October @bvnlibrary
This Month...
we were completely crazy/busy. It was so great! We served 100 classes and over 2800 students in the library just while working with classes. This doesn't even count the hordes before and after school. Despite some crazy tech issues, we had some excellent lessons from the past that went really well and we also implemented many new lessons. Read on to find out more about this awesome student work!
Highlights
Senior Research Papers
We started off the month with all ELA12 and Contemporary Communications classes working on the research paper. Students began by completing the research practice assignment to shore up some research/citing skills, and then moved on to developing essential questions, researching, and note-taking. This accounted for working with 20 classes. The papers are due throughout November and we look forward to reading and grading them.
This I Believe
Seniors in Mrs. Worthington's and Mrs. Weir's AP ELA12 wrote personal essays in the style of NPR's "This I Believe". Students then working in the library and used Audacity and royalty free music to create a podcast. These podcasts are posted on the library website for students, faculty and community members to hear. To listen to these projects, click here.
FOCUS Math
Students in Mrs. Steinwart's math class used 3D design software to create their own pizza shaped math manipulatives. The manipulatives were then printed on our MakerBot! Students had a great time adding their initials and pepperoni toppings to the manipulatives. They got to pick a color and use these homemade tools to practice equivalent fractions.
Credible Sources
Students in Mrs. Johnson-Berry's and Ms. Younger's HELA9 classes prepared to read The Odyssey by researching credible sources for various themes in the book. Students from all 6 classes collaborated on a wiki (sorry, members only) and learned about appropriate and credible sources before beginning their research. Each student was assigned a theme and posted one internet article and one database article to the wiki. They also included a short description as to why it was helpful and credible.
Parabola Projects
Algebra 2 students in Mr. Phifer's, Mrs. Nathan's, Mrs. Chaney's, and Ms. Roxberg's classes began and completed a combined math, tech, and research assignment. Students were tasked with taking a picture of a parabola, using software, calculators, and the internet to create an online presentation. These projects will be posted shortly, so stay tuned!
Chemistry in 3D
Students in Mrs. Prakash's, Ms. Walker's, and Mrs. Schulte's Chemistry and Sophomore Chemistry classes used 123D Design software to create models of chemical compounds. Students rose to the challenge of visualizing models in 3D, learning new software and writing a short paper about the compound. These models are currently being printed and will be returned to students soon as physical representations of previously only abstract ideas. The students learned so much, and all faculty members involved worked with students to solve problems and encourage some seriously upper level thinking.