Friday, December 2, 2011

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
• Wednesdays: Mummers Play Rehearsal Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday between here and Solstice from 3-5 PM in the River Classroom.
• Sat., Dec. 3: Winter fair!
• Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.

Humanities:

• Due Fri., 12/2: Revise Sing Down the Moon essay. Include at least one semicolon and one colon.
• Long Range Project: Stories of White and Native American Encounters
  First Draft Due Mon., 12/19
  Final Draft Due Thurs., 12/22: Write a story, diary entries or a series of letters from the perspective of two people living in the early 1800s in West Virginia. The first chapter, letter or diary entry should be set in the year 1800. The final chapter, letter or diary entry should take place in 1838.
• Ample class time will be dedicated to this project and related, short-range deadlines will be updated

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  All
• Due Mon., 12/5: MM 2.2 and any attached N/A problems according to usual protocol (no calculators, work for * problems shown on separate paper,
  Grade 8
• Due Fri., 12/2:
  • Algebra B: P. 349, 13-17 odd, 18, 20, 26, 28

Science:

• Due Tues., 12/6: Submit 2-3 reputable sources about your topic.
• Long Range Project: Independent Heredity Research
  • Each student will pick a topic relating to work in Science about heredity, relating to a particular inherited trait such as eye or hair color, hereditary diseases such as Sickle Cell anemia or muscular dystrophy, or ethical question regarding human interference in heredity such as selective breeding for traits in plants and animals, cloning, or a particular genetically modified organism. Each student will present their research either in an essay or Powerpoint presentation.
  • Deadlines:
    • Fri., 12/2: Submit topic proposal
    • Tues., 12/6: Submit 2-3 reputable sources about your topic
    • Fri., 12/9: Outline of info due
    • Wed., 12/14: First draft due
    • Fri., 12/16: Final draft due

Español:

• Bring home all Day of the Dead materials!

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 12/7: Spend a focused 30 min. working on the draft of your bee illustration with borders

Tech:

• Due ASAP: If Dan L. talked to you today about your magazine project, you need to find time outside of class to work on it in the Tech Lab.

Moment of Zen:

Pedaling Steel: These aren't just decorative

Looking like a crazy modern art piece, these specially-designed wheels of steel are made to ride on. The flower-like design is actually the key to the wheel's strength and stability. Click above to read more about the wheel's design and to see video of it in action.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

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
• Wednesdays: Mummers Play Rehearsal Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday between here and Solstice from 3-5 PM in the River Classroom.
• Sat., Dec. 3: Winter fair!
• Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.

Humanities:

• Due Fri., 12/2: Revise Sing Down the Moon essay. Include at least one semicolon and one colon.
• Long Range Project: Stories of White and Native American Encounters
  First Draft Due Mon., 12/19
  Final Draft Due Thurs., 12/22: Write a story, diary entries or a series of letters from the perspective of two people living in the early 1800s in West Virginia. The first chapter, letter or diary entry should be set in the year 1800. The final chapter, letter or diary entry should take place in 1838.
• Ample class time will be dedicated to this project and related, short-range deadlines will be updated

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Due Fri., 12/2: On p. 76-7 of Variables and Patterns, do #1 and 3.
  Challenge: p. 67, #7
Grade 8
• Due Fri., 12/2:
  • Algebra A: In Thinking with Mathematical Models, do 2.3 and 2.3 follow-up, #1 and 2 only (p. 30).
  • Algebra B: P. 363, #1-3, #5-11 odds only; p. 364, #43-48

Science:

• Due Fri., 12/2: Submit proposed topic for heredity research project.
• Long Range Project: Independent Heredity Research
  • Each student will pick a topic relating to work in Science about heredity, relating to a particular inherited trait such as eye or hair color, hereditary diseases such as Sickle Cell anemia or muscular dystrophy, or ethical question regarding human interference in heredity such as selective breeding for traits in plants and animals, cloning, or a particular genetically modified organism. Each student will present their research either in an essay or Powerpoint presentation.
  • Deadlines:
    • Fri., 12/2: Submit topic proposal
    • Tues., 12/6: Submit 2-3 reputable sources about your topic
    • Fri., 12/9: Outline of info due
    • Wed., 12/14: First draft due
    • Fri., 12/16: Final draft due

Español:

• Bring home all Day of the Dead materials!

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 12/7: Spend a focused 30 min. working on the draft of your bee illustration with borders

Tech:

• Due ASAP: If Dan L. talked to you today about your magazine project, you need to find time outside of class to work on it in the Tech Lab.

Moment of Zen:

The Wafflizer: 30 Answers to the question, "Will it Waffle?"

For those of you who have heard me describe this project in rapturous tones, here's the link. Chicago newspaper web editor Dan Shumski decided to stretch the limits of what could be cooked in his waffle iron. He started on his own with simple goals, like waffle-baked chocolate chip cookies, but later enlisted top Chicago chefs to take wafflizing to another level. They waffled up creations like waffled falafel and waffled polenta. All in all the project ranged from the absurd (Thai style waffled squid salad) to the sublime ('Smoreffles) and things that fit both descriptions (twice-waffled bread pudding). Click the waffle-baked pretzel to read Shumski's 30 waffle-ready recipes.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

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
• Wednesdays: Mummers Play Rehearsal Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday between here and Solstice from 3-5 PM in the River Classroom.
• Sat., Dec. 3: Winter fair!
• Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.

Humanities:

• Due Thurs., 12/1: Revise Sing Down the Moon essay. Include at least one semicolon and one colon.
• Long Range Project: Stories of White and Native American Encounters
  First Draft Due Mon., 12/19
  Final Draft Due Thurs., 12/22: Write a story, diary entries or a series of letters from the perspective of two people living in the early 1800s in West Virginia. The first chapter, letter or diary entry should be set in the year 1800. The final chapter, letter or diary entry should take place in 1838.
• Ample class time will be dedicated to this project and related, short-range deadlines will be updated

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Due Thurs., 12/1: On p. 65 of Variables and Patterns, do #3 and 4.
Grade 8
• Due Thurs., 12/1: In Thinking with Mathematical Models, do Inv. 2.1, a-d and Follow-up. In 2.1d, you only need to predict the breaking weight for the bridges, you don't need to test them.

Science:

• Due Thurs., 12/1: read pp. 221-228, and answer the following questions on lined paper:
  • p. 225, #2-3; p. 229, #1-6
• Long Range Project: Independent Heredity Research
  • Each student will pick a topic relating to work in Science about heredity, relating to a particular inherited trait such as eye or hair color, hereditary diseases such as Sickle Cell anemia or muscular dystrophy, or ethical question regarding human interference in heredity such as selective breeding for traits in plants and animals, cloning, or a particular genetically modified organism. Each student will present their research either in an essay or Powerpoint presentation.
  • Deadlines:
    • Fri., 12/2: Submit topic proposal
    • Tues., 12/6: Submit 2-3 reputable sources about your topic
    • Fri., 12/9: Outline of info due
    • Wed., 12/14: First draft due
    • Fri., 12/16: Final draft due

Español:

• Bring home all Day of the Dead materials!

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 12/7: Spend a focused 30 min. working on the draft of your bee illustration with borders

Tech:

• Due ASAP: If Dan L. talked to you today about your magazine project, you need to find time outside of class to work on it in the Tech Lab.

Moment of Zen:

Deconstructionism

Todd McLellan breaks it down for you: taking apart common mechanical household items and setting out all their pieces. Click to see more of McLellan's deconstructions.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

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
• Wed., 11/30: Mummers Play Meeting! First meeting is this week. Interested parties must attend or contact Seana with their excellent, compelling reason they cannot attend. Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday between here and Solstice from 3-5 PM in the River Classroom.
• Sat., Dec. 3: Winter fair!
• Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.

Humanities:

• Long Range Project: Stories of White and Native American Encounters
  First Draft Due Mon., 12/19
  Final Draft Due Thurs., 12/22: Write a story, diary entries or a series of letters from the perspective of two people living in the early 1800s in West Virginia. The first chapter, letter or diary entry should be set in the year 1800. The final chapter, letter or diary entry should take place in 1838.
• Ample class time will be dedicated to this project and related, short-range deadlines will be updated

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Nada
Grade 8
• Due Wed., 11/30: On handout, p. 296-297, do #6-8, 10, 12, 17-24
  Challenge: #25-27

Science:

• Due Thurs., 12/1: read pp. 221-228, and answer the following questions on lined paper:
  • p. 225, #2-3; p. 229, #1-6
• Long Range Project: Independent Heredity Research
  • Each student will pick a topic relating to work in Science about heredity, relating to a particular inherited trait such as eye or hair color, hereditary diseases such as Sickle Cell anemia or muscular dystrophy, or ethical question regarding human interference in heredity such as selective breeding for traits in plants and animals, cloning, or a particular genetically modified organism. Each student will present their research either in an essay or Powerpoint presentation.
  • Deadlines:
    • Fri., 12/2: Submit topic proposal
    • Tues., 12/6: Submit 2-3 reputable sources about your topic
    • Fri., 12/9: Outline of info due
    • Wed., 12/14: First draft due
    • Fri., 12/16: Final draft due

Español:

• Bring home all Day of the Dead materials!

Moment of Zen:

Microscopic Wasp

Measuring at just 100 microns (0.10 mm) in length, the Megaphragma wasp or "fairy fly" is the smallest multicellular animal in the world. In fact, there are varieties of single-celled animals that are larger than it. The parasitic wasp lives in Guadalupe and feeds off the eggs of other insects. Click above to find out more about how its body accommodates being so small.