In the Classroom September 2008
Posted by usnl in : In the Classroom, September 2008Teaching Twain
In July, Time magazine published its annual “Making of America” issue, and this year’s celebrated American is Mark Twain. The publication could not have been timelier: this fall Mark Twain’s famous novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is re-entering the 11th grade American literature curriculum. As a department, we committed ourselves to teaching a 19th century text, and Twain’s novel is rich in content, metaphor and style as it brings to life the great political and moral dilemmas facing the nation in the middle of the 19th century. Twain’s novel is also controversial: in 2007 it was still one of the top five most challenged books in America because of its racial content, according to the American Library Association. While teaching this text will be rewarding, it will also present us with challenges, including, in particular, how to address the text’s racial elements in the classroom.
The decision to bring Huck Finn back into the curriculum was not taken lightly. The novel has been taught at PC before, but not to everyone. Four years ago, the English department talked about bringing it into the curriculum, but we did not feel it would fit in well with the other 11th grade texts we were teaching. Since that time, the curriculum has been reviewed and revised, and the novel now fits more appropriately within the scope and sequence of the 11th grade curriculum. The level of dialogue in the community around race has also risen since that time. Our students are more ready to embrace the idea of power that surrounds race and are able to see how it once existed and where it is today. We believe that the community is ready to understand the novel within the context of the time as well as the satire surrounding it. Huck Finn will challenge us to push our conversations about race and class – two important topics that have been the focus of much of the school’s thinking and learning around diversity.
To help us prepare for the challenges of teaching Huck Finn, teachers attended a summer workshop at Penn Charter in early June with Crystal Lucky, professor of African American literature at Villanova University. In the late 1990s, Lucky was a consultant to the Cherry Hill school district as teachers, parents and administrators debated whether or not to remove Huck Finn from the required reading curriculum. As part of her work, Lucky helped the school teachers develop a detailed curriculum that framed the novel in both a historical and literary context and provided multiple resources for teaching and discussing the text. In our workshop we learned more about the controversy surrounding the text, explored different resources and approaches for teaching the text well, and talked about how to effectively address the topic of race (in particular, Twain’s use of the word nigger). Moving forward, teachers will have regular dialogue with one another and ongoing communication with Lucky as we teach the novel. We will reflect often with our students about what is, or is not, working for them in the classroom. As always, we will meet our students where they are, and then work to move them forward.
Despite the challenges of this novel, teaching Huck Finn will also be greatly rewarding. Beginning the year with Huck Finn creates the opportunity for genuine and rewarding class cohesion for the remainder of the year. Our commitment to teaching the troubles of this text reflects what our commitment to diversity looks like in the classroom. Most importantly, Twain’s novel gives us the lens through which to explore the essential question, what does it mean to be an American now? Huck Finn embodies the turmoil of a nation in flux as Twain questions the values of America. At a time when America once again finds itself negotiating those same challenges, teaching Huck Finn enables us to explore that question in a meaningful and substantial way with our students. To teach Huck Finn is to explore the challenges and complexities of living in a pluralistic society, what divides us and what unites us. As the managing editor of Time, Richard Stengel, suggests, “Twain is still in fine form, bold and clear and penetrating.” I could not agree more. I encourage you to ask your child about his or her study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in English this fall, to read along with us, and to be in touch at any time if you would like to further the conversation.
Catherine Ezzo
Interim Chair, English Department
(Contributions from Jesse Dougherty and Cheryl Irving)
Inspired by the TI-Nspire
The rule of four in mathematics teaching suggests that mathematics be approached in algebraic, graphical, numerical and verbal ways. For much of the past, mathematics teaching and learning focused largely on the algebraic methods. With the introduction of the graphing calculator, more time and focus was spent on interpretation of graphs. A later feature of graphing calculators introduced tables of data. With these tables of data, teachers and students had a means of efficiently using numerical methods. Now, for the first time in handheld technology, there is a device that allows students and teachers to use the rule of four.
The TI-Nspire (Computer Algebra System) is a device which is document based, and which dynamically links different representations of mathematics. This dynamic linkage means that a change in a function rule immediately changes the graph of the function. Students may grab the graph of a function and drag it around on the screen. As they drag the function, the equation of the function will change. (See diagrams below)
On a geometry page, grabbing and moving a figure around will allow students to capture data about the movements onto a spreadsheet. The data will automatically be entered and students can then investigate the data. (See diagrams below)
The ability to display various representations in a linked environment will enhance student learning of mathematics.
The document-based nature of the device allows students to save work. This ability to save work means students will not have to re-enter commands and data. The device has 20MB of memory compared with the current 2.5 MB on the TI-89 Titanium or 480K on the TI-84 Plus. This additional memory means much more work can be saved. Applications can be pre-written for students so they may work at their own pace in discovering concepts.
Penn Charter will implement this device over a two-year period. In 2008-2009, students in Algebra I, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus classes will be using the TI-Nspire (CAS) device. The following academic year, all Upper School mathematics classes will be using this device. This summer Tony Farrell, Bob Gordon, Dan Hajjar, Brian Mc Closkey, and Bob Napp attended workshops on this new technology. It is an exciting time to be teaching and learning mathematics at Penn Charter.
Anthony Farrell
Upper School Mathematics
Online Alcohol Education
This fall, Penn Charter has added additional alcohol prevention to its curriculum for the 2008-2009 academic year. All freshmen will be asked to complete the program as part of the 9th grade Health & Physical Education curriculum. The program, AlcoholEdu for High School, is an online course designed specifically for the high school students. The course is an interactive, Web-based experience focused on providing students with the tools they need to make safe and healthy decisions about alcohol. According to a 2004 report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, alcohol is the number one drug of choice among American teens – used more than any other illicit drugs.
AlcoholEdu for High School takes a non-opinionated approach, integrating proven prevention techniques into a science-based curriculum. The program uses a variety of media to engage students, including audio, interactive exercises and knowledge tests. The program also includes three confidential surveys that provide success measures for the school, as well as aggregate data about the student body to help enhance further prevention efforts.
Penn Charter also implements a comprehensive, age-appropriate alcohol educational program throughout its pre-K-12 health curriculum: Freedom from Chemical Dependency, a prevention/education organization, provides a week-long program for Middle School students and parents; and each year in the Upper School, alcohol-based informational presentations and speakers are part of the yearly assembly program.
Adults in the PC community are invited to try the AlcoholEdu program by contacting me at dfoley@penncharter.com.
Debbie Foley
School nurse, health teacher
Boosting Brain Power for Success
“Practice is the best of all instructors.”
Publilius Syrus
As the school year starts anew, parents partner with school personnel to help children grow and thrive. It is important for parents to know what the expectations are and what the current research says about best practices for optimal learning. Here is what to expect in Upper School and what you need to know to support your student.
In the first trimester of ninth grade, all students participate in a weekly Effective Learning Skills course to learn traditional study skills and computer skills to practice throughout their time in Upper School. Many concepts are introduced and reviewed, including two very important ones: information about the brain and learning, and the importance of good executive function skills.
At a the annual International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Conference in Philadelphia last year, Peter Wiley, a psychologist at CHOP, remarked that executive functions, or “getting your act together,” have become more important and challenging in schools for many reasons. Students today have more homework, more long-term projects to manage, more scheduled activities and more competing temptations and distractions, especially with video games and social networking on the Internet. Wiley believes that parents and teachers must accept that they have to function as the child’s frontal lobe (Organizer) much longer than they may wish; they can withdraw their support as the student learns to manage, usually much later than we think.
Time management and organization are key, and the following are ways you can assist your student. Help set a consistent time and place for students to study each day at home. If needed, help them create a homework plan. Understand their class schedule and encourage them to plan ahead. Begin with a to-do list for the evening identifying what is realistic and must be done for the next day. We advise students to print the class syllabus at the beginning of the week and clip it in their planners. At the same time, students should consistently write assignments in their planners, with arrows to due dates or test dates. Once a week, remind students to clean out their backpacks and reorganize papers.
Students are usually very interested in learning about the brain and how it works, particularly their own brain. In recent years, there has been astounding research, including imaging, regarding the brain and learning. Some of the basic principles students learn and discuss are listed here:
- Each brain is unique
- Learning engages the entire physiology
- Search for meaning is innate
- Remembering comes through patterning, practicing and exercising
- Emotions are critical
- The brain needs focused attention and rest (sleep)
- Questioning is important for “active processing”
- Learning is enhanced by challenge; inhibited by stress
Learning consultant Terry Matlin encourages slowing down the brain to accomplish tasks, admittedly a difficult skill to practice. Students should begin studying as early as possible, creating a doable checklist that incorporates small breaks, focuses on what is most important and winds down before bed with quiet reading, etc. The more routines a student can build into habits, the more automatic the tasks will be.
Learning about the brain and how it works equips students with an understanding of their own unique learning abilities. Students learn the basic principles of learning styles, multiple intelligences, executive functions and much more. Each student writes a personal learning profile and preferences paper that sets goals and designs strategies to help define how to maximize strengths and practice study skills. Have students share their finished profiles with you. This way, we all can learn how each student is smart in their own unique way. At the same time, parents and faculty alike can support the diverse needs of our learners, realizing that all of us vary in readiness, abilities, interests and skills. Through our combined efforts, we can be assured that our students will have the tools to successfully boost their brain power.
For more information about the brain and learning, please visit the following websites:
www.allkindsofminds.net
www.brainrules.net
www.funderstanding.com
Dana Toedtman
Learning Specialist
In the Classroom April 2008
Posted by usnl in : In the Classroom, April 2008 EditionSongwriting at PC
Let’s just say that you have this original song that’s been clunking around in your head for the past several years. You’ve been singing it over and over, just so you don’t forget it. You’ve even written the words down on an old scrap of paper. But you’re not a musician, or you stopped taking lessons when you were 13, or you don’t think anyone will like it anyway, or you don’t have a great voice, or you don’t have a tape recorder or, or…
Well, technology has come to the rescue with a dandy little Mac application called Garage Band. Yes, there are similar programs for the PC, but GB was designed not only for the professional songwriter who wants a quick, down-and-dirty tool for capturing his or her latest tune, but also for the amateur, or less-than-amateur songwriter. It’s the best thing out there to date.
Penn Charter kids, and tens of thousands of kids and adults around the world, in schools and at home, have been successfully using this amazing music writing/recording tool. It is packed with thousands of prerecorded loops and sounds of just about every instrument there is. You can play them yourself, or you can drag them onto a linear grid that is so easy to manipulate that even the youngest folks (try kindergarteners and younger) can be up and recording with as little as a three-minute tutorial. I have had fourth grade students from our Lower School gently ask me to go away so they could get started after just a short minutes or so of instruction. Of course, they called me back as soon as they were aware that there was more that they could do. And for those of us who have mastered the basics, there are a plethora of options available for tweaking and pampering our songs to make them sound quite amazing. Yes, your final product can actually sound very polished with a professional finish to it.
Some of Garage Band’s exciting features allow you to plug in your own microphone or your favorite electric guitar if you are already a singer or player, and you don’t have to worry about loading in more software, or configuring any of them. You can add thousands of extra sounds, including hip-hop beats, exotic instruments from India and the Orient, and an almost unlimited array of sound effects from train crashes and tornados, to applause and baby cries. There are prerecorded concert grand pianos (in three different sizes) and perfectly played guitar riffs from classical to heavy metal, as well as lush orchestral strings, brass and percussion. How about a tympani intro for your next movie score? That’s right, without being a trained musician, but knowing what you want it to sound like, you can experiment with GB’s extensive collection of sounds and assemble an original, magnificent soundtrack for your latest video production, or write and record a commercial for the next Campbell Soup television ad.
Think this is all just too much to get your mind around? Well, think again. Penn Charter kids and adults with nothing more than a passing knowledge of music and a cursory awareness of how to use a Mac are doing all of this, and more, even as I write. And you can, too. Anyone who owns a Mac has this spectacular application already installed, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to teach our kids and adults here how to use it, and how to be inspired through it.
Please feel free to stop in to the Upper School choral room 109 for a quick tutorial. Bring 10 kids at a time with you if you’d like, and have a Garage Band party. You may even walk away with a recording of that song you’ve been hearing in your head for the past decade. You know, the one that Usher or Celine will beg you to let them record; the one that will earn you a cool million and a Grammy; the one that will bring the world to tears.
Joe Fitzmartin
Upper School Music Teacher
PHAT Physics Competition 2008
Penn Charter Physics students engaged in their first physics-engineering competition on February 20. With nearly 100 competitors and approximately 400 spectators, this event proved to be a spectacular demonstration of science in action! With a very short list of acceptable materials, 28 student teams were challenged to design and construct a device that would climb a hill, cross the crest of the hill, and prevent their opponent from crossing in the opposite direction. The objective was to end the match with their device, and their opponent’s, on the opposite side of the competition field (hill).
While the materials list was short, the list of topics embedded in the challenge was long! This major project required Upper School physics students to master complex concepts, including Newton’s Laws, rotational dynamics, simple machines and mechanical energy, in order to successfully complete the task at hand. Integrating physics, mathematics and engineering practices, these students worked both independently and cooperatively toward a common goal – to become Penn Charter’s first PHAT Physics champions!
Cheering spectators, awe-struck Middle and Lower school students, live Internet feed, and good-natured competitive bantering marked this festive event. Teams identified themselves by dressing in costumes to match their device’s theme, and some created and performed theme songs or chants to intimidate their opponents! Indeed, creativity matched enthusiasm on this first of what will undoubtedly be an annual event at Penn Charter.
In addition to the physical competition, teams were required to submit project portfolios that included detailed descriptions of their device, technical drawings, and scientific reports that reflected thorough understanding of the essential physics concepts as well as their applications to the device’s design and performance. On site in the Old Gym, teams were required to set up a “pit” where they might work on their device between rounds and stand ready to be interviewed by volunteer judges, including Penn Charter faculty and administrators. The interview process mandated that each team describe and defend the device’s design in terms of the science that drove it. Taken as a whole, the competition, portfolio and pit interview afforded students the opportunity to learn physics in a unique way and demonstrate their mastery of the learning objectives in a non-traditional manner.
Project-based learning (PBL) is a challenging method of instruction for students that necessitates strong habits of mind and practice, as well as the employment of higher-level thinking skills. In the PBL environment, students must first master the required concepts and skills, and then apply them to a particular task or problem. Creativity, teamwork, diligence and critical analysis define both the experience and the final product. The PHAT Physics Competition proved that Penn Charter students are well-suited for the demands associated with PBL and, indeed, for a future that will certainly challenge them to think “outside the box!”
The success of the project was a direct result of the hard work and enthusiasm of the students involved. Wielding power tools, glue guns and physics knowledge, these talented students produced extraordinary results without exception! While every team is to be commended for its performance, special congratulations go to:
First Place: Mario Cart Racing
Marquessa Gray, Eliza Garrison, Julian Williams
Second Place: Camouflage
Sebastian Lundy-Thomas, Robin McDowell, Caroline Snite, Carolyn Vahey
Third Place: The Eagles
Blaise Fullen, Daniel Maravankin, Kashif Smith
Indeed, these teams have set the standard for physics students at Penn Charter in the years to come!
The students and teachers of Upper School physics would like to thank The Franklin Institute, Sargent-Welch Science Education Equipment, Tim Lynch and the Upper School science department, Beth Glascott, and the PC Bookstore for donating prizes for our winners!
Lorre Gifford
Physics Teacher
Changing History?
Under the leadership of Jason Yaffe, Andy Zuccotti and Sarah Sharp, the decades-old Model United Nations Club got a facelift in September 2007. Students now have the opportunity to experience a much broader menu of simulations and other forums primarily focused on the use of history in our contemporary world. The Upper School’s new History Club enables students to look to the past and better appreciate their own roles in changing the future. Perhaps even more important, the new activities have generated momentum and energy that we have not seen in the past in the club’s various activities.
Early in the school year, in order to assist Penn Charter students in developing their understanding of issues that affect modern Cambodia, we watched segments from “The Killing Fields.” We then held lunch-time discussions about the film and Cambodia’s history. We also heard Stormie Romero, and other current Penn Charter students who visited Cambodia this past summer, discuss their observations about the country. More recently, club members listened to Anne Caramanico, Penn Charter Overseer, discuss not only her visit to this war-torn country but also her family’s support of a new school in a rural area there. Mrs. Caramanico operated as a source of new information and insight into global awareness and involvement. Our club has certainly held such forums before about global issues, but PC’s connection with Cambodia has created a stronger bond.
Definitely the club’s newest activity is participation in the John S. Bradway High School Mock Trial Competition. Starting in October with attendance at Temple University’s “boot camp,” our students began to prepare to act as attorneys and witnesses in an imaginary case involving the alleged criminal kidnapping of a high school student by a youth group leader. While we did not advance past the local round, we clearly demonstrated that we could compete — primarily due to the generous support and guidance provided by two local attorneys and a law student. Beyond learning about witness affidavits, exhibits, laws of evidence and the rules of the competition itself, our team of sophomores, juniors and seniors, learned to work as a team, absolutely understanding how all members’ presentations complemented each other.
Students have continued participating in the Model United Nations program sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia. To begin with, after registering and receiving the names of various countries and committee designations, schools attended a Preparatory Conference on March 4 at La Salle University. Along with students from more than 30 other schools, we heard experts from local universities and groups discuss the UN’s hot-button issues such as reform of the Security Council as well as the provision of basic guarantees of health care, and education, among other topics. We also attended workshops covering resolution writing and parliamentary procedures. We will soon submit resolutions with our new knowledge. On April 28 at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, students will come together again to debate the results of their work.
At one point in her presentation, Hollister Knowlton, representing Quaker Earthcare Witness of the Americas, asked her audience what our countries needed to know from each other us that would enable us to better adapt to global climate change. She moved from encouraging us to think like Americans to our roles as delegates from dozens of other nations. Ms. Knowlton urged interdependence as nations, large and small, and a forward-looking approach to developing renewable energy sources.
Finally, as we consider Penn Charter student involvement in the History Club, a fundamental question arises: how much does a young person need to know to change his or her orientation to the world? We have learned that we simply change the past by knowing more of it. We have received opportunities to stay involved globally through contact with organizations that enable us to think systematically about laws and advocacy. We have refined our understanding and appreciation of American and global citizenship.
Sarah Sharp
Social Studies Teacher
Cambodia School Service Project Update
The Upper School students and faculty have continued to actively support the all school service project designed to support the two rural Cambodian schools which have been founded by two Penn Charter families. Fund raising efforts have included:
- a croissant sale by the French club
- the request that any holiday gift donations be made to the fund
- a Chupa Chup lollipop sale
Overall, the Upper School has raised about $2,500 to contribute to the all school fund. Upper School students in the History Club enjoyed a lunchtime discussion with parent and board member Anne Caramanico, on of the Cambodian school founders, about her school in Cambodia. Jim Ballengee and students in the Seminar on Poverty course have also developed a spring service project with the Logan Hope School, a nearby school with a significant Cambodian student population. Tenth graders from the school will be visiting PC on Friday, April 18th for the first time.
As the Cambodian School fund grows with contributions from projects in all three divisions, discussions have begun about how we might best support our two Cambodian schools. Students have expressed interest in supporting a victory garden at each school so that students can have nutritional lunches and funding the purchase of computers and Internet services so they might be able to communicate directly with the Cambodian student.
Throughout the spring, look for ways you and your child might get involved with this exciting project. And look for the service booth at the all-school carnival on May 3rd to learn more about the Cambodian school service project.
Survival Suggestions for Final Exam Preparation
“Lost, yesterday, somewhere between Sunrise and Sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever."
Horace Mann, educator
With the arrival of daylight savings time, we “spring” forward, reminding ourselves as we lose an hour how precious TIME is! Looking ahead, we see that final exams will soon be upon us. How can we help students optimize the remaining time in the third trimester?
Lately there have been news stories and research on the need for managing distractions, particularly the need to disconnect from too much technology. While we are aware of the merits of information technology, students readily admit to various levels of “techno-addiction.” Now, in addition to ADD, we have IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder). Begin now to help students “unplug” gradually. Talk with them about balancing, or removing, unnecessary distractions.
“It takes time to adjust to going off-line,” says executive coach Andrea Bauer. Encourage your students to connect to themselves, not just the computer. Studies show that heavy, “info-centric” multitasking has an effect on our cognitive life and takes us 50 percent longer to learn information. Help students to take the time to slow down, focus and think!
The best advice for promoting student success and lessening stress is thoughtful, advance preparation. The following suggestions from the experts can guide parents to help at home during the final weeks of school.
- Ask your child to assess his/her current standing in each class. A simple way to do this is an easy metacognitive analysis with which most students are familiar. Have them simply ask themselves, “What is going well?” “What is not?” and “What do I need to do?” The last answer might include going to seek extra help, doing more frequent nightly review, or taking better class notes.
- Suggest that the student begin to collect and organize the year’s work. Remind the student to find and save old tests and quizzes, worksheets, lab reports, handouts, class notes, etc. Organize and clip them together by course and trimester; then chapter or unit (theme).
- Approximately three weeks prior to final exams, students will receive review sheets for each subject. At this time, each student should begin a plan of review, especially for those areas that need improvement. At the same time, they should set some realistic goals and specific action steps where they can literally check and measure their progress. It is beneficial for students to keep focused by studying “actively.” To promote active review, students can re-read sections, boil-down or summarize their notes, highlight key points and details, study out loud, alone or with a friend, and ask themselves questions for clarification. If anything is confusing, students should ask for assistance from a teacher or friend.
- Then, the week before exams, it is suggested that students refine a plan and begin daily review, parallel to the reviews that are happening every day in classes. Short reviews over an extended period of time provide the best results. Building confidence is important for avoiding a panic or last-minute stress. Enough sleep, exercise and good, healthy eating cannot be underscored.
Students need the help of their parents because it is a proven fact that the home environment is a critical factor for student success. Providing encouragement, a positive attitude and appropriate conditions at exam time are all important. Communication is key. Know, and perhaps, post your child’s exam schedule. Encourage realistic study times that fit into the family’s schedule. Minimize distractions. Help with a plan and the pacing. Be assured that this is a challenging time for everyone, but with planning and careful preparation, the results will be as satisfying as possible for all.
Dana Toedtman
Learning Specialist
In the Classroom December 2007
Posted by usnl in : November 2007 Edition, In the ClassroomA Richer Ninth Grade Social Studies Program
One of the ongoing challenges facing social studies teachers everywhere is how to balance the desire to teach a myriad of important and fascinating topics while having time to delve deeply into studies. After trying to do it all for many years, last spring several ninth grade social studies teachers opted to revamp the Ancient History class (SS 110). In the end, depth won out over breadth of study. Required of all ninth graders, the altered course includes a comprehensive study of three civilizations in their ancient and medieval eras. Students now examine the distinct cultures of Greece, China and the Islamic world, devoting a trimester to each.
There were several reasons behind this curricular shift. First, the ninth grade course used to address seven units of study ranging from ancient Greece to China, Mesoamerica and Medieval Africa. While students were exposed to a diverse array of histories and cultures, as teachers we wondered about student coherency even though essential questions were in place to help connect all of the assorted units. Furthermore, the pace of the course did not lend itself to thorough intellectual pursuits. Often times, just as students found themselves immersed in a topic, it was time to move on. What was also lost in that approach was a holistic study of the political, economic, religious, social, intellectual and artistic developments of the time periods. There simply was not enough time to investigate all of those historical components. As more and more ninth grade teachers struggled to cover all of the selected topics, the more questions arose. It seemed as if we were we stretching ourselves too thinly by studying so many episodes in ancient history. Spurred on by Andy Zuccotti’s proposals, the idea of devoting an entire trimester to Greece, China and the Islamic world was finally hatched.
With the first trimester now complete, ninth grade social studies teachers are rejoicing about the benefits that have emerged from the overhauled course. Additional time has led to a greater emphasis on skills such as reading analysis and writing. All eight sections were able to devote sizable time to reading Greek mythology earlier this fall. That was a significant step because stories about Zeus, Athena and Hephaestus are crucial to understanding Greek behavior. An added bonus from the mythology was the foundation it laid for English class and the reading of Homer’s The Odyssey. Some classes have taken on interdisciplinary research projects about the Hellenistic period (800 – 100 BCE), an assignment that was not previously in place. All in all, early signs indicate that students are having a richer and more coherent experience when it comes to their ninth grade social studies.
As ninth grade social studies students move forward with the course, there are plans to fold former units of study into the remaining trimesters about China and Islamic empires. For instance, whereas students once learned about Timbuktu through the eyes of Mansa Musa and Ibn Battuta, those individuals and their experiences will be incorporated into the Islamic trimester. The long-standing term paper and Hajj project are still very much a part of the course, too. As with many educational pursuits, we trust that this learning experience will prove to be even richer than in past years.
Jake Morrow
Lee Payton
Sarah Sharp
Jason Yaffe, Social Studies Department Chair
Andy Zuccotti
Exploring the Physical World
Two new electives were added to the Upper School science course offerings this year. The first, Modern Cosmology, used the work and writings of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking as a vehicle for discovery. Students of this course studied the historical underpinning of our current knowledge of the universe and then tackled the cosmic mysteries surrounding its future. While the focus was primarily set on astrophysics and cosmology, the story told was one of science in general. Indeed, understanding our place in the universe involves understanding the process by which we have gained that knowledge. Favorite topics included the big bang, black holes, the Information Paradox, worm hole and string theory.
In addition, Modern Cosmology participants were asked to work on a special interdisciplinary project
for the recent Juried Art Show. This was both an unexpected and a unique opportunity, blending science and art, to research, design and construct a room-sized camera obscura. Considered the grandfather of modern cameras, the camera obscura allows live images from outside a large box to project onto an interior wall by passing those images through a lens and a small aperture. Early scientists, including Johannes Kepler, used this type of device to trace celestial images for astronomical applications. In addition, the camera obscura has been used for centuries by artists to trace landscapes.
The execution of this project was driven entirely by the students. Starting with nothing and crunched for time, these highly talented and motivated students manufactured not one, but two working camera obscuras for display! Physics, engineering, art and construction skills (Wh
o knew that wielding a saw could be so much fun?) merged to produce spectacular results. It was an amazing feat that required teamwork, discipline, determination and a lot of hard work. Ultimately, however, the success of this project was measured by the squeals of excitement from Lower School students as they recognized moving and still objects from across campus as the images projected on a white background within the dark room!
The second new elective, The Physics of Science Fiction, is designed as an intersection of popular science fiction media with physics concepts. The course offered in trimester 2 will use science fiction books and films as a vehicle to explore both classical and modern physics. Students will analyze book or movie scenes as active scientists, proving the reasonability of the science depicted, or de-bunking the science as either completely impossible or at least unlikely given what we currently know to be true. Students of this course will be doing science as scientists do it: conducting experiments and research, testing their own ideas, discussing their results, and linking their findings to science fiction with the purpose of evaluating its validity. The course will be an opportunity for students to play “science detective” as they investigate potential crimes of science!
The theme for this course has been inspired by Lawrence Krauss’ book, The Physics of Star Trek, and the sequel, Beyond Star Trek. These two books analyze the science, especially the physics, behind popular science fiction in Star Trek, Independence Day, The X-Files and other popular science fiction. In addition, the course will explore selected scenes from Contact, I Robot, Star Wars and more! To supplement class activities, students will be encouraged to explore the physics of their favorite science fiction story and will be required to produce an original piece of science fiction
Whether taken in sequence or independently, these two physics electives will provide students with a rich opportunity to learn about topics not normally covered in the traditional physics curriculum. They represent the ideal science elective track for those who have an interest in exploring the exotic sciences and, at the same time, enjoy exercising creativity of thought and practice. Indeed, the potential for these electives is out of this world!
Lorre Gifford
Physics teacher
Executive Functions = Successful Learning
With trimester 1 coming to a close, it’s time to help your students reassess and create fresh goals. Researchers and psychologists have been focusing lately on the theory of executive function (EF) as another tool to help students become strategic learners. It is important to understand this model, especially as it relates to the role of the frontal cortex in the developing child, which we know is not fully mature until age 20+. The newest research tells us that it is important for teachers and parents to be helping students by explicit and direct instruction with self-management skills.
Lynn Meltzer, a professor at Harvard and founder of the annual National Learning Differences Conference, has compiled a recent book of research entitled Executive Function in Education. Many distinguished contributors describe ways to help all students learn skills for independent, self-directed learning. “Executive functioning involves activating, orchestrating, monitoring, evaluating and adapting different strategies to accomplish different task. It requires the ability to analyze situations, plan and take action, focus and maintain attention, and adjust actions as needed to get the job done” writes one educator. Accomplishing all of these functions well is not easy for many students, since we know their brain functions are still maturing at different rates.
Mark Horowitz, of Yale Medical School, adds that there are clusters of cognitive functions in executive functioning. The clusters involve six elements: activation (organizing), focus (shifting attention), effort (sustaining, pacing), emotion (regulating), memory (recalling) and action (monitoring). All of these are often rapidly shifting according to the tasks at hand.
It is no surprise then that we strongly encourage all students to devote time to their daily planners and to strengthening these EF skills. As a parent, you may find the executive function information useful as a framework for helping your students understand the strengths and weaknesses of their self-management and to set some new goals for executing tasks more effectively.
By now, most students are aware of their learning styles and preferences. Students can be encouraged to evaluate, again, their strengths and modify their approach to “study time” at home. First, have them check the planner and print out the syllabi for the week. Record what is required each day for homework and upcoming assessments. Estimate and record how long each task will take. Prioritize the order of study. Review quickly the daily notes from class before beginning the night’s homework. Then, literally, check off each task as it is completed. Practice using different strategies for different tasks. Keep motivation high by breaking tasks into manageable chunks. Remind students that studying is hard work but that consistent, daily completion will provide successful results. Help your students know that hard work without a strategic plan has limitations; using executive function techniques will greatly improve efficacy in learning.
Dana Toedtman
Learning Specialist