“What did you do in school today?” Who among us has answered “recreated Stonehenge?” But that is exactly what the Seniors did, using bricks they made and following techniques experts imagine were used to create the original structures, as part of their unit on ancient cultures and civilizations.
Brick making began with soil from the school grounds that contained lots of Virginia red clay, known for its brick-making properties. To that, the 5th and 6th graders added water, sand, and straw. The mixture was placed into containers to form the bricks, which were first air dried and then kiln baked.
Using engineer blue prints that imagine how the early people of the area erected Stonehenge, the students measured the circle and semi-circle to scale, hoisted the bricks with strings, rolled them to the site using teamwork and toilet paper tubes, and placed them in the Stonehenge pattern.
The entire creation was a group effort and a lesson that will stay with them through their lives. Hands-on learning is what we do at NBS!