Evolutions asks students to take a dramatic new approach to how they have “done school” in previous years. The Intro unit serves a few purposes to set the foundation for the rest of the year. First, we establish our community by learning about each other, defining norms for our interactions, and completing a variety of low stakes activities focused on communication and collaboration. Second, we introduce some of our learning objectives and outcomes to familiarize students with our approach to teaching and learning being more student focused, democratic, and with growth mindset. Third, we introduce key concepts, structures, and routines of the program that all students to be engaged and build common expectations for the ways we go about this work.

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In Younit we want to give students some space to introduce who they are to us by focusing on individual identity. Along with this we want to give some space to explore each of the academic disciplines independently. This will allow students to begin to understand the idea of individual identity from multiple perspectives. In addition, we’ll be reading the graphic novel, Unflattening, as a foundational text to spark ideas and conversations about identity and self-awareness.

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Students will synthesize these perspectives in a communal build event.

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PROJECT GALLERY

DWAW

Interdisciplinary: Art, English, Science, and Social Studies

[PROJECT OVERVIEW]

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The goal of this design challenge is to help students practice many of the foundational skills introduced in the project. Using inspiration from real sports apparel companies, your group will develop, design, and execute a sneaker campaign. This campaign starts with students identifying a social cause that they feel personally connected to. Then in small teams, students will have to narrow their focus to a clear cause. The sneaker campaign will include a meaningful story, sneaker re-design, social media campaign that includes a brand ambassador and hashtag, a complementary apparel piece, and a smart, well designed presentation that will include all of the above elements combined.

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Students will then deliver a live pitch via Zoom (Shark Tank style) to experts in fashion and entrepreneurship. This year we are partnering with New Balance.

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CLICK IMAGE FOR PROJECT GALLERY 

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English & Social Studies Focus

[PROJECT OVERVIEW]

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This project will continue to challenge you to explore learning from a different perspective. This content will push you to better understand your own  identity and how it is situated within a larger diverse community.

 

In this project students will explore through research, interviews, and engaging with members of a group who may or may not  share your identity and who for political, social, economic and/or cultural reasons have been pushed to the periphery and denied access to power (in its many forms). Students will investigate why/how these groups have not been able to participate in these institutions of power. In addition throughout each of the stages of developing a new understanding, students will individually reflect and document on how new understandings of power and privilege impacts them. 

 

In the end with this unit, we are not asking you to solve these large institutional problems of inequality and marginalization; rather, we will be asking you to listen, understand, reflect and share your own journey to heightened awareness.

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[PROJECT OVERVIEW]

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“a capstone project is a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students, typically during their final year of high school or middle school, or at the end of an academic program or learning-pathway experience. While similar in some ways to a college thesis, capstone projects may take a wide variety of forms, but most are long-term investigative projects that culminate in a final product, presentation, or performance. For example, students may be asked to select a topic, profession, or social problem that interests them, conduct research on the subject, maintain a portfolio of findings or results, create a final product demonstrating their learning acquisition or conclusions (a paper, short film, or multimedia presentation, for example), and give an oral presentation on the project to a panel of teachers, experts, and community members who collectively evaluate its quality.” -- The Glossary of Education Reform

 

For Evolutions, the Midstone is the time for students to demonstrate what they’ve learned from the first half of the year in terms of developing curiosity, understanding process, self-management, and presenting learning. It is also a place for students learn the structured process to identify and pursue one of their interests and then share that with the public. 

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Students identify a topic of inquiry, perform self-guided interdisciplinary research, summarize their learning, develop a plan to share their learning, and then execute that plan. Their final products are shared at the Evolutions Midyear Expo to family, peers, and community members.

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Interdisciplinary: Art, English, Science & Social Studies

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Building from last year’s Community Joy Project, we affirmed the benefit of bringing joy to our community at large. Gen 7 also had great success in creating projects that use performance to bring joy to others. How can the Evo community be of service to the community at large through spoken word or comedy sketch performances? 

 

This project will definitely challenge some students to lean into the discomfort of creating through performance and performing with an audience or with navigating the project collaboratively. AND we all have been working to create a supportive environment for each of you to take this leap and try.

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This year the focus is to bring joy to senior citizens in and around our community 

 

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Art & Science Focus

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This is a new project being developed - we will post updates as they emerge.

 

Similar to the Midstone experience where students are able to pursue their passions and interests in a more self-guided manner. Being the capstone, the expectations are raised for students as they bring together all their skills from this year. Students can work with partners for the Capstone.

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The Spring Expo is a public event for students to showcase their learning. Date TBD

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PROJECT GALLERY TO BE UPDATED IN APRIL

This is the final experience for Evolutions Juniors. 

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Over the course of the year, we have challenged our students to change their approach to school and learning. The final presentations are a space for students to reflect on and share their Evolutions journey. Students share their journey in a formal presentation, take open Q&A, and receive summative feedback from family, peers, and Evo teachers.