2/24

Dear friends of seventh grade,

Winter has returned to the North West as a soft blanket of snow wraps itself on the ground.  These moments call for us to look with wide eyes at the world around us.  This looking is like the sound that accompanies a quick breath in; a harmonious movement just before the release of a cloud of swirling vapor.  Falling snow, our breath and the pulsing ocean all reveal unique qualities of water that have been a part of our chemistry exploration.  The way water moves, is heated, and its role in the human body have been topics that we have been illuminating.  In addition, the role that salt plays in the world and in our body has given us a picture of balance that the wisdom of our human form perpetually works with.  Why is salt from the store white?  If salt comes from the sea, then why are there “salt domes” on land?  These questions and more have led us on a creative path of knowledge and discovery in the chemistry block.  This path has shown us that chemistry does not just happen in a laboratory with scientists and elaborate equipment.  Chemistry encompasses the building blocks of life and these same elements that are in me, are in you and all other living organisms in the known universe.

In other news, the play practice of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brings an atmosphere of levity and movement into the classroom.  Students seem to revel in the joy of laughter and play that balances the other areas of intense academic striving. 

Our upcoming block will be a hands on and artistic look at algebra.  We will jump into the history of secret brotherhoods that saw math as an expression of the world of thought.  We will construct tools, try out proofs of theorems from different cultures and express the visual beauty that numbers symbolize.  The intent is to introduce these topics so that students will become curious and confident learners as they delve into the unknown.   

2/13

Dear Friends,

In seventh grade, we are mixing and awakening to chemistry in our current block.  The elements of combustion have been illuminated by Dale Heidal and his experience with fire science.  There were some exciting moments when gas was lit and the flames were high.  We were able to relate the process of fire and oxidation with our own digestive system.  We can also relate to the carbon cycle as we wrote poetry to trace the journey of a carbon atom that has become part of our body.  The students wrote about epic sweeps of time and space to illustrate the movement of a single carbon atom through the elements of solid, liquid, gas and fire.  The important connection is being drawn between the elements and atoms that we share with every other living organism.  The polarities of acids and bases in the pH scale are being explored as the students are also exploring their own relationships and polar tendencies.  Chemical reactions are also reflected in different personality types coming together.  These processes of acids and bases are constantly finding a dynamic balance in our own bodies as we also live between the forces of life and death.    

The students also continued to explore the somewhat hidden realm of what ingredients are in our food.  Brian Gregory invited us into his home to roast, and taste some coffee.  We talked about the importance of the connection to the places where the beans are produced and processed.  In addition, their poster projects are currently presented in the middle school foyer. There is a good balance of artistic work and scientific exploration to uncover where ingredients come from.  The ability to uncover seemingly complex terms and chemicals showed a real maturity in their ability to teach themselves.  There is a motion toward seeking truth rather than having a passive attitude toward what the world presents us.  This is the mood of an artist who is actively observing the world which is so often taken for granted.  Through this study and through honing their senses, the students are developing skills that will allow them to adapt to the rapidly changing world of tomorrow. 

-Keenan Hand