Big questions abound this session. Are humans wired for empathy? Why are parks and playgrounds important to communities? Of course, the best parts of these questions are not the answers but the process it takes to discover an answer. We were also excited to welcome a new Hero, whose hard work in the Spark Studio has graduated her to the Elementary Studio.
The Heroes were excited to launch the Physics Playground Quest. This Quest covers an introduction to physics deeply rooted in a real problem, “Why are parks and playgrounds important to communities?” The Heroes will design and build a scale model of a new playground element that includes at least 2 simple machines. Along the way, they’ll develop critical thinking skills as they tackle work, force, mechanical advantage, and much more!
This session, the Writer’s Workshop is expanding beyond the traditional writing medium as the Heroes dive into podcasting. Their challenge is to share a story about their local community. Empathy (the character trait of this session) is ingrained into this workshop. Heroes will need to think about all angles of their topics: how do they feel? How do others feel? Can you change feelings? The Workshop incorporates technical aspects of podcasting and emphasizes an important writing trait: voice. This week, we talked about how voice is not just your actual speaking voice, but the unique way that you craft sentences and ideas.
In lieu of drama, Civilization begins anew this session. We are poised at the downfall of the Greeks and the rise of the Romans. The Heroes are particularly excited about the transformation of Greek Gods to Roman Gods. Each week, the Heroes will discuss Socratically and have the opportunity to complete a bonus challenge to earn their Civilization Badge.
We will keep you updated as the Heroes progress through challenges and find success this Session. The Heroes are also looking forward to 3 field trips this session, and we appreciate all the parent volunteers for field trips or studio visits! A note for next week’s field trip- please bring in recyclable materials for the Building Museum field trip by following the guidelines below:
- Paper towel rolls, cereal boxes, and egg cartons are great
- Please don’t bring any juice or water bottles, glass or metal containers
- No containers that have held milk or nuts
Thank you and looking forward to Session 5!
villageschoolnova.blog 