The Silk Road
We are going to create our own Silk Road on the Rainard campus! We are going to pick certain locations on campus to set up demonstrations, games, and artwork that relate to a particular city, and we will have middle school students play the roles of Marco Polo, Ibn Battutu, and other explorers, and show younger students around. Our geography experts will mark the route and show us where to stop. I'd like to have everything set up by the start of the last week of school.
Students, your task is:
1. Choose a PERSON, PLACE, or THING to research along the Silk Road.
2. Consult maps, timelines, images, and study guides on the Silk Road to learn more.
3. Create a game, presentation, or poster that illustrates your area of study and shows its significance to Chinese history. You will be a stop on our silk road, so be ready to teach your fellow travelers!
Detailed Silk Road Curriculum
Overview of the Silk Road -- a good place to start
Art of the Silk Road
Historical Travels -- a good guide to Ibn Battutu, Marco Polo, other early Silk Road travelers
Interactive Silk Road Maps
Students, your task is:
1. Choose a PERSON, PLACE, or THING to research along the Silk Road.
2. Consult maps, timelines, images, and study guides on the Silk Road to learn more.
3. Create a game, presentation, or poster that illustrates your area of study and shows its significance to Chinese history. You will be a stop on our silk road, so be ready to teach your fellow travelers!
Detailed Silk Road Curriculum
Overview of the Silk Road -- a good place to start
Art of the Silk Road
Historical Travels -- a good guide to Ibn Battutu, Marco Polo, other early Silk Road travelers
Interactive Silk Road Maps
Attachments:
Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism Project
Vocabulary Quiz 5/12
Next Tuesday we'll finish the list of poetry terms.
Social Studies -- China
We're just starting our unit on China with a continuation of our study of comparative religions.
Here are some resources on Buddhism and Confucianism:
Buddhism
Confucianism
Taoism
The I Ching and The Art of War
Chinese Dynasties
More Dynasty information
Choose a dynasty and create a visual presentation that includes the following:
1. A timeline of significant events
2. Emperors and other leaders of importance
3. Cultural advancements, developments in writing and the arts
4. Military activity/conquest
5. Daily life
Dynasty project must be at least 10 power point slides or 2 full pages long and include 3 sources. Due Friday April 30.
Here are some resources on Buddhism and Confucianism:
Buddhism
Confucianism
Taoism
The I Ching and The Art of War
Chinese Dynasties
More Dynasty information
Choose a dynasty and create a visual presentation that includes the following:
1. A timeline of significant events
2. Emperors and other leaders of importance
3. Cultural advancements, developments in writing and the arts
4. Military activity/conquest
5. Daily life
Dynasty project must be at least 10 power point slides or 2 full pages long and include 3 sources. Due Friday April 30.
Poetry Terms Quiz 4/27
Be able to identify examples of the poetry terms up through #43, paraphrase.
Attachments:
A Midsummer Night's Adaptation
Assignment: Create your own adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream
STEP ONE: Working on your own, in pairs, or in small groups, develop a 1-2 page (five solid paragraphs) "screenplay treatment" in which you discuss the time and place in which you would set an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Would you change the setting? The way the characters are presented? The order of scenes? Why would you make the changes you suggest? Who is your audience? Due Friday, April 23
STEP TWO: In your group, pair, or working alone, choose one scene to rewrite in the style/setting/tone you've chosen. Rewrite the entire scene in the language you've chosen (you may keep Shakespeare's own language, but if you do, you should paraphrase it in your own language on another page or paragraph). Due Wednesday, April 28
STEP THREE: Present your scene and the overview you created in step one to the class. You may develop a powerpoint or poster to illustrate your ideas. Use notecards to explain your overview and then act out your scene (you may call for actors from the class). The class will then vote on the most interesting or convincing adaptation, and we will stage it in class. Due Friday, April 30.
STEP ONE: Working on your own, in pairs, or in small groups, develop a 1-2 page (five solid paragraphs) "screenplay treatment" in which you discuss the time and place in which you would set an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Would you change the setting? The way the characters are presented? The order of scenes? Why would you make the changes you suggest? Who is your audience? Due Friday, April 23
STEP TWO: In your group, pair, or working alone, choose one scene to rewrite in the style/setting/tone you've chosen. Rewrite the entire scene in the language you've chosen (you may keep Shakespeare's own language, but if you do, you should paraphrase it in your own language on another page or paragraph). Due Wednesday, April 28
STEP THREE: Present your scene and the overview you created in step one to the class. You may develop a powerpoint or poster to illustrate your ideas. Use notecards to explain your overview and then act out your scene (you may call for actors from the class). The class will then vote on the most interesting or convincing adaptation, and we will stage it in class. Due Friday, April 30.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare!
Creative Project -- Interpretations of Colonization
Project: Creative Interpretation of Empire
Due Date: Thursday April 15.
1. Choose an area of India, Africa, the Caribbean, or the Middle East that was colonized by the English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, or Ottoman Turks.
2. Develop a creative project based on the history of empire in that region. You could choose: a battle, a historical figure, a moment of conflict, an uprising, a cultural movement, the development of railroads, photography, or other technology in that place, and/or the arts or science.
3. Create an interactive teaching tool that has a written and a visual component. No Power Points, please! You could create a model, an interactive map, an animation, a short film, a journal or creative story in the voice of a figure from colonization (or an 'everyday' citizen of a colony). Alternately, you could create a piece of music or art, or write an essay on one that already exists. Original ideas welcome -- please run them by me first!
4. Each creative project must have at least one typed page of written work in the author's own words.
5. You must use at least five sources, none of which may be Wikipedia, and you must provide a bibliography in MLA format.
Links for ideas and sources:
History of Empire -- good links from here as well as an overview of the British Empire
Colonization of Africa
Lots of links about colonial history worldwide
Due Date: Thursday April 15.
1. Choose an area of India, Africa, the Caribbean, or the Middle East that was colonized by the English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, or Ottoman Turks.
2. Develop a creative project based on the history of empire in that region. You could choose: a battle, a historical figure, a moment of conflict, an uprising, a cultural movement, the development of railroads, photography, or other technology in that place, and/or the arts or science.
3. Create an interactive teaching tool that has a written and a visual component. No Power Points, please! You could create a model, an interactive map, an animation, a short film, a journal or creative story in the voice of a figure from colonization (or an 'everyday' citizen of a colony). Alternately, you could create a piece of music or art, or write an essay on one that already exists. Original ideas welcome -- please run them by me first!
4. Each creative project must have at least one typed page of written work in the author's own words.
5. You must use at least five sources, none of which may be Wikipedia, and you must provide a bibliography in MLA format.
Links for ideas and sources:
History of Empire -- good links from here as well as an overview of the British Empire
Colonization of Africa
Lots of links about colonial history worldwide
More Poetry Terms
We will have a quiz on C-E one week from tomorrow (April 13).
Attachments:
Middle East Presentations for Study
Attachments:
Keats Comparison
Attachments:
Odes and Ballads
The Legacy of Imperialism
Bringing It All Together
Welcome Back
I hope everyone had a safe and restful break. We are working on 19th century English poetry in Language Arts and studying poetry terms to prepare for April - National Poetry Month!
In Social Studies, we're working on public speaking skills with presentations on important figures in 19th and 20th century Middle Eastern history and watching Lawrence of Arabia to supplement the readings in class.
I'm continuing to check student planners, so you might want to remind them at home as well.
In Social Studies, we're working on public speaking skills with presentations on important figures in 19th and 20th century Middle Eastern history and watching Lawrence of Arabia to supplement the readings in class.
I'm continuing to check student planners, so you might want to remind them at home as well.
Iambic pentameter comic
Next Up in Social Studies....
British Empire -- The Middle East
Using the map above, choose a country and a figure in its history (whether British or Arab) that particularly interests you. By the end of the week after Spring Break, be prepared to present some sort of visual (powerpoint, poster, timeline, slideshow, painting, whatever) and oral presentation of about 10 minutes length about your person.
Using the map above, choose a country and a figure in its history (whether British or Arab) that particularly interests you. By the end of the week after Spring Break, be prepared to present some sort of visual (powerpoint, poster, timeline, slideshow, painting, whatever) and oral presentation of about 10 minutes length about your person.
19th Century Timeline
Poetry Terms for Vocabulary -- A-B
Please find next week's vocabulary attached.
Attachments:
Poems
Ozymandias
When I have Fears
Pied Beauty
Inversnaid
Swinburne's "Atalanta"
Ode on a Grecian Urn
A Forest Hymn
God's Grandeur
When I have Fears
Pied Beauty
Inversnaid
Swinburne's "Atalanta"
Ode on a Grecian Urn
A Forest Hymn
God's Grandeur
Upcoming and News
It's been a while since I've had a chance to do a narrative update, but the NASA trip went very well and I was excited to see the progress the kids made in teamwork.
We will be working with our entire roots list at the end of the week: I'm not quite sure what form the quizzing will take, but it won't just be one big test because that's too much to bite off. We'll be working on it in class, too.
I'd like the kids to bring in planners or agendas to write their homework assignments in (an online calendar is ok, too). We're also working on being prepared for school in general -- a lot of them have trouble bringing pencils and so on, and I'd like to see them all have a dedicated folder for their writing to go in (again, this can be digital).
In Social Studies, we're working on the colonization of the Middle East by the French and English, and in keeping with that time period, we're going to be starting 19th century poetry in Language Arts.
We will be working with our entire roots list at the end of the week: I'm not quite sure what form the quizzing will take, but it won't just be one big test because that's too much to bite off. We'll be working on it in class, too.
I'd like the kids to bring in planners or agendas to write their homework assignments in (an online calendar is ok, too). We're also working on being prepared for school in general -- a lot of them have trouble bringing pencils and so on, and I'd like to see them all have a dedicated folder for their writing to go in (again, this can be digital).
In Social Studies, we're working on the colonization of the Middle East by the French and English, and in keeping with that time period, we're going to be starting 19th century poetry in Language Arts.
Colonization of the Middle East -- resources
Upcoming...
Obviously next week we'll be at NASA (yay!). The week after that, I'd like to have a comprehensive vocabulary quiz on the entire root list on FRIDAY.
Next Vocabulary...
Next Tuesday we'll finish the roots chart!
Middle Eastern History Timeline
Updates and 1984 Questions
Next week's vocabulary: Roots R-T
We're moving on to Judaism in Social Studies and are still doing written responses in Language Arts -- two short responses a week and one longer essay every two weeks (composed of the responses).
Many students have already finished essays on Animal Farm and are moving on to 1984, so here are those discussion questions.
Attachments:
Selections from The Qur'an
Coming up
Essay (for everyone) due FRIDAY -- the kids have explicit instructions and full outlines, so they should know what to do.
Next week's vocabulary -- same root list, N-P
Next week's vocabulary -- same root list, N-P
Class Requirements
Because many students are coming to classes unprepared, I am going to add a "preparation" grade to progress reports. In order to get a green check, students must bring a pen or pencil, notebook, laptop, book for class, and planner to class every day. Filling out assignments in the planner or agenda (or online calendar) is part of this requirement.
Root List, take 2
50 States Game
50 States Game (Thanks, Patrick!)
WARNING -- there may be inappropriate/annoying popups or ads on this site. Use your discretion.
Middle East Map Activities
More Maps -- African Geography
Parent Conferences -- Revised
This Tuesday has turned out not to work very well because of other commitments, but I am available right after school every day (let's say until 4:30--I teach another class at 5:30). I will return to campus Thursday evening for more conferences, and we can do another evening next week as needed.
MONDAY 3:45
TUESDAY 3:45
WEDNESDAY 3:45
THURSDAY 3:45
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14
6:30 --8:30 PM
6:30 SINDHU
6:45 ERANI
7:00 MEAUX
7:15 MILLER
7:30
7:45
8:00
8:15 ROSENSWEIG
8:30
8:45
Email me at: alissa.bouler@gmail.com to sign up for a slot.
Looking forward to speaking with you soon!
Reading Response Expectations
Responses are 2-4 paragraphs long, may be handwritten in a journal or saved in a computer folder and should answer one of the discussion questions posted previously.
Sixth Grade: 50 pages per week in The House of the Scorpion or Animal Farm; 2 responses -- one polished page every two weeks (1 draft, 1 revision), one full essay every 6-8 weeks.
Seventh Grade: 75 pages per week in The House of the Scorpion or Animal Farm -- 2 responses per week (edited and peer edited); one polished page per week (final draft), one full essay every 6 weeks.
Eighth Grade: 50-75 pages in Jane Eyre -- 2 responses per week (self-edited), two polished pages per week, one full essay (4 pages) every 4 weeks.
EVERY student may work ahead to the next level as is he or she is able; reading guidelines are only minimums and extra credit is always available!
Sixth Grade: 50 pages per week in The House of the Scorpion or Animal Farm; 2 responses -- one polished page every two weeks (1 draft, 1 revision), one full essay every 6-8 weeks.
Seventh Grade: 75 pages per week in The House of the Scorpion or Animal Farm -- 2 responses per week (edited and peer edited); one polished page per week (final draft), one full essay every 6 weeks.
Eighth Grade: 50-75 pages in Jane Eyre -- 2 responses per week (self-edited), two polished pages per week, one full essay (4 pages) every 4 weeks.
EVERY student may work ahead to the next level as is he or she is able; reading guidelines are only minimums and extra credit is always available!
Welcome Back
I hope everyone had a relaxing break. I'm looking forward to a lively Spring semester!
Because students are in three different books in Language Arts, we'll be working individually and in small groups to analyze and discuss the texts. Each student will write two one-page responses to the novel per week in a journal (on the laptop or in a notebook, whichever s/he prefers). I'll spot-check these journals weekly; I'd like to get the kids writing on different themes and plot twists as they go so that we can work on active reading and taking notes. I'm less concerned about form than content here, so don't feel that each entry needs to be laboriously edited; this is more about taking notes for a discussion and getting used to writing before speaking.
In Social Studies, we'll be taking a closer look at 20th and 21st century Africa and the Middle East. We're brushing up our geography (countries, capitals, rivers and deserts) and looking at the relationship between natural resources and cultural and political developments, especially vis a vis Europe and the US.
Because students are in three different books in Language Arts, we'll be working individually and in small groups to analyze and discuss the texts. Each student will write two one-page responses to the novel per week in a journal (on the laptop or in a notebook, whichever s/he prefers). I'll spot-check these journals weekly; I'd like to get the kids writing on different themes and plot twists as they go so that we can work on active reading and taking notes. I'm less concerned about form than content here, so don't feel that each entry needs to be laboriously edited; this is more about taking notes for a discussion and getting used to writing before speaking.
In Social Studies, we'll be taking a closer look at 20th and 21st century Africa and the Middle East. We're brushing up our geography (countries, capitals, rivers and deserts) and looking at the relationship between natural resources and cultural and political developments, especially vis a vis Europe and the US.
Animal Farm Study Questions
I recommend saving and printing out downloads of questions for easier use with journals.
Attachments:
Jane Eyre Study Questions
See entry on "House of the Scorpion" for details.
Attachments:
House of the Scorpion Discussion Questions
Students reading House of the Scorpion should keep a reading log where they answer a question for each chapter as they go. They will then have group discussions about those questions and answers. I will post a complete reading schedule as soon as I make one up, but 15-20 pages a night is a reasonable goal. We will begin in earnest after the break.
Readers of Jane Eyre and Animal Farm, keep an eye out - your questions are coming soon.
Readers of Jane Eyre and Animal Farm, keep an eye out - your questions are coming soon.
Attachments:
Chapter One of King Leopold's Ghost
Chapter One
This is an excerpt from Adam Hochschild's excellent study of Leopold of Belgium's colonization of the Congo. We won't be reading the entire book, as some of the descriptions of abuse of the Congolese are very disturbing, but I wanted the kids to see the start of it and thought parents might want to read or discuss it as well.
This is an excerpt from Adam Hochschild's excellent study of Leopold of Belgium's colonization of the Congo. We won't be reading the entire book, as some of the descriptions of abuse of the Congolese are very disturbing, but I wanted the kids to see the start of it and thought parents might want to read or discuss it as well.
Maps!
New Reading Selections
We're starting our individualized Language Arts curriculum, and most of the students are going to be reading Jane Eyre, Animal Farm, or The House of the Scorpion.
I plan to have each student answer discussion questions (which I'll be posting here) about their novel in a journal and then have discussions with each other based on the answers to those questions. I'll be circulating/moderating and once a week perhaps we'll have a panel discussion where the kids share what they're doing with the entire class. I'd like to get them doing a formal, one-page response at least once a week.
Please remind your students to check this page!
I plan to have each student answer discussion questions (which I'll be posting here) about their novel in a journal and then have discussions with each other based on the answers to those questions. I'll be circulating/moderating and once a week perhaps we'll have a panel discussion where the kids share what they're doing with the entire class. I'd like to get them doing a formal, one-page response at least once a week.
Please remind your students to check this page!
Future City Updates
Most of the students (7 or 8 opted out early on, which is fine, from now on everybody who's in is in) are involved in created a 3D model of a future city for a school competition. Next year, we might compete regionally, but I received the materials too late for that to be feasible this year.
The competition has four components:
A research essay
A 3D model
A plan on SIMS City 4 (I have this software on my computer here for the students to use)
A presentation of the model
Students will be graded on each of these components (individually and as a team member), and the entire project is due February 19.
Students not competing in Future City will have be doing other/similar kinds of interactive independent work.
The competition has four components:
A research essay
A 3D model
A plan on SIMS City 4 (I have this software on my computer here for the students to use)
A presentation of the model
Students will be graded on each of these components (individually and as a team member), and the entire project is due February 19.
Students not competing in Future City will have be doing other/similar kinds of interactive independent work.
Future City Project
More information to come, but we are developing model cities in class. I'm not sure whether we have time to submit them to the National Engineering Week competition in January, but we should have a professional engineer as a mentor and will be using SimCity and then recycled materials to create a 3D model.
Information here
Information here
Vocabulary Schedule
Let's take the root list three letters or so at a time -- so, roots that begin with A, B, and C for next week.
Yet More Roots, Prefices and Suffices!
Click for the next few weeks' vocabulary words. We will not have a quiz on the first Tuesday back after Thanksgiving. We've already done quite a few of these roots, but this is the most comprehensive list I could find.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx2.htm
Have a safe and happy holiday!
https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx2.htm
Pre-Thanksgiving Musings
Hi everybody,
We've all had lots of discussions lately -- in larger and smaller groups, with students and parents and teachers and administrators -- and in this year of change, it's easy to feel bewildered as we approach the holidays. I've been thinking a lot about how the year is going so far and how I'd like to improve things now that I feel we've all gotten to know each other.
One thing the kids and I were talking about last week was how I notice that their performances tend to jump around between the very top and very bottom quintile - I don't have a steady C-B class average the way my classes have in the past, and while of course I'd like everyone to be excelling, I worry that the A+s are places where they aren't challenged enough and the Ds and Fs are places where they aren't understanding assessments or assignments.
In particular, quite a few of the students excel in discussion or oral quizzes but have real trouble getting their ideas organized on paper. Of course the temptation is to move to all-graded-discussions-all-the-time, but the processing skills needed to answer questions on paper or search through a text are increasingly important as they move through school, so I'd like to make written assessments more concrete and approachable. Look for changing quiz and test formats in particular: I'd like to do a bit of dictation and more work using vocabulary words in sentences or forming more complex words out of our Latin and Greek roots, and I'm working on ways to improve reading quizzes -- perhaps a couple of questions a day on each chapter rather than a weekly quiz on longer reading assignments?
I'd also like them to keep a reading log -- for students having trouble moving through the books, I want to figure out whether the problem is comprehension or time management, so I want them to have an assignment notebook where they not only write down their homework but chart their progress on it. Everybody should already have a planner from the start of school, and I'd the kids to take more ownership over managing their time.
Another thing I'd like to do more of in a structured way is reading in class time, particularly alternating between assigned and chosen reading. The students will be choosing their next texts anyway (between a couple of options), but they seem really displeased about reading anything assigned, so I'd like to "sweeten the deal" by being sure they have a book of their own with them all the time, and also having them participate in the Bluebonnet challenge projects. The more closely they can read and analyze any text, the better.
I'd also like to include more bonus question on quizzes and extra credit elements on projects to allow for the widest range of challenge and stimulation. I'm going to get input from the kids this week about those.
All in all, it's a fascinating group of people and I'm enjoying learning from them! This is certainly an unusual teaching environment, but I'm really loving the flexibility and creativity I can express here. Thanks so much for your patience and input.
We've all had lots of discussions lately -- in larger and smaller groups, with students and parents and teachers and administrators -- and in this year of change, it's easy to feel bewildered as we approach the holidays. I've been thinking a lot about how the year is going so far and how I'd like to improve things now that I feel we've all gotten to know each other.
One thing the kids and I were talking about last week was how I notice that their performances tend to jump around between the very top and very bottom quintile - I don't have a steady C-B class average the way my classes have in the past, and while of course I'd like everyone to be excelling, I worry that the A+s are places where they aren't challenged enough and the Ds and Fs are places where they aren't understanding assessments or assignments.
In particular, quite a few of the students excel in discussion or oral quizzes but have real trouble getting their ideas organized on paper. Of course the temptation is to move to all-graded-discussions-all-the-time, but the processing skills needed to answer questions on paper or search through a text are increasingly important as they move through school, so I'd like to make written assessments more concrete and approachable. Look for changing quiz and test formats in particular: I'd like to do a bit of dictation and more work using vocabulary words in sentences or forming more complex words out of our Latin and Greek roots, and I'm working on ways to improve reading quizzes -- perhaps a couple of questions a day on each chapter rather than a weekly quiz on longer reading assignments?
I'd also like them to keep a reading log -- for students having trouble moving through the books, I want to figure out whether the problem is comprehension or time management, so I want them to have an assignment notebook where they not only write down their homework but chart their progress on it. Everybody should already have a planner from the start of school, and I'd the kids to take more ownership over managing their time.
Another thing I'd like to do more of in a structured way is reading in class time, particularly alternating between assigned and chosen reading. The students will be choosing their next texts anyway (between a couple of options), but they seem really displeased about reading anything assigned, so I'd like to "sweeten the deal" by being sure they have a book of their own with them all the time, and also having them participate in the Bluebonnet challenge projects. The more closely they can read and analyze any text, the better.
I'd also like to include more bonus question on quizzes and extra credit elements on projects to allow for the widest range of challenge and stimulation. I'm going to get input from the kids this week about those.
All in all, it's a fascinating group of people and I'm enjoying learning from them! This is certainly an unusual teaching environment, but I'm really loving the flexibility and creativity I can express here. Thanks so much for your patience and input.
New Vocabulary -- Prefixes and Suffixes
Next week's vocab quiz will be over the prefixes and suffixes on last week's chart.
Jules Verne Projects
I wanted to clarify the upcoming Language Arts assignment, due on December 14:
1. All finished projects must contain at least two pages of grammatically correct, properly spelled writing.
2. All visual or interactive projects must illustrate or describe a key theme or passage in the novel.
3. Writing may be creative (a missing chapter from the book, a travel journal) or analytical (a comparison of 19th century and 21st century views of the future).
4. Projects may cover the plot, themes, or characters of the novel OR the life and times of Jules Verne (particularly as it relates to H.G. Wells.
5. Students may create a comprehensive project that covers both The Time Machine and A Journey to the Center of the Earth.
6. Power Point presentations must contain at least 10 slides; essays must be 3 pages long; spoken presentations should be 5-10 minutes in length.
7. I will be checking progress every Friday.
8. Interactive/multimedia projects are welcome as long as they engage with key ideas from the novel or the time period and contain the required amount of writing.
1. All finished projects must contain at least two pages of grammatically correct, properly spelled writing.
2. All visual or interactive projects must illustrate or describe a key theme or passage in the novel.
3. Writing may be creative (a missing chapter from the book, a travel journal) or analytical (a comparison of 19th century and 21st century views of the future).
4. Projects may cover the plot, themes, or characters of the novel OR the life and times of Jules Verne (particularly as it relates to H.G. Wells.
5. Students may create a comprehensive project that covers both The Time Machine and A Journey to the Center of the Earth.
6. Power Point presentations must contain at least 10 slides; essays must be 3 pages long; spoken presentations should be 5-10 minutes in length.
7. I will be checking progress every Friday.
8. Interactive/multimedia projects are welcome as long as they engage with key ideas from the novel or the time period and contain the required amount of writing.
New Vocabulary
Things are going pretty well this week; the new groups are working out for most of the students, and they seem fairly engaged in the material.
I'd like to work on Greek and Latin derivatives for next week's vocabulary quiz. I'm linking to a really good chart of prefixes, suffixes, and roots, and for Tuesday, I'd like them to work on the roots only (many of which they know, but it's good practice for tougher words).
http://www.awrsd.org/oak/Library/greek_and_latin_root_words.htm
I'd like to work on Greek and Latin derivatives for next week's vocabulary quiz. I'm linking to a really good chart of prefixes, suffixes, and roots, and for Tuesday, I'd like them to work on the roots only (many of which they know, but it's good practice for tougher words).
http://www.awrsd.org/oak/Library/greek_and_latin_root_words.htm
News...
There will not be a vocabulary quiz next Tuesday because I was away at a funeral yesterday. We will also be doing some more creative work with vocabulary words, focusing on their parts of speech, roots, and derivations.
We're continuing in "A Journey to the Center of the Earth," but the students are developing independent projects based on ideas they choose. This should allow each person to pursue the ideas that most interest him or her; so far I have some students interested in how our modern literature will be viewed by future societies, another deciphering the Anglo Saxon runes in an early chapter, another creating a "photo journal" one character might have compiled, and so on. These projects will be due just before Thanksgiving break.
The Research Presentations we'll be making on Fridays will come from the week's reading and research. Each student is an "expert" in a particular field (say, trade routes) and will trace its development over time. These presentations will range in complexity depending on student interest and ability; some students need to work on grammar and presentation skills, while some are eager to do more with graphic design and power point. I expect each student to present a 2-5 minute summary of what he or she has learned that week.
We're continuing in "A Journey to the Center of the Earth," but the students are developing independent projects based on ideas they choose. This should allow each person to pursue the ideas that most interest him or her; so far I have some students interested in how our modern literature will be viewed by future societies, another deciphering the Anglo Saxon runes in an early chapter, another creating a "photo journal" one character might have compiled, and so on. These projects will be due just before Thanksgiving break.
The Research Presentations we'll be making on Fridays will come from the week's reading and research. Each student is an "expert" in a particular field (say, trade routes) and will trace its development over time. These presentations will range in complexity depending on student interest and ability; some students need to work on grammar and presentation skills, while some are eager to do more with graphic design and power point. I expect each student to present a 2-5 minute summary of what he or she has learned that week.
Comprehensive Assignment Schedule!
I will be checking grammar games today to see what students need to add. Each student should contribute 20 trivia cards containing questions about grammar, spelling, punctuation, writing tasks, or reading questions. The boards are of secondary importance to me, although several students have done amazingly creative work on them!
As we move through "Guns, Germs, and Steel" we are going to be looking at Africa as a case study of the way geographical and anthropological factors influence history. I will be handing out excerpts from a text written by my own Geography professor at UT, the late, great Paul English, who had the 70th civilian visa to Oman and once drove a Jeep from London to Tehran. He has wonderful comparative chapters on the ancient and modern Middle East and Africa, particularly, and we will be presenting independent research on these topics.
SCHEDULE OF WORK THROUGH HOLIDAY BREAK
As we move through "Guns, Germs, and Steel" we are going to be looking at Africa as a case study of the way geographical and anthropological factors influence history. I will be handing out excerpts from a text written by my own Geography professor at UT, the late, great Paul English, who had the 70th civilian visa to Oman and once drove a Jeep from London to Tehran. He has wonderful comparative chapters on the ancient and modern Middle East and Africa, particularly, and we will be presenting independent research on these topics.
SCHEDULE OF WORK THROUGH HOLIDAY BREAK
- MONDAY 10/26 -- chapters 1-10 of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth"
- WEDNESDAY 10/28 -- chapter 3 "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
- FRIDAY 10/30 - Research presentations on Africa Before Colonization
- MONDAY 11/2-- chapters 11-18 of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth"
- WEDNESDAY 11/4 -- chapters 4 and 5, "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
- FRIDAY 11/6 -- Research presentations on English, Dutch, and Portugese Colonization in Africa, 1600s-1800s
- Monday 11/9 -- chapters 19-28 of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth"
- Wednesday 11/11--chapters 5 and 6, "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
- Friday 11/13 -- Gem and Mineral Show (be ready to talk about diamonds and Africa!)
- Monday 11/16 -- chapters 29- 35 of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth"
- Wednesday 11/18 -- chapter 7, "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
- Friday 11/20 -- Research presentations on Africa in the 20th Century
- THANKSGIVING BREAK
- Monday 11/30-- chapters 36-54 of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth"
- Wednesday 12/2-- Chapter 8, "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
- Friday 12/4 --STAFF DAY
- Monday 12/7 -- chapters 55-end "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" -- Comprehensive Test
- Wednesday 12/9 - chapter 9 "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
- Friday 12/11 --Research Presentations on Africa Today
- Monday 12/14 -- Essay on HG Wells and Jules Verne due
- Wednesday 12/16 --chapter 10 "Guns, Germs, and Steel"-- Comprehensive Test on Part I
- WINTER HOLIDAYS
Vocabulary Words for Next Week
Please see attached.
Other assignments -- For Monday, read through Chapter Ten of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth."
For Thursday (tomorrow), answer the question: Why does Jared Diamond use the example of Polynesia in Chapter Two of "Guns, Germs, and Steel"?
Other assignments -- For Monday, read through Chapter Ten of "A Journey to the Center of the Earth."
For Thursday (tomorrow), answer the question: Why does Jared Diamond use the example of Polynesia in Chapter Two of "Guns, Germs, and Steel"?
Attachments:
This Week's Activities!
Hooray, books are here! Each student will be borrowing a hardcover copy of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" and will be starting a novel according to his or her reading level. These levels may be adjusted as we go.
We are also creating some interesting games for grammar and vocabulary review and researching the colonization of Africa.
We are also creating some interesting games for grammar and vocabulary review and researching the colonization of Africa.
Vocabulary Words for Next Week
Attachments:
Journey Into Ancient Africa
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/ofarrell/journeyintoafrica/index.htm
A WebQuest we're doing in class.
See attached:
A great link to the resources of Africa (thanks, Joe!)
A WebQuest we're doing in class.
See attached:
A great link to the resources of Africa (thanks, Joe!)
Attachments:
Project Gutenberg Edition -- Journey to the Center of the Earth
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/8jrny10.txt
A lot of legal language to scroll through here, but it's a better copy than the Online Literature Library.
A lot of legal language to scroll through here, but it's a better copy than the Online Literature Library.
Social Studies -- Learning about Africa
We will be working through Guns, Germs and Steel (once the books come in!), and continuing to discuss the development of different cultures. Our curriculum this year particularly deals with the history and geography of the Middle East and Africa, and because our discussion of the development of human life on Earth began in Africa, I'd like to continue there.
I'm linking websites below for student use and also so that parents can follow along!
Africa Timelines http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/timelines/htimelinetoc.htm
Contemporary African Photographs http://library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/photographs.html
(We will be using FotoFest's Learning Through Photography curriculum throughout the year to explore cultures and creative writing techniques)
An Incredibly Thorough History of Africa http://www.africahistory.net/
Prehistoric African Art: http://www.fjexpeditions.com/tassili/frameset/rockart.html
http://naturalarches.org/tassili/rockart.htm
I'm linking websites below for student use and also so that parents can follow along!
Africa Timelines http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/timelines/htimelinetoc.htm
Contemporary African Photographs http://library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/photographs.html
(We will be using FotoFest's Learning Through Photography curriculum throughout the year to explore cultures and creative writing techniques)
An Incredibly Thorough History of Africa http://www.africahistory.net/
Prehistoric African Art: http://www.fjexpeditions.com/tassili/frameset/rockart.html
http://naturalarches.org/tassili/rockart.htm
Field Trip Guidelines -- From the Administrative Website
Field trips are an integral part of the Rainard curriculum, not a day out of school. In order to maximize the learning opportunities of our field trips, we have set expectations for students and chaperones.
When we go on field trips, we are representing Rainard. We want everyone to get to know that our students are respectful of others and of the venue we are visiting, and that our school is a good place for gifted students. Field trips are an excellent way to advertise our school.
We need parent support in order to have successful field trips. All parents should remind their child/children what is expected of them on the trip. Parents who chaperone need to know what is expected of them on the trips.
Field Trip Expectations
Students are expected to:
Listen to guides/teachers/parents
Show respect to guides/teachers/parents
Show respect to other students
Show respect to property and displays
Use inside voices
Stay with the class
Keep voices down in cars
Not distract the driver
Parent chaperones are expected to:
Drive carefully
Not be distracted by students
Show respect to teachers/guides
Not use cell phones or other electronic devices while on duty
Be responsible for students assigned to them during the trip
Take part in tours
Keep students with them (not let them run off alone)Next week....
Because of the picture day confusion, we don't have a new vocabulary list this week. However, I will be working with the students on creating examples of the literary devices from last week's list: allusion, alliteration, metaphor, simile, allegory, metonymy, foreshadowing.
I'm still wanting to do more with ability grouping for more or less intensive vocabulary working, reading, etc. However, language arts ability is not uniform -- many of these guys are great readers but weaker writers, several are the reverse, some people need spelling and grammar help but not shorter assignments, and so on. I will be providing supplemental texts and resources as we go.
Some of these social studies games are fantastic, and I'm compiling a photo album of the kids playing them below. I'm not going to type out student names in the website or connect names with faces in the interest of privacy/internet safety, but have a look -- the kids have really been having fun, and I'm proud of their creativity.
For extra grammar and proofreading help, I really like the resources compiled by the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
I'm still wanting to do more with ability grouping for more or less intensive vocabulary working, reading, etc. However, language arts ability is not uniform -- many of these guys are great readers but weaker writers, several are the reverse, some people need spelling and grammar help but not shorter assignments, and so on. I will be providing supplemental texts and resources as we go.
Some of these social studies games are fantastic, and I'm compiling a photo album of the kids playing them below. I'm not going to type out student names in the website or connect names with faces in the interest of privacy/internet safety, but have a look -- the kids have really been having fun, and I'm proud of their creativity.
For extra grammar and proofreading help, I really like the resources compiled by the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
Updates...
Picture day threw my plans for peer review into confusion yesterday, so I'm hoping we'll get to that tomorrow if not today. The timelines are shaping up pretty nicely -- not all the neatest work, but some very cool ideas.
Speaking of, though, I really don't want the kids to be working too much at home. Catching up on reading, maybe (although we haven't started the next novel yet), and of course if somebody's just into what he or she is doing and wants to carry on, I'm not going to stop that, but there isn't anything they need to be spending much time on outside of the classroom, and I'm trying to discourage putting things off until they're on their own at night, which some of them tend to want to do. So, feel free to ask when things are really due and set a timer for half an hour or so if you feel your child is laboring away.
I've had some very constructive conversations with parents lately, and my most recent Main Concern is wanting to defuse any interpersonal or perceived tension in the room -- gifted kids in middle school are hitting some rough spots developmentally, and before we can learn together, we have to all be able to get along and enjoy being here. I'll be spending quite a bit of time in the next couple of weeks on dealing with stress and self-motivation, so feel free to keep those conversations going at home.
Speaking of, though, I really don't want the kids to be working too much at home. Catching up on reading, maybe (although we haven't started the next novel yet), and of course if somebody's just into what he or she is doing and wants to carry on, I'm not going to stop that, but there isn't anything they need to be spending much time on outside of the classroom, and I'm trying to discourage putting things off until they're on their own at night, which some of them tend to want to do. So, feel free to ask when things are really due and set a timer for half an hour or so if you feel your child is laboring away.
I've had some very constructive conversations with parents lately, and my most recent Main Concern is wanting to defuse any interpersonal or perceived tension in the room -- gifted kids in middle school are hitting some rough spots developmentally, and before we can learn together, we have to all be able to get along and enjoy being here. I'll be spending quite a bit of time in the next couple of weeks on dealing with stress and self-motivation, so feel free to keep those conversations going at home.
Week of September 28
This week we'll start preparing for "A Journey to the Center of the Earth," our next novel. The text is available online, but I'll be ordering copies this week and beginning with background information about Jules Verne and comparisons between his work and H.G. Wells's.
I'd like a solid, presentable draft of the Bradbury comparison essay by Tuesday, when we'll start peer editing.
Ask your child about his or her time line project for social studies; the kids have come up with some great poster and game ideas that reflect human development up to the Great Leap Forward around 50,000 BC. Copies of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" should be coming soon and we'll carry on reading with a particular focus on cultural geography in Africa and the Middle East.
Progress reports will come Monday afternoon! We didn't have a vocabulary/spelling quiz last week, so grades will be based on classwork.
I'd like a solid, presentable draft of the Bradbury comparison essay by Tuesday, when we'll start peer editing.
Ask your child about his or her time line project for social studies; the kids have come up with some great poster and game ideas that reflect human development up to the Great Leap Forward around 50,000 BC. Copies of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" should be coming soon and we'll carry on reading with a particular focus on cultural geography in Africa and the Middle East.
Progress reports will come Monday afternoon! We didn't have a vocabulary/spelling quiz last week, so grades will be based on classwork.
Bradbury Stories Comparison
We're working on an analytical essay comparing the dystopic visions Ray Bradbury creates in each of the following stories:
http://www.veddma.com/veddma/Veldt.htm
http://www.wssb.org/content/Classrooms/tate/content/freshman/All%20Summer%20In%20a%20Day/story.htm
http://www.cs.ru.nl/~freek/books/thunder.sat
The essay is due Friday and the kids should have plenty of time to work in class, but a few are really dragging their feet, so you might want to check in at home. Thanks!
http://www.veddma.com/veddma/Veldt.htm
http://www.wssb.org/content/Classrooms/tate/content/freshman/All%20Summer%20In%20a%20Day/story.htm
http://www.cs.ru.nl/~freek/books/thunder.sat
The essay is due Friday and the kids should have plenty of time to work in class, but a few are really dragging their feet, so you might want to check in at home. Thanks!
New Vocabulary Words
See week three in the attached document.
Attachments:
Prehistory: A Human Timeline
http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/year-prehistory
The students, working in pairs or small groups, will be creating an illustrated timeline of the 10-15 events or evolutionary changes before 5,000 BC that they think are the most significant in terms of the development of human civilization. We have plenty of poster board and construction paper, but if a few kids could bring markers from home, that would be really helpful.
This will be a class work assignment, so they shouldn't be bringing much home with them.
The students, working in pairs or small groups, will be creating an illustrated timeline of the 10-15 events or evolutionary changes before 5,000 BC that they think are the most significant in terms of the development of human civilization. We have plenty of poster board and construction paper, but if a few kids could bring markers from home, that would be really helpful.
This will be a class work assignment, so they shouldn't be bringing much home with them.
No New Vocabulary Words This Week....
I'm reading aloud to them from a Ray Bradbury collection and the vocab isn't too hard, plus everyone did well on the last quiz, so I think they have the format down.
The first draft of their sci fi story is due this Friday. It should be at least 6 pages long and hopefully complete. I prefer 12 point font, double-spaced, and have no particular requirements in terms of header or cover page, as long as they have their names on the work!
The first draft of their sci fi story is due this Friday. It should be at least 6 pages long and hopefully complete. I prefer 12 point font, double-spaced, and have no particular requirements in terms of header or cover page, as long as they have their names on the work!
The Canon
I've been thinking a lot lately about the idea of books everyone should read. For a lot of us, middle school is the first time we're introduced to "serious" literature, and so I'm pondering what will make the cut this year. We're starting out with HG Wells and Bradbury, and will do Verne and some of Heinlein's work for young people (his treatment of women in the adult novels is more than I can deal with), but beyond that, what are the Essentials?
Jane Eyre? Of Mice and Men? Billy Budd? Antigone?
Send me an email at alissa.bouler@gmail.com and let me know what you think.
Jane Eyre? Of Mice and Men? Billy Budd? Antigone?
Send me an email at alissa.bouler@gmail.com and let me know what you think.
Reading Groups
Hello Parents and Friends!
I've been discussing the idea of language arts grouping by ability/reading speed with some of you, and agree that there is a very wide spread of ages and maturity levels in the class. Some students found "The Time Machine" a quick, easy read, while some have really struggled to finish. I'd like to group the students somewhat informally for the purposes of assigning readings and writing assignments, and most of the students (across the aptitude spectrum) have responded positively to that idea. It will take a bit of juggling this first week or two as I work with our ever-changing schedule, but I'll keep you posted.
We're working with some Ray Bradbury short stories (I read "The Veldt" aloud today) and will be moving on to "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" soon, which I may pair with some other historical/contextual readings for the older and more confident readers.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Open House tomorrow. I do teach an evening class afterwards at Lone Star Fairbanks, so I won't be able to stick around for long afterwards, just to let you know.
I've been discussing the idea of language arts grouping by ability/reading speed with some of you, and agree that there is a very wide spread of ages and maturity levels in the class. Some students found "The Time Machine" a quick, easy read, while some have really struggled to finish. I'd like to group the students somewhat informally for the purposes of assigning readings and writing assignments, and most of the students (across the aptitude spectrum) have responded positively to that idea. It will take a bit of juggling this first week or two as I work with our ever-changing schedule, but I'll keep you posted.
We're working with some Ray Bradbury short stories (I read "The Veldt" aloud today) and will be moving on to "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" soon, which I may pair with some other historical/contextual readings for the older and more confident readers.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Open House tomorrow. I do teach an evening class afterwards at Lone Star Fairbanks, so I won't be able to stick around for long afterwards, just to let you know.
Links for Students about the Origin of Man -- Click on this title to see links
"The Time Machine" text
Our first formal quiz over "The Time Machine" will be tomorrow. Retakes will be offered later, but I want to see where the kids are -- they have had quite a lot of time in class and at home to read, so don't panic and try to catch them up.
If, however, they've left their packets in the classroom (again!), the full text is below for review...
http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/wells/timemach/html/
If, however, they've left their packets in the classroom (again!), the full text is below for review...
http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/wells/timemach/html/
Looking Ahead
We will be finishing "The Time Machine" Thursday this week. We had a great grammar lesson last Thursday, so I'm hoping to work on improving their mechanics in writing in Friday's workshop.
In Social Studies, we're talking about prehistory and also the process of archeological discovery. Look for a project to be assigned for next week!
Next Tuesday's words are attached -- the list is cumulative; new words are labeled "WEEK 2"
In Social Studies, we're talking about prehistory and also the process of archeological discovery. Look for a project to be assigned for next week!
Next Tuesday's words are attached -- the list is cumulative; new words are labeled "WEEK 2"
Attachments:
Another Friday....
So far, so good. A few students are really resisting working on their own fictional stories, so do check over the weekend if you get a moment -- they should have 3-4 pages at this point.
Current events presentations and vocabulary quiz on Tuesday since there's no school Monday; I'm especially worried that they'll forget to study vocab, although I've issued several reminders and have given classtime.
We are continuing to study prehistoric man and will be finishing The Time Machine early next week.
Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Current events presentations and vocabulary quiz on Tuesday since there's no school Monday; I'm especially worried that they'll forget to study vocab, although I've issued several reminders and have given classtime.
We are continuing to study prehistoric man and will be finishing The Time Machine early next week.
Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Vocabulary Words for Tuesday 9/8
Attachments:
New Group Assignments
Your child is now in a group based on his or her math class. Those groups are as follows, and will be referred to as Group A and Group B in this blog. Vocabulary words, for example, are group-specific, because they are words the students have found in their reading and had to look up. The letters A and B do not signify ability or rank and are arbitrarily assigned.
Group A -- Math and Science before the break, Language Arts and History after the break
Scot
Sarah
Coen
Garveen
Nanaki
Max
Orion
Matthew
Iris
Taylor
Magnus
Jonathan
Devan
Allyson
Brendan
Group B -- Language Arts and History before the break, Math and Science after the break.
Stephen
Paul
Claire
Patrick
Joe
Abby
Group A -- Math and Science before the break, Language Arts and History after the break
Scot
Sarah
Coen
Garveen
Nanaki
Max
Orion
Matthew
Iris
Taylor
Magnus
Jonathan
Devan
Allyson
Brendan
Group B -- Language Arts and History before the break, Math and Science after the break.
Stephen
Paul
Claire
Patrick
Joe
Abby
Edits and Clarifications
As far as I know, the field trip originally scheduled for last week has been cancelled! This week's Genghis Khan trip is still on for Wednesday.
Because of math group changes, our language arts groups have also changed, and so the vocabulary lists are no longer accurate -- therefore, we will not have a quiz tomorrow (Tuesday). In future, I will post vocabulary words on this site.
Because of math group changes, our language arts groups have also changed, and so the vocabulary lists are no longer accurate -- therefore, we will not have a quiz tomorrow (Tuesday). In future, I will post vocabulary words on this site.
Classwork Calendar
Monday -- Current Events Presentation
Tuesday - Vocabulary Quizzes
Wednesday -- Reading Quiz Games
Thursday -- Grammar Workshops
Friday -- Writing Folder Check
Tuesday - Vocabulary Quizzes
Wednesday -- Reading Quiz Games
Thursday -- Grammar Workshops
Friday -- Writing Folder Check
Homework and Projects
Generally, your student should be able to complete most of his or her work in class -- we have quite a bit of time in the afternoons between specials and we'll be working on one thing each week. I want the students to keep a writing folder that will contain drafts, peer review sheets, and grammar exercises.
We will have vocabulary quizzes every Tuesday, and the words will come from the texts we're reading in class that week. The week's writing will be due every Friday, with a final draft every few weeks. The students will help each other edit and will be assessed on their ability to do so, so keep an eye out for that in their folders as well.
Everyone is doing quite well so far generally, although a few seem tempted to use their laptops in less, er, academic ways than they might!
We will have vocabulary quizzes every Tuesday, and the words will come from the texts we're reading in class that week. The week's writing will be due every Friday, with a final draft every few weeks. The students will help each other edit and will be assessed on their ability to do so, so keep an eye out for that in their folders as well.
Everyone is doing quite well so far generally, although a few seem tempted to use their laptops in less, er, academic ways than they might!
Week One...
So far, so good. I'm enjoying getting to know everybody, and I'm impressed by how focused the kids are when they read. We're working on the first five chapters of The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells and the first chapter of Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel."
Welcome to Middle School Humanities!
I'll be posting thoughts and ideas every week or so to let you know what we're up to in Middle School Humanities! I'm very excited about my first year at Rainard. Since I'm new, I thought I'd tell you a bit about myself in this first entry. I'm a Birmingham, AL native with a BA in Plan II from UT Austin and have an MA (and coursework towards the PhD in Victorian Literature) in English from Vanderbilt University. My previous teaching experience is at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe (UK), and Chinquapin School in Highlands, TX.
My areas of particular interest and expertise are 19th and 20th century English Literature, 20th century English and American poetry, Latin, Drama, music, history of religions, and Cultural Geography. I speak a little French, even less Italian, and embarrassingly (in Texas), hardly any Spanish at all. I enjoy bike riding, choral singing, writing, going to the Opera, reading mysteries and suspense novels, watching movies, and cooking.
I am easiest to reach by email, as I teach classes at Lone Star College and the Art Institute a few nights a week. I'm looking forward to making this year as exciting and informative as possible for all of us.
Best wishes,
Alissa Bouler
My areas of particular interest and expertise are 19th and 20th century English Literature, 20th century English and American poetry, Latin, Drama, music, history of religions, and Cultural Geography. I speak a little French, even less Italian, and embarrassingly (in Texas), hardly any Spanish at all. I enjoy bike riding, choral singing, writing, going to the Opera, reading mysteries and suspense novels, watching movies, and cooking.
I am easiest to reach by email, as I teach classes at Lone Star College and the Art Institute a few nights a week. I'm looking forward to making this year as exciting and informative as possible for all of us.
Best wishes,
Alissa Bouler