Friday, January 27, 2012

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
• Fri., 3/2 - Prisms Coffeehouse!
• Yoga Unit in PE on Fridays - Please wear or bring comfortable clothes to move in on Fridays during this unit.
• Student Art Exhibit at Meekins Library: This is an encore exhibit of last year's Prisms artwork currently on display at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg Center. Throughout the month of January, their 3-tiered drawings illustrating the history of the Connecticut River are on display.

Humanities:

• Due Fri., 1/27: Read and annotate "A Shoeful of Cottonseeds" (at least 3 annotations per page)
• Ongoing Continue taking notes on your historical figure, using research materials you got at Forbes Library today. If you go back on your own, remember to tell the librarian on duty that you're working on this project to get free copies/microfilm printouts.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  
  All
• Due Mon., 1/30: Math's Mates 2.7, including any attached N/A problems, according to usual protocol (independent, no calculator, work for * problems shown on separate paper).
Grade 7
• Test Mon., 1/30: Complete report on your scaled figure, according to questions on the project checklist.
Grade 8
• Algebra B: Due Mon., 1/30: p. 422-423, #31, 37, 43, 51, 58-60

Science:

• Test Next Thurs., 2/2: On parts/function of a cell.
• Due Mon., 1/30: Cell Study Guide

8th Grade Project:

• Due Fri., 2/3: 15 notes from another 2 resources
Complete list of project due dates (as of 1/25) here.

Moment of Zen:

Found Cows

Finnish sculptor Miina Äkkiijyrkkä specializes in two things: scrap metal and cows. She stocks cow pastures with large-scale sculptures of cows made out of old metal parts, often from old cars. Click to see more of her cows, now in classic and metal.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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., 1/25 - Forbes Library Research Day - Bring your library card!
• Wed., 1/25 - Coffeehouse Planning Meeting, 3rd Floor Classroom, 6:30-7:30
• Fri., 3/2 - Prisms Coffeehouse!
• Yoga Unit in PE on Fridays - Please wear or bring comfortable clothes to move in on Fridays during this unit.
• Student Art Exhibit at Meekins Library: This is an encore exhibit of last year's Prisms artwork currently on display at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg Center. Throughout the month of January, their 3-tiered drawings illustrating the history of the Connecticut River are on display.

Humanities:

• Due Fri., 1/27: Read and annotate "A Shoeful of Cottonseeds" (at least 3 annotations per page)
• Ongoing Continue taking notes on your historical figure, using research materials you got at Forbes Library today. If you go back on your own, remember to tell the librarian on duty that you're working on this project to get free copies/microfilm printouts.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  
  Grade 7
• Due Fri., 1/27: Complete report on your scaled figure, according to questions on the project checklist.
Grade 8
• Algebra B: Due Fri., 1/27: p. 421, #19-29

Science:

• Test Next Thurs., 2/2: On parts/function of a cell.
• Due Mon., 1/30: Cell Study Guide

8th Grade Project:

• Due Fri., 1/27: Meet with mentor (phone/vidchat meeting ok) and complete at least 15 notecards.
Complete list of project due dates (as of 1/25) here.

Moment of Zen:

Melville's classic novel Moby Dick

Fits, typed, on 6 rolls of toilet paper. Who knew?

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

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., 1/25 - Forbes Library Research Day - Bring your library card!
• Wed., 1/25 - Coffeehouse Planning Meeting, 3rd Floor Classroom, 6:30-7:30
• Fri., 3/2 - Prisms Coffeehouse!
• Yoga Unit in PE on Fridays - Please wear or bring comfortable clothes to move in on Fridays during this unit.
• Student Art Exhibit at Meekins Library: This is an encore exhibit of last year's Prisms artwork currently on display at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg Center. Throughout the month of January, their 3-tiered drawings illustrating the history of the Connecticut River are on display.

Humanities:

• Ongoing Continue taking notes on your historical figure, using research materials you got at Forbes Library today. If you go back on your own, remember to tell the librarian on duty that you're working on this project to get free copies/microfilm printouts.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  
  Grade 7
• Due Thurs., 1/26: Complete both images, connecting all coordinate points (up to #3, part 1).
Grade 8
• Nada

Science:

• Test Next Thurs., 2/2: On parts/function of a cell.
• Due Mon., 1/30: Cell Study Guide

8th Grade Project:

• Due Fri., 1/27: Meet with mentor (phone/vidchat meeting ok) and complete at least 15 notecards.
Complete list of project due dates (as of 1/25) here.

Moment of Zen:

For those of you charmed by microfilm

Click for a brief timeline of the history of the medium.

2012 Eighth Grade project Deadlines

updated 1/25/12

January

• Fri., 1/27: At least one meeting with mentor done, 15 notes from 2 resources.



February

• Fri., 2/3: 15 notes from another 2 resources
• Fri., 2/10: 15 notes from another 2 resources
• Wed., 2/15: another meeting with mentor
• Wed., 2/15: 15 notes from another 2 resources



March

• Th., 3/1: another meeting with mentor
• Th., 3/1: rough outline due (list of main topics with sections)
• Wed., 3/14: final outlines due with details from notes
• Tue., 3/20: another meeting with mentor
• Tue.-Th., 3/20-22: defend your research (John or Beth will ask you questions and you show you are an expert) & work on project proposal
• Wed., 3/28: project proposal due
• Fri., 3/30: another meeting with mentor



April

• Mon., 4/2: 500 words of rough draft due
• Wed., 4/4: 1000 words of rough draft due
• Mon., 4/9: 1500 words of rough draft due
• Wed., 4/11: 2000 words of rought draft due
• Fri., 4/13: another meeting with mentor
• Fri., 4/13: entire rough draft due (2500 words)
• April vacation: gather materials for project, prepare oral presentation
• Mon.,-Fri., 4/23-27: revise and edit draft of research paper



May

• Th., 5/3:another meeting with mentor
• Th., 5/3:final draft of research paper due
• 4/7-4/21: work on project (hands-on portion)
• Mon., 4/21: another meeting with mentor
• Mon., 4/21: formal presentation to panel, revise if necessary



June

• Tue.-Wed., 6/5-6: formal presentations to school, mentors and parents

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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., 1/25 - Forbes Library Research Day - Bring your library card!
• Wed., 1/25 - Coffeehouse Planning Meeting, 3rd Floor Classroom, 6:30-7:30
• Fri., 3/2 - Prisms Coffeehouse!
• Yoga Unit in PE on Fridays - Please wear or bring comfortable clothes to move in on Fridays during this unit.
• Student Art Exhibit at Meekins Library: This is an encore exhibit of last year's Prisms artwork currently on display at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg Center. Throughout the month of January, their 3-tiered drawings illustrating the history of the Connecticut River are on display.

Humanities:

• Due Wed., 1/25: Finish "To Be a Slave" and fill out homemade worksheet tracking Lester's explanations of slavery (italicized writing), his evidence (the accounts in normal type that he's reflecting on), and your own comments.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  
  Grade 7
• Due Thurs., 1/26: Complete both images, connecting all coordinate points (up to #3, part 1).
Grade 8
• Due Wed., 1/25: Correct/redo 4.2 Follow Up, #2; 4.3; p. 46-47, #2-4

Science:

• Test Next Thurs., 2/2: On parts/function of a cell.
• Due Mon., 1/30: Cell Study Guide

8th Grade Project:

• Due Wed., 2/15: Note-taking & mentor check-in.

Moment of Zen:

Happy Year of the Plastic Dragon

Lunar New Year is this week and these folks are celebrating the year of the Dragon by maing a Chinese-style dragon entirely out of plastic silverware, aided by a little hot glue. It took the artist 80 hours to build, but, since all the materials came from the dollar store, it took far fewer dollars than hours to build. Click to read more from the Craft magazine blog, which has some fun, gonzo craft project ideas.

Monday, January 23, 2012

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., 1/25 - Forbes Library Research Day
• Wed., 1/25 - Coffeehouse Planning Meeting, 3rd Floor Classroom, 6:30-7:30
• Fri., 3/2 - Prisms Coffeehouse!
• Yoga Unit in PE on Fridays - Please wear or bring comfortable clothes to move in on Fridays during this unit.
• Student Art Exhibit at Meekins Library: This is an encore exhibit of last year's Prisms artwork currently on display at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg Center. Throughout the month of January, their 3-tiered drawings illustrating the history of the Connecticut River are on display.

Humanities:

• Due Wed., 1/25: Finish "To Be a Slave" and fill out homemade worksheet tracking Lester's explanations of slavery (italicized writing), his evidence (the accounts in normal type that he's reflecting on), and your own comments.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  
  Grade 7
• Due Tues., 1/24: Find 8-20 points for your original picture, and list the (x, y) coordinates for each point.
Grade 8
• Due Tues., 1/24: 4.2 Follow Up, #2; 4.3; p. 46-47, #2-4

Science:

• Test Next Thurs., 2/2: On parts/function of a cell.
• Due Mon., 1/30: Cell Study Guide

8th Grade Project:

• Due Mon., Jan. 23: Bibliography and specific research question due.

Moment of Zen:

The City Is a Dinosaur and it may just eat you

British illustrator Andy Council has created a series of images of the city as a dinosaur. This idea takes different shapes in different contexts: sometimes it's eating the landscape around it, sometimes it's built with the roads or trains as its skeleton, but each provides some visualization of the city as a large, imposing, living entity. Click above to see more of Council's Urban Dinos.