What is an Expedition?
Expeditions are shared studies that provide the opportunity to bring to life the best of middle school philosophy, expeditionary learning, and teaching for understanding. This creates a challenging curriculum for MRH Middle School that focuses on important ideas, skills, addressing the “why” and “how” of learning in addition to the information learned. In each Shared Study, a complex concept is investigated from multiple perspectives. This integrated learning experience is created as each discipline is incorporated into the study. Of the eight quarters, half of the expeditions involve overnight journeys outside of the school. Shared Studies involve approximately one week of instructional time in the four core disciplines, and may involve more time in the major discipline for the study.
8th Grade Expeditions: Babler State Park and Forest Park (October 7th and 9th)
The first two day expeditions are one day trips to Babler State Park and Forest Park. The Babler expedition focuses on a service learning project. Students work in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to clean and restore the streams in Babler State Park. The expedition to Forest Park focuses on the investigative research of the aquatic ecosystems in a restored wetland.
Activities will include team integrate team building exercises, reading, and journaling. Both Expeditions will focus on stewardship of the land. The main goal lies in each student feeling a sense of accomplishment and creating an important piece of work that others can enjoy and appreciate.
7th Grade Expedtion: Tremont, Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountain Institution Website
Where is the Great Smoky Mountain Institution?
The Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont (GSMIT) is a private, non-profit organization that works closely with the National Park Service to provide educational programs. Tremont is located along the Middle Prong of the Little River in the heart of the park. The park is a 520,000 acre National Park. Established in 1969, GSMIT is one of the first residential environmental education centers located within a national park.
It is approximately a ten and a half hour bus ride. We have two 56-passenger charter buses for the trip down and back. We will be staying at the Caylor Lodge dormitory.
As an expeditionary school, we believe that learning does not only take place in a classroom. This is an opportunity for our students to learn more about their environment, its importance, and the delicate balance between humans and nature. Tremont is about connecting people with the natural world. Activities that we will be participating in include:
Salamander Hunt, Night Hike, Eight Mile Hike, Walker Valley Interviews, Trip to the summit of the Mountain, Literary Readings- Thunder Rolling in the Mountain-by Scott O’Dell
Curriculum Connection:
The curriculum connection is from the book, “This We Believe…And Now We Must Act,” written by the National Middle School Association (NMSA) the design element for curriculum states:
“Teach a curriculum grounded in the standards, relevant to adolescents’ concerns, and based on how students learn best; and use a mix of assessment methods.” Our assessment for this expedition will consist of cross curricular journal prompts and a final MAP-like assessment back at MRH.
The NMSA curriculum is characterized as challenging, integrative, exploratory, and includes assessment and evaluation that promote learning.
8th Grade Expedition: Dauphin Island, AL
Theme: Defining Moments
Dauphin Island Sea Lab Website
Dauphin is an island off of the coast of Alabama. It is approximately an 11-hour bus ride from MRH. We will be using two 56-passenger charter buses for the trip down and back. We will be staying at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The lab has been conducting field research projects for schools and colleges since 1975.
As with all of the expeditions, this is an opportunity to take our learning into the field and experience first hand what we have only read about. Students will be introduced to estuaries and discover why these areas are so important for marine ecosystems. Coastal Oceanography will be explored at the beach as the students measure the salinity, take water temperature readings, measure wave crests and wind speed. Back at the lab, students will be identifying a variety of marine organisms collected during the day. A trip on the lab’s research boat will allow the students to assess different physical parameters: current speed and direction, triangulation, plankton seining and bottom sampling in the open ocean. Next door to the marine lab is Fort Gaines, where the students will spend time learning about the history of the area and the importance of the fort to Mobile Bay. Across the street from the lab is the estuarium. Here the students can explore the four main ecosystems of the area: the Delta, Mobile Bay, Barrier Islands and the Gulf of Mexico. The students will be integrating classroom textbook materials while they learn by doing.
Curriculum Connections
The Curriculum Connection is from the book, “This We Believe…And Now We Must Act,” written by the National Middle School Association (NMSA). In this book, the design element for curriculum states,
“Teach a curriculum grounded in the standards, relevant to adolescents’ concerns, and based on how students learn best; and use a mix of assessment methods.” Our assessment for the expedition will consist of cross curricular journal prompts, digital story design of the student’s middle school defining moment, and a final MAP- like assessment back at MRH.
The NMSA curriculum is characterized as challenging, integrative, exploratory, and includes assessment/evaluation that promotes learning.
