Year 1. Session 6. Week 4

Heading into the second half of the session, Eagles continued to bring enthusiasm and curiosity to their tribe of learners.

After wrapping up the Personal Passions Quest, Eagles started this week with a new challenge: to build a Rube Goldberg Machine for the Bar of Soap Challenge! For the next three weeks, Ascent Eagles will transform their homes into science labs, testing simple machines and experimenting with many possible materials. Before diving into designing their 10-20 step machines, Eagles learned about simple machines such as levers, pulleys, wheels, and ramps by building them! Their creativity was hard at work as they figured out how to make these machines out of simple household materials. After grasping these new concepts, Eagles drew preliminary designs of their Rube Goldberg Machines and got to work building the first 2-3 steps.

Eagles continued their hard work in Core Skills this week, revisiting the theme of learning like a  Jungle Tiger vs a caged tiger. They set their “Jungle Tiger Goals” for the week, continuing to compete for the first place on the Core Skills Time Leaderboard.

This week’s film project with dojo Stream marked the “dress rehearsal” for the performers and the choreographers in the virtual production of “The Nutcracker.” The performances were then filmed by each member of the cast and are on their way to the set design and editing teams for post-production. World-wide release is scheduled for next week!

This week Eagles shared their progress thus far on their Technical Writing project. From isometric shapes to complicated vehicles and buildings, Eagle celebrated their precision and commitment to excellence.

On Cinco de Mayo this week in Writers’ Workshop, the young historians discussed the importance of celebrations with the following questions:

What types of celebrations mean most to you?

  • Family celebrations.
  • Cultural celebrations.
  • Religious celebrations.

Why are celebrations like these important to you?

  • Help you remember what is important to you.
  • Remind you of important moments in history.
  • Something else?

What celebrations have you and your family had in recent weeks? Are they the same or different as they have been in years past?

After the discussion, they reflected in their journals about the special occasions they celebrated during this time at home, how they were different, and how they were the same.

At the end of the week, Eagles celebrated their independent work, and their collaboration with a badge ceremony and Character Call-Outs! Even from a distance, they are working together and supporting each other in surprising and inspiring ways.