Welcome to Lower School Cross-Curricular Projects!

Below you will learn about some of the enriching cross-curricular projects that took place over the 2019-2020 school year. Elementary Art teacher, Meghann Rooney, Technology teacher, Emily Pastorek, and Elementary Music teacher, Lauren Benoit, worked closely together to collaborate with the Lower School grade level teachers to integrate art, music, and technology throughout their language arts and social studies curriculums. All teachers were able to fulfill their grade level standards through these collaborative units as well as make it exciting and meaningful to the students. Each and every cross-curricular project was tied to either a local, national, or global real-world experience.

Red, White, Blue, and YOU

Subjects: Social Studies, Art, Music, Technology, Writing

The 1st graders put the UA in USA! While using the 1st grade Social Studies standards as well as using the pedagogy of Project Based Learning (PBL), the Ursuline girls put on a pretend "election" called "Red, White, Blue, and YOU! This cross-curricular project involved social studies, technology, music, and art classes to take campaign photos and write speeches using their iPads and Google Docs, learn and perform the "Star Spangled Banner," and create campaign posters using mixed media. These confident Ursuline girls invited their families in order to deliver their speeches to a large audience. After all, learning from varied perspectives is how we teach our girls to build a better world.

Star Spangled Banner Performance

Click the button above to hear the first graders perform the "Star Spangled Banner." In music with Lauren Benoit, they learned about the history and importance of our national anthem. They also learned about appropriate etiquette while singing or listening to the song.

1st grade campaign headshots.

These were the speeches written during their writing period, then the 1st graders typed their speeches on Google Docs in technology class.

Slime Girls

Subjects: Social Studies, Math, Science, Art, Technology, Music

The 1st grade students completed a cross-curricular project which centered around the economic concepts of wants/needs and goods/services. The concepts were introduced to them through a discussion about what types of things they need in their very own classroom or school. After coming up with a list of items, they brainstormed ways they could make the money to buy these essential items. The girls settled on selling SLIME! This project has brought up so many conversations with the students about business and how to sell a quality product. They even had a visit from two high school entrepreneurship students and received some great advice on how to market their brand. First, the girls made a survey that was sent out to the entire Lower School to see if they would be interested in buying slime, what colors they like, and how much they would pay for the slime. This was all taken in consideration while building their business!

In art class with Meghann Rooney, the girls discussed branding, designed a logo, made banners, and chose colors for their business. In music class with Lauren Benoit, the girls came up with the catchiest jingle ever that no one will ever forget! This Slime Girls jingle was featured in the commercial that was made in technology class with Emily Pastorek, along with green screen fun! In science class with Ms. Mary Lefante, the girls learned the science behind the chemical reactions of the substances that were combined to make the slime. All of the slime was made in science class! The first graders were true trailblazers who were successful in their business. It was a hit amongst the entire Ursuline community! The students earned over $600 and were in the process of deciding how they could use it to give back to the Ursuline community to buy things that everyone could enjoy. Due to COVID-19, this discussion has been put on hold for now until we return to school.

Slime Girls Logo

Slime Girls Advertisement Poster

Slime Girls Commercial

Ursuline Timeline

Subjects: Social Studies, Writing, Art, Technology, Music

During the first semester of the school year, the 2nd grade students studied timelines in their social studies curriculum. As part of a cross-curricular project between social studies, art, music, and technology, the students toured the Old Ursuline Convent with special guest, Sister Regina Marie. The girls researched the important historical milestones in Ursuline’s history. Each girl was in charge of making a document of a special event in Ursuline’s history and designed an illustration in art to depict the historical event. The 2nd grade students were taught the "Hymn to Our Lady of Prompt Succor" in Music class. The individual documents were brought together in chronological order and designed into an acrylic wall masterpiece to be shared with the Ursuline community. This timeline now hangs right outside of our campus museum on the second floor.

Click the button below to hear the 2nd graders' performance of "Hymn to Our Lady of Prompt Succor." This song is very important to the Ursuline family, as it is a prayer to our Mother Mary for strength and wisdom.

"Hymn to Our Lady of Prompt Succor"

Complete Ursuline timeline. This piece if located outside of the Ursuline Museum on the second floor of the main building.

Chinese New Year

Subjects: Social Studies, Writing, Language Arts, Art, Technology, Music

As a cross-curricular project with technology, art, music, language arts, social studies, and writing, our 2nd grade students learned all about Chinese New Year - which began on January 25th. In technology with Emily Pastorek, the girls conducted research about Chinese New Year and created an informational green screen video about the holiday’s traditions, celebrations, and special foods. In art with Meghann Rooney, they created lanterns, lucky envelopes, and a Chinese New Year dragon showstopper! In music with Lauren Benoit, they learned about the pentatonic scale which is used in Chinese music and the traditional dragon dancing. During their language arts and social studies classes, the 2nd grade teachers completed journal writings and read stories to the students that centered around the festive holiday celebration of Chinese New Year. These Ursuline girls hosted an all-day pop-up for everyone to enjoy - complete with spring rolls!

Chinese New Year Research Video

Charlotte's Web

Subjects: Language Arts, Writing, Science, Technology, Art, Music

The 3rd grade students spent the beginning of the year reading, Charlotte’s Web. Integrated with the novel study, was a technology unit in which students learned to safely and critically conduct internet research. Students chose a farm animal, researched that animal’s role and its use on a farm, and shared their knowledge through a Google Slides presentation. The 3rd graders traveled to Sugar Roots Farm and experienced a working, educational farm and spent time learning more about farm animals. While at the farm, the students took pictures of the farm animals to use as a part of their culminating project. In art, the students used watercolors to paint a “web" which was used as the background for a photo collage of farm pictures. In music class, they put together a performance of a chapter by selecting percussion instruments for the characters or significant events that they chose to represent. 3rd grade continued their relationship with Sugar Roots Farm by volunteering there on St. Angela’s Feast Day.

Learning about composting at Sugar Roots Farm.

Copy of 3ACharlottesWeb

The videos feature both 3rd grade classes narrating a chapter from Charlotte's Web. They selected a chapter, identified the main events and characters, then created sounds to represent these characters and events. Click the videos to see them perform!

Completed Farm Animal Digital Prints

Students presenting their research projects to 1st grade.

Students feeding the animals at Sugar Roots Farm.

Working on their farm animal digital prints.

3B - Storytelling with Percussion

Completed Farm Animal Digital Prints

Black History Month Podcasts

Subjects: Social Studies, Writing, Technology, Art, Music

For social studies, the 3rd graders completed a research project for Black History Month. They each chose a person who they look up to and researched him/her in order to complete an "interactive" report. They took their research and wrote a pretend podcast script as if they are interviewing the person. These back and forward clips were recorded in iMovie. The girls named their podcast show and even used GarageBand to make a short "intro theme song." In art, they learned about drawing self portraits and they each completed a portrait of the person they were researching for Black History Month. Make sure to click the buttons below the portraits to hear some podcast examples!

3rd graders working on their podcast theme songs on Garageband
in technology class.

Each girl turned their research into a script for
their podcast.

Portraits drawn by 3rd graders in art class with
Meghann Rooney.

Click Here for Podcast

"New York" Commercial

State Commercials

Subjects: Social Studies, Writing, Technology

The 4th grade students learned about the different states in each region of America during social studies. As a way for the students to teach each other about the states, they worked collaboratively in groups and researched details about the state that they were assigned. Once they concluded their research, they made a commercial about the state in iMovie in technology class. Each group took turns presenting their commercials to one another. A fun and different way to learn! Check out two example videos!

"Pennsylvania" Commercial

In A Far Away Galaxy

Subjects: Art, Technology, Music, Writing

The 2nd & 4th grade students used recycled materials to create a futuristic exhibit called "In a Far Away Galaxy." This exhibit, that you were to experience for the on-campus Fine Arts Festival, featured a dark room with futuristic lighting, a display of the 4th grade's droids, the 2nd grader's futuristic city displayed on the floor, laser lights, droid sounds, and 4th grade's stop motion videos. The 4th grades learned all about stop motion video animating and were were supposed to start shooting their videos the week after the COVID-19 stay-at-home order was put into effect. The 4th grade students worked in pairs to write a short scene for their stop motion video which involved both partners' robots, a green screen to choose a futuristic/Star Wars backdrop, as well as creating sounds in music class through Garageband. We want to dedicate this section to our 4th graders because they put so much time and effort into this project. We all wish we could have completed it, but we are so very proud of what the girls created! There is an example below to show what their final videos would have looked like.

Futuristic city made with recycled materials and metallic paint by the 2nd grade students.

Droids made with recycled materials and metallic paint by the 4th graders.

Droid designs completed by the 4th graders in technology class on Keynote.