Monday, November 29, 2010

General Announcements:

• If you ever notice something missing or wrong on the blog, comment to let me know about it - I don't always have the whole picture. -Grace
• Friday PE: For the next few weeks, PE will be tied into our study of Hinduism by yoga practice with John. Bring loose clothes and a mat if you have one.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.

Math:

• Due Tues., 11/30:
  • Grade 7: #1 on p. 54
  • Grade 8: #27a on p. 50
    • Each table of x-values for each equation should have -2, 0, +2.
    • Make tables on lined paper.
    • Use a ruler to make tables & draw straight lines.
    • Show all calculations

Language Arts:

• All:
  Due Tues., 11/30: Complete a quality sketch of the essay visual to be produced in Tech classes. Use the essay info in your LA journal but make the sketch on separate 8½ by 11 plain, white paper.
  Bring to pm class with Jane.
• Grade 8 Only:
  Due Tues., 11/30: In LA Journal, write at least 3 topics you are interested in researching for your 8th grade project. They are to build on a connection to the Prism curriculum this or last year (see "Possible Curricular Touchstones for 8th Grade Project" for some ideas from LA and Math).

Social Studies:

• Due Thurs., 11/30: Artistic representation of your Hindu god/goddess. See details on project sheet.
• Due Wed., 12/1: 3¶ write-up about your god/goddess.

Science:

• Due Tues., 11/30: Design a cover for your science notes featuring an image from some part of our River Ecology study, colored with colored pencil. The cover must also include the title "The Ecology of our River"

Spanish:

• Nada

Moment of Zen:

The Russian Space Program still rents its land from Kazakhstan, near a town the USSR built for the purpose and named Baikonur (Kaz. "rich with light"), and fires off its rockets about as far inland as you can get. While most of the USA's space program cast-offs splash down in the water, Russia's land out in the desolate scrub of the steppe, which better resembles the expanses of Nevada where the US performed its nuclear tests in the mid to late 20th century (incidentally, Kazakhstan was the major proving ground for the USSR's nuclear program as well). There, they are quickly harvested for their titanium-rich scrap metal. Click the picture to see more photos of space junk harvesting.