are introduced to the problem- a local city currently bans backyard chickens, but many residents would like to see this changed. We then dive into research and learning mode using videos, talking with experts, reading, Socratic discussion, and asking lots of questions. One of the first things they learn, is you cannot solve a problem without fully understanding it. From there, we expand our knowledge until we can succinctly state what we are trying to do and then we use our creative problem solving skills to solve it. Every single time we teach these classes, the solution is different because the kids come up with different answers. We take into account the different strengths of the students so that everyone can engage at the level and in the way that is most interesting to them because everyone has different strengths and interests that they bring to the problem solving table.
Recommended ages: 8-12
September 12-November 21st (no class October 17th)
11:30am-12:45pm
$150 per student
Location: Uptown Heating and Cooling Community Room
3554 Bryant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
11:30am-12:45pm
$150 per student
Location: Uptown Heating and Cooling Community Room
3554 Bryant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408