Explore: Y7, S5, W1
Community Garden Quest Begins
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Community Garden Quest began this week. Seed Teams studied plant cells and then built them. Every organelle represented and labeled in their models. If something was unclear, they redid it. The question wasn’t “Is it done?” but “Would someone actually understand this?”
Midweek, the photosynthesis challenge. Learners learned the process, then tested parts of it through experiments. Each person recorded their own observations. You could feel the shift from guessing to noticing. Language became more precise. Conclusions had to match evidence.
On Friday, capillary action. After experimenting, each learner wrote a short explanation of how water moves through a plant.
Writers Workshop was also launched. Learners began selecting their Big Important Questions. Some changed topics after peer critique. Some defended their question successfully. The standard is simple: Is this question strong enough to keep you thinking for weeks?
Civilization discussions pushed into hard leadership dilemmas from the Civil War.
Art began a collaborative puzzle on identity and contribution. Growth Circles set goals for the session ahead, with Explorers mentoring Discoverers to support their goal-setting and accountability.
PD launched Field Hockey, which resonated with the celebration of Team USA’s recent Ice Hockey Olympic Gold.
Session 5 is officially on, with fascinating threads and learner-set goals to empower them as they find acalling that will change the world.