Upper School News - Early Spring

Science

In science we have moved from the structure and replication of DNA to the study of Genetics itself. Gregor Mendel and his pea plants have taken center stage as we go through the different kinds of inheritances from simple dominance to codominance which dictates our blood type. Genetics is at a crossroads between biology, and probability and statistics. One never truly knows exactly the outcome of a pairing, but we can guess at the probability of the traits of the offspring. The students have been flipping coins to model this, and we are moving towards doing pen and paper problems to predict the offspring of different pairings with traits that follow different inheritances.

Farm - by David

It's been cold and wet at the farm, so we have been engaging in other work as we try to stave off "spring fever." Thanks to Emerson, Katie, Ahna, and Jack, we have the first of many sprouts in the greenhouse. Lettuce, kale, broccoli, and onion will grow for a few more weeks until ready to be transplanted at the farm. 

Also, weekly trips to The Nashville Food Project have kept our hands busy with food preparation for our food insecure neighbors. As a testament to the character of Abintra students, one TNFP staff member told me, "We have tried hosting other school groups but it hasn't worked out. The Abintra kids have a special place here." I am proud of our students for the maturity they have shown while volunteering and the massive amount of work they do in this kitchen. Last week, they made over 400 meatballs! Many hands made light of this task which would have been overwhelming for the usual kitchen staff.

Culture

This month, our classroom was turned into an archaeology lab as our youngest students investigated real and replica artifacts from the Mississippian moundbuilders in Tennessee to learn about their rich and complex culture. Through a series of four lessons that came from a Traveling Trunk from the Tennessee State Museum, students examined projectile points, pottery sherds, gorgets, tools, and game pieces used by the Mississippian culture more than 500 years ago. By using clues from the past, students worked to understand the customs, celebrations, and traditions of the people who lived on this land before Tennessee became a state. Following our study, we traveled to the Tennessee State Museum to see more artifacts and learn more.

Civil Rights

We are still walking together toward a better understanding of our country, planting seeds that can be explored as far as our curiosity takes us.

"Freedom Sings" at the Country Music Hall of Fame: The civil rights group took to the road and ended up at the Country Music Hall of Fame to experience the Bill of Rights through song. Ken Paulsen, former president of the John Seigenthaler First Amendment Center and the Newseum Institute's First Amendment Center, created "Freedom Sings," which has now been updated as "Bill of Rights Re-Mix." The goal of the performance is to offer an engaging and entertaining view of the Bill of Rights. After all of our work on the history of the creation of our constitution and the Bill of Rights, we got to see each of those protections played out in the present day through music performed by local musicians. From the freedom of speech to the freedom to assemble, we listened to performances of songs that were pertinent to each of the amendments. 

Thaxton Brown Nashville History Walk: This past Wednesday, March 6, our civil rights group got the opportunity to experience the history of our city through a unique set of eyes. Thaxton Brown, local artist and historian, guided a tour through the Jefferson street area up and around Fisk University, where he told us vibrant stories and talked to us about how important Nashville was to the Civil Rights Movement. 

He shared with us notable historical landmarks, and painted for us a backdrop upon which the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s would be played. The Jubilee Singers made their own appearance in our tour and Thaxton explained their prominence. We finished up at the Jefferson St. Cafe and enjoyed a tasty lunch which was much needed after the chilly stroll around town.