​Leadership, adventure,  literacy, and service: SAIS 5th and 6th graders did a two week immersion that included a deep dive into the book The Island of the Blue Dolphins and adventures in Xichong. The students spent 5 days camping and learning valuable leadership skills while also doing a beach clean up. Students represented their learning by creating a diorama that compared their camping trip to the experiences of the protagonist in Island of the Blue Dolphin. They also created a creative fictional personal story influenced by their trip and finally  wrote an essay on the effects of humans on dolphins. Literacy, STEM, and PE combined to give the students an incredible experience.