Odyssey of the Mind is an international problem-solving competition. Teams of seven students from around the country and the world choose a problem with a long list of criteria that must be met. The “solution” culminates in a one-of-a-kind performance that demonstrates not only how they have met this criteria, but their creativity, team work, problem solving, artistic abilities, costuming, and acting. Most importantly, all of the work must be accomplished by the kids, as there is no adult participation and only the guidance of a coach.
On Sunday, Project Studio and the Odyssey Program will host a Writing Workshop for 21 of our students. Our big idea is: Applying Creative Thinking Allows For Change. (Don’t tell the kids though … we want them to get there themselves.) We will be using Peter Pan as our core text and examining the elements of story writing through characters, challenges, motivation, setting, obstacles, climax, and closure. They will be participating in various activities that focus on these key elements while deconstructing the story of Peter Pan. They will then reconstruct the story through their own written interpretations of key scenes. I’m certain it will be a fun and educational experience.
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I am so happy to welcome back the Sixth Grade to Project Studio. I really enjoyed seeing how confident and comfortable they are with the type of learning that we do here. You can see it in the way they work together and in the sophistication of their work. From the moment they walk in, they truly own the space.
In collaboration with the Sixth Grade teaching team, Project Studio integrated into their lessons on early humans and the rise of civilization. Our goal was to create a tool used by early man. Prior to arriving, students were asked to plan their projects. They were asked to make a connection between a hominid and the tool they want to create. The connection had to be supported by what necessitated the need for the tool, the natural resources that were used, and how those resources were modified from their natural state. Students were then given a large selection of mostly natural materials from which to create their project. The brand new Project Studio workshop was fully utilized in the creation of the projects. Be sure to look for the these projects in the Sixth Grade rooms and ask them about all the learning behind their work. Fourth Graders come to Project Studio for lessons that introduce or culminate units of their social studies curriculum. This week students entered the room to find that they would be working around a "room sized" map featuring California's regions. Each region corresponded to a hands-on activity that highlighted the characteristics of the region.
In the desert, students were guided through a technology based exploration of desert plants and the characteristics these plants must have to thrive in extreme conditions. In the central valley, students were challenged to identify produce, as it appears on the farm, and match it to an agricultural map. In the mountain region, students took a treacherous journey to the top of Mount Whitney and along the way identified the unique geographical features of the region. In the northern coast, students discovered that the scenic geography created a reliance on bridges and learned some basic engineering techniques. While in the southern coast, students were spontaneously hired by an advertising agency tasked with creating slogans and logos that encouraged environmentalism. I am truly excited that Fifth and Sixth Graders will also have the opportunity to continue their Project Studio experience through these types of integrated social studies lessons. |
"Project Studio is a virtual playground where students engage in divergent thinking exercises using a variety of educational modalities to arrive at an elevated result."
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February 2015
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