Experiential Learning at Linden: Junior Week Without Walls
The Linden School provides students with valuable learning opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. Each fall, as part of our experiential learning program, we devote an entire "Week Without Walls" to carefully selected field trips for our students. This not only enriches our overall curriculum, but also provides an important opportunity for community building during the early weeks of school.
Junior School Week Without Walls Activities
Monday: Rhythms of Resistance Performance at Ryerson University Social Justice Week
Linden girls spent some time with members of Rhythms of Resistance Toronto to learn about art and activism. They discussed the history of samba music and the origins of the global Rhythms of Resistance movement, created vibrant shakers, and silk screened patches to spread the message: "The Violence Has Got To Go!" Then Rhythms of Resistance Linden joined RoR Toronto to help kick off the Ryerson Social Justice Week opening ceremonies, taking to the streets after listening to the opening speakers to raise awareness about the ways in which the lives of Indigenous women in Canada are impacted by violence.
Tuesday: Toronto School of Circus Arts and Kite Flying
Our girls had an exciting time at the Toronto School of Circus Arts. They swung on the aerial hoop, flipped and rolled in the gymnastics area, hung upside down on the static trapeze, and then soared through the air on the flying trapeze. Many Linden girls took the opportunity to take a flying leap outside of their comfort zones with the roaring support of their peers. After flying in the circus, Linden girls took their kites to the skies. Crafty kite makers designed and created their own kites and practised flying them in an open field.
Wednesday: The AGO and Rooftop Camping at Linden
Linden students attended a sculpture workshop at the AGO. After some quick instruction on the technique and challenges of working with wire, students started their projects — to recreate their face as they see themselves. They sketched their ideas first, created a sturdy base for their sculptures, then let their creativity flow as they clipped, bent, and molded the wire into place. After the workshop, students took a tour of the AGO exhibits stopping every so often to sketch what they saw or sketch fresh ideas they drew from the inspiration of other artists.
On Wednesday evening, the Grades 5 and 6 classes set up tents on the roof and prepared for an overnight adventure. Using a collaborative model to choose meals that met everyone's dietary needs, students prepared a shopping list and set out to purchase ingredients for their dinner. The tacos were delicious, and no two were exactly alike. Later, by the light of the moon (and the overlooking high-rise buildings), students lit a “campfire” of beeswax candles and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. Although it took some girls a little while to settle down in the excitement, they enjoyed their cozy sleeping bags through the chilly night. In the morning, students took down their tents, enjoyed yogurt parfaits, and headed off for another day of adventure!
Thursday: Tiff Bell Lightbox
Students spent the day learning about the art of movie sound. Foley is the art of reproducing everyday sound effects for film, video, and other media during the post-production process in order to enhance audio quality. Working with a sound composer for film, Linden girls used a variety of everyday objects to create foley effects for a provided film clip. In the afternoon we looked at film clips and noticed how the score affected the mood and theme of the film. Using tablet technology, the girls composed background sound for the opening credits of a film.