Elk Country

Grade Level: High School
Guiding Question: What's environmental about food?

"We can't deny that suffering is part of eating, for all of us.  Even if we don't consume flesh, we can't look away from the implications our actions have in the pursuit of this death.  Vegetarians who purchase meat substitute products are simply eating a different product made by multinational corporations that also raise and kill livestock.  Even produce sold at alternative grocery stores is often picked by underpaid workers in near-slave-labor conditions.  Even a small-scale, organic, family-owned vegetable farm, using natural pest control methods kills insects and worms.  If we acknowledge we are part of the web of life, we must also acknowledge that any action we take to feed ourselves is inherently disruptive of that web.  To look away is, I think, to abdicate responsibility.  Ignoring the death of the buffalo is to ignore our own death, to forget that we are still animals, caught in the intricate web of survival, a complex dance about the quality of an animal's life, the conditions and dignity of a death."-Marissa Landrigan, "Elk Country" from Orion Magazine

Today, I asked students to come up with discussion questions, and we talked all class period about the structure and content of Landrigan's essay.  We discussed her use of research an non-linear structure and pondered the different ways food writing can be environmental.

Environmental Literature: Unit 2-American Eaters (Farmers, Hunters, and Thinkers)

Unit 2: American Eaters (Farmers, Hunters, and Thinkers)

“Eating is an agricultural act”-Wendall Berry, "The Pleasures of Eating"

Readings:

Week 1: December 9-13th

Thursday

-“Elk Country” by Marissa Landrigan, from Orion Magazine

Week 2: December 16^th-20th

Tuesday

- from “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold (to be followed with the film Green Fire about Leopold’s life)

Thursday

-Taylor’s choice!  

Week 3: December 30^th-January 3^rd

Thursday

-Food poetry part I: to be passed out in class

Week 4: January 6th-10th

Tuesday

-"Consider the lobster" by David Foster Wallace

Thursday

-Food poetry part II: to be passed out in class

Environmental Literature--our last day of wandering

Grade Level:  High School
Objective: To finish our unit on American "wanderers" with a podcast and a discussion of the different places and people we've "wandered" with so far this semester.

"The last night I spent on the road, I was camped out in the forest 20 miles from the ocean. I set up the tent for the last time. And I ate my last dinner from the food bag. There were cars passing me on the road. And I had this thought, if I were in one of those cars right now looking into this dark forest, I'd probably think it was a scary place. But I'm in the forest. And I know it's not a scary place." -Andrew Forsthoefel, This American Life

Today we:

-Discussed the scope of our first unit, and the similarities and differences between the writers we've encountered
-Listened to the first segment of This American Life 494: "Hit the Road" about Andrew Forsthoefel and his walk across America
-Talked about Andrew's walk in the context of environmental writers we've read so far this semester, addressed the questions: What does it mean to wander in an urban environment?  What does it mean to wander with other people?
-Began reading Marissa Landrigan's essay "Elk Country" for our upcoming unit on "Eaters"

Ornothology

Grade: Elementary

Objective: To learn what distinguishes birds from the rest of the animal kingdom and to practice grouping and observing like scientists.

Skiing for physical education

Grade Level: High School

Practicing the scientific method

Grade: Elementary
Objective: To practice using the scientific method, using Bill Nye's "Do-it-Yourself" science and a number of experiments.

Scientific Method:

1-Ask a question

2-Do background research

3-Construct a hypothesis

4-Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment

5-Analyze your data and draw a conclusion

6-Communicate your results

 Experiment #1:  Does air have pressure?

1-Fill a glass of water
2-Cut out a piece of paper or cardboard slightly bigger than the base of the cup
3-Flip the cup of water onto the cardboard, then flip it back over and release the cardboard 

What happens?  The water doesn't spill

Why?  The air pressure in the room pushes the cardboard up against the glass

Arthropod Poster, Hoarfrost on the playground, and Activity sticks for active second graders

Celery experiment--how a plant transports water

Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: To understand how plants transport water and nutrients

We began an experiment using celery and food coloring on Friday.  Today, we got to see the results.  The kids observed how the red food coloring had tinted the entire stalk of celery.  When we cut the celery stalks open we could see the xylems (the tubes plants use to transport water) were dyed red.

Plant experiments and an inventory of what we know

Grade(s): 2nd/6th

Objective: To use the scientific method to conduct two experiments about plants and to review what we've learned

Procedure:
Experiment 1--Fill a mason jar with lettuce and water, flip the jar over into a pie pan, leave the jar in the sun for at least a day, observe what happens
Experiment 2--Cut celery and place it in a cup, partially fill the cup with food coloring and water, leave the celery in the colored water for at least a day, observe what happens

What we know about plants (an inventory by M and M and K):

-There’s a species of plants called geraniums.

-Plants need water.

-Plants have rectangular cells, with cell walls.

-Plants get their energy from the sun.  (Plants eat sun!)

-Plants photosynthesize

-Plants are green because of their chlorophyll.

-Plants turn yellow, red, and orange in the fall because they stop photosynthesizing because there are shorter days and less sun.

-Plants need nutrients from the soil

-They grow from seeds that they make and spread.

-Some plants have both female and male parts

(When we finished our inventory we printed all our facts in green and taped them around our library garden)

Sarah Kay, spoken word poetry, and 10 true things

Grade: 6
Objective: To begin experimenting with new forms of writing through listening to Sarah Kay's TED talk about spoken word poetry and trying one of the exercises she does with her Project Voice students.



10 things I know to be true by K., Grade 6

1. The impossible is possible  

2. There are 60 precious seconds in a minute 

3. I love to perform my talents 

4. The sky is the limit 

5. A small child could change the world 

6. Sometimes you have to run before you can walk 

7. A cool drink will stop the sweat 

8. Nature is the wind that blows our sails  

9. A tree needs roots to grow 

10. Percussion has melody  

10 Things I know to be true by Rachael B., age 27

1.  My favorite sound is the sound of fingers shifting on guitar strings.

2. When I move to a new place, planting something makes the ground feel more stable.

3. Prairies need to burn to grow.

4.  A haircut makes me feel new.

5.  Dancing is easier when I’m wearing a costume.

6. A hot shower restores my energy more quickly than a cup of coffee.

7. You can’t learn what you don’t feel.

8. Birds are birds because they have feathers.

9. Just because you have wings doesn't mean you can fly.

10. There are dozens of bones in the human foot which help us to move across the earth and feel the ground beneath us.

Evolution, TED Talks, Radiolab, and Comic Strips

Grade Level: 6

Objective: To learn about DNA, evolution, geography, and human history through studying the first hominids.

K and I have been studying evolution for the past couple weeks.  In 6th grade, evolution arises in both the science and social studies curriculum.  We've read The Human Story: Our Evolution from Prehistoric Ancestors to Today, watched to Louis Leakey's Ted Talk on hunting for hominid fossils in Eastern Africa, we listened to Radiolab's podcasts about Ötzi and Kanzi the bonobo at the Great Ape Trust.

K has been working on a comic strip to demonstrate his learning---he's not done yet but I'm pretty excited about his work so far...

Washington 6th Grade Social Studies Standards

Simplified from: http://www.k12.wa.us/socialstudies/pubdocs/SocialStudiesStandards.pdf

An Overview:

In sixth grade, students are ready to deepen their understanding of the Earth and its peoples through the study of history, geography, politics, culture, and economic systems. The recommended context for social studies learning in sixth grade is world history and geography. Students begin their examination of the world by exploring the location, place, and spatial organization of the world’s major regions. This exploration is then followed by looking at world history from its beginnings. Students are given an opportunity to study a few ancient civilizations deeply. In this way, students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link between the contemporary and ancient worlds.

Charting Taxonomy

Grade Level: 2nd/6th
Objective: To learn about how scientists sort and classify animals

Today we:
-Learned about vertebrates and invertebrates, sorting classifications of animals between the two categories to create a chart
-Talked about taxonomy and the different methods scientists use to sort animals
-Sorted pictures of different species of animals into their appropriate phylum, creating a hallway sized taxonomy visual
 -Watched Bill Nye's video on invertebrates, taking the DVD quiz together at the end of the video

The following information is quoted from the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2014:

Vertebrates:

-Fish-Cold blooded animals that live in the water.  They breathe with gills, lay eggs, and usually have scales.

-Amphibians- are cold blooded.  Their young live in water and breathe with gills.  Adults live on land and breath with lungs.

-Reptiles- are cold blooded and breathe with lungs.  They live both on land and in the water.

-Birds- are warm-blooded and have feathers and wings.  They lay eggs, breathe with lungs, and are usually able to fly.  Some birds live on land, some in water, some both.

-Mammals- are warm-blooded and feed on their mother’s milk.  They also have skin that is usually covered with hair.  Mammals live both on land and in water.

Invertebrates:

-Sponges- are a very basic form of animal life.  They live in water and do not move on their own.

-Echinoderms- have external skeletons and live in the water.

-Mollusks- have soft bodies and can live either in or out of shells, on land or in water.

-Arthropods- are the largest group of animals.  They have external skeletons, called exoskeletons, and segmented bodies with appendages.  Arthropods live in water or on land.

-Worms- are soft bodied animals with no true legs.  Worms live in soil.

-Cnidaria- live in the water and have mouths surrounded by tentacles.

Hallway Taxonomy

Novel vocabulary: an inventory

As part of our reading, K and I often look up vocabulary words we encounter in the novels we read.  I wanted to inventory the words we've looked up and written about so far this semester:

Number the Stars:

-Contempt

-Exasperate

-Imperious

-Intricate

-Deftly

-Distorted

-Protrude

-Ruefully

-Tentatively

The Giver:

-Utopia

-Dystopia

Tuck Everlasting:

-Tangent

-Indomitable

-Petulance

-Tranquil

Cooking cupcakes and ratios

Grade Level: 6
Objective: To reinforce what we've learned about ratios and conversions while applying math to an everyday activity.

K converted a recipe using ratios and measured ingredients as part of his math class today.  While the cupcakes cooked, we did language arts.

Running outside on a December day

Grade: 6

Objective: To keep fit, mentally and physically, by adding running to our regular PE routine once or twice a week.

K goes on a 2.5 mile jog through the mountains after lunch

From Post-It Science:

-According to a study done by the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, even briefly exercising for 20 minutes facilitates information processing and memory functions.

-Exercise affects the brain on multiple fronts. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also aids the bodily release of a plethora of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells.

-Recent research from UCLA demonstrated that exercise increased growth factors in the brain- making it easier for the brain to grow new neuronal connections.

-From a behavioral perspective, the same antidepressant-like effects associated with "runner's high" found in humans is associated with a drop in stress hormones. A study from Stockholm showed that the antidepressant effect of running was also associated with more cell growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

Also worthwhile reads: NY Times-Can Exercise Make Kids Smarter?, NY Times: How Physical Fitness May Promote School Success, NY Times: How Exercise May Jog Your Memory, NY Times: How Exercise Can Help You Master New Skills, NY Times: How Exercise May Boost Your Brain

Tuck Everlasting

Grade Level: 6
Objective: To become active, engaged readers able to respond to a text both critically and creatively.

K. and I have been reading Tuck Everlasting for the past couple weeks, a book that we both enjoy for the vivid prose and the mystery.  We're ten chapters into the book.  Some days we simply read out loud, other days we do written responses to the text, exploring it from different angles.  We look up vocabulary words, discuss the book aloud, make predictions, and creatively respond to the text.

Some of my favorite writing prompts we've done so far:

1-Use the prologue of Tuck Everlasting as a model.  Write a short piece in which you use weather to metaphorically set the mood.

2-Write about a memory in as much detail as possible.  Then reflect on the ways you've changed since then.

3-Write about a time in the past when you were afraid.  First write about it from the perspective of the age you were then, then write about it from your perspective now.

My favorite of K's written responses (done for prompt #1)--

The snow falls, softly, not even making a sound when it reaches the ground. The wind howls like a wolf at the dead of night. An old man, walking, in the shadows of the dark trees. No one knows where he’s going just that he’s on a journey. The darkness is his friend. Hunters with long teeth and nimble feet watch him from the trees but, they do not pounce, they have seen him before walking in the dark woods of night. He has a secret, something only he knows, an unusual awareness. An old man walking in the woods, the trees lean over him like they might fall but, they do not. There goes the moon moving over him like a giant ball about to hit a bat.  The old man keeps walking. 

Facts, Poems, Reading, Writing

Grade: 6/Elementary

Objective: To engage with ecology through reading and poetry, building an imagistic vocabulary for and an empathetic understanding of some of the non-human species in our ecosystem.

K and I have been enjoying the mail-order library, using its resources to learn about social studies, science, history, and poetry.  Among our recent favorite books are: The National Geographic Kids Almanac 2014, National Geographic 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything), The Human Story: Our Evolution from Our Prehistoric Ancestors, and National Geographic's Book of Animal Poetry.

National Geographic's Book of Animal Poetry features stunning photographs of animals alongside poems about their species, including poetry by Robert Frost, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Yolen, Steven Mitchell, and D.H Lawrence.

About a week and a half ago, instead of holding traditional science class, K, M, and I did a combined science/poetry activity where we read poems from the National Geographic collection, looked through field guides, Ranger Ricks, and Zoobooks, and created our own animal-inspired poems.  Here are two of them:

Untitled by K.

The quick flap of its wings and it’s off through the night sky.  Swoosh!  Over the heads of men and women oblivious to the flying spy.  Stealthy and sleek.  Off the find food.  Asleep in the day inside a sleeping bag of skin, so at the dead of night he can go for a whirl.

Swoosh!

A bat.

Hummingbird by M.

This poor hummingbird

has not a single feather

and I bet it can’t fly

but maybe

I made

a little

mistake:

I forgot it was a picture.

Quarter 1: Photo Retrospective