Band We had a fun and successful first performance in January, and now we have embarked on learning a new set of tunes. We have a positive feeling in Band this year, collaborating and working together.

Harmonize Using such tools as yoga, chi gong, self-massage, meditation, breathing practices, guided relaxation, and sound healing, we take a journey each week to enliven our energy, release tension, affirm our wellness, and relax deeply.

Great Matters We are continuing our exploration of the big questions of life, and are currently exploring ethical codes for living.

Tuesday Lunch Class Over the past three months we've been continuing to make comfort foods as well as more experimental dishes. We tried out an Asian Fusion sweet & sour noodle dish, we made dessert crepes, we've made soups and salads and sandwiches and pasta and generally had a grand time keeping everyone fed. We're a small but mighty group and everyone has been participating beautifully! Students have developed knife skills, learned cooking basics as well as fun tricks, and have worked well together as a team. 

Big Ideas in Science We finished the big idea, “Gravity,” with a look at projectile motion and Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation. We then segued to the next big idea, “Electromagnetic Energy and Matter,” by comparing Newtonian physics with Einstein’s  breakthrough theories, especially E=MC2.  We calculated the speed of light using a microwave oven, some marshmallows and chocolate as well as discussed how a microwave oven heats food by rapidly rotating water molecules; studied snowflakes and saw how their hexagonal structure is the result of how water molecules bond to each other; looked at the periodic table and atomic structure; and replicated the double-slit experiment after watching a documentary about it. We are currently learning about atomic bonds by performing a number of labs such as the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and acid-base reactions such as adding vinegar to baking soda.

Math We continued our work on prime numbers and solved two riddles using multiples and factors. Then we watched and discussed a documentary about the history of numbers called “The Story of 1.” Since the New Year, we have been working on a visual algebra curriculum and are currently analyzing pattern growth.

History of Rock and Roll We continued our look at the British Invasion by listening to the Kinks, the Who, and the Rolling Stones. After watching the Who’s 1967 Monterey Pop performance, we turned to other performers who played that weekend and discussed how the organizers hoped it would elevate rock music to an art-form like Jazz and Folk. Monterey Pop provided a jumping off point to discuss the folk rock of Laurel Canyon, the San Francisco music scene, psychedelia, and the music of STAX and the death of Otis Redding. We continued to weave in important historic events such as the war in Viet Nam and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. We closed out the 1960s by comparing the Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock, and the Altamont Speedway concert. We used the holidays as an excuse to learn about music theory by analyzing what makes a holiday song popular and also enjoyed learning a little about jazz from a podcast about the Charlie Brown Christmas album. After the break we turned to prog rock and the history of the synthesizer, followed by a look at jazz fusion. 

Why We Do What We Do The group continues to be wonderful at considering complex topics and listening to one another. During this period we have explored the factors that influence cheating and lying, culminating in the group members thinking about the factors in an environment or situation that make lying more or less likely. Drawing on material from John Bargh’s book Before You Know It, we have explored influences on behavior that we are not aware of at the time, and we are now beginning to explore factors that influence whether or not people behave in helpful ways.

How to Listen to Classical Music We continued following the history of Western classical music. In this period we discussed the Late Renaissance through the Baroque periods, including vocal, instrumental and dance music genres, and the beginnings of opera.

DC Service Trip We discussed possible fundraisers and selected two. Trip participants presented on individual topics of interest, including wildlife in DC, DC Statehood, public art and activism, and more. We reviewed past service projects in DC and prioritized projects we’d like to do this year. 

Graphic Design Group We worked through Robin Williams’ principles of graphic design, and began working on some basic typographic principles. We had fun with some Photoshop overlay/photo merging exercises, and we worked on personal initial-based logos. At the end of December, we morphed the class into graphic design one-on-ones for everyone who wanted to continue. 

Bread Each week we try out a new recipe, including a variety of yeast and quick breads from different cultures and celebrating different holidays and seasons. We start with an hour that is carved out in the morning, and the operation frequently continues into other parts of the day, allowing for rising, shaping, and baking time. We share the bread with the community (with priority going to those who participated in the baking). The breads we baked in this period included Focaccia, English Muffins, Sage Tea Bread, Cheese Bread, Ginger Chocolate Scones, and Honey Orange Bread. 

Volunteering at Amherst Survival Center We have continued to work each week in fresh food sorting, packaging and stocking. Toward the end of January our numbers dwindled, but as of the time of this report we have some new volunteers, which adds to the fun of our weekly time at the Survival Center!

Pioneer Valley Food Systems We have spent the past two months looking at the history of farm worker unions from the 1960s to modern day. We watched "Dolores," a documentary which focused on Dolores Huerta and her role in founding the United Farm Workers Union. We also watched "Food Chains," a documentary which examined the modern day work of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. We just finished wrapping up that unit and are starting to take a look at the fast food industry and worker-led efforts to organize for better pay and safer conditions in NYC and beyond.

Election 2020  The primaries are underway! Who are the candidates, which ones will continue on? Will the Senate change hands? What impact does the impeachment process have on the election? Every week there are new developments to discuss.

U.S. History We’ve looked at westward expansion in the first half of the 1800s and how that process fueled the debate over the expansion or limitation of slavery in the United States. Then we reviewed the Civil War and Reconstruction.  Currently we are looking at the Industrial Revolution, specifically the growth of unions and the labor movement. Next up will be women’s rights and the centenary celebration of women’s suffrage.

Money Over the past few months we’ve looked at federal, state, and local budgets, and tried to understand the major sources of revenue and the major areas of expenditure. We concluded the budget review by looking at the North Star budget. Now we are considering currencies and the basics of money itself. Anyone for bitcoin?

Monday Lunch Class Dishes that we have made in lunch class for the past couple of months have included tacos, sandwiches and roasted red pepper soup, chicken alfredo, Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Rice and Beans), pasta and garlic bread, and vegetable chickpea curry with rice. I always enjoy the cultural range that the teens want to try in every class and give themselves new challenges. 

Herbalism 101 Recently in herbalism, the teens made an Herbal Glossary together. They created a poster board together of different vocabulary words that we use. On the front of an index card they wrote one of the words, and when you flip it over the card has the definition and plant examples, just like flashcards. We also made spicy hot cocoa together as well as a cacao toothpaste, after discussing the health benefits of cacao. 

Literary Nonsense We have now finished three books in Literary Nonsense. The theme of the class has turned into young protagonists who go into an alternate world. Starting with Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, we have now read through The Phantom Tollbooth and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. We also watched some films after reading the books: Disney's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, and the 1970 version of The Phantom Tollbooth, and will soon be watching the 1939 Wizard of Oz film. Next on our list is Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. 

Anatomy of a Horror Story The theme of this class is horror stories and films. We have gone over various types of horror themes and subthemes, watched a few films, and then discussed our theories about the films. Examples of movies we have watched are Donnie Darko and Pan's Labyrinth. The class manages the mature subject matter well, and is sensitive to possible triggers for participants.