Week 6 -- Challenging Assumptions

Skill Focus:  Notice the assumptions made by yourself and others.

We want to think on a deeper level, finding the assumptions of authors and of people, asking ourselves if we agree, and challenging the assumptions if we don't.  (Not in an arrogant manner, but in a humble, truth-seeking manner.)

Lecture:  We started by discussing what assumptions are then we talked about the assumption that Padme in the Star Wars movie "Return of the Sith" died from a broken heart.  We read an article written by a fan that challenged this assumption and gave his reasons for his point of view that Darth Sidious (Senator Palpatine/Emporer) was the one that caused Padme to die by taking her life force and using it to save Aniken/Darth Vader's life.  http://www.retrozap.com/padme-didnt-die-of-a-broken-heart/

Activity:  We played with logic puzzles.  http://www.logic-puzzles.org/index.php  
We also played with some logic puzzles by Lewis Carroll who not only wrote Alice in Wonderland, but also was a professor of mathematics at Oxford University in England.  http://www.math.hawaii.edu/~hile/math100/logice.htm

Document Study:  Annotation.

• Give your document a title.
• Summarize what is happening and what truths are being shared
• Definitions:  take the time to look up words you do not know and words that you would like more insight to.
• Write your thoughts about the importance and meaning of what you are reading.  How does/can it impact you and your life?
• Write your commentary.   What are your insights goals, and inspiration as you are reading?
• Character Profile:  If you're reading about a person or several people, you can do a character map of them.  Write/draw them in the center of a page and then write or draw things that you learn from them, things that happen to them, their character traits/flaws, etc.
• Story Map:  If you're reading about an event or series of events you can make a story map that shows/maps the sequence of events.

HOMEWORK:

• Core Book Studies according to your goal.  Must include at least one equation AND at least one annotation per study to count.
• Math lessons according to your goal
• Write daily in Log Book
• Come to class prepared to share a pattern and your I Wonders
• WHAT IS YOUR SCIENCE PROJECT GOING TO BE?
• Noah -- it's your turn to do a presentation on October 29th
•  Start reading Phantom Tollbooth.  It's due November 5th.
• Don't forget about the movie requirement and memorizing the Characteristics of a Scientist requirement.

Week 5 -- "I Wonder..."

Skill Focus:  Being Curious.  Asking "I Wonder" questions.

Presentation:  Josh gave his presentation on Darwin and the Theory of Evolution.  He did a fabulous job in his research!  Great job Josh!

Lecture:  We talked about Thales and connected the lecture to what we learned in the book we read for today.  Thales was a very curious man and was always asking I Wonder questions

Activity:  Hot Potato!  We had to think of an I Wonder question every time the "potato" came to us.

Book Discussion:  String, Straight-Edge, and Shadow
The book discussion went well.  I think most of the class liked the book and enjoyed learning some of the history behind the math and geometry we take for granted today.  We tried our hands at using string to make a perfect circle -- we need more practice  :-).

REQUIREMENTS:  Congrats to John who passed off memorizing the Characteristics of a Scientist!

HOMEWORK:

• Core Book Studies according to your goals.  Must include at least one equation each time you study, to count.
• Math lessons according to your goals
• Write daily in Log Book
• Come to class prepared to share a pattern -- look for texture patterns
• WHAT IS YOUR SCIENCE PROJECT GOING TO BE?
• Don't forget about the movie requirement and memorizing the Characteristics of a Scientist requirement.

Characteristics of a Scientist

1. Notice Patterns

2. I Wonder

3. Challenge Assumptions

4. Ask the Right Question

5. The Heart of a Scientist

6. Embrace Failure

7. Read Original Works

8. Whole , Not Specialized

9. Judging

Week 4 -- Equations, Principles, & Laws

Skill Focus:  See "if this... then this" patterns.


Prisming:  Everyone shared some great patterns today.   We are still looking for patterns, but this week we were challenged to look for auditory patterns -- sounds.  Don't forget to log them in your Log Book.

Lecture:  Mad Scientist Paige did a great job introducing us to Einstein today.  We also learned that the greatest math books ever written are usually a person's core book, the book a person measures all truth against.  By learning to think like a mathematician and scientist we learn to see the math and science in our core books.  Equations are "if this...then this" statements.  Principles and laws are truth.  By identifying natural law, or God's law, we are closer to understanding truth.

Activity:  Today, we learned about and played Sudoku.  This was to help us with our "if this, then this" equations.  Here's a link for daily Sudoku puzzles.  Once you're fairly comfortable with a normal Sudoku puzzle, you should try a squiggly one.  :-)

Document Study:  Today we practiced finding math equations in a sample core book.  We learned that we can study our core books with an eye towards finding patterns, math equations, principles, and laws.  From now on, Core Book Studies does not count for class unless you write down at least one equation, principle, or law every time you study.  Here are some tips for study that were mentioned in class.

• Keep a good dictionary nearby and take the time to look up words -- even words you think you know.  The 1828 Webster's Dictionary is a great one for this.
• If your core book is the Holy Bible, then consider checking out e-sword.net.  It's a very cool Hebrew dictionary for the entire Bible.
• When you are studying, ask yourself:  Who is the author speaking/writing to?  What does the author want me to know?  What does the author want me to feel?  What does the author want me to do?

HOMEWORK:

• Core Book Studies according to your goals
• Math lessons according to your goals
• Write daily in Log Book
• Come to class prepared to share a pattern -- listen for auditory patterns
• WHAT IS YOUR SCIENCE PROJECT GOING TO BE?
• Finish reading String, Straightedge, & Shadow coming?  DUE OCT 15th. 
• Josh -- Your presentation is this coming Thursday - Oct 15th 
• Don't forget about the movie requirement and memorizing the Characteristics of a Scientist requirement.

Presentation Schedule

Presentation Schedule

Oct 15th -- Josh -- Darwin

Oct 29th -- Noah -- Light Bulb
Nov 5th -- David -- Einstein
Nov 12th -- John -- Planes
Nov 19th -- Carson -- Hippocrates

Week 3 -- What is Truth?

Skill Focus:  Look for Truth.
The primary purpose of mathematicians and scientists is to discover truth.  This deep yearning is vital to understanding why mathematicians and scientists go to such great lengths.  We want to seek truth and to understand that truth is the end and purpose of math.  Without truth math is empty, just meaningless numbers.  Searching for truth and understanding leads to the betterment of mankind.

Just because something can be proven logically doesn't mean it is true.  There are sound and unsound arguments.

Lecture:  We talked about Lavoisier and his contributions to science.  He is considered the Father of Chemistry because of his insatiable thirst for truth which led him to many discoveries and procedures in chemistry.  He standardized the field of chemistry and disproved that phlogiston existed.  He discovered Hydrogen and Oxygen. Developed the field of Calorimetry.  (Just the first ~6 minutes or so on the video)

Activity:  Our activity this week was to use the materials provided and to make a contraption that would enable students to drop an egg out the 2nd story window and have the egg survive.  See pictures below.

Document Study:  How to read a math text.  Scholar skill of taking responsibility for learning math.  We talked about how the scholars need to be learning and doing their math on their own.  If/When they get stuck, they are supposed to try three times to figure it out and then go see their math coach for help if they need it.  PARENTS, YOU ARE THE MATH COACH.  :-)

HOMEWORK:

• Core Book Studies according to your goals
• Math lessons according to your goals
• Write daily in Log Book
• Come to class prepared to share a pattern
• WHAT IS YOUR SCIENCE PROJECT GOING TO BE?
• GOAL SHEET & SCHOOL TIP SHEET FINISHED AND SIGNED -- there is a treat involved for everyone that has this done by our next class.  Oct 8th.
• How is your reading in String, Straightedge, & Shadow coming?  DUE OCT 15th.

    

Week 2 -- PATTERNS

Skill Focus:  Today we talked all about Patterns.  Visual, Auditory, Textural, Behavioral, Cultural, Etc.

Seeing patterns where others may see nothing is one of the vital characteristics of a scientist.  We are training our minds to see patterns; patterns in behavior, in nature, at home, and in everything.  Intelligence is measured in pattern recognition, not memory.

Lecture:  We talked about Galileo and how it was by noticing patterns that he was able to discover much of what he did -- the law of the pendulum, disproved Aristotle's theory that heavier things fall faster than lighter things, invented the most powerful telescope up to that time and discovered Jupiter's moons.

Activity:  We made our own pendulums and experimented to test if Galileo was correct:  It's the length of the chain that determines the how swing of the pendulum not the mass of the weight (pendulum) on the end of the chain.  We found that Galileo was right.

Document Study:  We learned how to read a math text book.

HOMEWORK:

• Finish filling out your Goal Worksheet and School Tips worksheet.  Have a parent sign it.
• Start reading String, Straightedge, and Shadow  due on October 15th
• Start working on your math text according to the schedule you made.
• Start studying your Core Book if you haven't already.
• Write daily in your Log Book
• Decide on what your Science/Math Project will be for the Parents' Night in January. 

Presentation Tips

Hey Guys!

Here's a quick reminder of some tips for your Pyramid Presentations.

For ALL presentations:

• can you use visual aids -- pictures, power point, or video?
• can you include a demonstration or samples?
• We'd love your presentation to be about 10-15 minutes.
• can you include an activity or game?
• can you dress up as your scientist or mathematician?

If you're doing a Mathematician or Scientist:

• When/where were they born?
• What was their life like?
• What is their story?  Why are they famous?
• How did they show the Habits/Characteristics of a scientist?
• How did they impact the world?

If you're doing an invention:

• When was it invented?
• What led up to it being invented?
• Who invented it?
• Why did they invent it?
• How has this invention impacted the world?
• How did the inventor(s) exhibit the Habits/Characteristics of a Scientist?

Habits/Characteristics of a Scientist:

• Notice Patterns
• I Wonder
• Challenge Assumptions
• Ask the Right Question
• The Heart of a Scientist
• Embrace Failure
• Read Original Works
• Whole Not Specialized
• Judging

Hope this helps!
~Mad Scientist Lisa