Programs
Discovery Charter School offers a wide variety of hands-on activities and projects, administered by our decorated and experienced faculty within their crafts, to students who display exceptional work habits. These projects offer an opportunity for students to use their creativity, intuition, and problem-solving skills to maneuver through obstacles and produce something successful on their own. The special projects also give students a leadership platform, as they often present their work orally and visually to the staff and student body.
KIDS IN BUSINESS®
KIDS IN BUSINESS® provides in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities and work experiences to youth of all ability levels in grades K-12, and to adults and senior citizens. The program's curriculum is based on the discovery method of learning, which organizes its objectives around the experience of planning and running a business. Students who participate in the program develop the self-esteem and skills necessary to become productive workers, good citizens, and effective communicators. KIDS IN BUSINESS® students handle every aspect of starting and operating a successful business, from conducting market research, developing a business plan, and securing bank loans to creating, promoting, and marketing products through a catalog and corporate sales sites (NO products are sold door-to-door). The program's highly creative, hands-on curriculum enables each participant to discover his or her own unique talents, abilities, and interests. For more information about KIDS IN BUSINESS®, please visit www.kidsinbusiness.org.
Engineering
Students are invited to design and build a machine of their own invention. There are no instructions to follow. As they experiment with LEGO bricks and motors and other materials, the children struggle to make their machine spin, lift, turn, push, or pull. They document their work in a journal. The teacher questions the young engineers and helps them observe the inner working of the contraptions more carefully in order to detect the flaws and progress toward a goal. Building leads to multiple mathematical and physical discoveries (gear ratios, center of gravity, torque, friction, etc.) By speaking and writing about their machine without using the word “thing” in each sentence, students practice defining thoughts in an academic manner, promote the complete understanding of each concept, and share in a scientific forum.Law School
Discovery teaches history, social studies and civics through the prism of studying actual court cases and their ramifications of the lives of the actors and the citizenry at large. Students can then see government as a living, breathing entity which has direct impact on their lives. We use the format to encourage our students to explore the field of Law as a possible career choice.
Boat Buidling
In partnership with Project U.S.E., our students explore the maritime history of Newark and New Jersey and learn the science and art involved in boat building. They build a boat and launch it in Branch Brook Park in the Spring of each year.
Weaving and Fibers
Through the introduction of Fiber techniques and materials such as the loom, knitting and felt making, students learn to hone in on their hand/eye manipulations skills to gain a better understanding of how the objects around them are produced and an appreciation of good craftsmanship. Students are introduced to how the study of Fibers integrates a rich interdisciplinary process of applying the subjects of math, science and social studies incorporation with the production of cloth, manipulation of fabric and creative design.Drumming
Discovery maintains a very robust African drumming program, which has been extremely effective in honing our students’ level focus and precision.
Bicycle Building
The Bike Class offers students an opportunity to work hands on with the mechanics and components of bicycles. Students fully disassemble, clean, and rebuild bicycles while learning about physics, engineering, chemistry, and others aspects of bicycle construction, design, and uses. After refurbishing a bike, students then take their fundamental understanding of the bicycle and apply it to bicycle design, fit, and function. This project meets a complex challenge wherein students gain content knowledge and academic skills as well as learn how to solve problems, work in teams, think creatively and communicate their ideas.Visual Arts
The visual arts foster creativity and provide opportunity for expression beyond language. As students learn the principles, elements, structure, and creation of artwork, they become fluent in solving problems visually. Students begin to understand the differences and commonalities of the human experiemce through the exposure to art work across cultures and history.
Sewing and Fashion Design
Students learn to explore and understand the various fashion markets (activewear, sportswear, lingerie, evening wear, knitwear, etc.), as well as receive an introduction to the basic components of garment construction. During the year, students will learn hands-on about construction, patternmaking, cutting & spreading, appliqué/ color blocking and patchwork. They will develop a fashion croquis and sketch live models. Their project will culminate in each student creating their own custom vest, made from recycled clothing, which they will present in a fashion show and they will then be sold, with proceeds going, as always, to charity.Instrumental Music
Students study recorder, clarinet, guitar and keyboards, both in group and one-on-one settings.
Medical School
Students learn life-science through the study of the stucture systems of the human body. By overlaying the practical application of health and medicine, we design the course to behave as a catlyst which will encourage our students' interest in exploring careers in the medical field.Soap Box Racers
The mission of building Soap Box Derby racers is to educate and inspire our students through fair and honest competition and mentorship. It provides an environment to install basic skills of workmanship and the spirit of competition. In the building, it teaches the application of math and the scientific concepts of friction, aerodynamics and gravity. It runs hand-in-hand with the ethos of Discovery Charter School: academic education through hands-on application.
Physical Recreation and Nutrition
The objective is to educate the students about the aspects and importance of healthy habits of fitness through exercise training, creative play and competition, while emphasising safety and sportsmanship. The nutritional exercises are inculcated through the needs of healthy body production, by emphasising standard food recognition and healthy eating habits.
Tai Chi
Tai chi promotes serenity through gentle movements — connecting the mind and body. Originally developed in ancient China for self-defense, tai chi evolved into a graceful form of exercise which is valuable for stress reduction.Dance
Students explore the discipline of dance through traditional methods: modern, historical dance and social dance, and more non-traditional additions, such as yoga and the study of anatomy. Students take on the role of choreographer and tie in elements from their other subjects to use as inspiration for their dance creations.
History Train
The program involves our students building an “N” gauge train layout, on which they will depict the watershed moments of a theme or time period. The different stops along the train line are where the moments will be recreated, through the research, imagination and creativity of the students. Utilizing all manner of research and technological resources available to create and animate the story, the students become the curators of the journey – through this process, they will internalize the material well enough to explain and teach the content to whoever views the layout.
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