Our 4th-grade students all have an opportunity to participate in Electives Courses, taught by wonderful volunteer parents and teachers here at Venable Elementary. During eight consecutive Friday mornings, students will be engaged in problem solving and reaching conclusions on topics of interest, some of which will include: our criminal justice system, interior design, acting, conservation, environmental science, urban planning, public speaking, photography, and the writing process. Through these electives, students will make connections among what they are learning in the classroom, their interests, and possible career choices in the future.
Feel free to look at the information about all of the Electives that the students will participate in this fall!
Feel free to look at the information about all of the Electives that the students will participate in this fall!
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Animal planet: Where the wild things are (still) and how you can help keep it that way!
Did you know our national symbol the Bald Eagle once faced extinction but now there are thousands of eagles across the US? This class looks at the stories of dolphins, horses, birds, frogs, and other animals – some that have become extinct and some that recovered to healthy populations. Students will learn about why animals go extinct, what we can do to help animals survive today, and why protecting nature is good for wildlife and people. As a final project, students will study an animal facing possible extinction and develop their own “public service announcement” video to raise awareness about it.
Course Leader: Bruce McKenney - Director, The Nature Conservancy |
Law and Order: An Introduction to the Criminal Justice SystemThis course will give interested students a basic introduction to the criminal justice system. We will bring in guests who work within the local courts, including police officers, public defenders, and judges. We will talk about ways in which criminal charges are investigated and adjudicated. The class will culminate in a brief mock trial, in which students can assume the roles of participants and resolve a hypothetical case.
Course Leaders: Timothy Heaphy - USDOJ and Ron Huber - USDOJ & UVa Law |
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Acting: Fun and Fundamentals
Students will learn how to approach a piece of text for presentation purposes, and, through games and exercises, will become more comfortable with and confident about performing. Each student will present a short piece for the last class.
Course Leader: Miller Susen |
WE BUILT THIS CITY. . . .
A popular song from the 80’s told us cities are built “on Rock N’ Roll,” but don’t you suspect there is more to it than that? This elective class will explore how land, buildings, streets, and people have been organized in different cities at different times all over the world to create amazing places. Then, using a classroom game of negotiation, cooperation, compromise, communication and trust, we’ll build our own Paper City. Week by week, piece by piece we’ll build a city everyone can enjoy with roads, houses, shops, parks … and rock n’ roll as needed.
Course Leader: Kurt Keesecker - BRW Architects |
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Exploring Interior DesignIn this course students will be introduced to the types of interior design. They will learn industry terms and how to use a color wheel. Students will also be given their own sketch portfolios and color wheels. We will also be using many projects and interactive notebooks to give everyone a hands-on approach to designing and implementing commonly used materials to transform interiors.
Course Leader: Amy Yeargan |
Student Leaders: Write On!
Do you love to write? Do you hate to write? Would you like to be a leader? Come explore with Ms. Schrank the creative writing process, and discover what motivates students to write.
We will be trying out different writing exercises as we explore this question, practice being leaders, and finally, present our findings to the principal! All students will write and submit something to the Unfinished Jigsaw, Charlottesville City Schools' literary & arts magazine! Course Leader: Elizabeth Schrank - Library/Media Specialist, Venable Elementary School |
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From Environmental Problems to Eco-Friendly Solutions
Where does our energy come from, and who gets to make that decision?
How do we get clean water to drink, and how much does it cost to clean it? Students will tackle these real-world problems, which we face at Venable, in the City of Charlottesville, and in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Course Leaders: Tim Cory - Senior Geoscientist with Environmental Standards and Cale Jaffe - Director of the Virginia Office of the Southern Environmental Law Center |
Public Speaking: From Basic
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Digital Photography & Appreciation of Technique
Students will explore how photography got started, where it’s come to now, and where it’s going in the future! Students will learn their way around the digital camera, use different techniques including composition, angles, and perspective, and examine different photographic styles. Our final project will involve following the style of a well-known photographer.
Course Leader: Coe Sweet - Coe Sweet Photography |