children’s classes winter 2025
wednesdays at the phoenix: the people of north america + biographies
The People of North America
A bit of history, a bit of sociology, and most importantly, a lot of fun!
Celebrate and honor the diverse group of voices and communities that call North America (including the Caribbean, Antilles and Central America) home! In this hands-on course, students will learn all about the social, cultural, environmental, intellectual, and economic forces that have affected various groups of people in North America.
We will learn about the Gullah Geechee, the Taino, the Ojibwe, Afro-Mexicanos, Chinese Jamaicans, the European diaspora and many, many more through primary sources, in-person and online workshops, art, film, song and dance, games and critical thinking exercises. Exploring these communities will help students have a greater understanding of significant figures and events that shaped North American communities…and help them understand just how expansive and diverse these communities are! Students will have the opportunity to put on their own production on the main stage at the theatre, as well as present an art show to their families and friends.
Biographies
Dive into a year-long course to learn about contemporary and historical wave makers and trailblazers! In this social studies/history/civics course extraordinaire, students will get to learn about, in depth, some figures they might be familiar with, as well many other notable historical thinkers, leaders, artists, moments and movements that have had an indelible effect on human history. Students will break barriers and open minds with opportunities to work on collaborative and independent projects, strengthen their media literacy skills, learn from primary sources, go on field trips (to museums, as well as visiting experts in their field), work on STEM-focused class activities, create art, and unleash their creativity with a history fair!
Both classes will meet the following Wednesdays this fall from 10:00 -1:45
January 8, 15, 22, 29 February 5, 12, 19, 26 March 5, 12, 19
10:00-11:30 The People of North America
11:30-12:10 Lunch
12:10-1:45 Biographies
Looking to make it a full day? Blue Room Book Club meets right after Biographies! Scroll a bit more for class description and registration
ages 8-14
blue room book club
In Blue Room Book Club, students will read a wide range of literature: novels in verse, memoirs, graphic novels, and familiar modern classics. All of the selections for this course are engaging, thought-provoking, and reflect diverse voices and experiences.
Like any good book club, students will talk about the book, and reflect on the reading. They will also get to participate in a variety of hands-on activities…participants will create art, visit our local library, test our mystery solving abilities, take in a play, act out scenes, watch and analyze a film, and visit a museum.
Please contact me via email for the class book list!
Blue Room Book Club meets the following Wednesdays from 1:40-2:45
January 8, 15, 22, 29 February 5, 12, 19, 26 March 5, 12, 19
ages 9-14
theatre adventures
A world of adventure and theatrics awaits!
On the docket for Theatre Adventures this spring is A Midsummer Night's Dream! We will be reading the play (in modern English or the original—student’s choice) and view a magical performance live on stage at the Guthrie Theatre. Additionally, students will also perform our interpretation of Shakespeare’s whimsical play (and play within a play!) at the Phoenix Theatre.
The best field trips in town, visiting artist workshops, and more await your student this winter!
Theatre Adventures meets the following Thursdays from 10:00-3:00
January 16, 23, 30 February 13, 20, 27 March 13, 20 April 4 and 17
ages 9-14
diary of a wimpy kid book club
Welcome to the world of Greg Heffley! His life and the hijinks that ensue are accessible, hilarious, thought-provoking and relatable. Book club participants will have the opportunity to spark conversation among friends, and discuss issues that affect their everyday lives! In addition to book club discussion and literary and drawing activities, students will participate in lots of hands-on fun, including: making cheese (obviously), participating in a movie poster-making workshop, watching a film, making their own movie trailer, creating a time capsule, visiting a museum, beating the winter blues at an indoor water park, producing and participating in a talent show, and creating their own radio advertisements!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book Club meets the following Thursdays from 10:00 -3:00
January 9 February 6 March 6 April 3 and May 1
ages 9-13
revolutions of the african diaspora
In Revolutions of the African Diaspora, students engage in inquiry and learn to use critical thinking to interpret art, oral histories, and primary sources...all while making history relevant to their lives. During this course, students learn about Spanish, French, and Portuguese colonization of Africa and the Americas, the fate of the indigenous peoples, and the arrival of the enslaved people to the Americas from Africa. These conversations set the stage for discussions about the growing frustration from the Black, Creole, and Mestizo populations with French, Spanish, and Portuguese rule, the the promise of abolition, the Haitian Revolution, all while laying to rest the notion that the enslaved and colonized people did not fight for their freedom.
course offered through Woke Homeschooling
registration closed