Revel Recap: November 27 - December 1, 2023
Spark Studio
Mindfulness
We gathered in a circle on Monday morning and shared our extra-long weekend adventures. The Sparks showed incredible gratitude when telling everyone what they did over the weekend. From trips to water parks to cozy movie nights, much of the time was spent with family. The Sparks then did a 5-minute dinosaur breathing exercise to get ready to conquer the week with positive energy and strong mindsets. On Tuesday, we followed a directed drawing of a dinosaur using many different shapes! For Wednesday, the Sparks followed Tiny T-rex Yoga by Cosmic Kids. On Thursday, we made music with the Boomwhackers, playing some beats to brighten our morning. We opened our Advent calendar to end the week and discussed holiday traditions. After reading Be You by Peter Reynolds, we spoke about how we are each unique in our own way and how it's good to be ourselves. Lastly, we went around the circle, rolling a die with questions like, "What are your hobbies?" and "What is one thing you like about being a kid?" It was an excellent way to get to know each other even better!
Quest
It's the Quest the Sparks have been waiting for! With the roaring excitement, we jumped into the fascinating world of Dinosaurs! The journey began on Monday as the Sparks began exploring with a KWL chart. The chart served as a canvas for them to jot down everything they already knew about dinosaurs and what they wanted to learn. We look forward to unveiling everything we've discovered at the end of the session. Tuesday was an adventure-filled day as the Sparks immersed themselves in a mini-clip about dinosaurs, setting the stage for an exciting mission. Dazzling the Dino left a note stating that she came across many bones during her evening at Revel. She needed the Sparks' help to discover all 37 bones. The Sparks split into two groups, each tasked with locating and piecing together the bone puzzle. The result? Well, you will have to wait until the Exhibition! As for Wednesday, the Sparks gathered around the circle to listen to a presentation. We learned several fun facts about five different dinosaurs. The Sparks then began work on their individual fact books that will guide them through a study of three specific dinosaur species. On Thursday, we read the book Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs by Kathleen Kudlinski. Afterward, we had a robust discussion about the extinction of dinosaurs, and many Sparks shared their thoughts. We then went on to work on our dinosaur fact booklets, focusing on the Brachiosaurus. To end the week, we finished our booklet, completed a dinosaur read-the-room activity, and read The Extinct Files. The Sparks investigated a scene, and their research concluded that dinosaurs are alive and doing well and have evolved to be intelligent, hardworking, playful, and enjoying the urban jungle.
French
In this session, we will learn about compliments and holiday vocabulary in French. On Monday, we played with the wheel of emotions to review how to name our feelings. Then, on Tuesday, we completed a holiday colouring book to start learning common vocabulary. On Wednesday, we played in the gym, reviewing what we learned earlier in the week, as well as our numbers and colours in French. Lastly, on Thursday, we learned the song "Vive le vent!"
Writing Workshop
In this session, the Sparks are working on a book study using We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins as the mentor text. To start our exploration, we focused on the title page, identifying the story elements such as title, author, and illustrator. We flipped through the book to view the illustrations and read the back of the story. By Thursday, the Sparks were ready to make predictions. We reviewed our previous sessions when we used predictions, and the Sparks immediately answered, "It means to make a really good guess." Sparks then discussed what they thought would happen when the main character, Penelope, goes to school. The Sparks have also been working hard to practice their letters. We are discovering the differences between uppercase and lowercase letters and spent our time learning about the letter E this week.
Math
On Tuesday, the Sparks wandered around the studio to find various dinosaurs with different amounts placed around the room. Learners had to count how many dinosaurs were on display and then write the number (ranging from 11 to 20) on their page. To continue our study of numbers, we practiced counting by tens using our counting chain. The Sparks were each given a number from the chain and had to place it when it was their turn.
Art
Dazzle the Dinosaur asked the Sparks for help on Wednesday to spruce up the studio for the holidays. She left them a bunch of brown paper bags, scissors and glue. Using the material, the learners made snowflakes, which will be hung from the ceiling throughout the studio.
Additional Highlights
What an eventful first week in the studio! We kicked Session 3 off with a challenge. During D.E.A.R., Sparks are tasked with more fully exploring the book they choose to read. They needed to discover the book's essential elements: title, author, and illustrator, and then present it to their guides!
To keep it sweet in our studio as we approach the holiday season, the guides designed a Candy Cane Land. A letter explained the enchanting process: if the Sparks continue to do their best, magical candy canes will sprout in our snowy landscape. Now, we must eagerly wait for the growth of candy canes - one appeared this week!
If you have yet to hear, Dazzle the Dino has arrived! This lively dinosaur has become an excellent guest in our studio, bringing laughter and surprises each morning. From nightly strolls with her pig companion to dressing up and playing games in the games room, this dino is on a mission of fun! The Sparks discovered the importance of treating Dazzle the Dino with care - a touch and her magical powers may disappear.
For practical life this week, the Sparks are mastering the art of opening and closing various containers. The skill goes beyond the studio and will equip the learners to navigate everyday tasks confidently.
Lastly, for Show & Tell, we will continue to keep it connected to the sessional study.
Session 3 Show & Tell Schedule
Week 2 (December 8, 2023): Bring something that will be useful for your dinosaur diorama
Week 3 (December 15, 2023): Share your favourite holiday story
Week 4 (December 22, 2023): Bring a toy, stuffy or book of your choice
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness
On Monday, we switched our theme from mantras to "Move It," and the Rebels tried a wall-supported pilates workout in the gym. On Tuesday, Rebels took some time to turn inwards and compiled lists of their favourite things to be used later on this session for a gift exchange. For Wonder Wednesday, the Rebels tried another Connections puzzle from the New York Times. On Thankful Thursday, the Rebels chose to either write or draw in their journals or work on puzzles with fellow Rebels. For Feel Good Friday, the Rebels listened to the crackling fireplace channel and decorated the studios for the holiday season!
Launches
Monday's launch equipped Rebels by handing over the responsibility of scheduling our extracurricular events and activities we needed to include in our calendar this month. Rebels voted on a series of dates for various events we have running during our four-week session, including a Studio Advent calendar from Ms. Erin, Rebel Gift Exchanges, our clean up and clean out day on the last day of school, book club cafe, and ensuring we include a celebration for a special teammate who is moving to a different country this session. Tuesday's launch was in equip mode - Rebels reviewed the Council's updated Rebel Buck Appeal Process. There are now specific reasons for losing a Rebel Buck that can not be appealed. There are also a few reasons why Rebels decided that an email should go home to keep the Rebel more accountable. On Wednesday, the Rebels continued to discuss their December calendar and made decisions about the Rebel Gift Exchange and Studio Advent Calendar. Thursday's launch revisited the concept of accountability during Core Skills. Many Rebels have opted into the Pyramid of Amazing Accountability challenge, where they vow to complete a large portion of their goals at school. Friday's Current Events report featured the Taylor Swift Concert conundrum, a discussion about why some XBOX controllers are glitching worldwide, and we started opening our Pokemon Advent calendar!
Math Lab
Our guest guide, Ms. Kailtin, led this week's lab! Rebel Detectives In Training were assigned the Case of the Check Hopper, where they had to analyze alibis from three suspects at a busy Parisien restaurant to determine who skipped paying their bill! Using clues about elapsed time from both the servers working at the time and the suspects who police were investigating, Rebels worked in small groups to make sense of the timeline of events.
Reader/Writer
This week in Reader/Writer, Rebels jumped back into the fictional stories they began writing in Session 2. With upcoming peer edits for their first drafts next week, Rebels worked very hard to complete a rough copy of their story. Using a specific Six Traits of Writing checklist that they'll bring to their editing meetings next week, Rebels reviewed their grammar, punctuation, and spelling and ensured their story incorporates all the components of their plot diagram. As we approach the end of Session 3, Rebels will read their stories aloud to Spark learners at the end of the month and showcase their fictional stories at Exhibition.
Quest
Welcome to the Revel Police Academy! These young Sergeant Majors, Staff Sergeants, and Constables have officially begun training to become Police Detectives. On Monday, there was already a crime to investigate: someone had broken into Police Commissioner Erin's office and stolen classified files from witness protection. Rebel Detectives In Training gathered together into four smaller squads and made a plan to document the crime scene. Most importantly, they could not tamper with or disturb the setting as they worked to log items for evidence and make a detailed sketch. Rebels were again granted access to the crime scene on Tuesday and had to work on fingerprint analysis. We learned how lifting prints from some materials is more complicated than others, and Rebels led a demo using glue with cyanoacrylate to lift prints from aluminum foil. Then, they used tape to lift off prints from the classified file folders at the crime scene. They also had to make a copy of their own prints for the Revel Police Academy's database. On Wednesday, Rebels practiced making moulds of shoeprints and looked for patterns between the length of their foot and their height. Each day, there was also an elite status task that Rebels could try to enrich their training: a whodunnit detail analysis, a classifying fingerprint analysis and measuring walking versus running strides. On Thursday, each training squad had time to finish any previous tasks, and then we completed our Squad Leader election for Session 3!
Physical Development
There were two choices for Tuesday's physical development period. One group headed outside for a friendly soccer game, while the other stayed inside for gym games. We started with a crocodile race to warm up and spent the rest of the time playing a fun game called Sink the Ship. Each team had a boat (gym mat) and set up four bowling pins around the outside. The game's objective was to knock the other team's pins down with our indoor snowballs. If all the pins were knocked down, the team had to complete ten jumping jacks before resetting. The Discovery learners showed a lot of great teamwork, especially when retrieving the snowballs. One foot must always be on the mat, so seeing how they waded "into the water" to grab the snowballs was interesting. On Thursday, the learners warmed up by running around the gym and then playing Wax Museum. Everyone showed excellent poses and did their absolute best.
French
In this session, we will learn holiday vocabulary as well as compliments! On Tuesday, we played a Kahoot about the winter holidays. We then played Babord-Tribord (Winter Edition) in the gym. The game involves running and stopping when Madame Marianne or a Rebel utters certain specific words and makes a gesture corresponding to that word. Those who don't make the correct gesture are eliminated until the next round. On Thursday, we learned the song "Vive le vent!"
Civilizations
This session's Civilizations story started on the Silk Road. Rebels heard tales about travelling between Europe and China and how conditions changed based on the leadership values of the time. They mapped the road in relation to the Great Wall, neighbouring deserts and the city of Beijing. Afterward, they discussed which of three things, common religion, common enemy or trade commodities, would foster a better partnership between countries. It was a great discussion with some Rebels using evidence from other times in history to support their thinking.
Exploration
Mindfulness and Launch
On Monday morning, we welcomed our newest Rebel to the Exploration Studio! We introduced ourselves and then took time to fill in Secret Santa forms, which will be used to help purchase a friend a little present for our gift exchange the week before the break.
On Tuesday morning, the Rebels voted between a series of wall-supported pilates routines and selected one designed to improve daily mobility. This flow involved a balance between seated and more active movements like stance-changing squats and shoulder rotations. After Tuesday's pilates, we reviewed the importance and role of the Industrial Revolution to prepare for our first Civilization class of the session. We learned about the innovations in the British Textile industry, why it began in Europe, what was occurring in China during the Industrial Revolution, the European Advantages of high wages and low fuel costs, and what was happening in India then. Through our discussion, it was agreed that the Industrial Revolution changed more people's lives than many of the political revolutions we've studied and how easily accessible coal in England made it possible.
We turned on the holiday tunes and decorated our studio on Wednesday! Some chose an artistic route, folding paper trees, cutting snowflakes, and creating cardboard candy canes, while others helped to hang lights and decorations for their friends.
Thursday's yoga focused on core work, stability and balance. While practicing poses that allowed Rebels to balance on the right and left sides of their bodies, we incorporated the mantra: "Let it go." Some noticed a difference while they practiced the pose on both sides, observing strengths, weaknesses, better balance, or limited mobility depending on which leg they were standing on. Rebels practiced listening to whatever self-talk came up in those poses and then letting it go before starting the pose again on the other side. Back in the studio, we learned about the second transportation revolution and Henry Ford's tremendous impact on the American economy before making predictions about the next transportation revolution that will take place.
A Home Alone Lego appeared for Friday's Free Choice mindfulness, and the Rebels were quick to get started! Learners also chose to work on their fish art for the Fish and Wildlife Services contest before our Rebel-led Current Events team taught us about a strange fish species, the skyrocketing food prices and its effect on our eating habits, and our weekly sports update.
Quest - Chemistry of Cookies
Rebels kicked off their Chemistry of Cookies Quest this week with sweet Chef challenges, Chemistry lessons and team-building activities. Why are some cookies gooey and chewy and others hard and crispy? What happens to a cookie when you switch white sugar and brown sugar? Why do some cookies change colour in the oven? What happens within the cookie dough when the cookie is exposed to heat? Rebels explored cookie ingredients at the molecular level this week as they reviewed foundational concepts in chemistry such as atoms, elements, molecules, matter and energy. Once Rebels felt more confident with the vocabulary and its meanings, we broke down some of the key ingredients in a sugar cookie recipe to create molecular models. From compounds such as sucrose and sodium chloride to ovalbumin (a protein found in eggs) and palmitic acid (found in butter), Rebels constructed molecular models using marshmallows, markers, and toothpicks. As we ventured into particles and states of matter, Rebels built models of what particles look like in cookie dough before baking, while in the oven and after they cool to room temperature to demonstrate an understanding of particle movement affected by thermal energy. Who knew so many basics of chemistry could be found in a cookie?! Next week, our chefs will dive into particle motion and chemical reactions and determine what happens when you turn up the heat!
Reader/Writer
To compliment our Chemistry of Cookies Quest this Session, Rebels will create a Studio Cookbook filled with memorable recipes that bring out core memories of family traditions, favourite celebrations and meals that mean the most to them. After introducing the badge expectations for this session, Rebels brainstormed what the cookbook should look like. Rebels talked through a series of discussion questions all about food and specific moments or experiences where they enjoyed their favourite foods. Rebels will head back to their households this week to research and talk to their families about the recipes that mean most to them. Next week, Rebels will bring in their chosen recipe(s) and begin writing a narrative about the memories that come up when they think about this dish.
Math Lab
This session's Math Lab will involve altering recipes differently from their original format. For example, what mathematics is involved in taking a dish for two and adjusting the recipe for a solo meal? Rebels will also be tasked with finding a small portion recipe for one or two and will learn to increase it for a family. To coincide with their Studio Cookbook, Rebels must also adjust their favourite family recipe to meet the needs of a larger-scale holiday event. Needless to say, Rebels will be applying operations with fractions, developing proportional reasoning, and becoming familiar with metric and Imperial units most commonly used in the kitchen!
Civilizations
After learning about the Industrial Revolution in the morning, Rebels studied two significant engineering projects: the completion of the Suez Canal and the American transcontinental railroad, both finished in 1869. After watching Turning Points in Modern History: 1869 - Binding Continents, Rebels assembled as a group to discuss how increased transportation and communication changed the world for the better and for the worse. On Thursday, we learned about the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), a military conflict in which a victorious Japan forced Russia to abandon its expansionist policy in East Asia, becoming the first Asian power in modern times to defeat a European power. The war fought over Manchuria and Korea had long-term impacts on the world, including Japan emerging as a significant power in the East, the loss by Russia set in motion the Russian Revolution, and China's embarrassment at having foreign countries fighting for control over Chinese territory forced China to become a republic. Through our discussion, we recognized that we needed to conduct more research to understand the depth of the conflict and its outcome.
French
In this French session, we will learn compliments and holiday vocabulary. To do this, we'll write letters to people who are isolated during the holidays, such as older adults and children who are sick. On Monday, we learned what an adjective is and where to place it in a French sentence. We then did a Kahoot to review the most common descriptive adjectives. On Thursday, we learned and reviewed holiday vocabulary and played a game of « Nord-Sud » in the gym. The game involves running and stopping when Madame Marianne says certain words in French and making a gesture corresponding to those words.
Additional Highlights
Two of our Exploration Rebels took it upon themselves to organize an awesome mini-sticks tournament for their elective this week! Thank you for introducing an incredibly fun event to the studio!
Launchpad
Adulting 101
Throughout this session, learners will imagine that they graduated from high school and are tasked with taking on the challenges of adulthood! After reviewing the course summary and explaining the criteria for earning the credit, learners selected a city for relocation. When picking a home, they needed to consider locations where they would actually consider living or studying in the future. Launchpad learners then looked for part-time jobs in their chosen city or town that they could qualify for as high school graduates. Once found, they had to submit the job ad, including the yearly salary, taxes, income after taxes, and monthly income. Tuesday, learners found a training program, trade school, college or university that interested them. They then researched the program they were most intrigued by, the required qualifications, how long their program would take and how much it would cost. After looking into potential scholarship options, they learned how to use an online loan calculator to figure out their monthly payments after graduation, better understanding the total principal and total interest on their school loan.
Choosing a place to live is one of the most challenging choices we come across as adults. There are many housing options, but we asked Rebels to find an apartment, condo, or school residence for this Quest. After locating their new lodgings, learners had to calculate the monthly rent, apartment insurance cost, and additional charges such as laundry, parking, deposit, application and condo fees. They also had to figure out how far their housing was from their school and work. While most apartments now offer digital payment systems, sometimes you must write a cheque, so Rebels learned how to fill in a cheque and address an envelope. With cheques under our belt, it was time to learn more about credit cards! After learning about the basics, Launchpad Rebels had to choose a credit card based on their needs and figure out how to calculate interest.
On Thursday, Alex Anderson, our favourite CFA Charterholder and Portfolio Manager of the Ottawa Wealth Advisory Group, came in to answer our questions about banking, saving, and investing! We started with how to open a chequing or savings account and the differences between the two. The conversation then touched on credit scores, credit cards, types of investment accounts (RESP, RSP, TFSA, Cash, Margin, etc.), compounding returns, cost of living, and account fees.
Lastly, on Friday, learners put all of the numbers together! They completed a monthly budget using their research to compare their income and monthly bills. Next week, we will look more closely to see if there are bills that can be changed or removed in order to help the budget.
Personal Finance - Game of Life
Going hand in hand with our Quest, Rebels began their Game of Life project on Tuesday by reviewing or learning bookkeeping basics. Using four different case studies, Rebels analyzed an individual's sources of income and expenses and, in each case scenario, answered the question, "Can they afford this?" On Thursday, they were given budgets for different individuals along with their actual spending. They began by calculating the net pay using gross pay, tax rate and deductions such as health coverage and retirement savings. They then had to determine if the spending aligned with the budget and what could be altered.
World History
Athens failed, at least in part, because its culture did not have enough military strength. Learners watched "The Failure of the Polis and the Rise of Alexander" and read associated articles before assembling as a studio to discuss whether they would rather live in a Canada that has less freedom but a strong military, with safe streets and strong borders, or a Canada that has more freedom but a weak military, with frequent street riots and foreign threats. They also debated why the Greek city-states failed and whether or not they believed (like Plato) that truth, reality, and knowledge are mainly beyond this world or (like Aristotle) that they are a part of everyday life. On Thursday, we turned to study the life of Persians, one of the first cultures to have religious freedom. After researching and taking notes, learners debated which type of power(s) were most responsible for the rise and fall of Persia: economic, ideological, military, or political.
Communication and Literature
Want to stand out from the crowd? A resume is an incredibly important first impression! This week, Rebels learned what information should be included, how to show off their strengths and personality, and how to make their resume visually appealing. After brainstorming what they wanted to highlight, learners utilized Canva templates to draft their resumes in order to receive feedback next week.
Our Launchpad Rebels also chose a personal finance book as their deep read in this session. Once completed, they will write a Goodreads review and a reflection on their lessons learned.
Next Great Adventure
Rebels began the last section of the NGA Quest #1 this week! As they started the "Beginning with the End in Mind" challenges, they were asked to write their own eulogy for their funeral and the epitaph for their grave. A few of the Rebels found the challenge incredibly difficult as they had to take time to really reflect and write about how they hoped to be remembered. In the "Go For It" challenge, they reflected on how choosing one path could lead to countless others. After choosing their winning combinations and ranking, they put their stake in the ground to commit to further exploring one path. In the "Compass" challenge, learners identified their calling, how they will rise above the barriers, and what relationships they need to build to help them on their journey.
Health
This week Launchpad Rebels had the option to play basketball, football, enjoy the park, and take part in a yoga and core workout. A few have requested to continue the Peloton workouts and we are in the process of developing an exercise plan.
Additional Highlights
Launchpad Rebels have been given a BINGO board of challenges to complete over the next few weeks to go along with their Adulting Quest. How many will your learner be able to master?!
A big thank you to the Rebel Alliance for organizing a fun Family Game Night! We’re looking forward to hosting more events in the new year!
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask Your Rebel:
Spark
Can you tell me about Dazzle the Dino? Where has Dazzle been in the school so far? Where do you think Dazzle will be next?
Do you have a favourite type of dinosaur?
Can you sing the song "Vive le vent" in French?
Discovery
Core Skills: How will you be more accountable for your Core Skills time next week?
R/W: Is your fictional story ready for Rebel Editing next week? If not, what can you do to ensure you have something for your peer approval partner to give you feedback on?
M/L: How did you solve Ms. Kailtin's Case of the Check Hopper?
M/L: If making travel arrangements, involve your learner in planning the elapsed time!
Quest: Which detective skill are you most interested in so far: making a detailed crime scene sketch, dusting for or lifting fingerprints for analysis or determining suspect height based on shoe/footprints? Why?
Exploration
What recipe(s) would you like to bring in for your Studio Cookbook? Why?
Which recipe did you scale down for your Dinner for You ALT recipe? Did you have to do any division involving fractions?
If following a recipe while baking or cooking, involve your learner in any adjustments you need to make!
What is the difference between an atom and a molecule? What is the difference between a compound and a mixture?
What is the difference between table salt and Epsom salt?
What are some of the compounds found in a cookie recipe? Which compound was the most challenging for you to build a model of using marshmallows? Why?
It's 1862. You are Henry John Temple, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Parliament has authorized the spending of 1 million Pounds on either shares of the company controlling the Suez Canal or laying undersea cables for instant communication with India and the United States. Which will you authorize and why?
It's 1903, and Ford Motor Company's Model T is making a splash. As an entrepreneur, you want to start a business that capitalizes on Ford's success. Which business will you launch? Why?
Suburban home building company, now that more people can afford to commute
Factory that makes tires, windshields, and other replacement parts
Road construction company, as the demand for new roads grows
Chain of car repair shops
Bank that specializes in consumer car loans
Chain of roadside motels
Something else?
Launchpad
Because of Alexander's military successes, Greek ideas spread throughout the world. Does this make the case that military or ideological forces are more critical for the rise of a society? Provide evidence from another time in history.
Why is it important to apply for a credit card even if you will not use it often?
Where did you choose to live for your Adulting Quest?
Did you choose a place of higher education to study? How much is the annual tuition, and what scholarships are available?
What have you learned so far while reading your Deep Book regarding personal finances?
Have you completed any of the Adulting BINGO challenges? Are there any that we can help you with?
Dates of Interest
Session 3 Exhibitions
Exploration & Launchpad: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Joint Spark & Discovery: Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Holiday Gift Exchanges
Spark Sock Exchange: Friday, December 15, 2023
Discovery Gift Exchange: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Exploration and Launchpad Gift Exchange: Wednesday, December 20, 2023