Revel Recap: Nov. 2 - 6, 2020
Spark Studio
We began our week joining the older Rebels to learn about and celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. We then met in the studio and read our next “I am” affirmation card. This one spoke about how each one of us is special and unique. We then went around the circle and discussed one thing that makes each of us unique. During yoga, we started with a stretching warm-up and then went on a yoga storytelling journey. Following along to the story being told by Ms. Megan, we incorporated yoga movements along the way. While out on our yoga boats, we each took turns saying what we might see and what yoga pose we could do for that animal. We had a lot of fun and then ended our session with a relaxing meditation. We continued to enjoy our morning colouring times, completing beautiful rainy day mandalas. On Friday, we revisited our conversations on emotions and used our I Feel Like a Bear cards to help us identify feelings and discuss strategies to help us manage our emotions.
Our sight word of the week was “a.” We completed our worksheet activity about this word and continued to look for it throughout the week. We also used nature pieces to create the word. During our group circle times, we were very busy! We reviewed our golden bead materials looking at the unit, ten, hundred, and thousand. We then set up our large number cards in order and read through all of the numbers and worked together to match the number cards to the quantities. Later in the week, we extended our learning by using this material for an introduction to static addition with large numbers. We each took turns selecting the cards, matching the materials and putting all the beads together to find out our answer. This work helps the learners to concretely see that in addition, two or more small numbers come together to form one large number. Many of the learners really enjoyed this activity and independently selected it several times throughout the week. We also continued our exploration of patterns. This week we began talking about what a pattern is and brainstorming some examples. The learners said that patterns can be numbers, colours, lines, shapes and letters. We then discussed AB and ABC patterns. First, we created many examples of these types of patterns together on the whiteboard and then we each used the wooden pattern blocks to create our own AB and ABC patterns.
During our small world play this week, the Sparks were excited to incorporate dinosaurs into our play. We also used some loose part pieces such as pine cones, stones, leaves, wooden blocks, felt and gems to help us create stories and make habitats for our dinosaurs. The learners showed so much creativity and they enjoyed the collaborative storytelling, problem-solving, and building their homes during our dramatic play.
This week in French, we started our time together by going over the days of the week with our French calendar and reading a few picture books. We then learned some parts of the body through song and a Frankenstein visual prop. Sparks also drew some fun creatures using 5 word prompts they chose from a jar, “tête,” “mains,” “jambes,” “nez,” and “orteils.” Next week they will practice their writing skills by adding the words to their creature drawings!
On our KWL chart at the beginning of the session, the learners wanted to know more about weather instruments and how we predict the weather. So this week we worked on making some of the weather instruments ourselves! On Monday, we discussed the wind and then made windsocks and an anemometer. On Tuesday, the Sparks were so excited about the snow, that we shifted our Quest time to discuss this exciting weather change! We talked about how snow is made when the air in the sky is so cold that it freezes the water droplets in the clouds and then the water droplets become frozen ice crystals. As more water collects on the ice crystal it will get heavier and then fall. All the Sparks agreed that they love winter and they can’t wait for more snow! We discussed how each snowflake has a different shape and drew some examples. We also talked about the kinds of things we can do in the winter and what we need to wear during this season. On Wednesday, we took a look at our rain gauge and noticed the numbers on it. We talked about how the rain is measured in inches on our gauge and that's how we can keep track of how much rainfall there has been. Using pop bottles, rocks and rulers to write our numbers we created our own rain gauges that the Sparks are excited to use at home. On Thursday we began learning about the water cycle. Using diagrams and reading a book, we learned about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. We learned a fun song to help us remember our new information. We then put some water in ziplock bags and taped them to our studio window. We are going to observe what happens over the next few days and hope to see the water cycle in action!
We continue to enjoy our time together outside and with the nice weather we spent some extra time outside this week! We had fun on Thursday with two of the Discovery Rebels playing soccer and pool noodle games in the field. For Fun Friday we had a great time making Oobleck! The Sparks were amazed by what was created when we mixed the water with cornstarch and food colouring! It was so interesting how it was both a solid and a liquid. When we touched the surface or squeezed it, it was hard but once we ran our fingers through it, it felt like water! It was a fun way to end our week!
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
We began our week with an introduction to Dia de Los Muertos. On Tuesday and Thursday, our mindful colouring started our mornings off at a slower pace while Wednesday and Friday’s yoga classes focused on Sun Salutations in honour of the beautiful weather we’ve been having! Rebels also practiced poses that released shoulder, chest, and back tension with a variety of floor series movements.
Launches
Monday we started our day learning about and celebrating Dia de Los Muertos. Through this beautiful Mexican tradition, that is also widely celebrated in Latin America, we remembered and honoured our loved ones that have passed. Some Rebels brought items to represent their loved ones and added it to our “ofrenda” and others wrote down the names of the deceased loved one and things they loved or memories they shared. This experience was so heartwarming to see Rebels show gratitude and remember their loved ones in such an open and honest way.
Tuesday’s launch focused on unpacking the word “Vulnerable.” We discussed what vulnerability meant to Rebels and then compared it with Brene Brown’s theory that “vulnerability is the cornerstone of confidence.” Rebels discussed how being vulnerable actually opens us up to beautiful learning opportunities, how we can be mindful of when we’re in those situations, and how to embrace vulnerability rather than avoid it.
On Wednesday, we continued our Zones of Regulation lessons by reminding ourselves that you can be in multiple zones throughout the duration of a day and just because we started our day in one zone it doesn't mean that we are stuck there the whole day. We also took the time to reflect and write about a time that we’ve been in each of the four zones.
Thursday’s Current Events highlighted an important aspect of the US Election: “We should be far less concerned with who you vote for, but how you treat the people who vote differently than you do.” Rebels discussed the importance of Media Literacy and how to be critically thinking about the sources we received election updates from. We emphasized fact-checking by reading multiple updates from a variety of news sources. We ended our news updates with a big smile by reading the top quotes from “Live From Snack Time,” a blog of quotes overheard by children around the world while eating snacks at school.
During our last launch of the week, a learner showed us the short “Pip.” In this animation, a small dog is struggling to become a guide dog but shows incredible perseverance and bravery, before finally reaching his goal!
Rebel Readers & Warrior Writers
On Monday, the Aim and Release Rebels received their second list of spelling words for this session and worked away on their Adverbs grammar package. Rebels participated in an activity where we had to identify which vocabulary words were adverbs in a variety of sentences and they demonstrated a strong understanding of time and purpose adverbs. We had a wonderful read-aloud as we continued our fantasy novel study, The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. Rebels are thoroughly enjoying the story as Harvey’s adventure unfolds! We discussed the importance and responsibility of readers to infer upcoming events and made some predictions based on foreshadowing in the text.
On Wednesday the Draw and Anchor Rebels kicked off our time together making some great progress on our Fantasy Children’s Book. Rebels created characters and started to define the plot using a team Storyboard template. They did an excellent job and their storyline is turning out to be really fantastic! Their creativity and imaginations are on display and we look forward to showing off their finished result at the end of the session. Rebels finished up their Noun packages and received their second spelling list to help them prepare for next Wednesday’s spelling test.
Rebel Reader Friday was a much-needed work and catch up period! Rebels in both Draw/Anchor and Aim/Release worked hard at completing their mid-session To-Do lists with a focus on developing their fantasy stories. Draw/Anchor participated in a fun activity in the Gym, sorting a variety of vocabulary words all around the room to demonstrate their understanding of nouns, proper nouns and verbs. Meanwhile, Aim and Release Rebels began drafting their fantasy book jackets for their Author’s Reading.
Math Lab
This week our Draw Rebels finished the second half of their “Sums Less Than 10” lesson before completing a set of addition flashcards, a quick game of Mobi (similar to Scrabble but with numbers and operation symbols), and then a couple of rounds of Zeus on the Loose. Meanwhile, our Anchor Rebels reviewed their 4’s table and then worked on their x10 facts also completing a few multiplication games.
We began the Aim and Release Math Lab with a discussion about mathematical conjectures. We then looked at an image of how hailstones are formed and had learners work on number sequences that are also known as hailstone sequences because they share some of the features of hailstone behaviour. After demonstrating one number, Rebels used the following rules to try out new sequences;
Start with any whole number
If the number is even, divide it by 2
If the number is odd, multiply it by and add 1
Continue generating numbers in this way until your sequence ends
Looking at the patterns they identified that all of their sequences ended with a number 1. This is known as the Collatz conjecture! We then learned/reviewed long division with multiple problems of increasing difficulty before playing a variety of math games including multiplication BINGO, Cloud Hoppers, and Zeus on the Loose!
French
This week we started our sessions listening to a weather report from a local radio station in French. While listening, Rebels took notes of what they understood so we could summarize what we heard as a group. Afterward, Rebels chose a mini-video of a natural phenomenon and wrote a script in French to go with that video. They could choose to write a descriptive script, an informative one, or even a comical one expressing what is happening in the video. Once they completed their script they practiced using Flipgrid. Rebels continued to read their books in French but this time out loud on Flipgrid. It was a joy to listen to all the Rebels read their stories and really see where they are at as French readers.
Civilizations
In Civilizations, we heard descriptive stories about Samuel de Champlain’s multiple attempts to form a French colony and Henry Hudson’s multiple attempts to find the Northwest Passage. While sipping on hot chocolate we listened and coloured, ending our session with a mapping activity to further visualize the areas that we were discussing.
Quest
On Monday we switched gears from our creation of weather instruments to filming our own weather forecasts. After picking a location of their choice, Rebels went to an online weather network to locate the forecast in that area for the next five days. After summarizing the daily forecast, they wrote a less than 90 second script to capture the data in an informative and engaging way. Tuesday was spent practicing their scripts and then filming their draft on Flipgrid. Each Rebel was then responsible for providing at least two other peers with constructive feedback in order to improve their weather report. Wednesday and Thursday it was time for the real deal! Rebels found a chosen background and then filmed their weather forecast in front of our green screen. The enthusiasm was contagious! We are excited to watch them as a group and choose a few to show during our Exhibition.
PE
Monday’s Circuit Training was a blast! Rebels focused on bodyweight movements and more pilates focused moves, small movements paired with consistent repetition for deep muscle activation. We ended our 4 station rotation with a 2-minute Cardio-Burnout which was 2 minutes straight of HIIT movement with a relaxing stretch to close off the class. Meanwhile, the other Rebels went for a chilly hike in the woods with Mr. Deagan. On Wednesday a large group went to play a game of soccer and kickball outside while another group got their groove on in Zumba.
Elective
Since we can’t really travel right now, Art Club has decided to take their own trip around the world! The World Tour of the Arts began in Arizona at Antelope Canyon this week! We are exploring the elements of line and colour, with the canyon being our inspiration! Other Rebels continued to work on their chess strategy, Rube Goldberg machine creation, instrument practice, role-playing, and more!
Fun Friday and Town Hall
Rebels enjoyed a well deserved Fun Friday after all of their hard work this week! This Friday’s celebration allowed screen time, though the number of Rebels who opted for team activities like mini-sticks in the gym, colouring and playing with each other off screens instead was very impressive! Town Hall was without a doubt one of the busiest yet with all of the sprints needing to be announced and badges handed out! Congratulations to all of our Rebels who accomplished their goals for this week. It was overwhelming to see the amount of success to be celebrated and we look forward to seeing it continue. Way to go, Rebels!
Exploration Studio
Launch
Launches and Closings this week were led by parents and guest speakers who gave up their time to talk about their work and how it pertains to our Personal Finance Quest. Our three questions for each guest were; how did you get into the work you’re in now, what is a memorable story from your work, and what is your most valuable asset in your current position? Our learners have been doing an amazing job hosting and facilitating these meetings and all learners have really appreciated being exposed to different types of jobs and life advice. We are running low on interviews for this week so, parents, expect a call from your learner if you haven’t had one yet!
Big History
Big History this week wrapped up the prep work on one mission and started another. In the former, the learners had rehearsals for the circle time that they are going to run for the Spark studio. The learners tested their ideas and activities on their studio-mates and made any final adjustments to their curriculum before they lead their circle time. Three learners had the opportunity to present this week and it has proven to be a total success from both the learning and leadership of the Exploration and the connection with the Sparks.
Secondly, we started our model Earth mission. The learners, in groups, are going to make a cross-section of Earth, exploring the four different geological eras of Earth’s history. Only preliminary research has been completed to decide how the learners want to shape their Earth’s. The painting and deep research will begin next week.
French
This week, Rebels read about the dangers of Fast-Fashion and talked about ways we could improve this problematic situation. They decided that we should support local businesses who take care of their employees by selling quality clothes or support second-hand stores to reuse or recycle clothing they no longer need. We also decided to make posters to promote the local businesses they will choose so we can share it with the Revel community. Next week they will dig deeper into their research to find out more about the entrepreneurs who own these businesses and what motivated them to do so.
Math Lab
Exploration Rebels explored fractions, decimals, and percentages with the help of a Mondrian inspired art piece. After figuring out the percentage of each colour in the painting, they then created their own with different dimensions and also figure out the fraction, percentage, and decimal of each colour. After a quick, “Ask Your Question” period, we ended our session with a fun game of Fraction, Decimal, and Percentage BINGO.
Quest
Personal Finance began the week with a different variation on the same game we played last week, simulating their life through a career and financial goals. While last week we explored a Libertarian Society where each learner lives in total freedom of the situation they were born in and chose, we explored the Welfare State this week where learners experienced taxes, pensions, and welfare checks.
The other major mission from the week was a written piece, analyzing a song that has money as a central theme. The learners listened to, researched, and critiqued an artist’s philosophy regarding money. Song choices ranged from older songs such as “Can’t Buy Me Love,” to newer songs “9 to 5!” Analysing a text proved to be a fun challenge for many Rebels. We hope each Rebel left the mission with a more critical lens to view the media they consume and how it influences their thoughts, and where they see themselves in the songs.
PE
PE is in a consistent schedule of Monday Circuit Training and Wednesday Zumba being led indoors by Ms. Jenna and Mme. Talina respectively, with Mr. Deagan leading our hikes and games of soccer.
Team Building
This week, the learners planned out a future session that they are going to run over the next four weeks. The groups brainstormed and divided responsibilities among one another so that they are ready to go for team building in the coming weeks.
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Exploration: What different components are there to the Earth?
Exploration: Pick a song and ask them for their interpretation of the song.
Discovery: What did you think should be done in “The Neighbor Conundrum?” Would you send the animals back to their home country or let them stay in the neighbouring country?
Discovery: Henry Hudson often went against the wishes of his crew and in the end, they mutinied. Do you feel that Henry Hudson’s decision making was led by his curiosity, greed, ego, or something else?
Spark: Can you make an AB pattern with the materials you have at home?
Spark: What materials did you use to build your dinosaur habitat?
Spark: Can you tell us how you made your anemometer? What is it used for?
Upcoming Special Dates and Events:
Session 2 Exhibition: Each studio will be holding separate Exhibitions the week of November 23rd - November 25th.
Exploration Exhibition: Wednesday, November 25th at 1:30 pm (Recordings will be available for those who can’t attend!)
Discovery Exhibition: Tuesday, November 24th - Author Reading at 11:00 am and Quest at 1:30 pm on Zoom. (Recordings will be available for those who can’t attend!)
Spark Exhibition: Videos and work will be sent on Wednesday, November 25th!
Sessional Camp: November 26th and 27th (only a few spots remaining!)
Session 3 Begins: November 30th