Why be content to just study about something?

Guest Blogger: Mercy Adetoye:
Ninth grade science students undertook a group project that challenged them to research, design, and build a functional scale model of a Roman aqueduct. The project linked to studies done in their history classes this fall. The task involved mastering the scientific concepts coupled with group problem solving. Students took on different roles throughout the project and presented their work to a panel of teachers and students.

G block Aquaduct Project

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Happy Holidays from the Hubble Telescope

As some of you know, my brother Greg was the pilot astronaut on NASA mission STS-125 in the spring of 2009.  That mission completed the final round of Hubble telescope repairs.  It’s expected the telescope will de-orbit between the years of 2018 and 2025. In the meantime, this hardworking little telescope unveils a holiday snow angel for our pleasure. Click on the image to see the stunning stop motion video of this angel. Way to go little brother!

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How do scientists advance new knowledge?

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Introduction:
The two philosophers and 5 scientists pictured above were involved in advancing the theories related to atomic structure. Students from Gabe Cronin and Thomas Adam’s science class at Seattle Academy were tasked with understanding each scientist’s point of view, the experiments they conducted, and the implications of a shift from an existing theory to a newer theory. In all cases the shift happened because of direct experimental evidence which contradicted the previously held theory.

To demonstrate their findings students created audio podcasts which included three characters: a narrator and two debaters (scientists and/or philosophers). The podcasts can be found here:

http://atomic-structure.wikispaces.com/

Debate Pairs:

A. Aristotle vs. Einstein: Continuous Matter vs. Atoms

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who believed that matter was infinitely divisible; atoms did not exist and matter could be sliced into finer and finer sections without limit. Einstein interpreted the results of Brown’s experiment on the motion of pollen to prove that atoms exist.

B. Aristotle vs. Dalton: Continuous Matter vs. Atoms

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who believed that matter was infinitely divisible; atoms did not exist and matter could be sliced into finer and finer sections without limit. Dalton was an English schoolteacher who developed an atomic theory based upon three laws derived from experimental data; the Law of Multiple Proportions, the Law of Conservation of Mass, and the Law of Definite Composition.

C. Priestley vs. Lavoisier: Phlogiston Theory of Combustion (loss) vs. Oxidation Theory of Combustion (gain)

Priestley was a 18th century researcher who believed that objects release a substance called phlogistan when burned. Lavoisier was an 18th century tax-collector whose precise mass measurements proved that metals often gain mass when combusting, leading to the Law of Conservation of Mass.

D. Rutherford vs. Bohr: Electrons in Continuous Energy Levels vs. Electrons in Discrete Energy Levels

Ernest Rutherford’s 1909 experiment with alpha particles suggested that atoms contained a dense, small, positive nucleus with electrons orbiting in rings at any distance from the nucleus. Niels Bohr’s interpretation of spectral lines in the hydrogen atom suggested that electrons could only exist in specific energy levels corresponding to specific distances from the nucleus, and that electrons could perform quantum leaps to move from one energy level to another without ever occupying the space between.

E. Thomson vs. Rutherford: Plum Pudding Model vs. Planetary Model

Thomson’s work on the cathode ray tube suggested the existence of small, negatively charged electrons. His model for the atoms consisted of these electrons embedded in a dense, space-filling matrix of positive charge and was called the Plum Pudding model. Ernest Rutherford’s 1909 experiment with alpha particles suggested that atoms contained a dense, small, positive nucleus with electrons orbiting in rings at any distance from the nucleus, and that most of the atom was empty space.

F. Bohr vs. Modern Model: Rings vs. Clouds

Niels Bohr’s interpretation of spectral lines in the hydrogen atom suggested that electrons could only exist in specific energy levels corresponding to specific distances from the nucleus, and that electrons could perform quantum leaps to move from one energy level to another without ever occupying the space between. The modern model states that electron position and energy cannot both be specified, meaning that electron position is described by regions of space (clouds) where electrons are most likely to be found.

G. Dalton vs. Oppenheimer: Atoms are Indivisible vs. Atoms are Divisible

Dalton was an English schoolteacher who developed an atomic theory based upon three laws derived from experimental data; the Law of Multiple Proportions, the Law of Conservation of Mass, and the Law of Definite Composition. Oppenheimer was the head physicist for the Manhattan project, in which the atom was split to first the first atomics bombs dropped to end WWII.

New Library Resources – November 2011

DVDs
The Tango Lesson
Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy film
The Age of Enlightenment
Theory U Presence in Action (Systems Thinking)
The Wars of the Roses
Hot Coffee: Is Justice Being Served
American Teen Remember High School? It’s Gotten Worse
WikiSecrets Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, and WikiLeaks
Paths of Glory [Kirk Douglas]
His Way: A Portrait of Hollywood Legend Jerry Weintraub
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Online Resources
The World Bank Open Data Online Resource
Native American Documents Project
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Reference
Great American court cases
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Audio Books
Kira-kira Kadohata
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
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Art
The American Art Book
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Social Issues
Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs
The Anatomy of Revolution
Miranda Rights
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Free Speech: a Very Short Introduction
The First Amendment, Freedom of Speech: Its Constitutional History and the Contemporary Debate
Miranda: The Story of America’s Right to Remain Silent
A Dying Colonialism (Fanon)
Toward the African revolution: Political Essays
The Colonizer and the Colonized
Discourse on Colonialism
Living Fanon: Global Perspectives
Freedom for the Thought That We Hate: a Biography of the First Amendment
Miranda v. Arizona and the Rights of the Accused: Debating Supreme Court Decisions
Miranda Rights: Protecting the Rights of the Accused
The Human Condition (Arendt)
Waiting ’til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America
On Violence (Arendt)
The Origins of Totalitarianism (Arendt)
Che Guevara, Paulo Freire, and the Pedagogy of Revolution
Paulo Freire & the Cold War Politics of Literacy
Stranger from Abroad: Hannah Arendt, Martin Heidegger, Friendship, and Forgiveness
Drug War Heresies: Learning Rrom Other Vices, Times, and Places
The World’s Most Dangerous Woman: a New Biography of Emma Goldman
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History
Germany Since 1945
Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World
The Whole Truth: The Watergate Conspiracy
Shameful Flight: The Last Years of the British Empire in India
Africa Since 1940: the Past of the Present
Churchill’s Secret War: the British Empire and the Ravaging of India during World War II
Joan of Arc
Generation Ageless: How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Live Today–and They’re Just Getting Started
The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy
The American Promise: a History of the United States
Sacred War: Nationalism and Revolution in a Divided Vietnam
Simon Bolivar: Liberation and Disappointment
Understanding Vietnam
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Literature
The Portable Romantic Poets
They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing
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Science
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World
The Necessary Revolution: Working Together to Create a Sustainable World (Senge)
The Reflexive Universe: Evolution of Consciousness
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Education
Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare Teach
Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage
Education for Critical Consciousness

New Library Resources – October 2011

DVDs
Prohibition: A Film by Ken Burns
Jimmy Carter [American Experience]
Reagan [American Experience]
Almost Myself Reflections on Mending & Transcending Gender
Trans Generation Four College Students Switching More than Their Majors
Reformation Overview
Human Planet
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Reference
Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases From Our Lively and Splendid Past
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America
Colonial America: A History, 1565-1776
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Online Resources
WatchKnow.org
Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective
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New Magazines
Forbes
Columbia Journalism Review
Miller-McCune
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Social Issues
Walker’s Appeal, In Four Articles
Information: A Very Short Introduction
America the vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digital Espionage, Crime, and Warfare
Out of the Ordinary Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer & Questioning Teens
Niccoláo Machiavelli : Florentine Statesman, Playwright, and Poet
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Science
The Cyanide Canary
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History
Frederick the Great: The Magnificent Enigma
Muntu : African Culture and the Western World
A History of Us: Book 3. From Colonies to Country 1710-1791
The Tudor Monarchies, 1485-1603
You Wouldn’t Want to Be Cleopatra!: An Egyptian Ruler You’d Rather Not Be
Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England
Cleopatra: Egypt’s Last and Greatest Queen
Philip II: King of Spain and Leader of the Counter- Reformation
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Literature
Poets Teaching Poets: Self and the World
Great American Speeches
Titus Andronicus
The Complete Persepolis
The Financial Lives of the Poets: A Novel
The Zero
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Art
50 Art Ideas You Really Need to Know
Leonardo da Vinci
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Education
The Future of Thinking: Learning Institutions in a Digital Age
From Silos to Systems: Reframing Schools for Success
Killing the Spirit: Higher Education in America
Performance-based Curriculum for Science: From Knowing to Showing
Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education
What School Leaders Need to Know about Digital Technologies and Social Media
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Technology
Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of E-mail and Information Overload
50 Digital Ideas You Really Need to Know
Conquering YouTube: 101 Pro Tips to Take You to the Top

Students summarize Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in one tweet

James Watson, Seattle Academy English teacher had his senior class summarize their interpretation of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?   The results were quite humorous.  If you feel inclined you  can vote for your top three in the comment section below.

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1.       Is Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf a dinner party gone bad or an orgy in the making?! #themadnesseruptsfromthepage

2.      Insane people: “They don’t grow old.” But, trading sanity and truth for a life of carefree excitement and drama is not always worth the trouble.

3.       It takes “40 something” years to build a façade even your spouse can’t see through. But it only takes one night to completely unravel a marriage.

4.       Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is about truth and illusion. First impressions are false, and each character’s past is never fully revealed #pourmeanotherdrink

5.       Edward Albee’s emotion-lead play is a direct perspective on human relationships or lack there of. #whosafraidofvirginiawolf #oryouremotions

6.    Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is about adults acting like children. With liquor.

7.       WAVW is about truth and illusion, and how the difference between the two may not be as important as one might think.

8.      Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf… more like who’s afraid of treachery, murder, and some good old fashion adultery. #shouldnthavegonetotheafterparty

9.       Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is about the underlying dysfunction of American marriage.

10.   Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is about a vicious sport. Tactic: Humiliation. Opponents: George and Martha. Expect casualties.

11.   It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt—like an imaginary son in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf!  George and Martha are in too deep.

12.  Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is about alcohol consumption, shouting, alcohol, couples in turmoil, alcohol, fake sons, failed books, invasive fathers and late night dancing #drama

13.   In Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? Edward Albee’s objective is to portray childhood vs adulthood, failure vs success and reality vs fantasy.

14.   “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf? Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?” I am.

15.   #who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf# is the perfect story of the functional yet dysfunctional, loving yet betraying, drunk yet sobering couple

Seattle Academy Library Basics

Request New Titles

What’s missing? Let me know what you think I should buy for the library collections. Before you request an item, please search the Library Catalog to see if we already own it! Please email me (kjohnson@seattleacademy.org) with your items.

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Audio Visual Equipment

I have a number of pieces of equipment to lend including: microphones, kindles, flip cameras, 1 still camera, 1 projector. For the latest list search our library catalog for “AV Equipment”.

Library Instruction and Class Visits

Please request services at least one week in advance for group or individual sessions. For general library instruction, contact Kathy Johnson at 206.676-6825 or kjohnson@seattleacademy.org, or come by in person to complete scheduling. if you are not sure how library instruction might benefit your students, let’s have a conversation and explore the possibilities. I can also double as a tech trainer for certain technologies and programs.

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Guides Authored by You

If you would like to set up – or have me set up – a customized “guide” for your class, let me know. Here is an example of what’s possible for a course Guide for Health 9

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NoodleTools
Our school has an institutional subscription to NoodleTools. See this page for details.

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Copyright Guidelines

In the use of copyrighted works in a digital environment, instructors and/or institutions must reasonably…*

* Limit access to students currently enrolled in the class.
* Limit access only for the time needed to complete the class session or course.
* Inform instructors, students, and staff of copyright laws and policies.
* Prevent further copying or redistribution of copyrighted works.
* Not interfere with copy protection mechanisms.

Fair use chart (PDF file) from the Flaxman Library, Art Institute of Chicago

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Personal Learning Environments

Everyone has a personal learning environment. They may not have identified it as such. It comprises the sum total of your social networks, personal and professional, how you find information on and off the web, including the tools, media and platforms you use to solve problems. Very few people have built out their personal learning environments to their fullest potential. (See diagram below of the networked student). I am interested in partnering with teachers who would be willing to explore the possibility of incorporating Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) in their curriculum and assignments.

The Library of the Future Will Include the One You Build Yourself

I will be presenting at the Worldwide Virtual Conference on Wednesday November 2nd at 5 pm (Pacific Daylight Time).  I will post a link to the conference as soon as I get it. Alternatively, a conference recording will be available a few days after the conference.

Refer to my earlier post for details and a description of the topic.

New Library Materials – June, July, August, September 2011

DVDs

Revolution in Cairo & Go Inside the Muslim Brotherhood   (Frontline)

Evolution (8-hr PBS Special)

Marijuana: The Gateway Drug

What Kids Want to Know About Sex and Growing Up

Tobacco Horror Picture Show

Architecture and Design of Man and Woman

Japanese Relocation

 

Amores Perros

Blue Gold: World Water Wars

The Spirit of Crazy Horse

The Duel: Hamilton vs Burr

Inside Job

Henry Ford

Franklin D. Roosevelt:  The War Years

Frederick Douglass

Amelia Earhart: Queen of the Air

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Reference

A Dictionary of Critical Theory

Sources of the West: Readings for Western Civilization

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Online Resources (look for links in catalog)

The Theory, Practice & Influence of Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience

Henry Thoreau and ‘Civil Disobedience

The Thoreau Reader Annotated works of Henry David Thoreau

Human Atlas Project

The Catholic Encyclopedia online

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

European History Primary Resources

Global Exploration Roadmap (NASA, 2011)

DocuBase

 

Science / Applied Science (& Business)

Napoleon’s Buttons : 17 molecules that Changed History

Eckert Animal Physiology: Mechanisms and Adaptations

Vertebrates Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution

Culturetopia: The Ultimate High Performance Workplace

What is Biodiversity?

Sustaining Life:  How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity

 

Technology

Linux Pocket Guide

Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps

 

Social Issues

What the World Eats

Abortion in America: The Origins and Evolution of National Policy, 1800-1900

Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America

Gold: Its Beauty, Power, and Allure

Capturing the 21st Century Security Agenda

The Abortion Rights Controversy in America: A Legal Reader

Roe v. Wade: The Abortion Rights Controversy in American History

 

Great American Court Sases

The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Nonprofit Organization : Participant’s Workbook  (Drucker Foundation)

The Watchman’s Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction

News of a Kidnapping

Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study

How to be President: What to Do and Where to Go Once You’re in Office

The Limits to Growth: the 30-Year Update

 

Political Philosophy

The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: Its Basis and Its Genesis

The Social Contract (Rousseau)

 

History

Traditional Europe: A Study in Anthropology and History

Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima

Hiroshima in America: Fifty Years of Denial

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Explaining Auschwitz and Hiroshima: History Writing and the Second World War 1945-1990

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Korean War: A History

Last call: the Rise and Fall of Prohibition

Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

 

Hiroshima: The Shadow of the Bomb Turning Points in History

Legacy of Mao Zedong

Ancient Mesopotamia

Hiroshima

Step Into Ancient Japan

Step Into the Stone Age

Japanese Children’s Day and the Obon Festival

Kurds

Malaysia

Reconstruction America: After the Civil War

A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest

The Yakima

Ottoman warfare, 1500-1700

The Battle of Gettysburg in American History

Usborne World History: Prehistoric World

 

Literature

Tristessa  (Kerouac)

Democracy and the Novel: Popular Resistance to Classic American Writers

Woman at Point Zero

The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry

Collected Stories /       O’Connor, Frank

Poetry and Tales /       Poe, Edgar Allan

Eating Animals  (Foer)

Desert Solitaire

The Laramie Project

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Into the Wild

Kimberly Akimbo

The White Tiger: A Novel

The Last Time I saw Amelia Earhart: Poems

Little

Apocalyptic Swing: Poems

American Busboy: Poems

Sudden Anthem

Poets on Teaching: A Sourcebook

The Hunger Games

 

Art Library 

Introduction to African Art

 

Education

Learner-centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice

Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education

A book is a technology. A page is a door.

Brian Selznick, author of Hugo Cabret, discusses writing Wonder Struck. I share this because I find it so magical.