Revel Recap: November 28 - December 2, 2022
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
We are so happy to be back in the studio for Session Three! After recapping what we were up to over the long weekend, we started our mindfulness session with a snake breathing exercise. We took deep breaths in, filling up our whole body, paused and breathed out slowly and smoothly, making a hissing sound for as long as possible. We then felt calm and ready to start our Monday off right. We read A Little Spot of Kindness to kick off our Random Acts of Kindness challenge! On Tuesday, we completed a directed drawing of a snow globe. Betsy the Banana led our Wednesday yoga class, and on Thursday, we enjoyed watercolour painting while listening to some beautiful piano music. For our Friday Random Act of Kindness, we were challenged to write a thank you note to someone at school. The Sparks enjoyed delivering their messages of gratitude which brought a smile to the recipients' faces!
Quest
The Sparks all voted on our new session theme, cooking! They are so excited to head into the kitchen. However, we spent Monday discussing and establishing our kitchen safety rules before we began. The Sparks learned about cleaning their hands, work surfaces, food like fruit and vegetables before cooking, knife and oven safety, being in control of their bodies, not running in the kitchen, keeping appliances away from water, and asking for help when needed. We all agreed to try our best to follow these rules in the kitchen together. Next, we played a game called Safe or Not Safe. A kitchen scenario was read out and the learners had to decide if it was safe or not safe. To end our Quest time, we had fun creating some of our favourite food using clay!
In Tuesday's Quest session, we spoke about waste management and how to protect our environment. We watched a video by Scishow Kids on youtube called "How Recycling Works: How to Help Our Earth." It focuses on composting, recycling and waste. The Sparks asked many questions about what landfills are, and we read about how long it can take for certain plastics to decompose. The Sparks knew lots of information and how to reuse, reduce, and recycle. The guides collected items from the kitchen and even used Spark lunches to visually view which things go into which bin in the studio. We then split into three groups and made posters visually representing which items go into which waste bin. Everyone worked so well and came up with wonderful drawings. Next, everyone completed an activity where they had to sort certain items and place them in the correct column; compost or recycling. Lastly, we ended our Quest by reading the book, Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel.
On Wednesday, we read See Inside Your Body. The Sparks were interested to learn about where their food goes after swallowing. This book also discussed the importance of eating a mixture of healthy foods to fuel our bodies. Just like a car without gas, our bodies will stop running well if we aren't nourishing them. We noted how sometimes, in the studio, we have low energy and thought about how not eating our lunches could impact us. We talked about how eating throughout the day will give us energy and help us grow and stay strong and healthy. We then thought about how much water we drink in a day. Are we finishing our water bottles? The Sparks were surprised that over half of our body is composed of water. We learned how water helps our bodies function properly and contributes to our mood and energy levels. Armed with this information, we decided to set up a hydration station in the studio. We cleared two shelves and the learners have set a goal to bring their water bottles into the studio every morning. Seeing the bottle throughout the day will remind us to take sips throughout! After these important discussions, it was time to make homemade play dough! We followed the recipe, with each Spark having a chance to pour and mix the ingredients. Our recipe called for hot water, so we played a food group board game while the playdough cooled down. Moving their players along the board, they had to decide what food group each spot they landed on belonged to. The game was over when they had a full card, and it was time to make creations with our cinnamon playdough!
On Thursday, we made our way into the kitchen. The Sparks remembered many kitchen safety rules and were excited to get baking. We baked an apple cinnamon loaf this week, and learners peeled and cut the apples and mixed the dry and wet ingredients. Everyone cleaned up after themselves by doing the dishes and cleaning the tables, chairs, and floors. After all their hard work they enjoyed the loaf they made!
Math
Our math workshop made us hungry for pizza! We started by decorating our felt pizza with many ingredients in Group One. We talked about how a pizza is also known as a whole; if you cut it in the middle, there are two halves. To continue our focus on addition, we worked together to add toppings. Everyone cooked their pizza for 30 seconds to practice counting and number recognition as a group. To end the workshop, we read the story Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by Kimberly and James Dean. The Sparks were surprised to hear about the seven unusual toppings, such as pretzels, pickles, and pistachios! Group Two started learning about fractions! We learned that a fraction is one or more parts of a whole. We observed a whole up to an eighth using our red fraction material. We then used cards to see how fractions are written, observing the numerator over the denominator, separated by a line. We then practiced making different fractions with our material. To wrap up our learning, we worked on a math sheet where the learners shaded in the number of pieces of pizza to match how many slices had been eaten. Bravo, mathematicians, for tackling this big math challenge!
Geography
The Sparks are very excited about the holiday season, and we started by talking about Christmas and sharing how we each celebrate this holiday season. We then located various countries on our globe and read about some of the traditions and holidays held during the winter season.
Art
We used potatoes to paint snow people during our art workshop this week. We cut the potatoes in half and used them as stamps to make snowball bodies. We also painted snow scenes in the background. Once our art dried, we used markers to add details and make each of our works of art unique.
French
On Tuesday, we played the washing machine game, Mme. Marianne takes a piece of clothing out of a box shaped like a washing machine, and the Sparks say what it is in French. We played in the gym on Wednesday and practiced the song "Si tu aimes le soleil." Thursday, we completed a snowman craft to learn the words nose, mouth, eyes, and more. Lastly, on Friday, we read the book "Moi, la neige" to review our weather vocabulary in French.
Additional Highlights
On Monday morning, we talked about what an act of kindness is and how they make both us and the recipients feel. With the holiday season approaching, it is an excellent time to give back and spread cheer. We brainstormed some ideas of kindness acts we would like to do and talked about giving back to the community through the Ottawa Food Bank and Toy Mountain. We made posters, wrapped boxes, set up our donation station, and visited the other studios to tell them about our toy and food drive. Donations will be accepted until December 16th; thank you for your support! On Monday, we also started rehearsing with the Revel Choir. The Sparks will perform "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman at Exhibition" The learners hope to listen to these songs at home as we work hard on learning the lyrics!
We have also created 12 Days of Holiday books to read throughout December. To start our first day, we read A Porcupine in a Pine Tree by Helaine Becker. The Sparks then used loose parts and created their own 12 Days of Gifts song! They were concentrating on making sure their song was also full of rhymes! Next week we have three books in our schedule to share. Our focus for this activity is to connect the Sparks with other holidays worldwide and encourage their curiosity about other countries and cultures.
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
Monday's Mantra was "everything is changing in our minds, our bodies, and the world around us" to help us focus on processing change as we embarked on a new session. Rebels watched "The Mindfulness of a Jellyfish," and we went on a mindful walk around the Studio to note everything that changed to help us prepare for a new session. On Talk It Out Tuesday, we focused on the difference between "listening" and "empathetic listening." Rebels watched a brief clip from Inside Out and shared experiences where they could have used someone to listen empathetically. Wednesday morning, we read an article about the surprising benefits of puzzles on the brain - the Rebels were particularly curious about two claims: working on puzzles can enhance your mood and elevate your intelligence quotient. For Thankful Thursday, the Rebels considered gratitude and affirmation sentence starters like "today, I intend to ____," and took some time to write in their journals. For Feel-Good Friday, the Rebels played some seasonal Boomwhacker tunes!
Launches
On Monday, Ms. Jenna kicked off our week with an Equip Launch focused on the updated leadership roles on Journey Tracker and setting our new goals for Session 3 on our Google Sheets. We also began prepping for our Rebel/Mentor meetings to check in and see how our long-term goals are shaping up as we enter the final Session of 2022! Tuesday morning, the Rebels met for an Inspire and Connect launch with Ms. Mel to nominate artwork and mapping work from the CIV workshops for our ongoing studio timeline. The Rebels selected a map showing the split of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern parts, portraits of warriors like Boadicea and a Visigoth barbarian, and two unique Rebel artworks related to Romulus Augustus, aka "Momyllus." During Wednesday's launch, Ms. Jenna inspired the Rebels with the story of Vivian Stancil. Connecting to our overarching question of the year, "If not now, when?" the Rebels watched Vivan's story and learned how she's legally blind and had never been in a pool before but now, at 70 years old, she's an award-winning Senior Olympic swimmer. She even started a foundation that provides free swim lessons to kids and adults! Thursday morning, the Rebels discussed the concept of Freedom Levels and explored what freedom looks like at Revel, including when it needs to be earned. It was an excellent opportunity to review our community standards during special times of the day like mindfulness and DEAR and to consider how freedoms can be granted or limited depending on how the standards are upheld. Friday's Current Events report featured: a recap of the countdown to the Winter Break and all the holidays that Discovery families will celebrate this year, the eruption of Mauna Loa, and a discussion about the status of Jordan's Principle.
French
To prepare for the holiday season, we are learning adjectives and qualities to use when complimenting someone. To begin, we wrote and translated many compliments for people in our Revel community! We reviewed our French cooking terms on Thursday in a series of vocabulary and association games. During this week's French Cooking workshop, we made crepes!
Reader/Writer
Rebel Readers: In Session 3, Rebels will focus on instructional writing by creating a Chess Rules Booklet. Sequencing of events, transitional phrases and keywords will all be incorporated into their weekly lessons to help Rebels along the way. Our Mentor Text for this Session will be The Curious Case of the Missing Black Pawn, written by Gabriel Puckett, a Chess Teacher from Brooklyn. Rebels created a Chess Word Wall to help them track vocabulary and spelling of keywords throughout this session that they will often use in their written work.
Civilizations
Welcome to the Middle Ages, Rebels! This session's first read-aloud recounted the state of the ancient world throughout the Roman Empire's rule, with the Rebels visualizing a magic carpet ride through Italy, down to Egypt, and back through the Alps. While listening, the Rebels mapped the outline of the empire when it was at its largest, noting the Mediterranean Sea and the location of Rome. They discussed what would be essential to understand about the past: the army, the average citizen, or the leaders, and how they would have ruled as an emperor.
Math Lab
In this session, the Rebels will become masters of the chessboard! On Wednesday, they gathered to consolidate their thinking about arrays and measuring area from the last session, and then we extended this thinking to the black and white 8x8 grid we will play on every day in Quest. We learned about the rank and file system of the chessboard and how each square on the board has a unique "chess address." Using letters and numbers to name each location on the board is a big part of being able to notate games! We practiced using algebraic notation to describe a few moves, using the first letter of the piece's name and the chess address.
Physical Development
On Monday, we played gym games and Wednesday, the Rebels designed their own "12 Days of Fitness" routine that they will try to complete each week. After completing this exceptional, high-intensity warm-up with moves like burpees and push-ups, they voted to play the Floor is Lava. They designed their own course, discussing hazards, obstacles, and safety issues and had a lot of fun testing their course with some visiting Exploration Rebels!
Quest
In Quest, we kicked off our Chess Quest with "The Magic of Chess" and discussed how the game of chess relates to our Hero's Journey. Rebels discussed some of their strengths and weaknesses that might be exposed throughout this Quest, especially when it comes to winning, losing, and experiencing draws. Rebels then teamed up to do a Scavenger Hunt around the school, leading them to a giant chessboard and a folder containing their Chess Avatars. Rebels have been exploring their new resource ChessKid.com as they complete weekly challenges that will help them gain confidence and new strategies for their in-person games. Rebels also engage in a daily "Chess Reflection," as many of the best Grandmasters do. They complete a brief journaling activity at the end of every Quest period to reflect on lessons learned, how they feel about their abilities, and what they hope to improve on in the coming weeks.
Additional Highlights
Choir Practice for Session 3 Exhibition performances will be on Mondays at Activity Break this session
BOOMWhackers Practice for Session 3 Exhibition performances will be Tuesdays at Activity Break this session
We will be hosting a joint Exhibition with the Sparks Studio on Wednesday, December 21st, at 4:15 pm
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness and Launches
For the first week of Session 3, our Rebels listened to Snoop Dogg's Affirmation Song, participated in two yoga practices, started a new Lego, worked on a puzzle, and renewed their Diamond Dots obsession. Each morning started more calmly as the Rebels settled into their mindfulness practice.
During our Launch on Monday and Tuesday, we welcomed a new Rebel, discussed Freedom Levels and 360's, and moving forward as a community in Session 3 with positivity and grit. Wednesday, Rebels organized a Secret Santa and filled out wishlists before drawing names out of a bag! (Gifts are limited to $20 and are due by December 22nd for our exchange on the 23rd.) The Sparks came to our studio on Thursday to announce their Toy and Food Drive! The Exploration Rebels were impressed with their poise and are excited to help! Lastly, on Friday, our Current Events crew taught us about pink fairy armadillos, updated us on the World Cup, and ended with our favourite part, Live from Snacktime! As a special treat, a Rebel also showed us a magic trick he learned that morning thanks to his Advent Calendar!
Math Lab
In this session, the new Math Squads will complete a 3D Design Project focusing on important measurement relationships of rectangular prisms and cylinders. On Thursday, we reviewed the two design scenarios that the teams can choose from cereal box donations for a seasonal food bank or popcorn servings for a charity concert. The Rebels will work to compare various boxes or containers based on the amount of volume they hold (more food = better) and the packaging they require (less waste = better). In the coming weeks, they will build their ideal 3D object to scale and prepare a short presentation for Week 4 Congress that will prove and back up their reasoning.
Reader/Writer
Rebels started their Expository How-To lesson with an article from an interview with Klaus Teuber, the creator of the popular board game, Settlers of Catan. Rebels discussed the impact a board game can have, specifically bringing people of all different ages, races, cultures, etc., together and how they provide an opportunity to teach and entertain. Rebels then participated in their first challenge, "How to draw a…" as they paired off and took turns trying to replicate an image their partner was instructing them to draw using only their words and no visual assistance. In our debrief, we discussed the importance of language, chronological order, clarity, and directness of instructions to ensure they were straightforward and effective. Rebels will apply these critical takeaways to their Board Game Instructions pamphlet that they will be creating to support the games they are designing in Quest.
Civilizations
In this week's Rules Without Rulers simulations, our Rebels had to become the Mexica tribe. Their goal was to conquer as much territory as possible to grow their empire and dominate the Americas. In Part 1 of the simulation, they had to make decisions together regarding settlement, irrigation, mounting tensions with other tribes, and the election of a leader. In Part 2, with roles now in place, Rebels moved to solve their disagreements with neighbouring groups, whether it be through war, marriage, intimidation, or trade. In Round 3, they were now the Aztec Empire after a successful conquest of the Tepanec. Their mission was to solidify their empire and ensure their subjects were all in line. Lastly, they ended their simulation with the Spanish entry and the Aztec empire's downfall. Next week we'll complete a case study on the Mongol Empire to further our understanding.
French
In this session, we are working on adjectives to be ready to compliment others this festive season! To start, we thought of learners in our community and wrote compliments to give to them. We continued working on our stories for the Sparks in our French workshop.
Quest
Welcome to the Game Design Quest! Throughout our Hero's Journey, we will be playing the odds. We can either speculate, meaning we can gamble and play entirely based on luck, or figure out ways to know our odds and decide whether or not to play or how much to risk. It's all about the choices we make. During this Quest, Rebels will participate in Game Design challenges, where they will look at probability and game design while playing and analyzing games of luck, strategy, and skill. They will also have time in the PLAY Lab, using their earned tokens to play games of their choice to discover what makes a game fun and to get ideas for new games. At the end of the session, we will present our own games at a Game Expo where all our friends and families can play our creations!
After our Quest Launch, we began working on our first challenges focusing on probability. Rebels completed a Paper Plate Target challenge, two challenges that used a sample to make a prediction, and a card game called Smoke or Fire. Rebels earned PLAY Lab tokens for each completed challenge which can be turned in to play games at their discretion.
On Tuesday, we watched "The Psychology Behind Irrational Decisions." The narrator in the video cautions us to be aware of our heuristics and to pause when making decisions to realize that intuition could be wrong. Rebels then learned more about probability with the help of a "Pick a Cup" challenge and counting outcomes with the assistance of tree diagrams using "Rock, Paper, Scissors" as the game of choice.
Wednesday, we dissected the Monty Hall Problem before further exploring two games of probability, SKUNK and the Olympic Probability game, with the extra task of paying attention to how we make our decisions.
What is "Fair"? Rebels were extremely eloquent when describing what "fair" looks and feels like, effortlessly connecting the concept to several scenarios they've witnessed and the difference between "fair" and "equal." We also pondered what equal chance looks like in a game. Does everyone start the game with the same skill level, or does the game treat everyone equally? As game designers, they will get to determine what fair means in their games, so they have begun thinking about how they will ensure fairness so that your customers want to play. Rebels chose from four games to play on Thursday: Blackjack, Perfection, War, and Spit.
To end our week on probability, we held a Casino Day on Friday afternoon! Thanks to our incredible grown-up volunteers, there were Blackjack, Roulette, Pitching Pennies, Spinning Wheel, Craps, and Ring Toss stations! Rebels were given 20 tokens to test their luck and knowledge of probability to earn the most tokens by the end of the event. Great job, Rebels! Next week we will move on to game creation!
Launchpad
Communication and Literature
Poetry! We began our poetry study, learning to read, annotate, and analyze a poem for greater understanding. We then reviewed the terminology used to discuss this art form, such as stanza, rhythm, alliteration, enjambment, and more. Do you think song lyrics are a form of poetry? On Tuesday, we compared the song "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes to Robert Burns' classic poem "A Red, Red Rose." Both poems use simile and metaphor to describe the feeling of falling in love. After reading and annotating the lyrics and lines, Rebels completed a series of questions in preparation for a group discussion. Continuing our study of classic poems and pop music, on Wednesday, Rebels compared The Script's song, "Breakeven," with Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet 30." These two pieces were written more than 400 years apart, yet they both discuss the paradox of emotions accompanying a broken heart. Learners discussed what this theme shows us about human nature after looking more closely at the rhythm scheme, identified metaphors, and the use of exaggeration. On Thursday, Rebels read the poem "Miniver Cheevy," and on Friday, they turned to Shakespeare's "Seven Ages of Man."
Quest
This session, our Launchad Rebels are participating in The Climate Project, a social studies course centred around avoiding a climate disaster. They will be learning the basics of climate change, researching different sources of carbon emissions, and devising actions in their community to reduce emissions.
Learners began the OER course with a Three Close Reads assignment based on an infographic and a Three Close Views task for a video. This process of 1. Reading for gist, 2. Understanding the content, and 3. Contemplating action helps us to become more thoughtful and inquisitive analysts of what we consume as sources of information.
On Tuesday, we learned that global human activities produce 51 billion tons of carbon emissions annually. After watching "The Health Impact of Climate Change" and "The Climate is Lost When We Fill This Cube," Rebels thought about how, directly or indirectly, climate change impacts our community. Is it essential to increase our ability to adapt to climate change while also working towards net-zero emissions?
Avoiding a climate disaster will take action, whether raising awareness, lobbying decision-makers, or choosing a career path to reduce carbon emissions. Among the most effective measures are those that develop career expertise, involve many people, are based on evidence, and get to the root of carbon emissions. Therefore, on Wednesday, Launchpad Rebels learned about various careers for innovation, identifying those of interest and their personal action opportunities.
In preparation for the research section of the course, learners became familiar with the course navigator. They then previewed the five Grand Challenges that they will dive into deeply next week (How We Plug In: energy production and distribution, How We Make Things: manufacturing, How We Grow Things: agriculture and forestry, How We Get Around: transportation, and How We Keep Cool and Stay Warm: indoor climate control.) They then chose the one they'd like to tackle as a group as well as the challenge to complete on their own in preparation for our end-of-session Climate Summit.
Spanish
In Spanish this week, we focused on the verb doler and the vocabulary associated with the body. We also learned more about Panama's culture before reviewing our previous lessons.
French
We worked on our French verb tenses and discovered that there are 17 verb tenses in French!!! We then read the news and translated and updated the French badge together. We also helped in the Crepe Cooking workshop with the Discovery Rebels!
Civilization
In this week's Rules Without Rulers simulations, our Rebels had to become the Mexica tribe. Their goal was to conquer as much territory as possible to grow their empire and dominate the Americas. In Part 1 of the simulation, they had to make decisions together regarding settlement, irrigation, mounting tensions with other tribes, and the election of a leader. In Part 2, with roles now in place, Rebels moved to solve their disagreements with neighbouring groups, whether it be through war, marriage, intimidation, or trade. In Round 3, they were now the Aztec Empire after a successful conquest of the Tepanec. Their mission was to solidify their empire and ensure their subjects were all in line. They ended their simulation with the Spanish entry and the Aztec empire's downfall. Next week we'll complete a case study on the Mongol Empire to further our understanding.
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask your Rebel:
Spark
What random acts of kindness would you like to complete this month? Are there any you would like to do together as a family?
Why is it important to eat food and drink water?
What do you hope to cook this session?
What are some important safety rules to follow in the kitchen?
French: Can you sing "Si tu aimes le soleil" (If you like the sun)?
Discovery
Which piece did you select for your Chess Avatar? Why did you choose this piece?
What does it mean to have a “Lead in Development” when it comes to chess?
In Reader Writer, can you explain what happened to Peshka the Pawn in the first portion of the book?
As an emperor of Rome, would you insist that people from other countries adopt the Roman culture, language and traditions, or would you allow others to worship and live as they wish, as long as they paid taxes?
French: Which adjective best describes your friends?
Exploration
You reach into your pocket and realize you have enough tokens to play one game. Do you spend your token on:
A game of chance (like dice)?
A game of strategy (like chess)?
A game for the purpose of learning (like Prodigy)?
A game for the purpose of silliness (like Dance, Dance Revolution)?
What if, instead of being a player, you were the owner of the arcade, trying to make money? For which type of game would you spend the most money to keep in stock?
What would you have done differently when you instructed your partner in the “How to draw a…” activity you participated in during Reader Writer this week?
French: Which adjective best describes you?
Launchpad
Which of the Grand Challenges did you choose to focus on for the Climate Summit?
Comparing The Script’s song, “Breakeven,” with Edmund Spenser’s “Sonnet 30,” which of these two pieces of writing do you find more effective in communicating the narrator’s thoughts to the audience? Explain why you prefer one work over the other.
French: What is the purpose of the « future antérieur »?
Dates of Interest
Toy Mountain and Ottawa Food Bank Collections: November 28th, 2022-December 16, 2022
Spark Sock Exchange: December 20th, 2022
Exploration Secret Santa: Bring items in on Thursday, December 22nd, 2022, for the exchange on Friday, December 23rd.
Session 3 Exhibitions
Exploration Exhibition: Tuesday, December 20th at 4:15 pm
DATE CHANGE - Sparks and Discovery would like to combine for the Session 3 Exhibition on Wednesday, December 21st at 4:15 pm, for a family celebration with food and games before the holidays!