Friday, December 9, 2011

Friday, December 9, 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.
  • Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.
Humanities:
  • Due Fri., 12/9: Read novels & complete reading log
    • Fools Crow, ch. 11-13
    • Light in the Forest, ch. 5-6
    • Due Mon., 12/12: Complete bottom three bands of your timeline.
  • 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., 12/12: Do Math's Mates 2.3 according to usual protocol, including any attached N/A problems. Please contact Grace if you have questions.
Algebra B
  • Due Mon., 12/12: Do "Fruity Math" #3 and 4 and any corrections necessary on #1 and 2
Science:
  • Test Mon., 12/12: It will look just like the study sheet.
  • Wed., 12/14: First draft due
  • 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., 12/14: Have second scratchboard composition finished by next Wed. It will be due first thing that morning.

Health:
  • Download the following Family Activity worksheets. The activities are not required, but we encourage parents and students to do them together to strengthen dialogue at home about sexual health. Please feel free to contact Emilie or Deb at school with questions. Tech:
    • Due ASAP: If Dan L. talked to you about your magazine project, you need to find time outside of class to work on it in the Tech Lab.

    Moment of Zen:

    Dodecahedron Full of Chickens

    Eric Weston built this rather unique backyard chicken coop as a project with his son. Here's what he has to say about it:
    I got the basic idea for a plywood dodecahedron from a late 60s Popular Science magazine article I read in my youth. The author of that article built it as a meditation space, with a circular hole cut in one panel. Instead, we hinged one panel and put a hook and eye at the top, so we could lock up the chickens overnight, safe from raccoons and other varmints.

    One other point, we hung a heat lamp from the top to warm the chickens during the winter. At night, the red light leaks through the vertices.

    My son’s friends have been unpersuasive in trying to talk us into painting numbers on the side to make it look like a D12.
    Click above to see more angles of the dodecahedral coop.
  • Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Wednesday, December 7, 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.
    • Fri., Dec. 9: Prisms field trip to Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Deerfield, 11:30 am - 3 pm. Blue House lunches will be ready in time, but pizza orders will not, so plan lunch and lunch orders accordingly.
    • Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.
    Humanities:
    • Due Fri., 12/9: Read novels & complete reading log
      • Fools Crow, ch. 11-13
      • Light in the Forest, ch. 5-6
      • Due Mon., 12/12: Complete bottom three bands of your timeline.
    • 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
    • Test Thurs., 12/8: Variables and Patterns unit test. Review Notes in your Math Binder in preparation for your test this coming Thursday.
    Grade 8
    • Due Thurs., 12/8: On p. 42, do Applications #2 (chocolate chip thief?)
    Science:
    • Fri., 12/9: Outline of info due, including specific question and presentation plan. You will not get class time to work on this before Friday, so plan homework time accordingly.
    • 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., 12/14: Have second scratchboard composition finished by next Wed. It will be due first thing that morning.

    Health:
  • Download the following Family Activity worksheets. The activities are not required, but we encourage parents and students to do them together to strengthen dialogue at home about sexual health. Please feel free to contact Emilie or Deb at school with questions. Tech:
    • Due ASAP: If Dan L. talked to you about your magazine project, you need to find time outside of class to work on it in the Tech Lab.

    Moment of Zen:

    Why do Apes love cats?

    If you're like me, you loved the book Koko's Kitten about Koko the signing gorilla's partnership with her tailless cat, Ball. But Koko and Ball are not the only simian-feline partnership. Click above to read/see pictures of other such friendships with a brief analysis of why non-human apes get along with cats as much as human apes do.
  • Tuesday, December 6, 2011

    Tuesday, December 6, 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.
    • Fri., Dec. 9: Prisms field trip to Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Deerfield, 11:30 am - 3 pm. Blue House lunches will be ready in time, but pizza orders will not, so plan lunch and lunch orders accordingly.
    • Fri., Dec. 16: Prisms/Purples Dance. Job sign-ups and song request lists up in both classrooms.
    Humanities:
    • Due Wed., 12/7: Read novels & complete reading log
      • Fools Crow, ch. 5-7
      • Light in the Forest, ch. 3-4
    • 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
    • Test Thurs., 12/8: Variables and Patterns unit test.
    • Due Wed., 12/7: Review the quiz that was handed back today and come up with a list of skills you can work on in preparation for your test this coming Thursday.
    Grade 8
  • Due Wed., 12/7:
    • All: Do. 3.1 and 3.1 Follow-up, #1-4 on p. 38-39
    • Algebra B:
      • correct p. 364, #43-48 and do Fruity Math #1 and 2
      • In Thinking with Mathematical Models, do Applications #1 on p. 41
    Science:
    • Wed., 12/7: Bring in all sources (books or printouts of websites) for in-class research time.
    • Fri., 12/9: Outline of info due
    • 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 about your magazine project, you need to find time outside of class to work on it in the Tech Lab.

    Moment of Zen:

    What have you got in your head?

    Sara Asnaghi's nine food-brains, made out of everything from chili flakes to birdseed, and including a brain sandwich.
  • Monday, December 5, 2011

    Monday, December 5, 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 Wed., 12/7: Read novels & complete reading log
      • Fools Crow, ch. 5-7
      • Light in the Forest, ch. 3-4
    • 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 Tues., 12/6: p. 66, #6 and p. 58, #12 a and b
      Challenge: p. 67, #7
    • Grade 8
    • Due Wed., 12/7:
      • Algebra B: correct p. 364, #43-48 and do Fruity Math #1 and 2
    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:

    How phenotypical...

    Canadian photographer Ulric Collette found himself fascinated by the similarities in the faces of closely related people. To better examine this, he photographed pairs of close family members (parents & children, siblings, cousins) and created one portrait of the pair with each contributing one half of the face. The results are astonishing, ranging from one composed of twins, which looks like one woman with a different hair style on each side of her head, to uncannily similar half male/half female faces (like the artist's self-portrait with his cousin, above). Click the photo to see more of Collette's "Genetic Portraits" which include the names and ages of each person photographed and their relationship to each other. The site is in French, so this is what you need to know to decipher it:
    • mère - mother
    • père - father
    • fils - son
    • fille - daughter
    • soeur - sister
    • frère - brother
    • cousin(e) - cousin
    • jumeaux - twins (masc./mixed)
    • jumelles - twins (fem.)
    • ans - years