Future Job
Besides our class time discussions the most memorable time was the assignment given at the end of the year. Each student was to create a presentation via Power Point or Poster Board of their future dream job. They were required to report on the following: Short biography of someone in the field, career entails, requirements, what makes a person valuable, visuals of the place, their opinion, their current preparations, create a personal affirmation, and scriptures for the journey. I was very excited to inspire the students to greatness and very pleased with the results I received. Each student’s project was quite unique and had their personal touch to it. They were very proud to present these projects to their classmates and many of them were already practicing some of the requirements for their future job. I believe that each student will in some capacity be doing something in the field that they researched and will do extremely well. Making things visual makes it more of a reality.
Mrs. Sawyer
To See the Forest from the Trees
These last few months in United States History and Government and Global History and Geography I tried to prepare for the Regents exams which took place in early June. Part of this preparation was to help the students see the forest from the trees.
What this means is that often students of history get bogged down in so many facts and details that they panic and think that there’s no way that they can remember so much information for the Regents exam. But the point is that the student is not supposed to remember so much information, he or she is supposed to see how certain general ideas and concepts can tie together facts.
For example, in U.S. History the term Cold War covers the Korean War, Vietnam War, Arms Reductions Treaties and other historical events. By putting these within the Cold War framework, students have an easier time putting historical information in context. In the case of Global History and Geography, the term Economic Interdependence covers the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
So with all of this in mind, study guides and review sessions for the Regents exams in Social Studies for 10th and 11th grades emphasized students being able to put historical facts and information into broad topics and categories. Hopefully the end result will be more positive results on the Regents exams for as great a number of students as possible.
Mr. Drake
Advanced Geometry
We have been working with circles during this last month. Students are learning vocabulary and several formulas to calculate segment and arc lengths and angle measures without the use of a protractor. They are working together to solve complex problems by remembering theorems and definitions to prove facts.
Miss Stahler
Integrated Algebra
Tenth graders spent several days reviewing trig ratios and Pythagorean theorem. They learned how to calculate surface area and reviewed area and volume formulas.
They then began a review of all topics covered in the last two years. They reviewed radicals, functions, and quadratics.
Mrs. Wong
¡Llegamos al fín del año!
What a wonderfully fun-filled year it has been for this year’s Level 3 Spanish. Students continued to solidify the bridge of Spanish communication through verbal practice and immersion, while essays and PowerPoint presentations increased their ability to construct phrases and expression through written form. Cultural highlight included a trip to El Museo del Barrio to view and write about the Tres Reyes exhibit, as well as fun fellowship through Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Looking forward to next year as we delve deeper into Spanish culture through literature.
Sra. Jean-Pierre
Intelligent Comment Points
In order to stimulate more class discussion, I started giving Intelligent Comments points. Each time a student answered a question related to World History or current events, I noted this down and every few weeks I would enter into the gradebook either a homework grade for class participation, or for the top two or three contributors to the class a quiz grade. Since it is so important for a Social Studies class to have input and feedback from students, I found that this was a good way to get more students involved in more lively discussion of the topics we study in World History.
Mr. Drake
Enlightenment Age
Students in the Fall took the role of philosophers and scientists during the Enlightenment and presented to the class information about their lives and contributions to mankind. By the end of this activity there was more understanding of Rousseau’s Noble Savage and the Natural Rights of Man of John Locke.
Mr. Drake
Sonnets
We began the year with The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare and asked the vital question: How do you measure strength and power in an individual? We concluded that real strength comes from treating people kindly and not through force or bullying. We had several class discussions on how we are to treat one another and God’s design on marriage according to the Bible. We then took a look at how literature and art can fight injustice in society and compared the different rhyme schemes of Shakespearean sonnets with Petrarchan sonnets. We compared sonnets from Shakespeare to John Milton and found that Christian poets tend to focus on God, salvation and eternity, whereas secular poets focus on the things of this world that will one day waste away. We then read The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emperess Orczy and asked the question: Is a vigilante a hero or a law breaker? We had many in-depth class discussions on what makes someone a true hero and learned that part of being a hero is protecting those that cannot protect themselves. Just like the hero in the story, we are expected to protect the lives of those around us, as God’s word says that Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. – John 15:13.
Miss Topale
People and Places
In September a new course was launched for the high school international students at Evangel: Intermediate Literature. It is designed to train the students in reading strategies used for deeper understanding of texts and to give the students more exposure to the English language. So far it has done both and more! The Queens Public Library found out about the class and asked if we wanted to participate in their People and Places Program in which thought provoking short stories (mostly written by immigrants) are read and reflected upon. Although each story had to be screened and the program modified for use in a Christian environment, it grew into a valuable experience for all and culminated in a party hosted by Ms. Echols at the newly built 21st Street Public Library. 9th, 10th and 11th grades each divided into groups and created posters for the event. Some groups focused on the symbolism found in a given short story, such as Abalone, Abalone, Abalone, others on comparing and contrasting two stories, and some added the adages, idioms and similes we learned. I was very impressed by the 11th graders who were able to compare given verse from the Bible with the prose poem Girl by Jamaica Kincaid. They did such a fabulous job that Mrs. Echols sent the posters to the founder of the program. I am so proud of those students who participated!
As we wrap up this section on short stories and do review for midterms, I look back at the interesting ways the students showed what they learned; from complex graphic organizers to acting out different parts of a story, from making big books about symbolism to making posters for all the stories, and I am amazed what the students have accomplished. Our next adventure will include nonfiction as we segue into the Academic Fair time of the year.
Mrs. Kemp
Geometry
We have been immersing ourselves in geometry vocabulary, symbols and diagrams this first half of the school year. This year I am teaching in a flipped classroom for math and so the students will copy vocabulary and examples into their notes for HW (kind of pre reading for the next day’s lesson). In class the next day, they will watch a mini lesson of how to and practice the application in front of me. This has been helpful in not only the student understanding during homework/classwork, but in starting up math conversations during class about what to do and why. Currently, we are studying how to prove theorems by writing a 2 column proof.
Miss Stahler