Kicking Off the 2017-2018 School Year

New to BHHS this year are our 9th and 10th grade Interdisciplinary Courses. We are so excited to have the opportunity to meet with ALL of our LC family every other day for 90 minutes. It'll be an awesome opportunity for curriculum refreshers, extensions of material learned in class, interdisciplinary inquiry projects, team building, and more. Speaking of team building, we kicked off this school year with some fantastic team-building activities on a beautiful, sunny morning last week. Students completed a scavenger hunt, set community norms, tried to set a jump-rope record for most people jumping the most times, attempted to get their teammates across the lava grass on wooden skis, figured out how to arrange the Zoom pictures in order, and a few groups even got to puzzle through the tarp flip. As you'll see from our montage, it's going to be a great year with the class of 2021!

If you are unable to watch the video embedded below,
 please click here to watch in on YouTube

Department Awards

At the end of last week, we set aside a bit of time for each teacher to surprise a student who has performed exceptionally well in each of our subject areas.  

Mrs. Teal recognized Lara Jonosz for her passion for writing, Mr. Drogosch recognized Jacob Banooni's skills in math, Mr. Laliberte noted Charlie Polito's dedicated investigation of history, and Mrs. Novak applauded Ramsha Saleem for her  interest in Biology.

As we said to these students, we were lucky to have the "problem" of choosing just four students from our learning community. We will miss this group of students as they move on to 10th grade!

Congratulations

Congratulations, Darby K.! Author of a beautiful story called "40 Lengths," Darby has been published in Teen Ink's Creative Writing Issue. She is one of many students who sought digital publication after writing a memoir in Writ Lit. We're always happy to see our students' names in print!

A Walking Tour of the 21st Century Workplace in Detroit

On May 10th, LC 9A took its second field trip of the semester. While that is not a common practice, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see 21st Century workplaces amidst the rejuvenation of Detroit, thanks to our host, Howard Luckoff, who works for the Quicken Loans Family of Companies. 

Over the course of two hours, we were guided by FOC employees volunteering to spend their work day with us. We began at One Campus Martius (the Compuware building), where we got to see what many companies are now doing to their work environments. Employees work in an open, colorful, well-lit space at desks that can be raised or lowered depending on whether you want to sit or stand. 

They have snack bars and snack trolleys in each office, and we even saw one floor on which you can bring your dog to work! It reminded the students a lot of the common areas at BHHS with the serveries and the low-top and high-top seating in our classrooms.  The students were really surprised that one office even includes a basketball court.

We toured other buildings around the business district, and one of the other aspects that really stood out to us was how the FOC has worked to incorporate design into these work spaces. This room is used for looking at color swatches. You can see that the space is white to provide the best lighting, and all of the walls are writable surfaces. Sounds like somewhere else we know! 

From there, we saw the Command Center, which is the security hub of the FOC for the city of Detroit. While we were not allowed to take photos inside, the students were in awe of how much surveillance there is in the business district to ensure that it is a safe place to be!

There was also a lot of artwork done to preserve the original buildings, including this piece of found art (left), in which they saved many of the items found in the flooded basement of this building, which was then turned into an office space. The goal, of course, is to foster creativity, comfort, and flexibility so that people can do their best work. It was really neat to see!

We saw a lot of conference tables, but we also saw floor seating with comfy cushions, lounge areas for meetings, and individual spaces as well. We noticed the same kind of flexible work spaces that we have in the new learning communities. 

Our morning ended with a special surprise: lunch atop the Madison Building with a view right over Tiger Stadium. What a treat!

We had a fantastic day. Many students (and adults) came away seeing Detroit through different eyes and seeing the exciting business opportunities happening there. They also saw that the way they are learning at BHHS (in collaboration, with flexible spaces and seating) really may be the workplace they walk into down the road.

What Makes a Classic?

Sophocles' Ancient Greek play Antigone was written 

around 441 b.c.e., almost 2,500 years ago.  

Shakespeare is still the world's most quoted writer in the 

English language, despite the fact that he died 400 years ago. 

Why are those details important? That's what we've been asking ourselves this quarter in Writ Lit. Essentially, we have sought to find out what makes a classic. Is it how long it has been around? Does it depend on the author/creator? What about the historical context or how much influence it had? Students studied the works of Sophocles and Shakespeare as a way to consider these and other questions. They considered what makes a classic character (archetype) and how artists, poets, and songwriters try to modernize classics, with varying success. 

As a culminating way to show what they understand about classics, students chose things that they think should be considered classics and developed museum exhibits (inspired by our visit to the DIA in February) to teach their visitors all about them, focusing on what makes them timeless. The resulting exhibits were displayed the week before spring break. 

Several students chose classics connected to their own cultural backgrounds. Sophie (above) has her ancestry rooted in England, and she wanted to share an exhibit about why British Tea is a classic cultural practice. Donna (right) built an exhibit about the Western Wall, a religious and architectural classic connected to her Jewish heritage. Anna created her exhibit to teach museum visitors about Carnivale, an annual Italian Celebration, and Antigone taught guests all about the classic Albanian Plis, worn by men in Albania, where her family is from.

Some students chose exhibits based on their various hobbies and interests. Elijah (left) shared why the B-52 is a classic military plane. Tamia, interested in the law,  discovered a classic police case in the story of Marie LaFarge, whose murder of her husband in the 1800s was the first case to use toxicology for conviction. 


About half the students used physical displays for their exhibits. Ramsha (right) loves architecture, so she built a model in her exhibit to teach students about the classic Twin Towers. Taylor (below) highlighted what makes Coca-Cola the classic American beverage. 


Other students chose a virtual space to entertain and educate their museum visitors. Jacob (right), coded his own game on his website to educate museum visitors about the classic video game Pong. Lara created a PowToon to showcase the New York Times as a classic publication; Annie explored what makes a classic board game, focusing on a family favorite, Monopoly, also in a web exhibit; and Maxym created a virtual museum to explore a classic novel, Ender's Game.

Over the course of two days, each student had a chance to act as a museum docent as well as a museum guest. We enjoyed learning about a variety of classics, from classic musicals to classic shoes, as a way to tie this unit together. Thanks to all the students for sharing their classics!

Field Trip to the DIA

Learning Community 9A had a wonderful field trip to the Detroit Institute of the Arts on February 1st. 89 students and 10 chaperones had an opportunity to see six galleries, focusing on an investigation of several themes related to World History and English Language Arts. And thanks to the DIA's extensive digital exhibits, students who were unable to accompany us downtown enjoyed a day of virtual art exploration from the classroom.

One of the highlights of the visit was seeing Rivera Court, Diego Rivera's mural depicting the advances and costs associated with the Industrial Revolution, which students will be studying this quarter in World History. Students learned a great deal from the docents on hand in this exhibit. Another impressive piece was a brilliantly colored Iranian Qur'an dated from 1450. Students were asked to consider what they felt makes this a classic piece of art as a segue into their Writ Lit topic for 3rd quarter about classic literature.

The students also thoroughly enjoyed the chance to sample two hot chocolates (one with cinnamon and cloves and the other with a hint of chili), thanks to the special exhibit "Bitter|Sweet: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate."






If we can count on their reflections, each student saw an exhibit with which they connected. We hope that for students who have been to the DIA before, this field trip gave them an opportunity to see some of the pieces they might have overlooked in the past, and for those who have never been, we hope this gave them reason to go back. For residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties, admission is free!

Historical Fiction in Writ Lit and World History

November was the kick-off for our historical fiction unit in Writ Lit and World History, which began in English class with the delivery of students' novel baggies! Each bag contains one of the 6 novels we are reading (all centered around globalization in the 16th and 17th centuries), 2 packs of sticky notes, and the reading schedule along with reminders for how to sticky note during reading time.

Each day, students have 30 minutes of class time to enjoy reading their books. As they go, students sticky-note their thoughts, observations about the characters, and questions about historical references.

Students have also been categorizing their sticky notes as literal, inferential, or critical, helping them to better understand the different levels of thinking involved when we interpret texts.



On any given day, students can be found reading in various spots around the room. On the left, Antigona decided she was most comfortable at the high top table, whereas Noah wanted to read on the floor. There is great energy in a room full of readers (even if no one is speaking)!

The second part of each class period is giving students time to build a warehouse of resources that help them understand the historical context of their novels, events they are also studying in World History. So far, we have studied how the migration of the Germanic Tribes affected the evolution of the English language and how the Edict of Expulsion explains the beginnings of the Reconquista in Spain. Next? The Bubonic Plague!



We also used our very own BHHS statues of the Knight and the Baron  to give us insight into creating historical fiction. Below, York and Amari decide on the best angle from which to photograph the Knight for their story, and to the right you can see part of Georgia's story about the Baron.

While learning about these historical topics, students have also learned how to apply the C.R.A.A.P. test to assess a source's Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. And of course, they are quick to share that they're learning "CRAAP" in English. (As a side note, they are also using this CRAAP in World History and Biology!)

Here's what the students have to say about our unit so far:

Mathematics on LC Team 9A is on full throttle!  Algebra classes have studied linear functions and their graphs and equations this semester.  Most recently we have been solving systems of equations in many different ways including on the graphing calculator.  we have also used systems of equations in many applications.  Geometry has been getting introduced to proofs along with their study of triangles.  Crazy angle problems have been challenging.  Coordinate proofs have also been very interesting.  Both classes are ready for their unit assessment this week.  Remember this:  Mathematics is Logic, and Logic is the stepping stone into adulthood.

Goodbye, Invasive Species. Hello, Biodiversity!

Students are nearing the end of Unit 3 focused on biodiversity.  We started the unit by learning about what biodiversity looks like and how to quantify it by calculating the diversity index.  This was modeled through an activity called "Bird Island", which also helped to build our vocabulary with terms such as species, abundance, and endemic species. Students first calculated bird populations, graphed the population data, and then analyzed their data to use as evidence when discussing questions related to biodiversity.

Last week, we had beautiful weather to remove two invasive species right
in the backyard of our school.  Students learned about how invasive species impact biodiversity and the environment, the different ways invasive species come into the United States and then several methods to remove them from the ecosystem. Ten classes of biology students walked out behind the softball fields to manually remove two local invasive species, Buckthorn and Bittersweet Vine.  Clippers, root jacks and pure muscle ripped out the invaders and provided room and additional resources for other native species to continue to grow in the forest.  Sixty compost bags of leaves, branches, vines and roots are evidence of the students' hard work and dedication to help with habitat restoration at our school.  

The last piece to our biodiversity unit is presenting on how human actions such as deforestation, urbanization, pollution, and agriculture (just to name a few) affect our global biodiversity.  Possibly even more importantly is how science, technology, government and non-profit organizations are developing solutions to reduce the impact humans have on our plant and animal species.  I am looking forward to hearing the students' presentations in early December!

Editorial Cartoons

Ian Kirner's cartoon concerning the Pokemon Go craze

Throughout the year in World History, our class will be keeping up to date on current events.  Earlier in the year, I encouraged students to download a variety of news apps onto their phones.  They were encouraged to download a local, national, and international news app.  If they wanted to take it a step further, I encouraged them to allow one of the apps to accept push notifications so that breaking news would appear across the home screens of their phones!  It has been fun to see students excited to ask me about breaking news to see if I had already seen it yet or not during our current events discussion that usually occurs on Monday or Tuesday at the beginning of class.

Jenny She's cartoon providing political commentary

To go along with our continued investigation of current events, we discussed the role that editorial cartoons play in allowing writers / cartoonists to make statements concerning events that are happening in the World.  It was stressed that cartoons should really go beyond the descriptive and should reach for the analytical.  In other words, they need to attempt to say something with their cartoon.

Georgia Zimmerman's cartoon this year's Nobel Prizes  

I gave the class the chance to test out their editorial cartoon making skills by creating a cartoon that was related to any New York Times article they could find.  Students were allowed to pick any topic found in the NYT that they thought was interesting and most importantly had something to say about it.  Finally, I chose some of the very best to compete in the NYT Learning Network's Second Annual Editorial Cartoon Contest.  We are currently awaiting the results of the contest and are hoping to have a winner or two from among the thousands of entries that they receive from across the nation.  Last year, BHHS had two cartoons that were chosen for recognition!

Mari Lynn's cartoon concerning the demotion of Pluto

Young Authors

Students in Mrs. Teal's Writing Through World Literature class have been reading, critiquing, discussing, and writing personal narratives as they investigate how storytelling helps us understand and respect other people's perspectives and identities​. After writing ​their own​ mini memoir​s, students were invited to enter their work​s​ for publication in Teen Ink Magazine​, a national magazine, book series, and website w​hose​ sole purpose ​is​ publishing and sharing teen writing and art.​

Memoirs written by Brett Almany, Evan Saroken, Jenny She, and Eli Rubin have been published on Teen Ink's website. ​In addition, ​Darby Krugel received ​an editor’s choice award​, Sophie Henderson earned ​a front page feature, and Leen Rass earned ​a reader’s top ​pick recognition​.  Congratulations to ​these students!

​

What Makes a Healthy Ecosystem?

We just finished Unit 2 in Biology that focused on many aspects of ecology.  During the last couple of weeks the students learned about the flow of energy through an ecosystem, how species interact to survive and how certain factors in the environment limit population growth.  Visualizing how species interact through relationships like mutualism, parasitism and predation was especially fun using National Geographic video clips.  You will have to ask your student to describe the parasitic relationship between the caterpillar and wasp larvae or how wolves are keystone species in Yellowstone National Park (see link below). Throughout this unit various graphs and data were analyzed, which is a transferable skill that I hope students can use throughout high school and beyond.  The students also used their math skills to calculate different aspects of populations, including predicted populations and population density.  Next week we are starting a new unit on biodiversity and how human activity impacts the variety and number of species throughout the world.  This unit will end in December with student presentations that explore the threats to biodiversity as well as evaluating solutions to decrease humans' impact on biodiversity.

HOW WOLVES CHANGE RIVERS

The Danger of a Single Story

September has been a month of exploring why and how people tell their stories. On one of the first days of class this year, students watched Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie's TedTalk entitled, "The Danger of a Single Story," in which she warns us against seeing others from only one perspective, of having only one story of a person or a people. After discussing her message, the students began to understand that the only way for people to truly understand one another is for us all to tell our own stories, to give one another a glimpse into what the world looks like through our eyes.

In order to tell their own stories in the best way possible, students realized that they needed to better understand the techniques that other authors use when they write personal narratives.

Consequently, we have been reading and listening to a series of personal narratives, each with a different focus. For example, we studied "The Scolding" by Nabeela Rehman to consider how dialogue can bring a story to life, while Dara Horn's "Walking With Living Feet" drove home the impact of vivid imagery. If you would like to listen to or read the narratives we've been enjoying, they can be found HERE.

During one class, students looked for various literary elements in Amy Tan's famous personal narrative "Fish Cheeks." Each group focused on annotating for a new technique as they came to each new part of the story. By the end, we had uncovered a wealth of techniques used by Amy Tan to convey the maturity that it takes to recognize and accept one's identity.



After we study a story, students apply the technique we've focused on to their own memoirs. For example, after listening to/reading and discussing Kamaal Majeed's "Being Content With Myself" to recognize the importance of a story's hook, students rewrote the first line of their own memoirs for maximum reader impact and connection to their memoirs' themes. Students wrote these on large sheets of poster paper so that they could be inspired by one another's writing.

Students are looking forward to sharing their stories near the end of October. Their memoirs cover just about every topic imaginable, but more that that, they add important stories to our collective understanding of our community. And for that, I am so grateful!

Introduction to Experimental Design and Ecology

We have had a great start to the new year in Biology!  Our first unit focused on practicing skills needed in the laboratory, such as measuring mass, volume and length using appropriate equipment, designing experiments by identifying variables and constants, and recording qualitative and quantitative data. 

Our first inquiry lab concerning isopod behavior was a success!  “Isopods” are the scientific name for the backyard critters many of us call “pill bugs” or “roly-polies”.  The students set up a choice chamber to test the preferences of isopods.  For example, some students thought it would be interesting to test whether isopods preferred dark or lighted environments, hot or cold temperatures, and sand or soil ground cover.  We will be discussing their results next week and analyzing the bug behaviors. 

Recently we started our second unit on ecology.  The students are creating food webs to visualize the important relationships between plants, animals and how human activity impacts natural food webs.  Soon we are planning to go outside to collect data for a population simulation and to remove Buckthorn, an invasive species growing in the forests behind BHHS.  Hopefully the weather continues to be beautiful! 

World History - Geography / Culture Unit

World History - Geography / Culture Review Unit

Freshman World History begins with a review unit on Geography and Culture.  Topics of discussion include the 5 Themes of Geography, 7 Elements of Culture, and Rise of Civilization.  Students have previously been exposed to most of these topics in some fashion during their sixth or seventh grades, however, I find it extremely beneficial to touch on them again this year.  It is my belief that a strong understanding of Geography and Culture are perhaps the best tools a student can possess while developing an appreciation and comprehension of World History.

This past week, students participated in an activity that used Peter Menzel's,  Material World:  A Global Family Portrait.  In 1994, Menzel traveled the World and took portraits of the "average family" in terms of income, size, religious affiliation, etc. from 30 different countries.  Before shooting the photo, he had the family move all of their personal possessions outside of their home and then took the family portrait in front of the home with all of the possessions surrounding them.

We had a discussion about how much of our culture or story could be told through viewing just our possessions and family in a picture?  After having the chance in small groups to closely analyze some of the portraits, I asked the students to describe how the 5 Themes of Geography and Elements of Culture were on display in these photos.  Through this experience, the students should gain perspective about what their own possessions, home, and family say about their personal identities.  The thought is that this will be helpful as they complete their end of unit presentations on their culture.

Currently, in Mrs. Teal's English class, our students are learning about both the telling and listening of stories and the variety of ways that stories can be told.  To connect our studies in World History with the learning that is occurring in English, I asked the students to pick one of the family portraits that they viewed and to attempt to write that family's story.  They then shared these stories in Mrs. Teal's class.  An interesting discussion that occurred out of this activity was a student question concerning the fact that they were writing the family's story with incomplete information.  Which led to a discussion about what other information would they like to have and how would they obtain it?