Tuesday, January 10, 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 - 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:

• Test Thurs., 1/12: on Mexican-American War

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Due Wed., 1/11: Bring your protractor to class (buy one if you don't have one - lots of colors at Acme Surplus for 50 cents)
• Due Wed., 1/11: p. 64-65, #1-4, 7
Grade 8
• Due Wed., 1/11: In Looking for Pythagoras, do 2.1 and 2.1 Follow-up (see handout).

Science:

• Due Wed., 1/11: Read Ch. 7.1, p. 135-140 and answer questions 2-9 (p. 141) on separate paper

8th Grade Project:

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

Moment of Zen:

The Giant of Vlaardingen

Dutch sculptor Florentijn Hofman thinks big. Best known for his larger than life, outdoor, public sculptures (which include a series of giant rubber duckies, a human sized "paper" boats, and a giant monkey made out of flip-flops), this rabbit was built entirely out of scrap wood in Vlaardingen the Southern Netherlands. Click above to visit the artist's website and see more of his projects.

Monday, January 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
• Mon., 1/9: Parent meeting about 8th Grade Projects, 3rd Floor classroom, 6:30-8 pm
• 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 : Finish analysis of "The Lottery"

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Due Wed., 1/11: Bring your protractor to class (buy one if you don't have one - lots of colors at Acme Surplus for 50 cents)
• Due Tues., 1/10: Handout, #1-4
Grade 8
• Due Tues., 1/10: In Looking for Pythagoras, do 1.3 and 1.3 Follow Up

Science:

• Due Tues., 1/10: Read Ch. 7.1, p. 135-140 and answer questions 2-9 (p. 141) on separate paper

8th Grade Project:

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

Moment of Zen:

Libera Wins 2011 African Amputee Soccer Cup

Friday, January 6, 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
• 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., 1/6: Read Howard Zinn article and annotate.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  All
• Due Mon., 1/9: Math's Mate 2.4, including any attached N/A problems, according to usual protocol:
  • no calculators
  • you must show work for problems marked with * on an attached sheet of paper

Science:

• Nada

8th Grade Project:

• Watch this space!

Moment of Zen:

A Working Origami Camera

Continuing from the post about long-exposure pinhole photography the other day, here's one that can be built out of paper. Click to see 22 other models of pinhole camera that can be made at home.

Thursday, January 5, 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
• 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., 1/6: Read Howard Zinn article and annotate.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Due Fri., 1/6: In Stretching & Shrinking, do #14 all parts on p. 53.

Grade 8
• Algebra A
  Due Fri., 1/6:: Complete solving multistep equations sheet handed out in class today.

Science:

• Nada

8th Grade Project:

• Due Fri., 1/6: Complete preliminary research

Moment of Zen:

It was a dark and stormy night...

...on the Empire State Building in 1938.

Wednesday, January 4, 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

Humanities:

• Due Fri., 1/6: Read Howard Zinn article and annotate.

Math:

• Graph paper link on the sidebar →
  Grade 7
• Due Thurs., 1/5: In Stretching & Shrinking, do #1-5 all parts on p. 47-48.

Grade 8
• Nada

Science:

• Nada

8th Grade Project:

• Due Fri., 1/6: Complete preliminary research

Moment of Zen:

One Picture, One Year

A year ago, Michael Chrisman put together a simple pinhole camera, aimed it at the Toronto skyline, then left it there for a year. A year later, he collected the film, which had captured a year from the same perspective, and developed it.

Consider this: most film cameras have exposure times that are measured in hundredths of a second. This is to capture an image with as little movement as possible. Long exposure requires careful light and a perfectly still camera, but captures movement in unique ways. This is an extreme of that.

The good news? Most of the higher technology of photography is aimed at being able to control a wide range of exposure times (shutter speed), but if you only want one long exposure, you can make a camera out of any box you can poke a hole in, much like Michael Chrisman did. Click the picture above to read more about Chrisman's Toronto skyline image or click here to read Make magazine's guide to making pinhole cameras.

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.

Monday, December 19, 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 Tues., 12/20: Complete #11-24 odd and

Grade 8 All
• Due Tues., 12/20: Review problems for test
  • Leaky Tire Problem a-e, challenge: f-h
  • Handout, p. 65-66, #1 and 2
• 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:

Selective Cleanup Creates Reverse Graffiti

British newspaper The Guardian invited a variety of public figures to redesign money. Some took the idea on a more design-focused track, others aimed to reconceptualize money. Pictured above is author Jonathan Franzen's reimagining and below is Audrey Niffenager's. Click either picture to see a slideshow of the whole slew of them.