Sussex Academy students finish To Balance Power learning unit with school showcase

Sixth-graders at Sussex Academy in Georgetown recently concluded their To Balance Power expedition with a showcase at the school April 16. Student works created during the expedition were displayed for parents and fellow students to view.

The purpose of the expedition was to answer the guiding questions related to balance in the universe, balance of power in Ancient Egypt, and the tools used to construct Egyptian buildings and monuments. Some of the items displayed were crowns for Pharaohs Hatshepsut and Ramses, journals of Egyptian life, a pyramid project, Egyptian artifacts and dioramas of Egyptian life.

The expedition kicked off Feb. 28 with activities that involved balance and construction. The community service aspect of the expedition was a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Delaware. Egyptians paid their taxes to the pharaoh in food and crops, so the students paid their taxes with canned goods. Due to inclement weather, field work at the University of Pennsylvania and the Franklin Institute had to be rescheduled for April 29. While there, the students will study mummification and simple machines.

The instructional framework at Sussex Academy is Expeditionary Learning, with learning expeditions as an integral part of that framework. Throughout the school year, students and teachers are involved in both schoolwide and team learning expeditions to promote self-discovery and construct knowledge. During that time all classes tie into a common theme.