Callie, the Housecat

I've talked, more than once, about my pet cat, Callie. Some of the students have wondered if I had any pictures. So, for the curious ones, here she is... Callie the housecat.

Egg-speriment pictures

The "egg-speriment" was a great look at the processes of osmosis and diffusion. It gave us a very clear understanding of how a semi-permeable membrane works to allow some substances into a cell while keeping others out.

Maybe the last update from the China Delegation?

Thursday, March 13 -- Today was a ton of fun - visited classes today and in one engaged in a debate re. the use of cell phones in school. Both teams had American and Chinese students on them. Good arguments both ways - lots of interaction, lots of fun. Afternoon was spent at a Chinese Tea Ceremony. Training in the ritual is one of the courses at one of the Liuzhou high schools. The students who presented were amazing - you won't believe the photos when you see them. We are being overwhelmed with gifts form the staff and students. Walking through the campus it is not uncommon for students to give us gifts. Kirshane was given a puppy by her host family as a present which we have said she cannot take home with her. Tomorrow afternoon is the farewell banquet and then it's to the airport for a 10:40 departure. This may be the last e-mail - depending on how tomorrow goes

The Latest from China

Tuesday, March 10 -- Very busy day touring around town. Morning spent at the Museum of Liuzhou with exhibits from fossils to dinosaurs to prehistoric China up to early 20th century. Great section on the different ethnic groups as well as Chinese art, pottery and calligraphy. It's a beautiful 1 year old museum that is in the center of town - just on the other side of the park across the street from Long Cheng. After lunch we spent the afternoon at the factory that makes a the Chinese car - soon to be exported to the US they say. It is already exported to S. American, SE Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Africa. We saw the car assembled from the steel 'shell' to finish as they drove cars off the assembly line. Long Cheng has certainly "pulled out all the stops" to make this trip a memorable one. There was a positive reaction to the demostration classes Mr. Yost and I taught yesterday to about 150 teachers from Long Cheng and a neighboring school. The teachers were interested in a process other than lecture which they are almost forced to do with class size of 50 to 60 students. Mr. Yost taught an excellent lesson on forms of literary criticism - had a copy of his lesson plan in Chinese for the teachers to follow along with notes on his power point presentation. I taught a lesson relative to the upcoming presidential election with an emphasis on the voters' obligation to be informed on where the candidates stand. The discussion with the English teachers after the demo was lively with lots of good questions asked. Mr. Yost could do well mentoring teachers here! The demonstration classes made the front page of the Liuzhou Daily. Mr. Radtke and students continue to work on the video. You are going to be very impressed with the work they will have done. Can't wait for you to see it! There are 5 daily newspapers in Liuzhou (if I understood correctly) and two papers have assigned reporters to be with us just about every day. We were accompanied to the Museum and the car factory today. They each will do a big articles at the conclusion of the trip (if I understood correctly). Needless to say, our visit is big news. I'm writing this from the People's Hospital of Liuzhou as my host father makes rounds. He did open hear surgery today and is checking up on his patients. A good day with good weather. The days are going fast.

A Great Story -- Whales and Dolphins

Dolphin rescues stranded whales

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A dolphin swam up to two distressed whales that appeared headed for death in a beach stranding in New Zealand and guided them to safety, witnesses said Wednesday.
The actions of the bottlenose dolphin -- named Moko by residents who said it spends much of its time swimming playfully with humans at the beach -- amazed would-be rescuers and an expert who said they were evidence of the species' friendly nature.
The two pygmy sperm whales, a mother and her calf, were found stranded on Mahia Beach, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of the capital of Wellington, on Monday morning, said Conservation Department worker Malcolm Smith.
Rescuers worked for more than one hour to get the whales back into the water, only to see them strand themselves four times on a sandbar slightly out to sea. It looked likely the whales would have to be euthanized to prevent them suffering a prolonged death, Smith said.
"They kept getting disorientated and stranding again," said Smith, who was among the rescuers. "They obviously couldn't find their way back past (the sandbar) to the sea."
Along came Moko, who approached the whales and led them 200 meters (yards) along the beach and through a channel out to the open sea.
"Moko just came flying through the water and pushed in between us and the whales," Juanita Symes, another rescuer, told The Associated Press. "She got them to head toward the hill, where the channel is. It was an amazing experience. The best day of my life."
Anton van Helden, a marine mammals expert at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, said the reports of Moko's rescue were "fantastic" but believable because the dolphins have "a great capacity for altruistic activities."
These included evidence of dolphins protecting people lost at sea, and their playfulness with other animals.
"We've seen bottlenose dolphins getting lifted up on the noses of humpback whales and getting flicked out of the water just for fun," van Helden said.
"But it's the first time I've heard of an inter-species refloating technique. I think that's wonderful," said van Helden, who was not involved in the rescue but spoke afterward to Smith.
Smith speculated that Moko responded after hearing the whales' distress calls.
"It was looking like it was going to be a bad outcome for the whales ... then Moko just came along and fixed it," he said. "They had arched their backs and were calling to one another, but as soon as the dolphin turned up they submerged into the water and followed her."
After the rescue, Moko returned to the beach and joined in games with local residents, he said.

Weekend Update from China

Friday, March 7 – It's Friday evening and we are all tired - it's been a full week without (it seems) a moment to rest. Today we continued our meetings with students in Grades 7 and 8 - a Q&A format in small groups after having shown our Nativity video. The sessions end with "group reports on what we learned about America/China" and the Kung Fu video produced by the 8th grade group for the Lasagna Film Festival. We visited a "traditional Chinese painting class" - much different than the process Mrs. Burger with much less creativity. Perhaps that's not the point when learning traditional Chinese painting. What we don't see is student art displayed - but in all fairness there is not good way to do that. All the corridors are outside. Anything displayed would have to be under glass for it to last. This afternoon we visited a shop class were students cut designs from balsa wood (e.g., swan, rooster, etc.) using a saw made for kids. No safety issues here at all. We followed that with a visit to a traditional Chinese music class were students had the opportunity to play a Chinese version of an auto harp / table harp. Beautiful instruments with a great sound. We ended the class visits with the "Chinese pronunciation class" and tried to say a Chinese tongue twister. The Chinese students attempted "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood" and "Sally sells seashells ...." Lots of laughter all around. We ended the day with a Team USA Meeting before breaking for the weekend - reminding students to save money for Shanghai, do some final taping at home for the documentary video, etc. Crunch time begins Monday for the video. Now is the time to start putting the content together into a video we plan to show the Long Cheng students Friday afternoon and the host families Friday evening at the Farewell Party. Students will be working with Ed in groups of 2 to edit the final version. Andy and I have been asked to teach a lesson to the Nativity students so the Chinese teachers could observe how classes are taught in the USA / at Nativity. They are very interested in the methods we use with a class of +/- 22 vs. their classes of 50 or more. Andy will teach a lesson on the writing process; I'll teach one on an overview of Chinese history. The principal will free as many teachers as possible to observe the class - not just the teachers of English. Jillian will translate / summarize at the end. It should be a lot of fun. The weather has turned and is just a bit colder - good sweatshirt / sweater weather - after a light shower today. Tomorrow some families are going hiking in the mountains; there is talk of a picnic on Sunday. We'll see how plans evolve / shape up. Nancy should be getting in touch with you to confirm your intent to host a Chinese student. We need to find an American host family for the student hosting Ed and the student hosting Andy. My student is not coming. The Chinese principal and vice principal are coming but do not speak English. An English speaking tour guide will accompany them. Jillian will be the 4th and there to interpret for one of the administrators. So, we need a family that can host 2 adults one of whom speaks English. Reminder: the visit of the Finns overlaps with the visit of the Chinese. We'll have for about10 days a three nation summit and will plan activities that will involve the students from all three nations. It's something we'll never forget! Sunday, March 9 – Not much news to report this Sunday evening. There was no whole group activity scheduled. We'll get a report tomorrow (Monday morning) on the weekend's activities. It tried to rain today but only managed to drizzle a bit. Crunch time begins tomorrow with the need to finish the video by Friday noon. Students will be working with Ed individually or in small groups to edit, etc. In two groups we will be visiting classrooms and distributing the "Friendship Journey" pencils we brought. Time is flying by - it's hard to believe that our trip is over half over. Monday, March 10— Weekend activities included hiking in the mountains / local park, picnic for many / most students. Monday we broke into two groups and visited English classes to observe and then interact with students. Went very well. The afternoon we were scheduled to go to the museum but it was closed. Plan B was a trip to the "souvenir flea market" - seemed like a thousand stalls in a huge building that sold anything you could think of. Many gifts for family and friends were purchased. Monday evening everyone - host families, many teachers, etc went on a boat ride on the river - beautiful evening! Back in class today.

Cell Models

We're working at learning about cells in science class. As part of that study, we've explored the differences between plant and animal cells. They have differences in terms of structure and the functions that are performed within the cells. We've learned that cells have "organelles" -- similar to organs within the bodies of more complex organisms, and that the organelles carry out specific and important functions within the cell.

Students colored images of both kinds of cells, downloaded from this site. Then, with some solid information about the organelles in a cell, they worked in teams to create models of cells using "found treasures" that they brought from home for the project.

The finished displays are around our classroom, and in the hall here at school. They are each unique and interesting, along with being informative. You are invited to stop in and check them out.

Geometric Solids -- Nets

In geometry, the "pattern" or "template" that will create a solid figure is called a "net." We've been studying geometric solids, and specifically, rectangular prisms, using product boxes to create "nets." Here, students are measuring their boxes to determine the dimensions -- height, length, and width. They then cut the boxes apart to create the flat net, and then used their measurements to create scaled drawings of their nets.

As part of this unit of study, students calculate the volume and surface area of their boxes, and consider how these two values are related.

They also make nets of cubes, and explore ways that a net can be drawn to create the solid figure, and ways that will not make the solid. Working in this very concrete way, builds understanding of the relationships between all the geometric formulas that are connected to the area and volume of solids.

China Update #8

Friday, March 7 -- It's Friday evening and we are all tired - it's been a full week without (it seems) a moment to rest. Today we continued our meetings with students in Grades 7 and 8 - a Q&A format in small groups after having shown our Nativity video. The sessions end with "group reports on what we learned about America/China" and the Kung Fu video produced by the 8th grade group for the Lasagna Film Festival. We visited a "traditional Chinese painting class" - much different than the process Mrs. Burger with much less creativity. Perhaps that's not the point when learning traditional Chinese painting. What we don't see is student art displayed - but in all fairness there is not good way to do that. All the corridors are outside. Anything displayed would have to be under glass for it to last. This afternoon we visited a shop class were students cut designs from balsa wood (e.g., swan, rooster, etc.) using a saw made for kids. No safety issues here at all. We followed that with a visit to a traditional Chinese music class were students had the opportunity to play a Chinese version of an auto harp / table harp. Beautiful instruments with a great sound. We ended the class visits with the "Chinese pronunciation class" and tried to say a Chinese tongue twister. The Chinese students attempted "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood" and "Sally sells seashells ...." Lots of laughter all around. We ended the day with a Team USA Meeting before breaking for the weekend - reminding students to save money for Shanghai, do some final taping at home for the documentary video, etc. Crunch time begins Monday for the video. Now is the time to start putting the content together into a video we plan to show the Long Cheng students Friday afternoon and the host families Friday evening at the Farewell Party. Students will be working with Ed in groups of 2 to edit the final version. Andy and I have been asked to teach a lesson to the Nativity students so the Chinese teachers could observe how classes are taught in the USA / at Nativity. They are very interested in the methods we use with a class of +/- 22 vs. their classes of 50 or more. Andy will teach a lesson on the writing process; I'll teach one on an overview of Chinese history. The principal will free as many teachers as possible to observe the class - not just the teachers of English. Jillian will translate / summarize at the end. It should be a lot of fun. The weather has turned and is just a bit colder - good sweatshirt / sweater weather - after a light shower today. Tomorrow some families are going hiking in the mountains; there is talk of a picnic on Sunday. We'll see how plans evolve / shape up. Nancy should be getting in touch with you to confirm your intent to host a Chinese student. We need to find an American host family for the student hosting Ed and the student hosting Andy. My student is not coming. The Chinese principal and vice principal are coming but do not speak English. An English speaking tour guide will accompany them. Jillian will be the 4th and there to interpret for one of the administrators. So, we need a family that can host 2 adults one of whom speaks English. Reminder: the visit of the Finns overlaps with the visit of the Chinese. We'll have for about10 days a three nation summit and will plan activities that will involve the students from all three nations. It's something we'll never forget!

Today's China Update --

Friday, March 7 – The basket ball game was intense - two great teams played hard. I'll leave the details for the kids to share. Weather continues to be good. Days at school are filled with lots of activity. This morning we are meeting with English language classes. This afternoon we are shadowing in art class. We have a Chinese language lesson almost every day. Jillian is great - a wonderful style with all of us teaching a difficult subject to master. We are so lucky that she will be the one to inaugurate the program at Nativity. Two students from the local university stopped by yesterday - heard about our visit from the news. Their English is excellent. They sponsor the "English Corner" - a get together each Friday evening for university students who want to speak English. Topics are wide open - just a change to practice English. They were impressed with our kids and the program and spent a good part of the day assisting when our kids were learning how to write Chinese calligraphy and paint in the traditional Chinese style. A rep. from a private English bi-lingual school also heard we were in town and stopped by to find out about how this exchange came about. If I read between the lines correctly, she wanted to know how her school could participate. Adjacent to Long Cheng is a police substation. The officers gave us a tour of their 2 room office / substation and posed with the group for a photo. Students are taking turns filming at their respective homes. Ed Radtke and Andy has been great working on the film. The biggest problems we have is deciding what will make the cut. The following web page is, I believe, for the education department in Liuzhou. You'll find photos of our trip. www.doule.net/Article/tbbd/200803/47197.htm

China Delegation Update --

Wednesday, March 5 –
Just a quick note:

This was the media morning - TV spent close to 2 hours covering a Chinese language lesson, interviewing kids, filming a class in Chinese folk art our kids attended. You would be proud of the kids. Someone said it was national TV - but that has not been confirmed by a reliable source.

Evenings are filling fast with invitations to dinners etc. E-mail may not be as regular - rest assured they are having a great time - no homesickness at all.

It is becoming increasingly apparent how important this exchange is for Long Cheng.

Got to go. We are off to a class in Chinese calligraphy.


Thursday, March 6 --
Long day today and it's not over yet.

Lessons in Chinese calligraphy and fung fu. TV station and press were there for both. China vs. USA in basketball begins in 10 minutes (5:30 p.m. local time) - much anticipation from everyone.

One of the biggest things to get used to is the 2.5 hour mid-day break. Everyone goes home for lunch and a rest or out to the local restaurant or to the park or eat at school. Long Cheng does not provide supervision during this time.

At dinner last night with Chinese teachers and principal I asked what is the biggest challenge facing China today. The responses ranged from protecting the environment, world peace, raising the standard of living to health care cost. Good discussion - similar to a conversation that might take place in the USA. The one thing that was not on their list was terrorism.

We informed the Chinese that they would overlap with the Finns and the Chinese are very excited about the "3 nation summit" - Buckle your seat belts; it's going to be a week we'll long remember.

Off to the game.

More China News

Tuesday, March 4 -- Big day yesterday! We met with English classes, showed a short video of Nativity and provided lots of time in small groups for the Chinese kids to talk with our kids. They want as much time as possible to practice their English. The sessions went very well. We ended each class showing the Beyersdorfer / McClain movie from the Lasagna Film Festival. It received rave reviews form the Chinese kids! The "Friendship Festival between Long Cheng and Nativity" took place in the afternoon. Ours students sang (School Song and Suscipe) and danced (Square and Chicken), Sam on the harmonica, Adam juggling, Erik "hop hopping" for an audience of over 2000. The neighboring primary school was there as were officials from the local ministry of education. It took 30 minutes for the students / audience to assemble - all outside on a beautiful early spring afternoon. Our performance was very well received. We were followed by several Chinese acts - all very well done. Your sons/daughters are celebrities - Chinese students asking for autographs and e-mail addresses - and they are handling it very well. You would be proud of them! We have been interviewed by the press (with color photos on the front page) and by the TV stations. After the assembly we walked to a restaurant - the long way along the river. The dinner was hosted by the local Ministry of Education. Great food, great conversation. At the end the host families came to get their guest and headed home. Today (it's 9:15 a.m.) more sessions with English classes and "the games begin" this afternoon. Both Chinese and American students are eager to play basketball, volleyball and soccer. It looks like they will be scheduled over the next several days. At the 15 minute break between each period/class, there have been pick up basketball games. Among the Americans there is great interest in the result of the primaries in Ohio and Texas - no news yet on CNN web page. In conversation with Chinese adults there is some interest also though one person said, "It is your election and we respect your choice. It is not our business." One of the teachers said that "the circle keeps getting bigger" - as word about the American delegation gets out more Chinese people are asking about the experience; for example, my host father is a cardiac surgeon. I met with his group of cardiac surgeons from the hospital last night to talk about all kinds of things - and to learn a Chinese poker game. No homesickness. It's going to be tough to leave. Time to head off to class. Wednesday, March 5 So far in China I have had some chicken feet and other crazy different foods. their school is huge, 2000 students in a 5 story school. Everyday so far we have been treated like celebrities. Michael K. The weather here is wonderful. I've done so many things already in the very short t;i;me I've been here. I've gone strawberry picking, took a tour of the school and toured a temple in an amazing park. Rian J. I've learned it's hard to learn speak Chinese. I also learned that people in China are very interested in American culture. Rachel S. China i s wonderful place. It is very busy and crowded, but very interesting. I ma having a wonderful time in Luszhou and hope that I can come back here when I'm older. Lynn V. The trip so far in Luzhou has been a blast. Even though my host family makes me eat a lot, they are very nice family and they're very caring. I would recommend coming here again. Erik E. So far, I like China and am glad that I am here. Liuzhou is a great city and I believe everything will get better. Brian D. China has been very fun. the people have been so welcoming and my host family is great. I am really looking forward to the rest of the trip. Katie D. My trip to Liuzhou has been a lot of fun so far. The people here are so warm and welcoming, especially at the school. I am enjoying myself greatly. Amanda S. I'm loving China, everyone here love us. We're being treated like rock starts. We are singing autographs and taking news interviews. I'm on the font page of 2 papers. The only problem is not a log of people speak good English. Jake C. I'm really enjoying my stay in China. My host family is very welcoming and Liuzhou is a very beautiful city. Alesix K. It is very fun in China even though it is culturally different. I have learned a lot by being here about myself and other people. Kirshane E. My trip to China has been perfect so far. My host family has been extremely generous. It is great to be in China meeting and making new friends Adam B. China is amazing. the people are very hospitable and kind. This is an amazing experience. Sam E. There is a way (dao) about this place that is enchanting, and a bit daunting at times. But, the expanse of being in a foreign land and being surrounded by unfamiliar things is easily overcome by the sound of laughter: this is my first lesson in Chinese. Andy Nancy, please share with staff and forward to anyone I forgot to include. Thanks. Nativity colleagues: Andy was the master of ceremonies for our cultural show, introducing each act. You should have seem him. Over 2000 people, many of whom do not speak Chinese, most who don't speak it very well - and he had them all in the palm of his hand!

News from China

Here are three email messages from Mr. Herring about how our China Delegation is doing as they travel. I'll put up more news as we hear.

Saturday, March 1
The flight from Chicago was long with multiple meals and several movies. The students were great: all slept part of the time. Lots of talking, reading, listening to music. Smooth flight that arrived on time.

Customs was very easy - not a single hitch/problem.

Baggage claim went well. However 2 students did not remember what their suitcase looked like so there were a few anxious moments until they checked the name tags on the suitcases stacked off to the side. All suitcases were accounted for.
On the flight I spoke with a teacher (native Australian) who is teaching in an international school in Shanghai. He was one of the chaperons for a group of 23 students (from all over the world - their parents work for companies in Shanghai) from the international school returning to Shanghai from 2 weeks in the US - having visited Disney World. He was quite impressed with our project with Long Cheng.

We were met at the airport by a rep. from the hotel / tour agency and escorted to our bus. It was about an hour's ride to the hotel. Our hotel is in downtown Shanghai - very nice. The tour guide took us right away to a restaurant for dinner. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table to accommodate our crowd. It was worth the wait. A large variety of food we ate "family style" - no dog, cat that we know of. Just some chicken and pork. Everyone got plenty to eat.

It's 8:45 p.m. We are back at the hotel and we are all dead tired. We have a 4:30 a.m. wake up call in order to get to the airport in time for our flight to Liuzhou. All will sleep well tonight.

You would be proud of this delegation.

Sunday, March 2

We arrived in Liuzhou on time - smooth flight - good weather. Our students were a bit nervous getting of the plane in anticipation of meeting their host families. But that all evaporated when we first say them.The welcome at the airport was incredible. Each member of our delegation was presented with a huge bouquet of flowers - most of which were roses. There was a huge sign in both Chinese and English that welcomed us to Liuzhou. After the students met their host families, the principal of Long Cheng delivered some remarks followed by remarks from Bob Herring. After that there were multiple photos taken by many people.The newspapers and TV station were there to cover the arrival. Each student departed from the airport with his/her host family. It had been arranged ahead of time that several Chinese families would meet at the home (condo) of one of the host families where the American students would learn how to make Chinese dumplings filled with meet (pork) and with vegetables. The media were also present for this event. On this evening's news we will see American students making and sampling Chinese dumplings. It was very crowded with many teachers from Long Cheng attending. Not all of us (the Americans) were there.After making and eating the dumplings, we all departed with our host families to get settled in. No additional group events were planned that I am aware of for this evening. We will meet again tomorrow at school.My host family took me on a tour of the city and we stopped by Long Cheng. The school is massive - huge - educating 2000 students. It's unlike anything I've every seen. It sits on one of the main roads opposite the major park in the center of the city. There is a huge - I mean huge - banner across the front gate that says "Long Cheng School Welcomes Nativity Delegation from USA" (if I remember correctly) in both Chinese and English. Tomorrow will be a new experience for all of us.The plan for Monday is that we are introduced to the student body at the Chinese flag raising ceremony. The principal will say a few words and we will then have a tour of the campus. The major welcome is scheduled for Tuesday.The weather is great - warm sun, cool breeze. Liuzhou is in the middle of the mountains. I'm staying with a math teacher, her 14 year old daughter, and cardiac surgeon husband on the 7th (walk up) floor. They have a 2 story apartment with a view over the other buildings. Very nice - and they drive a Chevrolet that is made in China.I'm not sure what the students did this afternoon - will find that out tomorrow. My host family took me to the equivalent of Huston Woods, only in the mountains. It is the place where the math teachers from Long Cheng meet once a month for R and R. It was a wonderful afternoon talking about Chinese education, history and traditions.We joined a pick up volleyball game and they Chinese were quite amused with the "high 5s" after "the team with the American" scored a point.You may have received e-mail from your son/daughter filling you in on their activity of today. If you have any questions, you can send them to the Nativity School account which I can access form China an through which I am sending this e-mail.I can't overstate the warm welcome we received at the airport - the flowers, the huge sign, the words of welcome, the obvious enthusiasm with which they are supporting our visit to Liuzhou.

Monday, March 3, 2008
It's 6:46 p.m. on Monday and we have finished our first day at Long Cheng. It has been a good day.

Every Monday begins with the raining of the Chinese flag, their anthem and announcements. Imagine 2000 students standing outside in rows looking at the platform / raised stage for the raising of the flag!

After the anthem we were invited to the platform /stage and introduced to the student body. There were word of welcome from the Long Cheng principal. Bob Herring responded in kind. After the morning assembly we were given a tour of the school. It is an extensive campus - the classroom buildings are 6 floors with no elevator. There is a boys dorm and a girls dorm on campus each housing about 200 students. It's for kids from the rural areas that are too far away for them do commute daily - also for kids whose parents are absent (for reasons they did not elaborate on). The gym is huge and there is a soccer field. We saw the Museum of Long Cheng School which houses all the awards they have won.

During the revolution that brought Mao to power there were students from Long Cheng who supported his cause. Their photos and short biographies are in the Museum. They are considered heroes for having helped end the former regime and bring to power Mao. Our students did not understand the significance of this display.

School breaks at noon for 2.5 hours as everyone goes home for lunch and a rest. Classes reconvene at 3:00 and go until 5:30 with supervised study until 6:00 p.m. Instead of attending the afternoon session, we toured the park across the street from Long Cheng. It is a beautiful urban park with a lake on which the students rode paddle boats. There were lots of men playing checkers and older musicians playing instruments. Several women were doing a type of rhythmic dance.

A note about traffic: the speed limit is 40 km per hour - that's incredibly slow by our standards. No one speeds. There are many cars from Japan, Germany, France, Korea as well as the USA - Buicks, Chevrolets, Fords, Jeeps, and a Cadillac - on the road as well as many motor bikes and bicycles. Everyone gets a long and shares the road.

Students are not reporting any homesickness. That said, some are having challenges communicating if the English speaker is not highly skilled. It feels like we are celebrities. Many host families have invited their extended family to come and "meet the American". In the park and on the street people will look - not stare - at the non-Asian kids speaking English.

English is the only language taught in the schools - no Russian, French, German, Spanish, etc. You have to wait until higher education to learn those languages. So, everyone wants to practice their English with the Americans. The students tend to be shy and do not know what to say after they say "Hello."

There is some discussion of a volleyball and/or basketball and/or soccer game between the Chinese and the Americans. Everyone (American and Chinese) is eager to play so I'm sure it will be scheduled.

Between classes the students have a 10 minute break. At one of those breaks all 2000 students line up in the school yard and do exercises together - 7th grade in one courtyard; 8th grade in the other. It is quite a sight to see 1000 students all exercising together. There is a routine that they know by hear and do it to music over the loudspeakers. Mr. Yost, Mr. Radtke and some of our students joined in which created quite a (positive) stir among the Chinese. They were delighted to have the Americans join them.

The weather has been great - today was warm with low humidity. The air is not so clear due to pollution but not severe and no one is complaining. Students are in high spirits and full of stories about the food and their host families.

Students are taking turns filming. Ed Radtke is pleased with what they are doing and we hope to have a first draft of the film before we leave on the 15th.

Tomorrow we begin our class presentations in the morning. During the afternoon session we will present our show for all 2000 students. Can Carnegie Hall hold that many?

No worries here. All seemed to have skipped the "Who signed me up for this trip?" stage. All is well.

February Homework -- Archived

February 29, 2008 (Leap Day?) --Math 63 -- p. 574. Finish the lab and do problems 1-4Social Studies -- The Europe Map Tests are scheduled for March 17 & 19.February 28, 2008 -- Math 64 -- p. 572, problems 4-12Social Studies -- Africa Test (part 2) is tomorrow.Science -- remember to bring items to use in constructing your cell model poster.February 27, 2008 --Social Studies -- read pp. 287-293. Answer questions 2-4 on p. 293.Africa Test (part 2) will be given on Friday.Science -- we will begin construction of cell models in class on Thursday. Remember to bring your materials so that you are ready to work with your group.February 26, 2008 --Social Studies -- complete the packet that accompanies the reading for section 4: pages 254-277.The first Africa Test is tomorrow.Math 64 -- finish the mini-lab, p. 574: Questions 1-4.February 25, 2008 --Science -- finish coloring the animal and plant cell pages. Answer the questions on each page.Math 64-- finish your "net" for your rectangular prism.Africa tests are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday this week.February 21, 2008 --Science -- read pp. 34-the middle of page 41. **There could be a quiz on this material...February 20, 2008 --Social Studies -- finish the portion of your Africa packet that refers to the textbook. It begins at the bottom of the 3rd page and continues to the end. Textbook pages 268-272.February 19, 2008 --Math 63 -- finish the Introduction to Patty Paper Geometry packet exercises 0A, 0B, and 0C. Bring a box for math class by Monday, Feb. 25.February 14, 2008 --Bring your box for math class... Math 64 needs theirs by 2/19, and Math 63 needs theirs by 2/25February 11. 2008 --Social Studies -- Read pp. 260-264. Answer questions 1-5 on p. 264Math 63 -- What is Geometry?Math 63 -- Complete the introductory activities for Patty Paper Geometry.February 7, 2008 --Math 63-- Test tomorrow.Math 64 -- What is Geometry?February 6, 2008 --Math 63 -- Chapter 12 test will be Friday. Students have a practice test to help them prepare. We will go over this in class tomorrow.Social Studies -- Creation Stories projects are due on Friday.February 5, 2008 --Math 63 -- pp. 496 & 497, problems 4-9, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27. Chapter 12 Test will be Friday. I will have a practice test for you on Wednesday.Math 64 -- Chapter 12 Test is tomorrow.Social Studies -- Your Creation Stories project is due on Friday.February 4, 2008 --Math 64 -- Chapter 12 test -- WEdnesdaySocial Studies -- Creation Stories project is due Friday.