Students Wow Friends & Family with Showcase

Students Wow Friends & Family with Showcase

At Sora, celebration — of learning, knowledge, research, growth — is part of our ethos. Because project-based learning is integral to our school, our students always have interesting work to share. The Sora Student Showcase is an event that allows us to come together and celebrate what students are learning.

The showcase was held on a digital platform that allows users to “walk” around different floors of a school, view art on walls, and attend live presentations. At this past showcase, we had over 100 people roaming the halls, mingling, and attending presentations. A big thank you to all the students who participated in the showcase and friends and family members who came out to support! 

With student permission, we are proud to share with you some project highlights:


Josiah’s Geissler Tube

Heinrich Geissler invented another way to produce light through the use of gas particles in 1857. Josiah explained that this Geissler Tube works by running an electric current through gas in a glass vacuum. The electricity causes the electrons of the gas atoms to become temporarily excited, or move up an energy level. When the electrons move back to their original positions, they release energy in the form of light. He used the air in his room during his online demonstration, which glowed a bright magenta due to the abundance of nitrogen. Geissler tubes are a precursor to modern day neon lights. 

“Making this Geissler tube took around 6 weeks, mainly because of trial and error of two other tube designs that didn’t work,” Josiah said. “It is slightly frustrating when things don’t fit, but I like problem solving and see it as a challenge to come up with a way to make it work. The making of the final version of the tube (the one you see here) took only a few days and counts as engineering, physics, and chemistry academic credit. As for what’s next for the project – I would like to experiment with flowing different gasses through it as it’s running and observe the change in discharge color and intensity”.

geissler tube 2 photo

 

Ava’s Presentation on Biophilia

The technology around space travel is rapidly progressing, and is an exciting area of science research. Ava took a look at how the human body is impacted by the conditions of space, from the amount and intensity of light available to the disruption to the human microbiome. She ties this in with the concept of “biophilia”, a term coined by E.O. Wilson that describes the human tendency to want to interact with other forms of life.  Her research takes her all the way from the history of biophilia to examining the ways humans have interacted with their environment over time:

 

Kira’s Tattoo Design Inspired by Greek Mythology

Kira had many pieces on display in the art gallery, including this design of a pomegranate flower inspired by local tattoo artists’ own designs. Two hands are each holding the pomegranate, which is split open. A flower grows upward from the fruit. 

“I was inspired by one of Chloe Anderson’s forearm sleeve tattoos, which have flowers and hands,” said Kira. “I used it to tell the story of the pomegranate with Persephone and Hades, where she eats it as a compromise since I was doing a tattoo study for awhile. It’s actually one of my tattoo designs.”

 

Julia’s Research and Presentation on Feminist History

Julia presented her research on the history of feminism and its different waves in one of the galleries at the showcase. Her research looked at First Wave Feminism, which focused on achieving the right to vote and Second Wave Feminism, which focused on securing rights beyond voting. Julia looks into the tensions and racial dynamics of these movements, which were exclusively catering to the needs of white women. In her research, Julia shows how the work of early and modern Black and Indigenous feminists in the United States like Ida B. Wells, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, and Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw helped build the foundation for Third Wave Feminism, which aims to secure the rights and justice for all women through intersectional political frameworks. 

 

Interested In Learning More? 

If you’d like to learn more about our innovative high school program, click here to request information about Sora.

From Memorization to Mindsets Image
From Memorization to Mindsets

Transforming education: From memorization to mindsets. Empower students with critical thinking and curiosity. Make a positive impact on themselves and society at Sora.

Read More
Garrett
June 27, 2023 Garrett Smiley
The Purpose of Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Image
The Purpose of Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Prepare students for the AI-driven future. Explore critical thinking, empathy, and AI's impact on education. Redefine education for critical thinkers. Read more!

Read More
Garrett
June 26, 2023 Garrett Smiley