Exploratory Wheel*

PEP0010 EXPLOR PHY ED A QTR

Successful completion of this course will meet Physical Education Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III. This standards-based course is strongly recommended for all students in grade 6. The course is designed to strengthen physical movement forms, concepts, principles, and skills through participation in a variety of physical activity experiences. Skills include the application of movement forms (chasing, fleeing, dodging, jumping and landing) and manipulative skills (dribbling, kicking, punting, throwing, catching, volleying and striking) in complex changing situations. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of skills, understanding of rules and strategies, ability to work together, and the application of knowledge in modified and adapted game situations. In addition, students assess personal levels of physical fitness and physical activity and begin to apply health and/or fitness enhancing activities to their life outside of school in order to improve and/or maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a result of this course, students will increase their proficiency in a variety of locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills.

AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION (ADC)

Welcome to Aviation and Drone Competition. This is a quarter long introductory course in competitive drone competitions.  We will be learning the basics of aviation and skills for piloting/coding drones.  Focus will be on safety, teamwork, communication, coding, problem solving and piloting.  Students will learn about quadcopter design (drone), function, application of coding, piloting skills as well as earn their recreational piloting certificate (TRUST)

ART

This is a beginning art course for students to explore their creative interests.  Students will learn the basic techniques of coloring using colored pencils, markers and watercolors.  Learned techniques with be applied to various art projects for the quarter.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

In this exploratory wheel class, students will explore Artificial Intelligence through coding. Students will learn the fundamentals on how AI works by building machine learning models and AI enhanced apps. AI Literacy will be covered through projects like making a custom AI chat bot to learn about different computer science careers and closely examining their output. The final project will challenge students to use AI to guide them to build an interactive Scratch presentation on different computer science careers. This course will give students a glimpse of what to expect in Comptuer Science and Cybersecurity. 

eSPORTS

eSports will introduce students to the growing field/business of eSports.  eSports does involve playing video games, but also immerses students in the entire ecosystem of the industry.  eSports will introduce a variety of abilities and competencies such as (and not limited to) gaming skills, physical training, nutrition, game design, shout casting, marketing, event managing and livestreaming.  eSports will incorporate activities such as, team strategy sessions, game skills practice, communication with local and national schools in the set up of practice games or competition, SEL lessons, daily reflections and tournaments.

FASHION DESIGN

Ever wonder how your favorite outfit went from a random idea to the clothes in your closet? In this one-quarter class, you get to step into the role of a real fashion designer.

Find Your Aesthetic: Figure out what defines your personal style and learn how to spot trends before they go viral.

Draw Like a Pro: Learn the secrets of fashion illustration to sketch your own original outfits using croquis templates—no drawing experience required!

Build Seasonal Looks: Design custom outfits tailored for spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Travel Through Style History: See how iconic looks from the past still influence what people wear today.

Behind the Scenes: Get a sneak peek into the fashion industry to see how clothes make it from a rough sketch to the runway.

Bring your biggest ideas, your unique taste, and your creativity, it’s time to design your own collection!

NATURAL RESOURCES and TOURISM (HOSPITALITY)

Students who are in 6th grade will be enrolled in the NRTH pathway for one quarter only.  Students will have the opportunity to explore the pathway. He/she will receive a grade for wheel classes at the end of each quarter. 

The school’s vision is to empower, explore, excel together. This program will allow the students to have the tools, experience, and knowledge of these pathways. They will be able to register for one of these pathways during freshman year at JCHS. Collaboration and articulation will be done to align the middle school and high school for these electives. 

The concept of farm-to-table will be the vehicle that drives our program. Farm-to-table will allow us to grow and harvest vegetables from our gardens and use them in cooking dishes. Our culminating task will be a “Foodie Experience” in that we will invite our parents and friends to taste the fruits of labor at the end of the school year. 

Another key area of our program will be the aquaponic system; which will be utilized for our culminating task. We want students to experience sustainability firsthand and the numerous ways to grow our food. During this process, we will also incorporate the tourism component as well as the hospitality one. 

ROBOTICS

Robotics Wheel is a quarter long course for sixth graders that will focus on VEX IQ.  VEX IQ is based on plastic, snap-together pieces specifically designed to build robots. This class doesn’t require any prior knowledge or experience in robotics. You will learn the design process, build a group robot, drive the robot, and program the robot to complete tasks in the competition field for the current year.  

DIGITAL MEDIA: Photography, Graphic Design and Video Production

Unlock your creativity through photography, graphic design, typography, and filmmaking while learning how technology can bring ideas and stories to life. Students develop skills in digital storytelling, and content creation while working toward real-world creative opportunities.

Grade 6 Exploratory Wheel is a 9-week introduction to digital media. Students explore photography, composition, graphic design, infographics, scriptwriting, filmmaking, while building foundational skills.

In 7th and 8th semester courses students continue developing their skills through hands-on projects in photography, graphic design, filmmaking, TV journalism, and broadcasting. Students learn to think creatively, solve problems, collaborate, and communicate positive messages effectively and ethically.

Students who successfully complete the Grade 6 Exploratory Wheel, and or the 7th and 8th grade semester courses are welcomed to continue their digital media journey in Advanced Media. Advanced Media students take their skills to the next level through real-world graphic design and video production projects, including community-based contests, competitions, and authentic summative projects that provide opportunities to create, collaborate, and showcase their work.

WOODSHOP - Engineering Design and Modeling

This course is designed to address the Next Generation Science and Hawaii Content and Performance Standards for Engineering Design and Technology Education through the study of industrial technology. Learning experiences involve activities in one or more of the following systems of technology: communication, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and biotechnology and provide opportunities for creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and cooperative/collaborative learning with the tools and materials of the woodshop being the medium of instruction.