Tuesday, December 20, 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.
  Mummers' Play Script on Google Docs
• Friday, Dec. 23, 11 AM: Hilltown Winter Solstice Celebration: Come sing with us, celebrate the days beginning to get longer again, and see the Prisms' Mummers Play! 11:00-12:00 in the All School Space.

Humanities:

• Due Fri., 12/23: Read novels & complete reading log
  • Fools Crow, ch. 23-24
  • Light in the Forest, ch. 11-12
• Due Thurs., 12/22: Revise your Native American contact story
• Long Range Project: Stories of White and Native American Encounters
  First Draft Due Fri., 12/16: 2000-2500 words
  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 Wed., 12/21: Complete 3.1 and follow-up, and Applications #1-5 on p. 33. You will need a ruler.

Grade 8 All
• Test Wed., 12/21, covering material on linear equations from Moving Straight Ahead and identifying different graph models in Thinking with Mathematical Models
• Due Wed., 12/21: Your 4x6 notecard, with the notes you think will be important for the test (optional).

Algebra B
• Test Thurs., 12/22, covering material on solving for a variable in equations and inequalities, and writing and graphing inequalities.

Science:

• Week of 12/19-12/23: Heredity Research Project presentations
• 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
    • Thurs., 12/15: First draft due
    • Mon., 12/19: Final draft due

Español:

• Bring home all Day of the Dead materials!

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.

• Grade 7 Family Activity - Dec. 13 (.pdf)
• Grade 8 Family Activity - Dec. 13 (.pdf)

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:

NewspaperWood: Paper goes back to its roots

Dutch industrial designer Meike Meijer has a special twist on recycling: instead of turning wood into newspaper, she's turning newspaper back into wood. Layering and pressing old newspapers together, she gets a material that she can use to make furniture and such. The layered newspaper even ends up with a wood-like grain to it. Click above to read more about the process and see some of the products built from it.