Science Quests All Around!

Science all around!

We are excited to announce our Quests and other focus areas for each of our four mixed-age studios for the upcoming session. 

Traditionally, this is one of approximately three science themed sessions, where learners have the opportunity to explore various scientific topics in a very hands on way. You can read more about our learning design here.

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​Quests are real-world projects to master 21st-century skills.
Usually lasting four- to six-weeks, each Quest includes a series of challenges bound by a compelling narrative and is designed to deliver 21st century skills while simultaneously incorporating traditional topics like science, social studies, and history.

Sparks | Detective Work

Spark heroes will learn the basics of what being a detective entails by diving into challenges involving fingerprints, invisibility, using the senses, and decoding. They will finish out the session by putting their skills to work as they attempt to complete a spy obstacle course!

The Sparks will also continue learning about their hero of the week through the Ordinary People Change the World book series.

Discovery + Odyssey 

DETECTIVE SCIENCE QUEST

This session our two elementary studios will be combining forces to work as detectives-in-training! In this quest heroes will work through a series of hands-on challenges and crime simulations where they apply forensics and biology to solve crimes! 

As we are near mid-way through the year, this session will also focus on Rebuilding the Tribe - reviewing foundational studio systems, revamping the contract if needed, and building one another up as to strengthen our studio tribe!

Discovery Writing Focus | Minute Mysteries
Discovery heroes will have the chance to choose from various prompts as one of their meaningful works stations this session.

Odyssey Writer's Workshop | Comic Book Creation
This session Odyssey heroes will discover their inner comic book artist as they write and create their own comic book! After the first few weeks of drafting and finalizing a story of a Hero’s Journey, heroes will use the Pixton app to design a comic book that that tells their story!

Adventure | Biology 1:3

This Session the Adventure Studio will be diving into part one of a 3 session science focused cycle with Biology. This series of three quests will help work learners up to the point of a medical biology quest where learners step into the shoes of Doctors diagnosing various diseases. Each week of the Biology Quest heroes will be exposed to challenges and games concerning a different part of Biology, from the tiniest of organisms to systems that affect our entire planet, and from the dawn of time to the latest scientific breakthroughs.

There will be a special emphasis on the idea of paradigm shift as they examine examples of the process of discovery and how that impacts scientific thought. 

In addition, as this session marks the midpoint of the year, we will be dedicating a part of this session to "Rebuild the Tribe." This simply means returning intentionally to the questions and ideas with which we began the year about why we are here and what we are building. Heroes will participate in a series of discussions, challenges and games that offer a process for reviewing and updating key studio systems, examining and improving the studio contract, and strengthening the studio community. 

Communication will be something of an assortment this session. Some of the heroes will be completing a Biology Hero Biography, where they will choose a great scientist - whether that be a Paradigm buster, a puzzle maker, or a data gatherer - and will focus their writing around the central question, " What made this person become one of the greatest scientists of all time?" Other heroes may be using this session to dive into a few other communication focused independent projects! 

For Civilization heroes will be continue examining the foundations of early America - the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Slavery and exploration and expansion. As always, their work will put them in the shoes of decision makers in history and their learning will center around the important question, "Why do some civilizations rise and others fall?"

​Onward!

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