2013: We welcomed Sarah and James, two local actors, helping us with American history content. Over a couple of months, our scholars worked on political science, taking advantage of the the recent election, working through the system of checks and balances, and learning about the path form our original colonies to the Constitution. In each case, the children took notes, first as a group, gradually working toward team notes and independence, capturing information shared through oral presentation. Quite a set of skills! The most important aspect is to freeze information accurately so we can retrieve it when we need it. To test our success, we used our notes to retell the information to a partner and quiz each other. We divided into small groups to write a slice of our country’s story. Reviewing and sharing early-stage writings with our new actor-friends, we shaped vignettes into succinct mini-dramas woven together to create an abbreviated rendition of our history in play form.