From the Middle: Midmester is Underway

Midmester 2019: 

Midmester has begun, but it has had a bit of a rough start this year with the Iowa Winter.  Kids have been learning about many different topics this year that integrate collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.  Our Presentation Night is in the Middle School Gym on February 28th from 5pm to 7pm.  Please come out and support all of the hard work these students and staff have done.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see up to the date highlights of Midmester.  Below are some of the posts of students in class:

Project Based Learning in the Content Area:

Mrs. Reetz just finished her second-trimester middle school classes on February 6th.  She has set up her regular classes to mimic the classes of Midmester by putting them in a project (or problem) based learning format.

7th grade’s Driving Question: How can music enhance or affect a story?

The 7th-grade students focus on how “Music Speaks”, creating a motivational video about a topic of their choosing.  They plan, choreograph, direct, and video as well as compose their own music using digital loops. Some of these students created videos that reflect something they have personally been through and made it a motivational tool for others.  Mrs. Miller has the opportunity to use those videos so that students can help teach other students as well.

6th grade’s Driving Question: How can music tell a story?

The New Hampton 6th grade classes learn how to compose music on staff.  They start by reviewing the basics- note names, musical terms, etc- and end by creating a story through the sound of music.  Students break up into small groups and decide what their storyline is and experiment with dynamics, articulation, tempo and rhythms to reflect the story.  Each group adjudicates another and, with time, compositions are revised based on peer and teacher feedback.

5th grade’s Driving Question: What does it mean to be American?

The 5th grade New Hampton students take a trip “Around the World in Less Than 80 Days” exploring the singing and instrumental music as well as general culture of other countries.  Along the way, they compare and contrast what they know of the United States. You may find them dancing, singing, playing instruments or sometimes daydreaming about the ethnic food of different countries.  At the end of the unit, the students answer the driving question. The 2nd trimester’s students came to the understanding that the US is a melting pot of different cultures and that one aspect could not be pinned down.

You can find more pictures and videos of middle school and elementary student progress by finding “NHGenMusic” on acebook!