Science Comes Alive

Natural Science

Do you see the Southern Cross?

Science has had a great start this semester as the TTS excursions and activities lend themselves to fantastic science learning opportunities.  Really, how can you beat three days cruising through Kruger National Park? Rock climbing and abseiling on the quartz sandstone of the mountains surrounding Waterval Boven? Hiking through grasslands, Acacia forests and highland brush? Camping under the Southern Cross constellation? Science dreamland!

Twiza (Shona for Giraffe) sighting in Kruger National Park

The science curriculum began with an overview of the biomes found in southern Africa including the fynbos, savannas, grasslands and forests, etc. We examined their main features and geographical distribution. Students then studied ecological concepts such as population distribution and growth rates, keystone species, types of diversity, r- and k-strategists, and, of course, allopatric and sympatric speciation.  These concepts are easy to comprehend when watching giraffes and hippos and other animals in the field! 

You can't see me!

In science class there is always a practical field work component taught along with the population ecology information and theory. During our time in Kruger, students applied animal behavior theory and methods to the study of five animals:  elephant, wildebeest, impala, zebra and baboon.  They collected behavioral data using ethogram data sheets, and learned how to produce an activity budget.  Another useful field skill students learned was techniques for pacing meter measurements.

As plants are principal to the understanding of any ecosystem (foundation of the trophic levels pyramid) class time was dedicated to looking carefully at the differences between plant life forms, and in particular, leaf arrangement types. Students are now able to distinguish between a monocot and a dicot in addition to seeing the difference between a simple-alternate and compound-opposite leaf arrangement.  Sound dull?  Not at all! Students enjoyed looking at plants around many of our campsites and now have made terms like 'inflorescence' and 'pubescence' roll off their tongues!

 As we travel on to settings more aimed to the social, historical and global studies focus, science classes are shifting towards environmental issues and opportunities in South Africa and beyond for class material.  Our most recent class focused on ecology and its role in poverty reduction. During this class, smaller groups discussed ecology's role/relationship to hunger, energy, disasters, water and disease. Students then compared their ideas to those of scientists and conservation professionals, and lastly orally presented their conclusions to the entire group. The students were both thoughtful and insightful in their brainstorming and conclusions. A great group of budding scientists!  

--Sylvia Seger

More Class Updates from Heather

Global Studies

Our Global Studies class this semester began with activities and readings designed to help students investigate aspects of their own culture and identity. As Anne discussed in her first weekly reflection, comparing and contrasting stereotypes of American culture with our own personal cultures raises our awareness about the dangers of overgeneralizing and the importance of understanding culture on a more individual basis. The girls embraced their first opportunity for cultural exchange during a cooking activity with South African students from Southern Cross school. Sarah, Peri, Anna, and Maeve tended to our cooking pots and sought advice about spices for traditional stew from their South African counterparts. Other girls chopped veggies and chatted. Katherine listened attentively to the Southern Cross students' stories, soaking up the details of everyday South African teenage life. Natalie was impressed at how much the Southern Cross students knew about the US, while South Africa was so unknown to our group. Girls received a crash course in South African history during a fascinating talk from a former ANC activist detailing his first-hand experiences in the resistance against apartheid. We will further investigate themes of race, identity, and power throughout the semester as the girls continue to read My Traitor's Heart, which follows a white South African's personal struggles as an Afrikaner and anti-apartheid journalist.

Algebra 2 & Pre-calculus

On a chilly and misty day in Magoebaskloof, both the Pre-Calculus and Algebra 2 began the semester with discussions about converting temperatures between Celsius and Fahrenheit, requiring students to recall and apply algebra skills from previous courses in a real-world context.

Several Algebra 2 students have set goals for improvement in math this semester. To address these goals, we will focus on breaking down problems into manageable parts in order to understand the processes we use to solve, rather than memorizing procedures. As Maeve has pointed out, in order to better remember what we learn, we need to make connections among topics and push ourselves to "see the big picture." In pursuit of this goal, Algebra 2 students extended our first day discussion about temperature conversion to a more general review of graphs and equations, focusing on understanding graphs as pictures of solutions to algebraic equations. Students applied knowledge of graphs and used graphing calculators to investigate patterns in transformations of functions. After completing their first test this week, the girls have begun a more in-depth unit on solving linear equations and inequalities.

In Pre-calculus, students have reviewed algebraic concepts to set a solid foundation for our work this semester. We approached review topics such as simplifying expressions and factoring polynomials with a questioning lens in order to gain a deeper understanding of why the processes learned in previous courses actually work. Rather than memorize rules for simplifying exponents, students derived the rules themselves. A review of solving quadratic equations focused the decision-making process in choosing a strategy as a way to best understand the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques. Most importantly, the students in Pre-calculus have set the intention to approach math in a new way this semester - rather than slogging through math problems, we will have fun challenging ourselves with interesting math puzzles. Hannah embraced this sentiment with the title of "Fun Stuff!" on the top of her math homework.

--Heather Politi

A few Academic Updates from South Africa

Math Concepts

Math Concepts is a real world, real life class.  It focuses on how mathematics can be applied their lives.  The first classes have dealt the idea of money and material possessions and to what extent they can or cannot make an individual happy. From this class we have covered more literal math applications topics such as banking, debit verses credit cards, how to write checks, interest rates and budgeting. Most recently we have started the Game of Life, where each student randomly selects a new identity.  We have a doctor, a teacher, a hotel receptionist, a seasonal/contract worker and a minimum wage worker.  With these characters the girls are armed with financial information such as: wages and living expenses and expected to manage a budget. Each class period, these characters must take on unexpected and known financial challenges—car insurance, new braces, hail damage, and more. This activity brings budgeting, credit and banking lessons to life.

Travel Journalism

The first few weeks of class have focused on the differences in journalism compared to essays and creative writing typically taught in school. From how to determine what’s newsworthy, to information gathering and structuring a news piece, students are learning that writing for National Geographic demands a combination of strong description and pertinent facts. On the photography side, we have played with action shots, different settings in the foreground, angles, and of course, how to best capture wildlife.  This week the girls will receive their first article assignment and will put their interview skills to the test.  Look for each Travel Journalism student to post a blog on a activity in the weeks to come.

 --Brenna Kelleher

Literature and Composition

Students  in the Literature and Composition course began the semester writing "I Am" poems, reflecting on where they came from, and how that might influence their perspective and who they are today. We read a series of short stories about South Africa under Apartheid, where the class practiced critically and actively reading and analyzing a text. They produced "Found Poems" by rearranging the pieces of text that spoke to them, a tool to hone in on meaning. As we moved into Kruger Park, students read various folk tales from Southern Africa. They explored the elements and purpose of a folktale, and brainstormed morals they would want to pass on through storytelling. They then created and performed their own unconventional folk tales under the stars. We have begun reading Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible. The students are engrossed in the themes which they are relating to what they are seeing in South Africa - the effects of the cultural arrogance that comes with colonialism and Western development. They are also having fun identifying with various characters, and discussing which of the Price sisters they like best.

History

Studies in the History course so far have been defined by the policy of Apartheid in South Africa. Through class assignments and discussions, students have benefited immensely from experiential learning activities and seeing history all around us. They met a freedom fighter named Juri who was jailed for his anti-apartheid activity with the ANC. They played games to memorize the various political parties and legislative acts that influenced the course of events. Students are also responsible for teaching the class about an influential South African figure, group, or concept, from Gandhi and satyagraha, to Steve Biko and Black Consciousness. Most exciting, a visit is coming up to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg as well as a non-profit providing services for the descendants of gold-miners who were the originators of gumboots dancing. If we're lucky we might experience a performance from the local youth!

--Sarah White

Last week we visited a South African school called Southern Cross, whose educational philosophy is based on developing a deeper understanding of nature. We learned about their grey water system,  and admired their thatched roofs which blended into the environment. The pinnacle of the morning was hearing from their board member, Yuri, who was one of the only white Afrikaner members of the African National Congress (Mandela's party) under Apartheid. His stories of being labeled a terrorist by the government and jailed during that period held the students captive. After peppering Yuri with questions about South African history and how such a violent regime was able to come to power, we were taken to see two black rhinos before they were released into the wild. There are only 3,000 black rhino left in the world, and by the end of the day we would see three! The students learned about rhino poaching and spoke with the guards who slept in the bush every night protecting the few black rhino in the area. And this was all before lunch!

 In the afternoon we went to Moholoholo, an animal reserve in Mpumalanga province where we learned about the endangered species of the region and experienced up-close encounters with them. Molly had a vulture land on her arm whose wingspan was wider than she is tall. Juliana and Eleanor touched the lips of a black rhino, and Megan rested her hand on the paw of a leopard just after Lindsay hand-fed it chunks of meat! We all stroked the back and graceful tail of a cheetah. We met a famous honey-badger named Houdini who is a master escape-artist. Peri, with camera in hand, captured it all.

The group spent 2 1/2 days on a game drive in Kruger and we saw almost every animal you can imagine, from a leopard crossing the road, to three prides of lion resting on rocks, to three cheetah hanging out after a kill. Science class occurred non-stop as the students gathered data about the animals and made notes in their field journals. We waited on our big blue truck as a herd of 100 Cape buffalo crossed in front of us. Giraffe were on all sides, and elephants too. We saw hippo, crocodile, eagles, hyena, impala, and kudu. Some students have tasted biltong, the local jerky that is made out of springbok, kudu and impala.

So much has happened, and the girls are quite busy! Coming up, we are looking forward to celebrating Ariela's quinceanera.

More TTS22 News from Overseas and a Reading List

DearTTS22 Friends and Family,

I'm hoping you were able to talk to your daughters yesterday when they had the opportunity to call. I know it was a pleasant surprise for you, as we weren't able to give you a head's up as to when to expect a call. starting on Sunday, the girls should have the ability to call during town time, and hopefully that will begin a more consistent every 10 days to 2 weeks call. 

Leopard, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Rhino & Elephants, oh my!

I spoke to Brenna yesterday too and got an update on some highlights from the past few days in Kruger, where the group was able to see Africa's Big Five-- most notable, a crouching leopard near the truck that had some nearby warthogs in its sight. They even saw three wild cheetahs! At Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, http://www.moholoholo.co.za/gallery-rehab, the group viewed lion and leopard cubs and were able to pet a cheetah. They also went to a game farm arranged by our friends at the Southern Cross School, and were able to see the rare black rhinos about to be released into the wild next week.  http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-rhinoceros/. Sylvia kept the girls focused on their Science projects,. monitoring animals during the various safari drives this week.  This seems to go along with the majority of the girls hopes they shared in Washington, DC -- to see lots of wildlife! 

Our girls will be wearing shoes!

Today, the students rafted the Sadie River nearby and had time for a 1/2-day of classes to boot. And then, the group heads to Waterval Boven (above the waterfall), where they'll light down for a bit, regroup, check in, bank some class hours and try their hand at rock climbing and abseiling on some world famous quartzite crags and cliffs. Look forward to receiving more updates from the teachers, students and hopefully more photos too!!

In case you're interested in reading some of the books your daughter may be reading, here are a few options:

The Power of One, Bryce Courtenay -- this was a summer reading book that Sarah asked the literature students to read set in South Africa during the 1950's. It's a book full of strong characterization -- and the main character is a young English boy trying to find his way in a racially divided South Africa. http://book-reviews.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/book-review-power-one-by-bryce-courtenay-0135392/

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver -- if you haven't read the rich language of Kingsolver, this is your best chance. This novel isn't set in southern Africa, but it has so many common themes your daughters will encounter as they experience the continent of Africa, it's a great choice for one of their literature books. This is quasi-autobiographical, as Kingsolver's father did take her family when she was a child. The voices and personalities of each of the four daughters prove a wonderful way to think about perspective and history as well as to analyze point of view and characterization. http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/10/18/reviews/981018.18klinket.html

The Second Coming of Mavalo Shikongo, Peter Orner -- another lyrically written novel, this time set in Namibia at a rural all-boys school. The students use Orner's format to delve into their descriptive writing skills and will bring home honed vignettes that describe the places, people, conversations and events they've experienced overseas.  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/books/review/23schone.html?_r=0

My Traitor's Heart, Rian Malan -- this quite intense piece of non-fiction will be the focus of Global Studies while in South Africa. It will help to bring to light many of the subtle and not-so-subtle issues of race that are rooted in history as well as still prevalent today.  http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/19/books/books-of-the-times-the-harsh-judgments-of-a-white-south-african.html

Let us know how you're doing out there; we know it's difficult waiting for news, so if you have questions or want to chat, give us a call or send out an email.

Cheers from the Bozeman Office!
Jennifer, Price & Jim

Update from South Africa Orientation Week

It has been a energetic as well as a rainy first week here in Mageobaskloof, South Africa! We are working on building our community for the rest of semester through various team building exercises and physical activities. We played mind games and puzzles with the Mageobaskloof crew and sat around a bonfire with some of the workers as they gave us a quick lesson in Afrikaans and Pedi -the local language in this part of the Limpopo region. On our third day in Africa, having yet to of seen the sun, we were in Global Studies when the clouds broke, and we all ran outside to meet the African sun for the first time! Never have I seen so many smiling happy faces. The rest of the week was spent in orientation activities and classes. On Thursday night we had a traditional cook-off, the girls had to split up into two groups and were given various cooking ingredients and cooked us a traditional Afrikaans meal over the fire. The highlight of the week was the eleven line zip-line canopy tour over the ravines of George's Valley. The first step off of the deck was the most nerve racking, but nothing could compare to the line over the 25 meter waterfall. Girls struck a pose over the falls and screamed as they flew across. Though some of the activities were not as adrenaline loaded, the mind games on the ropes course got the shy girls talking more and the more vocal girls listening , thus allowing for every girl to find her voice in the group. The more team building activities we conquer, the more we start to move and think as a cohesive team, preparing the girls for adventurous activities in the weeks to come!

Brenna Kelleher

Potjie (Iron Chef) Cook Off

Classes, Cook -offs and Recreating!  TTS22 is bustling with activity while forming as a group.  Classes started this week and everyone is adjusting to using pens/pencils and paper and referring to resource books and thesauruses instead of hitting an ON button.

Let's see - here's a little rundown of last week's happenings:

Sunday - orientation, games and bonding time. 

Monday - wakie! wakie!  Eggs and Bakey!  But before breakfast the girls had a cardio PE class.  And after a hearty breakfast, it was time for the first full class day!

Tuesday- Youth challenge course solving problems in small teams.

Wednesday - Back to class.  Back to class, back to class TTS22 goes with crazy creeks and eagle creeks.

Thursday - Yahoo! Ziplining through the canyon - over waterfalls and under the canopy they went!  Screams and laughter echoes throughout the air.  The girls then competed in a little friendly cook-off with the Southern Cross School.  TTS18 connected with Southern Cross, a boarding school near Kruger Park, and have remained friends of the school since.  Your girls will visit the school the next week to see their campus and possibly discover which bushes they can use as toothpaste in the African bush.

The cook-off was in cook groups of about 7 people - so 3 TTS teams  and 2 Southern Cross teams.  Each group had to slice and dice veggies and then cook in potjies with just the right flavor combination.  (I put an explanation below to try to help explain the Afrikaaner barbeque (braai) tradition.)  Sounds like it was quite the cook-off and there were no clear winners- but you might have to double check this with your daughter when you chat next week. :)

The girls also practiced re-packing their duffel bags and shifting tents this week to shuffle things around and let them get to know other girls.

Friday - another day of classes!  Followed by an evening around the fire.

Next adventure - seeing Big Blue roll through the gates, meeting Ngwenya and Mvuu (driver and cook) and eventually heading off in their new home on wheels.

Stay tuned for an update from the field - teachers are waiting for internet to post some stories of their adventure.

Enjoy your Monday!

Aunge

 springtime flowers

 Ngwenya

 a hint of truck life

A Potjie is Cookware descended from Dutch Ovens

In South Africa, a potjie (pronounced /poiki:/), directly translated "small pot" from Afrikaans, is a traditional round, cast iron, three-legged (tripod) pot. It is similar in appearance to a cauldron and is usually black. It is used to cook potjiekos over an open fire.

Among the South African tribes these pots also became known as phutu pots.

Potjie can also refer to the technique of cooking potjiekos. This tradition originated in the Netherlands during the Seige of Leiden and was brought to South Africa by Dutch immigrants. It persisted over the years with the Voortrekkers and survives today as a traditional Afrikaner method of cooking.

The story of the legendary three-legged, potbellied cast-iron pot is as old as the Iron Age, when man first learned to cast liquid iron into vessels of different shapes for a variety of purposes. But the potjie wasn't always used for noble purposes, as is clearly illustrated in the cartoons depicting cannibals and warriors from Africa, Guinea and the South China Sea who cooked their captives in what's known as Guinea kettles or missionary pots over an open fire.

Also, around 1500 BC witches and druids used huge black pots as part of their rituals and ceremonies. To this day, they're bought by the Wicca all over the world.

The history of the South African potjie started in Holland somewhere between 1566 to 1648 during the war between the Netherlands and Spain. During the siege of Leyden food was scarce and town people contributed what meagre morsels they had into a large communal pot and cooked it all together. Today in Holland, hutspot (housepot) is still cooked at the annual commemoration day of the "Siege of Leiden". The various types of hotpot found today are similar dishes where meat and vegetables are cooked in layers and never stirred.

The potjie made its way to Africa along with Dutch settlers, who then took it with them on the Great Trek. From there early explorers used these cooking vessels exclusively on their expeditions into the interior and each family had at least two potjies, a round one for meat, and a flat one (Dutch oven) for bread. It was during this period that the tribal Africans realised the practical uses of the pots and traded animal hides and other commodities for them, replacing their clay pots that were used for cooking.

Among the African tribal cultures these pots became known as "phutu" pots. The black cast-iron potjie has survived the test of time and is used extensively in Africa by almost all cultures. With the advent of electricity, the potjie was all but forgotten in South Africa, but some 30 years ago it enjoyed a huge revival, and today is as valued a cooking utensil as the pressure cooker and microwave oven.