Discovery Studio, Year 3, Session 2, Week 8

This week, our Discovery heroes dove even deeper into the mysteries of the ocean with an exciting project on light and how it transforms underwater. They started by cutting out deep sea glasses and taping them onto file folders. Next, they taped blue film over the eye holes, allowing the glasses to filter light similarly to how the ocean filters light as you move deeper and deeper. These glasses, complete with additional blue film for different light experiments, helped the heroes visualize the way colors fade and shift as sunlight filters down into the ocean’s depths. With their Deep Sea Glasses ready, heroes took turns observing various colors through their blue lenses, completing data sheets to document their observations. As they moved through the colors, heroes noted how some became harder to see while others seemed to “disappear” entirely. This hands-on experience highlighted how certain wavelengths are absorbed quickly by water, leaving mainly blue light visible – an adaptation marine creatures rely on for survival and camouflage.

In civilization discussion this week, we journeyed back in time to explore the intriguing era of Japan’s warlords, the powerful samurai leaders who played key roles in shaping Japanese history. We discussed how these warlords, or “daimyos,” led armies of samurai warriors, defended their territories, and engaged in fierce battles to expand their influence.we explored another rich tradition of Japanese culture: sumo wrestling! Heroes researched the fascinating history of sumo, and they were excited to put their research findings into a project to present with the group. 

In this week’s Communication Challenge, the heroes practiced giving constructive feedback on word choices using the “Feedback Sandwich.” This technique encouraged them to share one positive observation, followed by a constructive suggestion, and closed with another positive note. It was inspiring to see heroes thoughtfully reflect on each other’s work, building an atmosphere of encouragement and growth.

This week, Discovery and Spark heroes teamed up for a spook-tacular Halloween party! The studio transformed into a festive space filled with creative costumes, themed decorations, scavenger hunt and lots of Halloween fun. They also collaborated on setting up halloween decorations, everything from halloween bead crafts to spooky spider webs, which they hung around the studio. This shared event brought Discovery and Spark closer together as they celebrated the holiday with laughter, creativity, and teamwork. It was a fun-filled way to strengthen friendships across studios and embrace the Halloween spirit together!

A School for the 21st Century

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Spark Studio, Year 3, Session 3, Week 14

We had a great week! We kicked it off with a visit to the UW-Planetarium. The Planetarium was an old-school analog light projection, which was very cool. The heroes learned a new things about constellations and galaxies while exploring some of what they already knew in new ways, like seasons and sunsets and sunrises. Spark Read more…

Spark Studio, Year 3, Session 3, Week 13

Houston, we had a…..great week! The Spark heroes continued to explore outer space! They learned the Earth is 4.5 billion years old and throughout this time, the Moon has been our planet’s constant companion. This week they explored the moon’s phases and its role in causing the tides. They learned that gravity is different on Read more…

Spark Studio, Year 3, Session 3, Week 12

Spark returned focused and ready to learn this week! We kicked off our space-focused session. During our circle times, we focused on weather as a bridge to our space topics. We learned about Doppler radar and satellites, and how they help show us what’s going on with the weather. We also watched some videos of storm Read more…