Kindertransport Speaker

Today, my 7th graders had the amazing opportunity to hear from a Holocaust survivor, Lina "Lee" Edwards, speak about her escape from Nazi Germany via the Kindertransport, or Children's Transport.  Mrs. Edwards eloquently told her life story starting when she was 10 years old living in Germany, her escape to England as a 15-year-old, her return to Frankfurt, Germany as an adult, and finally her move to Canada and America, until now as a 92-year-old living in Camarillo.  The students listened in awe and admiration as she explained her struggles and her successes. She even shared her precious necklace given to her by her mother the day she was sent away to freedom.  She encouraged students to "get a good education" and to always "stay positive" and "have a good attitude."  It was a day I will always remember and I'm sure the kids will too.  Thank you, Lee, for reminding us of what is important in life and for being a great role model and inspiration.

Click the image below to read a Ventura County STAR article about Lee Edwards:

Silk Road Adventure Animaps

Students enjoyed tracking their Silk Road adventures on an interactive map-making website called Animaps! Students pretended to be Chinese explorers traveling along the Silk Road to far off places, such as Persia, Arabia, Africa, and even the Byzantine and Roman Empires!  Along the way, they journaled about trade encounters, explained the geography and architecture they observed, and even marveled about cultural exchanges!  Click on each map below to enjoy the animated maps telling of Silk Road journeys:

Infographics - Spread the knowledge!

Students enjoyed sharing the infographics they created that covered a variety of topics!  The goal was to inform their classmates about a topic of choice.  Through research, facts, statistics, images, and color symbolism, students pulled off some pretty impressive--and quite informative--infographics!  Enjoy several below...