"I'm making a robot!"

In this article

Could the Eagles survive as a Hunter-Gatherer?
Setting goals in Maker space!
WW: Word Choice
Foreign Language
Hard work pays off!
Palindrome Birthday! 2/22/22

Session 6, Week 2, Year 2

Could the Eagles survive as a Hunter-Gatherer?

This week, the learners will travel 200,000 years ago to the first humans and continue traveling to about 30,000 years ago in order to learn about life as a hunter-gatherer and how humans used energy from the sun to fuel their bodies.

Learners sit around a table with laptops in a classroom

They will become hunter-gatherers in Africa and must complete a series of challenges set up like a scavenger hunt to see if you could survive!

Learners crouch in grass by a blue bus during a hunter-gatherer scavenger hunt

Three children and a guide stand outdoors near a black dumpster during a hunter-gatherer challenge

Five learners gather on the grass outdoors around a small object during a scavenger hunt

Children stand by an open gate in a grassy field during a scavenger hunt

Learners crouch behind a lean-to of sticks outdoors during a hunter-gatherer scavenger hunt

Setting goals in Maker space!

Goals are a staple of project planning. They give the Eagles a long term vision, motivation and focus needed to complete whatever they’ve set out to achieve. Currently, we have Eagles working on robots, canons, slingshots, etc… They will be demonstrating their finished project on Exhibition!

Children in maker space build cardboard robots on a rug while a guide kneels nearby

Boy in maker space builds a robot-like project at a table while other children work nearby

Boy in a yellow shirt holds a cardboard robot in a Maker Space classroom

Three children work on a robot project around a laptop in Maker space, with a balloon and cubbies behind them

WW: Word Choice

This session, the focus trait will be word choice. The learners will work on using thoughtful adjectives, they’ll learn about metaphors and similes, and learn how to use interesting, not predictable words to keep the audience hooked. The sub-skills of word choice are:

The author uses adjectives that are thoughtful and fit the descriptions.
The author chose verbs that both show and tell the reader information.
The author’s specific use of nouns makes details more memorable.
Figurative language (such as similes and metaphors) feels natural.
The author takes risks with words and doesn’t just use predictable ones

Learners sit around tables using laptops in a classroom with supplies and wall charts

Three children gather סביב a table working with papers and crayons in a classroom

Learners work at laptops around a classroom table with a guide nearby

Foreign Language

The Eagles are loving learning their languages! They have moved onto phrases and starting to have conversations with their language partners!

Three children gather around a laptop and tablet, working together on a robot project

Learners work on laptops at a long table in a classroom while a guide stands nearby

Three girls work on laptops at a classroom table with shelves and bins behind them

Hard work pays off!

The Eagles sets goals every day for their core skills. We have meetings in the circle about what they didn’t accomplish and attempt to identify why (the group helps brainstorm solutions to any roadblocks). One of our Eagles finally passed his roadblock and completed level 2 math! The Eagles celebrated and were inspired to never give up! Congrats Jace!