Can Humans Transform like a Butterfly? Year 3, Week 32
A very exciting week! Our Spark learners continue with amazing entomological discoveries and continue to add to their collection of insect visitors! Learners also took a practical approach to science and conduct After Action Reviews to assess their own growth and development!
spark studio
What a week it’s been as we explore Entomology. So far, we have mealworms, hornworms, and praying mantis live in our Studio. In the midst of our observations, one of our heroes just happened upon a mealworm pupating live and in action. What a great experience! As a matter of fact, our Entomologist friend that provided our up-close and personal experience has never actually witnessed pupation as it was happening. He was so excited when we shared our video with him that he’s sharing it with his “bug” friends. Our first discovery was, by far, more than we ever could have imagined. Think about transforming out of your own skin. Can we, as humans, pupate into something else? I’m sure if you think about it long enough we sure can, it’s just in a different way. Difference is what makes the world go ‘round after all.
In language arts, we have been working on Pitching a Field Trip. The heroes are having so much fun exploring and writing about the many places they would like to visit. Heroes from Middle and High School joined us this week to give us feedback on our presentations before we present to “The Shark Tank” for a final decision on which field trip wins. Thank you to our fellow heroes for guiding us on our journey. One thing we found out is we will need plenty of chaperones wherever we go so stay tuned ...
elementary studio
Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible. – Carol Moseley Braun
Do you believe in magic? Do you think it's possible to swing a full cup of water above your head without spilling a single drop? As we continue our journey through the world of Physics, heroes were able to find the answer to that question. And yes, you can spin a cup of water over your head without spilling it. It's all due to a little thing called centripetal force!
Working through the scientific method, heroes hypothesized about their belief. Some thought it would be impossible, while others felt it would be easy and they would be able to stay dry. We tested those hypotheses by building a spinning plate made of plastic plates and string. Heroes then filled paper cups with water and went outside. We had success and a few failures. But as we’ve learned throughout the year, “failure” to engineers is an opportunity for improvement. We found that many factors went into those failures and adjusted for success. Some of the factors included wind and plates that became wet from spills. (Check out our social media to see a few pictures.)
Over the course of this year, heroes have become Physics experts and are ready to begin designing their roller coasters over the final few weeks of the session. Let’s see all that “magic” put to use!
middle school studio
What did you set out to do? What actually happened? Is there a difference?
What worked? What didn't work? Why?
What would you do differently next time?
- Questions that guide our After Action Review
Most students have their progress determined by someone (like a teacher) or something (like a report card) else. How is progress measured in an environment that has no teachers or report cards?
A bedrock belief in self-directed learning is that the progress and depth of the learning is ultimately evaluated by the learner themselves. For sure, peers can and do give feedback to one another at The Forest School. We also invite outside feedback from experts in the field on learner work. Ultimately, though, it's on the learner to evaluate their work. How did they progress on their Badge Plans this year? What steps did they take on their own Hero's Journey? What failures or setbacks did they encounter? What work are they most proud of? What will they do differently next year? They answer these questions and those at the top of this post as part of our After Action Review (AAR) process.
The AAR was developed by the military as a way to quickly reflect on the success of a mission and iterate for next time. This practice has bled into the business world and is common practice in workplaces across the globe. Learners of all ages get practice reflecting deeply on their own work, what they've learned from failure and success, and how to do better next time. Imagine how such skills might set them up for success 5, 10, and 20 years from now? That seems much more helpful than letters on a report card.
high school studio
The shadow is needed now more than ever. We heal the world when we heal ourselves, and hope shines brightest when it illuminates the dark. -Sasha Graham
This week in the high school studio, heroes launched into Quest and learned about the constructs of active imagination and took a deep dive into Carl Jung and the shadow: the unconscious portion of one's personality, as well as the shadow of individuals around them. The week ended with a parkour activity that taught them about the functions of the brain.
Our civilization and storytelling topics never cease to engage our heroes. This week, they explored the conversation of exotic workers and the impact, positive or negative, that they have on individuals around the world. For storytelling, heroes conducted and shared their anthropology study where they learned to write abstracts.
Looking forward, just a reminder: deadlines are approaching and the deep book deadline has passed. For seniors, everything is due in 3 weeks on May 18th. Underclass heroes have a due date deadline of May 25th.
Only five more weeks left to go in the school year! Where has the year gone?
-Onward
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