Each person on the Academy team misses our extraordinary students! I, for one, am looking forward to being back in person to check progress on Rubik鈥檚 Cube solving times, see pictures of growing puppies and kittens, and hear everyone鈥檚 latest research interests and favorite jokes.

But even though we miss seeing each other in person, we have been more thankful than ever for technology! It was great to be able to finish out the spring session of Academy virtually and to see ingenious work submissions rolling in. Seeing how adaptable our students and teachers have been to the new format has made us excited to see what masterpieces emerge from our online summer session!

Here are three especially impressive student creations that were submitted during the virtual portion of the spring session:

1. A creative story set within the Harry Potter universe. For their final project for 鈥淗arry Potter: Behind the Words,鈥� which will also be offered this summer, students wrote multi-chapter stories that take place in the same world of the Harry Potter series. In addition to a delightful story, one student also created images by collaging pictures of Lego figures with online graphics. Here is one example, which finds Voldemort swimming in Hawaii:

听听

2. An excerpt of a poem from the perspective of an object. This was written for 鈥淗ow to Eat a Poem,鈥� a class about sensory poetry for 6 to 9-year-olds. Lucy Blagg, who taught this delightfully creative class, will be teaching 鈥淢ythology of Many Lands鈥� this summer.

I start as a flower.
I鈥檓 tart but not sour.
My favorite season is fall,
That鈥檚 when I grow tall.听

I鈥檒l tell you who I am,
I鈥檓 part of a fruit.
I鈥檓 tasty when you squeeze me,
I鈥檓 small and I鈥檓 cute.听

Believe it or not,
I鈥檓 from this planet.
Let me introduce myself,
I鈥檓 the seed of a pomegranate!

3. An invented species for a virtual 优蜜视频 Aquarium. For their final project in 鈥淢arine Biodiversity,鈥� students designed their own ecosystems, filled them with made-up species, and wrote about the ecological and evolutionary history of the community. Grayson Kent, who taught this and other animal courses, will be teaching Myths & Monsters, Ultimate Guide to Predators, Cenozoic Life and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.

It was so difficult to choose just a few projects to showcase our students鈥� creativity, adaptability, and love of learning. To learn more about Summer Academy Online, visit our website and sign up to join us for our . We can鈥檛 wait to see familiar and new faces in a few weeks when the session begins!

This workshop is recommended for 1st to 6th graders.

Required Materials: Graph paper, markers or color pencils, a piece of yarn, scissors and glue.

About Cassidy: Cassidy is a published author of poetry books and the founder of a nonprofit organization, iPoetTree. Her mission is to inspire young children to love writing through poetry. She offers free poetry workshops to children from kindergarten to sixth grade in the community and wherever she travels to. Cassidy has many varied interests, from writing poetry to playing the piano to learning about rocks and minerals. But when you ask her what her favorite subject is, she says it鈥檚 math! In her spare time, Cassidy is an avid reader and enjoys hanging out with her friends to shoot silly homemade movies. She is excited to share her love of poetry with others and hopes to inspire more kids to create their own poetic masterpieces.

Thanks for watching!

1. Write a poem or story about science.

Get writing! Tell a story about your favorite scientist as dramatically as you can, write poetry about a cool science fact, or describe a feat of engineering using your most vivid vocabulary.

2. Teach your family about something you love.

The best way to learn something deeply is to teach it. Turn your family members into your students and tell them all about something you鈥檝e learned recently whether it鈥檚 how to build the best paper airplane or how a chemical reaction works.

3. Create nature art.

Make a leaf rubbing, stick sculpture, or tower of balanced pebbles to integrate both sides of your brain.

4. Invent something to solve a problem.

What鈥檚 something you wish were easier? Design something to meet a need, starting with a blueprint and working toward a prototype.

5. Test your brain with riddles.

Find challenging riddles on or elsewhere, then attempt to solve them with your family.

6. Head to the library.

Ask a librarian to help you find books about STEAM at your reading level. Reading is a wonderful way to find a new interest!

7. Ask questions.

STEAM is all about asking creative questions and trying to find answers. Observe the world around you and keep a list of questions you come up with throughout the day: How do stoplights work? Why do some trees lose their leaves and not others? Then work with an adult to find the answers.

8. Build something using recycled materials.

Gather items you normally would have thrown away 鈥� packaging, receipts, dried-out pen, etc. 鈥� and see what you can build out of the items!

9. Interview a scientist.

If you were a scientist, what kind of scientist would you be? Research to find someone who has your dream job, then write them a letter or email asking them about their work and how they got to be where they are.

10. See what 优蜜视频 offerings are coming up!

If you鈥檙e local to the Pasadena area, check out our upcoming workshops (7^th-10^th grade), check back for the Spring schedule of classes (K-8^th grade) in a couple of weeks or mark your calendars for when the (10^th-12^th grade) externship program application goes live!

Celebrating a different way? Comment below!