Summer Fun: Let the Champions Come Out!

The World Cup may be over, but Aspire’s summer camp is still going strong! Students have been eagerly exploring everything from sculpture art to phonics games to architecture techniques, and they’ve shared how much fun they are having with their friends and their teachers. One said, “Aspire inspires you to make new stuff, helps with activities, and we can have fun!” We couldn’t put it better ourselves!

Week Three: Europe

For week three of summer camp, students explored different European countries taking part in the World Cup! Their favorite highlights and lessons include: 

• Learning about gladiators and brainstorming what kind of gladiator they would be. Students traveled back in time to Ancient Rome when gladiators were professional combatants in the Roman Colosseum. They explored ten different types of gladiators, including the Murmillo, Thraex, Hoplomachus, and Gladiatrix! Through these descriptions, students read about the classes of each gladiator and matched pictures of them based on characteristics of its amour. 
• Creating their own gladiatorial armor based on what they learned about each type of gladiator allowed students to show off their innovative skills. They watched videos on how to make a cardboard shield, helmet, roman gladius, and body armor, then painted their designs. Afterwards, students showed off their armor in a gladiator fashion show through the halls of Aspire!
• Understanding the science behind hot air balloons. Students used water as a model to visualize how temperature, such as warm air expanding and cold air contracting, creates change in air density. With this knowledge, they connected the concept to how hot air balloons are able to rise in places like Turkey. 
• Roleplaying the Protestant Reformation in Germany. Each group of students was assigned a role, such as a priest, the Archbishop of Mainz, Pope Leo X, a peasant who volunteers at Martin Luther’s Catholic Church, and Charles V, the King of Germany. This roleplay exercise allowed the students to be immersed in historical events, read out loud, and participate in trivia questions that tested their knowledge!
• Creating a World Cup song inspired by the 2026 tournament. Students learned how songwriters use syllables, rhyming words, and song structure to create their own. The winning class will have their song performed by The Jackson Nine, Aspire’s Rock Band, during their upcoming public appearance on July 29th (grab your ticket here!).
  • Lyrics to one song included: “Dreams on the line, no fear, no doubt. Ninety minutes, let the champions come out! World Cup! Raise it to the sky! Everybody sing, we’re reaching for the prize! Woah-oh! Feel the fire tonight! One dream, one team, we’re shining in the light!”
• Building the Alhambra, a historical landmark located in Spain, out of popsicle sticks and cardboard. Students learned that architecture can reflect history, culture, and art by using their innovative skills to create a replica. 

Week Four: Africa

During their week focused on Africa, students ranged far and wide in their academic and geographic exploration of the continent. What did these lessons include?

• Creating beautiful animal silhouette artwork. After choosing an animal native to Africa to research, they carefully traced the silhouette of this animal against a vibrantly colored sunset. In this activity, they learned about how photographers take photos of wildlife and practiced their research skills.
• Honing their math skills on Math Monday. From division, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more, students had just two minutes to complete their math problem before the clock ran out and the next team had the chance to swoop in, stealing the problem (and the points!).  
• Choosing their favorite soccer legend from Africa and designing a small clay figurine of them. After learning about sculpting basic shapes, they carefully used air dry clay and aluminum foil to create detailed sculptures.
• Learning about famous sculptures and architecture of Africa before designing their own building inspired by African engineering, such as a pyramid design or a circular hut design. Then, they tested the strength to see how well their building would stand up to the environment.
• Decoding hieroglyph messages used in Ancient Egypt, and then practicing writing secret notes to each other.
• Competing in teams during Phonics Family Pheud. In the style of the game show, students formed groups and then tested their skills in phonics, vocabulary, and teamwork. Questions included: “A word starting with sh-”, “A word ending in a long a sound”, and “A word with three syllables.” One of our team members even dressed up as (young) Steve Harvey to bring the game to life!

Field Trip Fun: Students Take the Wheel

Last Friday, Arlington Transit (ART) hosted Aspire students for a special visit to their new Operations Maintenance Facility in Shirlington! They heard from County workers about their career paths, toured the new battery-electric buses (and got to sit in the driver’s seat!), explored the eco-friendly building, and played trivia games where they could win prizes. They even got to take home free i-Ride cards, making it easier for students to get around the County.

Thank you to Arlington Transit for welcoming Aspire as its first student group in this new facility!