Natural Science
Science class has had a fantastic last few weeks since
Cape Town as we started a new unit in Geology.
Themes covered included plate tectonics, strata, the three rock types and their
identification, geological formations, minerals and mineral identification and
gems. Many more geological topics were
covered as Namibia lends itself perfectly for the study of the
earth and its processes. The Geology
unit will end by tying in with the next unit through the study of soils and
their importance to human ecology and land conservation.
We are now moving into the land management and
conservation unit which begins with student presentations on a wide variety of
topics, from specific such as fencing to broader ones such as water
conservation. All the topics will
ideally use the Namibian backdrop for examples.
Students are continue to add entries to their natural history journal.
This journal aims to be the vehicle in which students can process information from individual
experiences or field trips and synthesis their understanding through asking
questions and/or creative expression.
Please see the newest slideshow TTS22 for a few examples of various journal pages.
GLOBAL STUDIES
Our Global Studies course has had a fantastic last few
weeks. After midterm exams, students
had the unique opportunity to get to know some Cape coloured families during a five day home-stay. Many girls
felt this was one of the highlights of their semester as the families welcomed them into their homes and delighted in throught provoking conversations during delicious home cooked meals. Indeed, these home-stays form an important
part of our experiential curriculum in Global Studies and there is no better way
to learn about South Africa than by sharing the day with a local family! While in Cape Town the group also visited
historic Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18
years. A tour of the University of
Western Cape highlighted the unique language and ethnic needs of the diverse student
body. Many of the girls tentatively
agreed they would attend this university together in the future. We also visited Grassroots Soccer and spoke with workers on
their approach to HIV/AIDS education.
This visit got us thinking about the various ways we can be 'giving
back' now and in the future. Recently, Global
Studies class had an excellent unit on diamonds. Topics included famous diamonds and their
history, mining environmental effects, how to steal a diamond, and a 'town hall
meeting' to debate a mock diamond corporation coming into an indigenous village
on the coast of Namibia. With the transition to our second country, classes have focused on vanishing cultures and languages
as well as the cultures in Namibia. Lots
of learning all around. Global Studies
continues to be a foundation upon which our semester is based and is both vast
in the information it covers and specific to the sites we visit!
HISTORY
Last week the history students went on a walking tour of the historical town of Luderitz, Namibia. After learning about German and South African
colonization of the country through their readings, they were ready to begin
speaking to people, gathering oral histories. “But where are all the people?”
They asked. We spent hours riding in 'Big Blue' with only
scrub bush, moonscape and dunes in sight. With Namibia's low population
density, it was a challenge to find people to converse with. So, we visited
dead people. Walking through Luderitz on a Sunday afternoon indeed the town
felt deserted. After about ten minutes I asked them, “What is a causeway?”
After some moments of silence they responded, “Something that connects land to an island.”
“An island?!” They asked. “Shark Island!” They screamed. Indeed, we had just
walked ourselves to the forgotten Shark Island, one of the earliest
concentration camps used by the Germans. Leaders of indigenous guerrilla units
along with women and children were brought to the island to build the railroad
and foundations of the town before they were left to die. With the drone of
the lighthouse in the background and the fog hanging low, students began to
feel the weight of the place. They looked around at the glass-paneled mansions
now standing where Nama and Herero people huddled hungry and cold. “Do the
residents know what happened here?” They wondered. “How could such atrocities
be forgotten?” “I had no idea that the concentration camp was inspired by the
British who used it on the Boers in South Africa, who inspired the Germans to
use it on the Herero in Namibia, before implementing it in Europe”. Freaking
out, we walked quickly away, but the students felt more alive than ever, with a
new lens on the many layers of human history.
LITERATURE
Students are busy writing their second 'big' assignment of
the semester, the dreaded college essay. With short stories, a novel, poetry,
and an analytical essay under their belts, they are working hard on brainstorming
topics that feel right to them. Students are passing their papers around to
their peers soliciting feedback. They are re-working and crafting their essays,
trying to find the right tone, get a better transition, and developing a clear point.
Before diving into this project of self-reflection, we experienced 'Diamond
Day', a special day dedicated to the study of natural resources and mining in
the area. Each student was assigned a famous diamond and asked to write an
anthropomorphic poem, taking on the personality of the stone and telling its
colorful history as if it were alive. Below is (student) Sarah's 'Diamond Day' poem, intended to lighten up
the mood of the day, and a different poetry assignment from Mara describing an
abandoned mining town.
10 Ways of Looking at Kolmanskop:
I.
300 years of feet
tracking sand into the house
II.
The morning after a
party: blank stares and angry men
III.
A clandestine meeting in
the desert between gluttony
and desolation
IV.
Cold and warm fronts
conspiring against women's
hoopskirts
V.
A bath in bubbles;
20 liters of water, ½ a block of ice
VI.
A man
and his fence
VII.
Survival protocol:
Alcohol content: 36%
VIII.
A grain of sand sticks,
beetle slows to rest in
and abandoned shoe – home
IX.
Bilingual
who wants to be a billionaire?
X.
A grain-sized piece
of Namibia's
puzzle
BY: SARAH, Gap Year, New Mexico
The Regent Diamond
I am a diamond and I have seen
the Indian slave who found me with his eye so keen
Thomas Pitt bought me for 20,400 in 1702
yes, the Pitt that named Pittsburg, as
I think you knew
I am one of the most brilliant with only
one small imperfection but hey, that's
alright cause I weigh a ton
410 carats and it's all part of the fun
Next, sold to the Duke of Orleans,
Regent of France
which is where I got my name,
Regent, in the city of romance
Louis 15th wore me at his coronation
where I was displayed in front of the whole French nation
Later Marie Antionette who was married
to the 16th Louis decided she wanted
to wear me in her jewelry
1792, early in the French revolution, the
French crown jewels were stolen
There was a period of 15 months, where my
whereabouts were unknown. I felt lost. A
little bit like a TTS girl without a phone
I traveled far and wide, from Berlin to
the Netherlands but I was along
for the ride
I was later set in the sword of
Napoleon Bonaparte. This made his
sword practically a piece of art
After his exile to Elba in 1804, I was
returned to the French Crown Jewels
cause I'm a diamond worth fighting for
Now I'm on display to lay in the
Louvre to this day
I am a diamond who puts off a breathtaking glean
I am a diamond and this is what I have seen
BY: Mara, Junior, Illinois
Precalculus Update:
Following strong performances on midterm exams,
precalculus students extended their knowledge of polynomials to study the
behavior of rational functions. The girls used their graphing calculators to
investigate graphs of rational functions and discover the conditions that cause
vertical, horizontal, and slant asymptotes. Hannah interpreted vertical
asymptotes in the context of air pollution removal. Anne applied horizontal
asymptotes to understand an equation relating the concentration of a drug in
the bloodstream over time. Students then transferred their knowledge of
asymptotes and previous work with functions and transformations to understand
the graphs of exponential and logarithmic functions. They made connections
between properties of exponents and logarithms and then applied these
properties to solve exponential and logarithmic equations. We began to look at
modeling real-world data using exponential, logarithmic, and logistic growth.
Natalie gave examples of exponential growth and Mara recalled examples of
logistic growth from science. In the spookiest precalculus class yet, the girls
led a Halloween zombie infestation simulation, tracked the spread of zombies
through the TTS group, and modeled the data with a logistic curve.
Algebra 2 Update:
In the second half of the semester, algebra 2 students
built upon their previous knowledge of solving linear systems of equations.
Girls learned use matrices to represent and solve systems of linear equations
using inverse matrices and Cramer’s rule. They interpreted results including
situations with zero or infinite solutions, continuing the theme of connecting
graphs and solutions. Katherine particularly enjoyed an additional matrix
application where girls learned to use inverse matrices to encrypt and decrypt
secret messages. The class as a whole
excelled in this chapter, and Bird and Molly earned the weekly academic award
for their achievement on the chapter 4 test. Following our work with matrices,
we moved away from linear equations to study quadratics. Megan made connections
to previous work with functions and transformations to understand the behavior
of graphs of parabolas. Emilee contributed clever insights to help us use the
process of completing the square to transform equations between standard and
vertex form. Juliana is working hard to practice factoring as girls add the
techniques of square roots and completing the square to their mathematical
toolboxes.
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