Academics
Makery Mindset
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Burke’s Makery classes are where students learn both digital and non-digital skills around design thinking, independent creative problem-solving, and critical thinking. There are two dedicated maker spaces on campus — Makery Up and Makery Down. They are known collectively as the Makery and materials, projects, and ideas flow freely between them.
The Makery is a magical space for the tinkering, brainstorming and experimentation that our students need as they take on the challenges of our modern world. Each space provides student access to numerous supplies and technologies —from glue guns and cardboard to laser cutters and 3D printers.
The spirit of the Makery is felt through all grade levels and subject areas, beyond its physical space. Our students — and their teachers — feel free to try out their ideas and make mistakes, collaborate and work together, and be as creative as they can be, no matter what they happen to be studying at the time. Some guiding resources for our work are the Learning Dimensions of Making and Tinkering and ISTE standards.
Makery projects are often integrated with the work the students do in other classes, for additional relevance and resonance. Students can also drop into the Makery before school and during recess if they choose to work informally on individual projects or use the technology applications.
So while you can examine our curriculum strictly by grade level and subject area, that's not what we would recommend. Because at Burke's, there's no one set path from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students learn to be nimble and independent, and they graduate ready to take on whatever awaits them next.
The spirit of the Makery is felt through all grade levels and subject areas, beyond its physical space. Our students — and their teachers — feel free to try out their ideas and make mistakes, collaborate and work together, and be as creative as they can be, no matter what they happen to be studying at the time. Some guiding resources for our work are the Learning Dimensions of Making and Tinkering and ISTE standards.
Makery projects are often integrated with the work the students do in other classes, for additional relevance and resonance. Students can also drop into the Makery before school and during recess if they choose to work informally on individual projects or use the technology applications.
So while you can examine our curriculum strictly by grade level and subject area, that's not what we would recommend. Because at Burke's, there's no one set path from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students learn to be nimble and independent, and they graduate ready to take on whatever awaits them next.
What Materials Are Available to Students?
3-D printers, vinyl cutters, programmable embroidery machine, soldering irons, glue guns, recyclables, LED lights, Legos, programmable robots, building tools, modeling clay, fabric, motors, upcycled materials, wires and circuits and much more!
Spotlight Projects
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Identity Kites
Fourth graders explore aspects of their identity in conjunction with social studies and SEL units. A recent project had students creating identity kites based on their personality traits. They had the chance to test out the kites at China Beach before showcasing them at the annual Arts Festival. -
Creative Coding
Fifth through seventh graders have dedicated coding units during H.E.A.R.T. class to experiment with using microcontrollers, writing code to create images, and designing interactive robots. Eighth graders have the option to take a Creative Coding elective class where they can deepen their skills. -
Circuit Circus
Each year, the third grade uses its study of circuits and simple machines to put together a variety of ingenious inventions. Among them can be board games, cleaning devices, art-making machines, and a hat that tells you when a car is coming! -
Biome Project
A cross-collaboration between Makery, Library and Social Studies, where students researched and made recordings of their presentations that were accessible by QR codes. The final projects included pop-ups, illustrations, a few facts, and even moving people and animals! -
Makey Makey Regional Maps
During fifth-grade humanities class, students designed regional maps using Scratch and Makey Makey’s. Each map had five touchpoints that trigger recorded voiceovers describing unique aspects of their chosen region. -
ExploraVision
Burke's sixth graders participate in the Toshiba ExploraVision competition for K-12 students. ExploraVision challenges students to envision and communicate a new technology 20 years in the future.
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Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.