Imagine, if you will, a creative competition that allows students to express themselves artistically, physically, emotionally, spiritually – basically, this expression is in alignment with Rainbow’s Seven domains of child development.
Now imagine the pressure of performing for judges, parents and against other schools.
Add to it elements of the creative problem students tackled that students had to include, or otherwise they’d lose points.
Coaches were allowed to advise and guide the teams, but the students had to do all the work. In fact, they had to sign a contract saying that they would not accept outside help as they worked through their projects.
This year at Rainbow, there was so much interest in Odyssey of the Mind or OOTM!
Creative Problem Solving
We started out with four teams in grades 6-8 – they were considered Division II. When it came time to go to competition, we ultimately had two teams that headed to Enka High School to compete against area schools.
There are two parts to the competition. There is the “spontaneous” problem where students get a question and have to answer creatively. The more creative they can be, the more points they can get. Students do not know what question they will get, so they will usually practice a variety of problems beforehand to get used to coming up with answers “on the fly.”
Then, there’s the “long-term” problem. Earlier in the school year, students will choose one of five problems put out by the OOTM folks. They spend every practice session working together to come up with a solution to the problem, working within the limits and parameters that the problem encompasses.
One team did “Pandora’s Box” and one team did “Silent Movie.” Each had an eight-minute time limit.
From the OOTM website, here are the problem synopses:
Pandora’s Box:
In this classics problem, teams will put a video game spin on the story of Pandora’s Box. A gamer character will take on this multi-level game inspired by the Greek myth. The game will include a prologue that depicts the original story of Pandora’s Box, three characters representing different evils that escaped the box, and a power meter that represents the gamer character’s health. To beat the game, the player will advance to the final level where it will release hope into the world.
Silent Movie:
Lights, camera…action! In this problem teams will create and present a performance depicting a Director character that produces and presents a silent movie featuring a humorous villain character that commits three silly acts of “villainy”. Characters that are in the movie may not speak as part of the presentation of the movie. Instead, like classic silent films, the team will use music played on a team-created instrument and creatively displayed subtitles to convey its story to the audience and judges. Also, teams will use a signal to indicate when the movie begins and ends.
Winning It!
Team 1
Team 1 placed 3rd in their Division, addressing the Silent Movie Problem. After competition day, the team performed for a Rainbow audience. This team really did a great job creating a wonderful and funny “movie.” Take a look at some photos of their performance:
(Click on any image to start a slide show):
Team 2
Team 2 came in 2nd place which means they are going to the state competition!!
They addressed the Pandora’s Box problem and you could tell they really had a lot of fun using their creative talents to put it all together.
Take a look at some of the photos from their performance at Rainbow:
Awards Ceremony
After the performances came the Awards Ceremony. First, special thanks went out to Edward, the OOTM coach, and all the parent volunteers who helped with all the OOTM meetings.
Gratitude goes out to other Rainbow staff and teachers who gave up space, time and otherwise contributed to the success of the groups: Jenny, Justin, Melissa, Pamela, Rachel, Tracie, Jason & Susan.
The 2nd and 3rd place trophies and certificates were incredibly special!
Did you ever go to a symposium at a convention center as a kid? Like a space symposium?
Because that’s what the science fair was like. All the classrooms transformed into exposition sites, complete with beautiful posters, and display boards of colorful, imaginative, and quite advanced scientific experiments and investigations last week.
Students On Tour
Every class at Rainbow had a chance to visit other classrooms to see what other students did. In fact, each class played host, and each class visited all the other classrooms on campus and listened while other students presented their work.
Here you can see Omega visiting the fifth grade classroom. Not only were the fifth graders great presenters, but they also had the Omegans quite interested in what they were doing!
In fourth grade, many more fun and innovative projects characterized the classroom. Fourth graders presented to second grade. It’s simply amazing how well fourth grade presented and how attentive second grade was!
Wouldn’t you like to know more about “What does and does not conduct electricity?” Yeah, we were interested, too.
All around, these projects were quite sophisticated and complex. Each student investigated what interested him or her. To be sure, they take the meaning, “citizen scientist” to a whole new level!
In the video below, we focus on two third grade presenters. Their projects show such in-depth research!
Another third grader looked at hovercraft and if the amount of air in them affected how they float:
And really, does corn syrup actually make bubbles last longer? You’d think so, right?
You’ll have to ask the third grade to find out! How’s that for a cliffhanger?
Over in Omega, you could get a glimpse into how well you read emotions if you’re not looking at someone’s whole face to take in all the information:
And take a look at the Omega classroom itself. It looked like a veritable convention center of scientists and peers at work!
We have so many more fun photos to share! The photos below are courtesy of Sheila Mraz. She was all over campus snapping photos of all the exhibits and presentations.
And we have a resident photographer on campus! The following photos were taken by Ban, one of our Omega students!
You can really capture a glimpse of the breadth, scope and sophistication of these science projects. They’re a big deal around here.
Now, if you have any questions, just ask one of our citizen scientists!
It’s that time of year again: time to do the awesomely awesome Omega PIP presentations!
Each student in the Omega classroom did a research project on something that was of interest to them – hence the name, Personal Interest Project, or PIP.
And what a variety of interests, indeed! Projects included research on magic, dreaming, dungeons and dragons, forensics, mythology, Dr. Who, historical impact of pottery, the Northern Lights, the Clash, the Bermuda Triangle, the Irish Independence Wars and more. Since each student had to present his or her research, you can imagine the varied and wonderful learning that was going on!
Students had three rubrics for which they needed to fulfill requirements: the paper portion, the presentation portion and the PowerPoint portion.
The paper portion of the presentation had nine main categories in the rubric, each with a list of requirements. These included organization, amount and quality of information, paragraph construction, conventions (i.e. spelling errors), sources, no plagiarism, works cited, title page, and inclusion of rough drafts. This portion of the project was worth up to 200 points.
The second part of the project, of course, was the presentation portion. Omega teachers evaluated the kiddos on their verbal presentational ability, creativity, relevant questions for students to ask and how well students listened to the presentation.
Still, the PowerPoint presentation was another integral part of the project. They requirements fell into 7 categories in which students needed to create professional-looking slideshows that enhanced their presentations. Many students chose to work with a new and exciting web-based application: Prezi.
During the presentations, each student created an activity for the rest of the class to try. Everything from Jeopardy-like games to relay races of sorts, these allowed students to demonstrate their understanding of whatever topic was presented.
You wouldn’t believe how each and every student came through and not only completed the requirements, but really sparkled and radiated their interests through their presentations.
One student, Alex, let us film a part of his presentation on fishing. He was clear, and thoroughly understood the complexities behind why people are overfishing, but also conveyed what we all can do to curb this global problem:
These students are rock stars! They’re already talking about doing their own version of TED Talks for their PIPs for next year!
Our first grade Cheetahs are on an adventure! They’re studying the continent of Africa, its people and cultures. They also have some awesome hands-on experiences that are part of their learning.
First, Sara Stender, our Campaign Manager is headed for Rwanda. In addition to being a part of Rainbow, Sara is the founder of a non-profit organization called the Africa Healing Exchange. Their organization strives to
“create a cross-cultural partnership of individuals and organizations dedicated to ending the cycle of generational trauma, addiction and related illnesses, by providing services to youth and their caregivers in post-conflict communities. AHE’s vision is to create an innovative and sustainable model to be replicated throughout the world.”
As such, Sara frequently heads to Rwanda to make connections that will provide resilience training to caregivers in post-conflict communities.
Since the First Grade Cheetahs are studying their wonderful unit about Africa, they seized this opportunity to create a partnership with a school in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and largest city.
They are sending over artwork and photos, gifts from the First Grade Cheetahs. Their photos show things that make them feel loved and the resources they have to put them in a safe, comfortable place.
Take a look at a video snippet of students sharing their pictures about things that make them feel special, safe and loved:
They shared their beautiful artwork during their morning centering, when Sara and fellow Rwandan travelers joined the morning centering.
They also had a chance to learn a few words in Kinyarwandan – the language spoken in Rwanda. The people of Rwanda speak some English in the schools, but otherwise, they mostly speak Kinyarwandan. Now, first graders know how to say “Hello; how are you?”
Chris Visits from the Nature Center
Next, Chris Gentile, the Director of the Western North Carolina Nature Center visited first grade on Monday, February 9, 2015. He enriched the students’ experience on learning about Africa by bringing hissing cockroaches from Madagascar and a black rat (not rattle!) snake.
Chris, at one point had the cockroaches crawling on his shirt! The kiddos also had a chance to pet the black rat snake. He was very tame, very calm and everyone seemed to notice how he wasn’t slimy at all!
The hissing cockroaches were definitely a hit, too. However, Miss Rachel asked Chris to please make sure all the cockroaches were back in their cage before he left. Once assured that all were accounted for (we think!) she was able to relax just a bit.
Making Connections in Rwanda
As the first graders wrap up their Africa unit, they’re going to partner up with a school in Kigali, Rwanda. On February 25, they’re going to have a Skype session with students in Rwanda!
As you know, Wednesdays are early-release days at Rainbow. This is because staff can use these days to update their professional development and participate in trainings that enhances their classroom teaching.
Rainbow teachers and staff headed over to Burton Street Community Center (BSCC) to find out about their offerings, and see how they are integrated with the greater Asheville Community, opening the door for a possible partnership for volunteer and service learning opportunities. They also were able to see what programming they had available for youth and adults alike.
This place has to be one of Asheville’s best kept secrets!
The programming and offerings are incredible there.
The RCS staff walked over from campus – it was a short ten-minute walk, but they had a chance to enjoy the sunshine.
They arrived at the Burton Street Community Center a short while later.
There they met Shateisha and Josh, who staff the center. They explained what happens at BSCC, its history, and RCS staff had a chance to explore the classrooms.
Pictured below, everyone was in the Game Room. The little photos in the background are what Josh calls his “Wall of Greatness.” Check below for a description of Burton Street’s programs – for everyone in the community.
RCS teachers had a chance to check out the kitchen that people can use for healthy eating classes, they saw the homework and homeschool room, and in the largest room, staff played a game. That room also has a stage and bigger community events take place there, such as Hip Hop for Peace and Capoeira classes.
For the game, people had to keep the ball from passing through their legs or from passing between two people. If not, they were out and it became more challenging. RCS folks really got into it. Josh, the Program Director, facilitated the game.
Josh also explained about all the fun events that happen at the Burton Street Community Center.
For Winter and Spring 2015, they have programs for Adults and Students:
Here are some of the highlights:
Burton Street Community Center Offerings
Adults:
Burton Street Community Senior Elite Club / $3
Circle of Parents / FREE
Empowerment of Women / FREE
Capoeira: The Brazilian Martial Art-Dance, Fight and Music / $6
When Shateisha was speaking to the RCS staff, her biggest wish was that more people would utilize Burton Street. They have so many programs – even athletic programs for youth that include homeschooled children. They have flag football, basketball and more. There are nominal fees for these programs.
One of their proudest offerings is the 1 Mic Studio Class. Anyone up to 25 years of age can take it. It allows young people to come in and use advanced technology to create audio productions. A LEAF artist even comes weekly to help out.
After checking out the facilities, RCS staff had a chance to look at a beautifully created timeline of BSCC. It was designed by University of North Carolina – Asheville students.
The Burton Street Community Center Timeline
BSCC has been around for a long time. It was a school in the early 1900s before changing into a community center. There are photos of early classes.
Staff also had a chance to learn about the history of Burton Street and how it was a neighborhood that had been historically an African American community in West Asheville. According to the tapestry timeline, it quotes a resident as saying
“Burton Street is a loving community that has always been welcoming to everyone…it is a great place to live.”
The Peace Garden
Once they toured the facilities, RCS staff then had a chance to see the Peace Garden. If you haven’t seen it, it’s like walking through a colorful array of historical commentary. From timelines of current African American events, to artists and peaceful commentary, there is something to see in every corner, nook and cranny.
At the entrance to the gardens, lots of paths with explanations of what they are begin to surface. Turning left of the entrance, there are stations that illustrate recent events concerning African American citizens.
Turning the corner, there’s a cob oven where community members can barbecue, make pizza and try their hand at their “chefness.”
Messages and historical commentary abound in the Peace Garden. So many things really do catch the eye.
“How You Treat Each Other is How We Treat the Earth.”
When people designed the garden, they utilized old wooden palettes to create “hallways” and “rooms” that community members can explore.
An overarching message of peace permeates the feel of the garden. Artists come in and work on improving the visual appeal. One artist, DeWayne Barton, was on site, checking out his work.
RCS staff definitely learned quite a few things after this local visit to BSCC. In fact, this could possibly be the start of a Rainbow partnership and a link to doing more community-oriented projects.
From youth sports, to volunteer opportunities, to adult yoga classes, there is something for everyone!
Just before our winter break, the third grade class completed a unit on how things work. They investigated what might make a machine do what it does.
At the end of their unit, they invited the whole school to watch as different groups of students made their wonderful contraptions come to life.
Citizen Scientists
Take a look at the video to see what the students made – in action!
This activity was inspired by Rube Goldberg machines. To take it a step further, the third graders used this as inspiration for several centering lessons on chain reactions in their emotional and social lives.
When the kids were working collaboratively, they had to use these things to receive full credit:
At least three simple machines
At least five exchanges of force
Examples of friction
Examples of gravity
And, of course, teamwork.
This presentation of their machines was the culmination of the entire unit. Students did several experiments based on the scientific method that helped them build upon their prior knowledge for this activity.
It’s pretty amazing how just a little rolling ball can have such a powerful impact on integrated systems.
Of course, this unit blends in so well with our theme of systems thinking this year.
