Science and Spirit Week! — Year 3, Week 11 In Review
This week, our heroes participated in an array of scientific experiments, expanded their minds with design thinking and hosted holiday celebrations!
Spark Studio
Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom. - Mark Twain
This session we are focusing on the character trait of honesty. Is honesty the same as truth? As we dive into learning to be we will find answers to the many questions we have.
Our journey through nature is definitely sparking curiosity. We spent this week learning about the Life Cycle of A Leaf and Pumpkin. We even carved an owl into our pumpkin and called it Side Eye! We have spent time planning and executing science experiments which were a big hit.
Try experimenting at home!
Elementary Studio
I think nature's imagination is so much greater than man's, she's never going to let us relax. ― Richard Phillips Feynman
As Elementary heroes dive deeper and deeper into the realm of physics, they are putting their inventive minds to work. They were challenged with finding out what it’s like when you try to turn your back on gravity, work against it, and become its enemy. The surprise? You will fight the brutal strength of gravity with “soft” forces. What are those soft forces? Buoyancy and elasticity. Heroes built their own rafts using only straws, rubber bands, popsicle sticks and LOTS of tape. Our most successful raft stayed afloat with 56 pennies! Heroes then had to build a rubber band rope that could stretch to the exact length of 36”.
We had such an exciting week testing, tweaking, and competing with one another to make the best rafts and strongest ropes. We topped the week off with an egg drop where heroes had to design rubber band nets to catch an egg without it breaking. Physics is all around us in the world. Challenge your heroes when riding in the car, or taking a walk through your neighborhood to see if they can identify the physics they see!
Middle School Studio
This week, learners jumped into physics with some hands-on challenges!
The first was to conquer a lever system by learning how to calculate torque. We started with a scenario: Beyonce Knowles is lying unconscious on a large seesaw, suspended over a pool of lava. You can jump onto the other side of the lever to save her, but where do you jump? What data do you need to solve that problem? We worked it out with an actual seesaw set up in the Studio, combining some trial and error, scientific method, and research into theories and formulas. Our next challenge involved a pulley system. What's the mechanical advantage of a one-wheel pulley? What about a complex pulley with two, three, or more wheels?
Through these simple machines, learners are exploring the laws of physics and gaining hands-on experience to solve concrete problems. We will look at other machines in the coming weeks, continue to hone our skills of prediction, and build our collective knowledge of physics.
Please make sure to sign up for a Parent/Guide conference next week! Once all spots are filled, more options will be made available.
High School Studio
A person should always choose a costume which is in direct contact with his or her own personality. - Lucy Van Pelt
Spirit week was a success! Monday: learners showed up in their best pajama wear. Tuesday: the studio embodied the Among Us characters. Wednesday: they changed roles and dressed like one another. Thursday: their favorite sports teams were represented, and of course Friday Elmo, Wonder Woman, and Chick Fil A workers showed up in their best attire.
The Design Thinking Quest continues to push forward as learners find users with real world issues in the community. High school learners embraced the conversation of Gender Wage Gaps. Statistically proven, on average a man makes $1 for his work, while an equally qualified female doing the same work, would only earn on average $.79. Heroes dissected the variables behind this stat as well as the why and how to possibly change this fact.
Remember, high school conferences will be in December and not on Tuesday. Please check your email for Parent Guide Conference sign ups. Heroes will work remotely from home Tuesday.
Have a great weekend!
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