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Discovery Canyon Campus Earth-Sky Plaza features educational learning opportunities related to space, astronomy, and physics. Stretching across the Plaza is the Solar System. In the far southeastern corner of the plaza is a large, round, yellow ceramic disc representing the On October 7, 2004, the Academy District 20 Board of Education approved the name, “Discovery Canyon Campus”sun. Triangular plaques identifying each planet (Mercury, for the Pre K-12 Science and Mathematics Campus. The Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter) is found at a proportionally accurate mathematical distance from the “Sun”. Each plaque colors for the Campus were identified as Purple (Representing the highest level of electromagnetic radiationincludes the name of the planet, its interplanetary symbol, a different color ceramic disc, and factual data/information about as well as the “…purple mountains majesty…” that served as the planet. The remaining planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, a motivation for Katherine Lee Bates, “America the Beautiful”), Silver (an element on the Periodic Table and theand the non-planet Pluto) are found elsewhere on the campus, importance of the mining industry to Colorado), and Black at the correct proportional mathematical distance from the (represent the darkness and vastness of space). In addition, “Sun”. The planets light up for evening viewing. A dark rectangular patch of cement near the center of the Plaza points “Thunder” was selected as the Campus Mascot (representing to Pikes Peak. A bench for student seating is found near the 9the power of the forces of nature and the 12 Commons. The bench is in the shape of the Constellation – science/mathematics of our planet). Ursa Major - the Big Dipper. The bench is oriented In November, 2004, the Academy District Board of appropriately so as to point to Polaris, with white lights Education appointed the initial “Planning Cadre” to assist embedded in the bench representing the stars of the Dr. Batsell in completing the task of preparing for the Constellation. These lights also illuminate for evening opening of the Campus in August, 2005. The initial viewing. The Sun Dial on the Plaza is located at the Planning Cadre members were Shell Acker, Deanie Allen, intersection of due North and Magnetic North, demonstrated Mary Beth Blake, Barb Linnenbrink, Christa Lundberg, by the triangular sections of dark gray cement. The sun dial Marilyn Montoya, Genevieve Price, Margie Sayler, and accurately tells the time of the day in both summer and winter Larry Tate. time periods. Each hour of daylight is divided into four (15 minute) increments. The shadow of the sun dial tells you the correct “Solar” time. To adjust for chronological time, one must find the date on the adjustment chart at the base of the The bronze sculpture of the boy flying on the sun dial, follow the intersection of the date and adjustment paper airplane is entitled “Journeys of the curve to either the right or left, and then add or subtract the Imagination”. The piece represents the freedom corresponding value. In addition, at “Solar Noon”, the shadow and the joy for life that so many of us lose sight of of the Earth globe will be direct over the month/day of the year in our busy and responsible life. The mail-order on the lunar calendar found on the north side of the sun dial. glider, paper airplanes, and pogo sticks are symbols Finally, two markers are found on the sun dial that indicate the of our dreams and aspiration. The sculpture is earliest the sun will rise, and the latest it will set during the placed at the end the last plaza to symbolize the summer/winter time periods. To tell the time during the winter culmination of the Pre K-12 educational experience months, the south face of the sundial is used. at Discovery Canyon Campus and the unlimited possibilities ahead on the next phase of the educational journey. The sculpture is mounted on a four (4) sided concrete obelisk. Each graduating 12th grade class will permanently place an etched plaque on one side of the obelisk that contains significant accomplishments, achievements, and contributions the students of the graduating class have made to the Campus, to the community, and to the world. Discovery Plaza is located in Phase I. The plaza is surrounded by the original four Discovery classes at DCC. Those original four Discovery classes were: Art, P.E. L.M.C. and Music. The Concrete benches were created with Phipps Construction and Art teacher Shell Acker. The benches are at the base of the steps and surround the “story tree”. The Greenhouse was purchased with a D-20 grant written by original librarian Barb Linnenbrink and Shell Acker. The original greenhouse was replaced by H.S. principal James Bailey and his high school science team in 2013. The interior design, color scheme, and features of the Campus are designed to inspire inquiry, questioning, and discovery of scientific and mathematical themes and ideas. The Lower Campus (grades PK-5) facility is . divided into the five naturally occurring biomes of the earth. Each biome (Ocean, Forest, Tundra, Desert, and Grasslands) is defined by a dark/light representative color scheme (Ocean blues, Forest – brown/purple, Tundra – white/grey, Desert – orange/dark brown, and Grasslands - green) in the paint, tile, carpeting, and baseboards. Additionally, each biome features a custom laminate of one of its dominant features (Ocean – water, Forest – tree bark, Tundra – ice/snow, Desert – river rock, and Grasslands – grass) to give younger students the “feeling” of being “in” the particular biome. The Middle Campus (grades 6-8) hallways feature the colors of electro-magnetic radiation – or the visible spectrum of light. The rainbow of representative colors begins with oranges and reds of the low energy end of the spectrum and progresses throughout the structure to the yellow, green, blue, and violet (purple) of the high energy colors. The Upper Campus (grades 9-12) color scheme is designed to represent the academic nature of upper level studies. Earth tones of browns, grays, and beiges, along with polished concrete floors are representative of the types of features indicative in Earth Science studies. A Foucault Pendulum is housed in the lower level the Green LMC. The a 226 lb. brass pendulum bob is suspended from the upper floor (Green III) and stretches to the lower floor (Green II) on a 22 ½ ft. steel cable. A pendulum pit of sand allows the motion of the pendulum to be “tracked”. Students learn the basic principles of the rotation of the earth on its axis at a very young age with older student utilizing the pendulum principles for more sophisticated mathematical calculations related to the speed of the rotation of the earth and more. r Campus Opened: Phase I - August 31, 2005 Phase II – August14, 2006 Phase III – August 13, 2007 Phase IV – August 14, 2008 Executive Principal: Dr. Gary A. Batsell Grade 9-12 Principal: Mr. James E. Bailey Spiral Plaza is the center point for the Lower Campus facilities. A story board in the plaza demonstrates the Spiral that occurs in nature (Nautilus Snail, Pine Cones, Pineapples, Sunflower seed patterns, the hair on your head, etc.) calculated by connecting the vertices of square units defined by a Fibonacci number series (1+1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 5 = 8, 5 + 8 = 13, 8 + 13 = 21, 13 + 21 = 34, ……) with a French Curve. The Spiral leaves the story board and is etched in the cement, continuing within the phase one facility defining color changes within biomes or specific biome changes throughout the building. A cement obelisk is used as a “sun dial” for younger students to help explain and promote understanding of the Earth’s movement around the Sun as well as the Earth’s rotation on its axis. The cement obelisk is also used to use the relationship of the ratio of the height of the obelisk to the length of its shadow to calculate the height of nonmeasurable object (flag poles, parking lot lights, trees) applying the same ratio to the length of the object’s shadow. Markers are found on the concrete deck where the tip of the shadow of the obelisk was each hour of daylight during both the winter and summer solstice. Each set of markers forms a hyperbola with the pair forming a parabola. A thirty (30) foot black wall found in the plaza is a chalkboard. The surface has a special finish allowing teachers/students to write on the wall with chalk while students sit on the large boulders to participate in a lesson of instruction in an outdoor classroom setting. Proto-Plaza features scientific and mathematical concepts and The Silver Culvert Tunnel Entrance to the Lower Campus provides viewing portals on the ceiling for identifying astronomical phenomena (milky way, constellations, planets, etc.) depending upon the season of the year/time of the evening as well as a permanently fixed viewing telescope directed at the "Winter Solstice". Holes along the side of the culvert produce sun spots on the cement walkway. The movement of the sun spots allow for understanding concepts of Earth's orbit around the Sun as well as Earth's rotation on its axis for younger students. Older students can utilize the data associated with the movement of the sunspots to graphically and mathematically calculate the speed of the Earth's orbit and rotational speed. . Fibonacci Plaza is found above Spiral Plaza, adjacent to the exterior of Forest II (LMC). The dark tiles on the Plaza are laid out in yet another Fibonacci number series. The eastern most pattern represents the genetic breeding pattern of bees. The western most represents the genetic breeding pattern for rabbits. Embedded within the east wall adjoining the LMC, are viewing portals. The portals are “kid” height and students are encouraged to use the portals to discover something they can identify on the Front Range (AFA Chapel, AFA stadium, Pike’s Peak, the Scar, Garden of the Gods, etc.) River Eddy Plaza is the first plaza associated with the Upper Campus. The features of the Plaza include trees and rocks/formations that are found in a typical river eddy. In addition, grasses and river rock indigenous to a river eddy are spread throughout the Plaza. Intersecting sidewalks running north/south and east/west, with compass points etched in the concrete serve as pathways for student, staff, and public foot traffic. The River Eddy Plaza is complimented by an instructional/learning area complete with a teaching wall and a mini-amphitheater. applications related to earth science, biology, physics, and chemistry. A beautiful mosaic wall entitled, “Cosmic Evolution: Space, Time, Energy, Matter, and Life”, represents one theory of the origin of the earth. Mosaic by Juanita Cansoneri. On the right hand side the gray and white tiles represent the coming together of a critical mass prior to a major explosion resulting in the formation of the Milky Way Galaxy and planets. One such planet, the third from the sun, earth, is represented on the mosaic. A wall coming out of the mosaic represents the sedimentary layers of the earth as it cooled over millions of years. The blue colored concrete depicts the ocean and early life forms (trilobites) are etched into the concrete. The molecules of sodium and chlorine are found in the ocean, giving rise to the “saltiness” of the water. The large rocks surrounding the ocean are from actual sedimentary layers so that students can study the rock formations and compare and contrast their similarities and differences. The etched footprints of the chronological appearance of other species, as evidenced by fossilized remains, continue across the plaza. Dinosaur, bear, wolf, hoofed, ape, and eventually human prints are found as one crosses the plaza. DaVinci’s “Vitruvian Man” represents the powerful mental and spiritual attributes of mankind. The last etched footprints are representative of Neil Armstrong’s footsteps on the moon as well as the tracks of the Moon Rover, and lead us to the next plaza. Proto Plaza also demonstrates the building blocks of life through a DNA Double Helix with gene strands showing possible combinations of Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine. One final opportunity exists through a plexi-glass window where students view root structures of native grasses and plants and the impact different climatic conditions have on growth. The entrance to Perma-Culture Orchard, the final Campus Plaza, is gained by climbing a fourteen (14) step staircase, each step representing one of the 14 “Learning Steps” (grades Pre K-12) of Discovery Canyon Campus. Perma-Culture Orchard is a simple, yet powerful reference to the scientific principles of vortex formation. Vortices are caused by the fluid mechanics of air moving around objects. Atmospheric Vortices are caused by cloud banks moving over warm land masses at sea. The same fluid mechanics causes “wing tip” Vortices from an airplane. It is about movement and time; about actions and consequence. The paths through the orchard should have reason beyond simply random and chaotic. The study of math and science has taught us that we can overcome, we can reach our goals, if we apply the knowledge we have gained. It would be a shame if we were to suggest that this far through the educational journey, we are still faced with a game of chance.