Revel Recap: Dec. 2 - 6, 2024
Spark Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
With the holidays on the way, we spent the week discussing the importance of kindness. Each day, we began by reading a book on this topic. We read A Good Deed Can Grow, Tiny Acts of Kindness, The Power of One, Be Kind, and I Am One. These books got us thinking about what it means to be kind and started some powerful discussions. While reading, we heard many ideas for acts of kindness we could complete, and each of the thoughtful stories demonstrated that small acts of kindness can change the world! Each day, we completed a kindness activity after the book. First, the learners took time to brainstorm five ways they can be kind. They talked about not littering, holding the door for others, sharing, playing with new friends, giving compliments, helping others, giving gifts, and donating things they no longer need. They also made cards with thoughtful messages inside, gave each other compliments, made bookmarks with positive affirmations or growth mindset phrases, and hid them in library books for other Rebels to find. On Friday, we discussed how being kind to ourselves is also very important, and each Rebel wrote something they loved about themselves in their gratitude journals.
Quest
Welcome to Week Two of Kitchen Chemistry! To start, we learned some important science terms. We started with what the word chemistry means. We discussed how it is the science of different kinds of matter and how matter can change. This week, we focused on the two main changes in chemistry. Chemical changes are changes in the chemical makeup of something that create a new substance. Physical changes are changes in appearance, smell, or simple display of a sample of matter without a change in chemical composition. Our learning objective for the week was to determine whether the change in matter was physical or chemical during our experiments. Each day, the learners made a hypothesis before beginning.
Our first experiment was to create salt dough ornaments. Combining water, salt, and flour, the learners kept testing until they got their dough to the correct consistency. Next, they kneaded the dough with their hands and used a rolling pin to flatten it. After baking it for a couple of hours, the learners observed the changes in their dough. It was a perfect example of a chemical change, as it cannot be undone.
The next day, the learners were very excited to be doing an experiment they could eat: ice cream! Combining cream, vanilla, sugar, ice, and salt, the learners worked in teams to shake the ingredients until they became a frozen treat! We discussed how this is an example of a physical change as it could be undone, freezing occurred, and it changed only its form; no new substance was created. Afterward, the learners added some sprinkles and enjoyed their ice cream. We heard it tasted delicious!
Our last experiment of the week used lemon juice and baking soda. The learners were quite surprised by the bubbling reaction these two ingredients had. Based on what we have learned, we decided this is another example of a chemical change, as a new substance was created. We then had a fun bonus extension. The learners could add sugar and water to their experiment to create a fizzy lemon drink. Their faces told us that they did not enjoy the taste of this creation! It's a good thing we had some real lemonade to enjoy afterward!
Art
As the Sparks looked out the window, admiring the thick snowflakes coming from the sky, the Guide asked, "Based on the weather, what do you think our focus could be for art?" The Sparks immediately knew it was going to be a snowflake activity. Using blue and purple watercolours, they designed a background of the shades. They then used a stamp punch to create snowflakes to glue on their paper. Afterwards, we read the story Pete the Cat - Snow Daze.
French
We played animal BINGO on Monday morning and then began learning winter vocabulary on Tuesday. Wednesday, we began learning the song La Neige Tombe!
Math Lab
Both math groups started their lab together this week, watching a Khan Academy video about shape attributes. Group One then played a game where they had to help a construction site build a building by placing the correct shape in the right place. They had to be mindful of the size, shape, and sides. Shapes such as circles, squares, rhombuses, triangles, and hexagons were all a part of the challenging but fun game. Following this, the Sparks had to make sentences with pictures of the shapes and the number of sides each shape had chosen.
Group Two used a spinner to land on a shape. They would write the shape name and the number of sides and angles it had. They continued spinning until they completed their sheet. We are proud of how much they know about 2D shapes after the last two weeks. Next week, we will be moving on to 3D shapes!
Reader/Writer
Group One was musically introduced to the letter B. The learners listened to a catchy song that helped them get familiar with the sound B, making the following activity more engaging and easier to follow. The learners practiced tracing the letter B sandpaper letter and then used their whiteboards to print the letter B many times. Afterward, each Spark wrote six words that start with B. Words such as bat, box, bus, and bear were printed, and everyone shared their words with one another.
The winter weather was our inspiration for Group Two this week. They were given a sheet with a winter scene and a word bank. They were challenged to write a creative story using at least three words from the word bank. We continue to focus on the spacing between words, as well as the sizing and spelling of words. Our writers did a great job this week!
Geography
The Sparks have been well prepared for their presentations in Geography. This week, we had five learners share special traditions from their family and their cultures. To begin, we had a lovely poster presentation about Hidrellez. Hıdrellez Festival is celebrated on May 6th in Turkey and is regarded as the first day of spring. The learner's poster had photos of them at this festival over the years. They explained the reasoning behind washing their face with flowers they place in a bowl of water, why they jump over a fire and a list of wishes for the year.
Chinese New Year was the subsequent tradition we learned about. A learner brought in a book and a red envelope. They read their story and then explained the meaning of the red envelopes, which are filled with money - and symbolize good wishes and luck for the new year ahead.
Following this, we learned about Eid. The learner brought the book Ilyas & Duck and the Fantastic Festival of Eid-al-Fitrby Omar S. Khawaja. The learner flipped through the pages of their book and explained that Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated for 3 days. During this time, they have feasts, receive presents, spend time with family, and go to the Mosque to pray.
Next, we learned about a Spark's family tradition from the Czech Republic called St. Nicholas Day, which happens on December 5th. The learner shared pictures of meeting St. Nicholas, who was dressed in a traditional Bishops' hat, cloak and long beard. They told us they were given an orange, sweets, and toys for being good this year, but warned us that you may get a potato or a lump of coal if you have not been so good!
Lastly, we saw a drum that plays a role in one of our learner's family holidays and celebrations. Each learner even got a chance to play the special drum!
To end geography for the week, the Guide shared a book called My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa and showed a video from Sesame Street about this holiday. During this celebration, we learned that families place a mat on the table with a candle holder, seven candles, fruit and vegetables, a unity cup and presents. The book explains that Kwanzaa lasts for seven days, and a different candle is lit each night. Each day also has a special word in Swahili, and they talk about one of the seven principles.
Additional Highlights
This week marked the beginning of some fun holiday traditions. We received a special LEGO Advent Calendar from Ms. Erin! Each learner will open a new day and discover a mini LEGO building kit. They'll keep their creations on the shelf in the studio and take them home at the end of the session. Once again, Dazzle the Magical Dino made her return to the studio. She brought sparkles for ice cream, got messy in watercolour paint, and wrote a letter to the North Pole. What a silly, magical dinosaur we have on the loose in the studio. We can't wait to see what else she gets up to next week!
We were also so happy to have a learner from the Discovery Studio visit us on Thursday for a closing about Hanukkah. The learner read a book called Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberg. The story explored the lighting of the menorah and gobbling the gelt. Grandpa Latke tells everyone the Hanukkah story, which ends with mighty Mega Bees who use a giant dreidel to fight against the evil alien potatoes from Planet Chhh. The Sparks truly enjoyed this story!
The Sparks enjoy reading twelve holiday books each year as a countdown to the holidays. This year, the guides have decided to wrap each one up. Each day, the learners will open a book and read it together during DEAR time or at the end of the day, making it a festive and cozy tradition. Books such as Smallest Gift of Christmas by Peter H. Reynolds and Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Conner were read this week.
Lastly, this is a kind reminder about the donations outside the Spark studio for Toy Mountain and The Ottawa Food Bank.We have received many donations so far and are grateful to the families at Revel. We are accepting donations until December 13th, 2024.
Discovery Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
To begin this snowy week, we focused on gratitude - Rebels took some time to sit by the "fire" and journal. Then, as a team, we worked on a thank you card for Janine, our guest speaker and judge from the Architecture Quest. For launch, we determined how to open our Lego studio advent calendar, with Rebels picking names out of a hat to determine who gets to open each door. On Tuesday, we started our day creating ornaments for our studio Christmas tree. Tuesday's Rebel-led launch was all about snow leopards! Rebels learned much about this vulnerable species and discussed its habitat and adaptations. On Wednesday, we started the day with the New York Times puzzles. We played Letterboxed and Wordle, completing the latter on our sixth and final guess! Then a Rebel ran a launch about finding Neko, a little mouse on another image. The learners were extremely excited about the search; they were all standing on their feet by the end. Thursday morning, Rebels went on a snowy walk and enjoyed hiking through the wet snow and slush while enjoying the beautiful winter wonderland. For launch, we were inspired by Heather Kampf's (previously Dorniden) famous 600-meter race in 2008, where she fell with only 200 meters to go and managed to get up, keep going and come back to win her heat! Feel-Good Friday, we warmed up the Boomwhackers and then played a rendition of Post Malone's "I Had Some Help." The Current Events Report featured stories about Goldfish, Seal pups and a Trump and Trudeau dinner. Unfortunately, a small town in Alberta dumped 14,000 goldfish into a local pond and had to clean the lake because they were invasive species. We saw a picture of cute grey seal pups born on November 29th. We discussed how Trump and Trudeau had dinner together after Trump threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports to the U.S. We discussed the strategy behind having dinner with him and what tariffs would do to our economy.
Math Lab
On Monday, Aim and Release Rebels worked on a true scale multiplication grid, finding products for all the facts from 1 x 1 to 10 x 10. After they labelled the products, they coloured their grid to show patterns they had found. When this was completed, they had more time to work on the computation tasks from last week. We listened to the story Bean Thirteen by Matthew McElligott during Wednesday's lab with Draw and Anchor Rebels. Rebels discussed takeaways from the story, such as how division means sharing items in fair or equal groups. Leftovers are called remainders. They worked to apply these ideas from the story as they tackled the next phase of their Track Day task from the previous week. For example, if 72 athletes compete in 8 heats, how many athletes will be in each heat?
Reader/Writer
This week, all of the Rebels worked on planning their Podcasts. They came up with the name, type, and topic and then began to write their script using the provided templates.
French
The Discovery Rebels finished translating their gingerbread recipe and design as a team. We'll be cooking in French only, so the Rebels were encouraged to learn the words of the recipe and then review it with a game of Kahoot! We also played a game of Loup-Garou - Noël edition, where the loup-garou are grinches, the villagers are elves, and all our excuses for blaming or not blaming have to be magical!
Civilizations
This week, we turned our attention to the east. Missionaries came to Japan and began to spread Christianity. Ieyasu, the first shogun, was worried about the rise of Christianity, and he tried to make it more unwelcome in Japan. In a couple of years, he kicked out all missionaries and then 'closed' Japan and 'Zen' Buddhism flourished.
We then learned about the Ming Dynasty, the Machu, and the Han's feelings toward the Mings. The Machu began to fight back and then ran the Qing dynasty that ruled over the Han Chinese. The second Manchu emperor, K'ang-Hsi, inherited the throne and announced that the Han and Manchu Chinese were equal to restore peace.
Quest
It was a very busy week in Quest! Rebels began planning their Stop Motion projects with the help of a Story Mountain tool. Rebels were introduced to the story writing format, including a beginning (introduction), middle (problem) and conclusion (solution). They began coming up with the title of their movie, the setting, and the characters before mapping out their story. They also worked on creating their backgrounds and gathering supplies, as they will begin filming on Monday!
Physical Development
Back by popular request was Jamie from Cosmic Kids Yoga. The learners completed a Minecraft-themed yoga story for our P.E. warmup. We then split the gym into two different activities. Freeze Dance on one side and Sink the Ship on the other! On Thursday, both groups stayed inside. We had some learners playing a competitive game of Dodgeball while the other group showed off their dance moves, following along with Just Dance!
Additional Highlights
We have so many wonderful traditions around this time of year, including opening our studio Advent Calendar (Thank you, Ms. Erin!), decorating the studios, and plotting our Secret Rebel gifts. On Friday, the Yearbook Committee snapped fun holiday photos at their Winter Photo Booth, and we're excited to celebrate even more in the coming weeks!
Exploration Studio
Mindfulness and Launch
It's time to decorate! Now that it is December, the Christmas and Hannukkah decorations have come out, and the Rebels have begun to make our studio look festive. The learners assembled the tree, made ornaments, and opened our annual Advent calendar! On Tuesday morning, we went for our Mindful Walk, and Rebels were excited to hear that snow is on the way this week! On Wednesday, we learned how to play the Driedle game and then had fun playing a few rounds before receiving a piece of chocolate gelt and beginning our Core Skills. Thursday's yoga flow began and ended in mountain pose. We focused on variations of the sun salutation, stretching as tall as we could and releasing tension as we went. Before relaxing at the end, we experimented with a classic balancing act: tree pose. "It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." Upon return to the studio, our Launch used a scene from Harry Potter where Neville Longbottom stands up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they are sneaking out. The Rebels easily made the connection to their role in our studios and discussed the importance of holding one another accountable, including their friends. After solving the NYTimes Wordle, Connections, and Mini Crossword, we enjoyed a presentation by our learner-led Current Events team on Friday.
Math Lab
Last week, Rebels compiled a list of fundraising ventures they were interested in trying. However, before we can move forward and set a fundraising goal, we need to know the approximate costs of the trips they are planning. This week in Math Lab, Rebels used their time to continue developing three types of trip budgets. They worked to establish an all-in cost, including transportation, accommodations, food and drink, and activities. Rebels are trying to decide between activities and booking options to provide a base trip package, extended upgrades, and a luxury edition of the trip.
Reader/Writer
This week, learners continued working on their journalism article by writing an outline with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Our Launchpad Guide reminded our learners that the introduction needs to grab the reader's attention. Asking questions, proposing solutions to problems, or starting with a quote are all great ways to hook the audience. They also reviewed that there should be a few body paragraphs with their points, explanations, and supporting details before summarizing what they've written and ending with any final thoughts in their conclusion.
French
On Monday, we played a Jeopardy quiz on 3rd group verbs. Then, on Wednesday, we played a game of loup-garou - Noël edition, where the loup-garou are grinches, the villagers are elves, and all our excuses for blaming or not blaming a villager must be magical!
Physical Development
On Monday, one group played Dodgeball in the gym while another went out for games in the park. With the rapidly falling snow on Wednesday, all learners ventured to the hill for sledding and snowball fights!
Civilizations
The year is 476 AD, and The Roman Empire's global dominance is coming to an end. Constantinople was founded, and the Middle Ages were born, drastically altering the power and hierarchies of Church, state, and citizens. Rebels signed up for a role to begin our Civilizations class and had to research what their chosen member of European society actually did. We had Nobles, Knights, Monks, Merchants, Minstrels, Court Officials, and Bishops then try to convince our Kings why their role was crucial as the least convincing would be chosen to hold the moving target in the next archery tournament. After the persuasive and humourous speeches, we held a Socratic discussion regarding the Church's power at the time as well as Feudalism.
Quest
This week's Joy of Travel Quest theme was Itineraries and Budgets! On Monday, Rebels had a critical discussion where they came to a consensus on travel planning constraints for their Spring 2025 Studio Trip. They agreed on a 5-7 hour land or sea travel radius (no planes) and to stick to Ontario or Québec destinations. Additionally, they are planning two overnights for the whole studio and two Guides between March and May 2025. With thorough discussion, they added that they would avoid weekends, sessional breaks, and the first or last week of a session. After nailing this down, they had time to start adding ideas to an itinerary template of their choice. By the end of the week, their goal was to outline an hourly schedule for Days 1, 2 and 3 of their proposed trip. On Tuesday, we debated if an itinerary should be jam-packed with as much valuable experience as you can fit or limited to one or two things, leaving room for improvisation. Then, Rebels returned to work building their trip itineraries, making plans for places like Toronto, Niagara Falls, Québec City, Longueuil, and Montréal. Some Rebels made calls to explore booking options for accommodations while others teams explored transportation details. Wednesday, we introduced two budget templates using Google Sheets so that Rebels could easily track and tally their trip costs by day and by expense type: transportation, accommodations, food and drink and activities. The day's challenge was to produce three types of budgets: a base or economical cost, an extended version of their trip with special upgrades, and a luxury edition with all the bells and whistles. Thursday was a chance to finalize details on these itineraries and budgets, and Rebels had to pass Security Checkpoint #2 to advance to next week's Grand Tour Pitch project.
Additional Highlights
During Thursday's Holiday Joy time, learners could catch up on work, learn how to use the micropipettes loaned by Carleton University, work on a 2-point perspective art piece, or learn how to iron and fold a holiday napkin!
On Friday afternoon, learners also had the opportunity to skate at J.A. Dulude ice rink! For many Rebels, this was their first time on the ice in over a year, and we were so impressed with their positivity and progress!
Launchpad Studio
Leadership
Our Launchpad Rebel continued working with our Exploration Rebels to create outlines for the articles they were writing and helped them use a Citation site to turn their raw sources into MLA9-ready citations while learning how to find authors, publication dates, and publishers on websites. Meanwhile, another Rebel led our Discovery Studio Civilizations class on Tuesday and did a great job!
AP Language and Composition
Unit 5 began this week, focusing on proper citations and understanding visual sources. It also included an analysis of "A Talk to Teachers" using a new method.
AP Literature and Composition
This week, our learner read Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. They then began constructing an essay on the development of character pairs such as Orsino and Olivia, Feste and Topas, Malvolio and Sebastian, and how these pairs interact with each other and affect the plot of the play.
Canadian and International Law
Our learner taking the RISE Canadian and International Law course finished editing and began recording the voice lines for their Hostage Justice essay, which will soon be edited into a podcast. They also tightened up their music selection from free-to-use composers like LEMMiNO and JMCG, featuring tracks like "Cipher" and "Oh Yeah, the Sun's Still Here."
Amgen Biotech Experience
Now that the learners have an understanding of replication, transcription, and translation, we introduced protein synthesis and gene expression on Monday with the help of videos, graphic organizers and online interactives. On Wednesday, we dove into the various mutations that can occur in our DNA and the associated outcomes. We picked up our supplies for the Amgen Biotech Experience from Carleton University on Thursday! After going through the boxes, we practiced our technique with one of the essential tools used in biotechnology: micropipettes. After learning how to use the equipment, learners practiced with different volumes before moving on to creating a micropipette art piece!
AP Biology
This week's focus was Natural Selection. Our learner enjoyed the weekly readings, took a short quiz, participated in an online discussion, and completed a lab on cladograms and gene comparisons before taking a culminating test on the unit.
Mathematics
With the SATs this Saturday, one of our Launchpad Rebels worked on brushing up their math skills and taking practice exams to feel better prepared. Another learner completed their online Calculus course and studied for their final exam, while a third continued working through their Integrated Mathematics course.
Computer Science
One Rebel worked further on their Web Development assignments, learning how to lower the opacity of text and images via the opacity styling tag in CSS, and also learned how to modify an element with the .hover tag (also in CSS.) Combining these tags allows an element's opacity to be modified when hovered with a mouse. Meanwhile, another learner continued to make progress on their Python course!
Additional Highlights
One of our learners has booked a trip to Costa Rica in the summer to study marine conservation! This week, they spent time completing their application and student reflection while making a plan to improve their Spanish in preparation for their adventure!
Potential Discussion Ideas or Questions to Ask Your Rebel
Spark Studio
How many days is Kwanzaa celebrated? What is the table decorated with during Kwanzaa?
How did you make ice cream? What ingredients did you use, and what steps did you take? Did you like how it tasted? Was it a physical or chemical change?
What ingredient did you use to make salt dough ornaments? What shape did you make it into?
Did you like the taste of the fizzy lemonade?
Which holiday or tradition did you learn about from another Spark this week? Can you tell us about it?
French: How do you say "It's snowing" in French? (Il neige)
Discovery Studio
Have you earned Fun Friday yet this session? Which reward level are you hoping to unlock in the Fantastic Flow of Fun Fridays this session?
Which strategy do you use when solving a division problem?
How can you use a multiplication chart to solve division problems?
Are you ready to begin filming your Stop Motion project on Monday?
French: What do you plan to put on your gingerbread house?
Exploration Studio
Where are you planning your Spring 2025 Studio Trip? What costs have surprised you so far?
What special upgrades will you include for your extended or luxury budget?
On a scale of 1-5, 5 being I would definitely stand up, and 1 - I never stand up. How likely are you to be the first person to stand up when someone is breaking a covenant or ROE?
Many refer to the period as the "Dark Ages" due to a lack of significant innovations and cultural output despite nearly a thousand years of stability, health, and relative peace. Does a civilization need cultural and scientific advancements to be considered great or simply peace and stability? Why?
French: Which character were you in the Christmas Werewolf game?
Launchpad Studio
What is your biggest goal with two weeks to go in the session?
Are you currently feeling challenged or in your panic or comfort zone with your current workload?
Where would you like to travel in the new year? Can you plan a trip there for our studio?
Important Upcoming Dates
Collecting donations for Toy Mountain and The Ottawa Food Bank - Nov. 25-Dec. 13th (Please see BAND for more information.)
Friday, December 13th - Yearbook Winter Photo booth!
Friday, December 13th - Discovery Studio Secret Rebel Gift Exchange
Monday, December 16th- Spark Sock Exchange
Wednesday, December 18th - Exploration and Launchpad Secret Santa Exchange
Session 3 Exhibitions
Spark and Discovery Exhibition and Potluck: Wednesday, December 18th at 4:15 pm (Please see BAND to sign up!)
Exploration and Launchpad Exhibition: Thursday, December 19th at 4:15 pm