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!

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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!