Windsor 8 is Creating Currents

Windsor Eight students will be Creating Currents this spring with their latest expedition. They will be investigating ways to reduce their carbon footprint through energy audit data collection and subsequent analysis leading to informed conservation practices. Collaboration with experts in the areas of conservation, building products, design, and alternative energy will help each each student create a green building design. In addition, the students will investigate alternative energy production, the public policy decisions involving alternative energy. The expedition will culminate with a competition of electricity generating wind turbines built be the students.

Student Views of the Expedition -- Truth or Consequences on line Feb 11
A multimedia feature produced by students of Windsor 8. See the complete section here.

Truth or Consequences explores "truth" in the age of mass media Sept 23

What is the truth? Why do people manipulate the truth, and how do they do it? These are the questions Windsor 8 will investigate during our "Truth or Consequences" expedition. The truth (or lack thereof) is pervasive, and we will examine media literacy, advertising, and, on a broader scale, propaganda.

In social studies and English classes, we will study Nazi war propaganda and The Diary of Anne Frank. In math and science, we will look at data manipulation and learn techniques to skew data. While putting the truth and propaganda into a historical context, we will also learn the skills used to deliver convincing messages.

As a final product, students will choose a current issue and create a truth ad to uncover and communicate the truth behind a topic of their choice. They will be collaborating with Maine College of Art faculty and students to design, create, critique, and display their truth ads. Students will seek out area businesses and public spaces best suited for displaying their truth ads in order to reach and impact a wide audience.

Student Views of the Expedition -- Windsor in Motion on line March 26
A multimedia feature produced by students of Windsor 8. See the complete section here.

In WINDsor in Motion, students analyze the statewide debate about wind energy and take steps to conserve energy at King Oct 2

Did you know that imported oil is the source of 90% of Maine's energy consumption annually? More significantly, the amount of potential clean and renewable energy from wind in the Gulf of Maine could meet the state's needs one hundred times over.

The students of Windsor 8 are going to confront both of these facts during their expedition WINDSor in Motion. They will be collaborating with former governor Angus King and local energy experts to address Maine's impending energy crisis. They will analyze the current wind farm debate in Maine, and culminate the expedition with presentations of their own electricity generating wind turbine models before an audience of energy experts.

Former governor Angus King shares his energy plan with Windsor 8 Sept 29

Governor King presented his recent work on harvesting wind power in the Gulf of Maine to the students of Windsor 8 for their expedition Windsor in Motion. Mr. King provided an overview of Maine's energy challenges and invited students to become collaborators in designing floating wind turbines that could meet the state's energy needs ten times over.

~News from Last Year ~

Truth or Consequences culminates with student presentations and displays of Truth Ads Jan 19

Before an audience of classmates, teachers and parents, students of Windsor 8 represented their take on how popular media presents and often manipulates information. Beginning with a recap of the infamous birth control debate at King, students went on to show how facts can be presented in persuasive contexts. The presentations were followed by a gallery walk of student Truth Ads.

See all of the pictures here.

Truth or Consequences Explores "Truth" in the Age of Mass Media Oct 4

Windsor 8 students will investigate the mass media's manipulation of truths, and how propaganda can shape our lives. Students will learn how the Nazi Party used propaganda to instill fear and take the lives of millions of people. Students will read the play version of "The Diary of Ann Frank" to understand and sympathize with one of Hitler's victims. Students will also collaborate with local journalism and advertising experts to analyze the evidence here in our own community.

Windsor 8 Welcomes New Students!

We will be giving students a preview of our fall expedition as soon as the web team is up and running. In the meantime feel free to browse content and expeditions from last year below.

Highlights from Last Year: Expeditions and Events from 2006 -2007

Windsor 8 Kicks of New Heroes Expedition

Students and teachers of Windsor 8 begin their final expedition at King exploring what it means to be a hero. Students will examine two guiding questions:

• What is a hero?
• How do everyday people become heroes?

For the kickoff, students will hear from community members about their personal heroes and work in teams to develop their own criteria for what it takes to be a hero.

Stay in touch with the expedtion at w8heroes.wordpress.com.

Student Views of the Expedition -- Windsor in Motion
A multimedia feature produced by students of Windsor 8. See the complete section here.

Windsor 8 Culminates Windsor in Motion with the Young Amercas Cup Regatta in the Cafetorium

On January 17, 2007 all of the students of Windsor 8 gathered together in the cafetorium for our culminating event, the Young Americas Cup Regatta. You can learn all about this event and the whole expedition, including documentary movies letters from students to Al Gore and Tom Allen, in the Windsor in Motion section of our site. More...

The Expedition Kickoff: Sailing the Ocean Blue by Katie W. and Kate D.

See our video of the Kickoff.

For our expedition kick off we took two boats out in Casco Bay; the Bagheera, and the Wendameen. When we arrived at the dock we met with the crew we would be spending the day with. They explained a few basic rules. After acquiring this knowledge we set off.

Soon we were out on the ocean and we learned quite a bit about the teamwork required to sail. Everyone needs to work to together to raise the sails, move the masts, and keep the boat clean. We also found out that below deck there are sleeping quarters, either one or two bathrooms, and a cooking space. The crew members need to keep the downstairs clean for easy access to the captain's quarters and the emergency power switches. While sailing, the two ships drew near each other and we had a small demonstration of how to steal wind.  

The Bagheera and the Wendameen had a race. The competition was swiftly ended when the Wendameen stole the wind out of the Bagheera's sail. The crew aboard the Wendameen cheered with glee before pulling swiftly away into the bay. On the Bahgeera all of the students had to be seated as they observed the team working as one to turn the sail around to catch the wind again.

The students all grew closer together as they shared songs and stories. Over on the Wendameen, students enjoyed listening to the captains silly pirate jokes and reenacting scenes from the Titanic. The Bagheera pulled into port and docked shortly before the Wendameen arrived back in port. Once the students arrived back at school we spilt into our homerooms and made a chart of the days activities. As the day ended the students left with a wonderful experience and new knowledge about teamwork and energy.

Students and Teachers Set Sail to Discover the Nature of Energy

The Windsor 8 house is deep into its expedition: "WINDsor In Motion." This expedition investigates energy and motion. In science, students are learning about energy, alternative energy sources (like solar, tidal, and wind power), and motion. In conjunction with their science studies, students are designing and building rockets, kinetic sculptures, and fiberglass sailboats in Technology Education classes. Students will design and analyze the performance of these products using math concepts including rate, ratio, and proportion. Continuing with the themes of motion and energy, students are reading the novel “Whirligig” in English class. They will also be writing persuasive essays where they defend the importance of one type of alternative energy. In social studies, students are examining the Industrial Revolution and the changes that occurred in our country as a result of new technologies.

More...