June 11, 2021

Dear Parents,

As I depart Plato Academy I just wanted to say thanks to each of you for all your support over the past three years.  Hopefully, your children have benefitted as a result of my having been their teacher.  Despite the fact that I will be moving on to my next deployment, I will remember you all fondly and hope that life brings you much happiness and fulfillment moving forward.

I will leave you with an Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face; 

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Dr. Michael

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Dear Parents,

We have continued to read Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo and we will finish the novel by the conclusion of the school year next Friday.

We’ve filmed our version of Humpty Dumpty entitled: Humpty Dumpty: The Real Story.  I’ve attached it in two parts at the top of this post.

We’ve continued to play chess and this week we looked into the life of several Grecian castles.  As you may know, one of the most powerful pieces on the chessboard is the rook, which is essentially, a castle.

Some of the Greek castles we looked at included:

• Menthoni Fortress
• Angelokastro Fortress
• Bourtzi Fortress
• White Tower
• Heraklion Fortress
• Agios Nikolaos Fortress
• Nafpaktos Fortress
• Corfu Castle
• Palace of the Grand Master of Knights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA4W-3ptBzM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkROdJ3MRaQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Anp5DU4E0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1XJ8Px0DLY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDF_Oztc9qY

https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/destinations/greece/best-castles-in-greece/

In Social Studies, we focused on the 1921 massacre of African-Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Coincidentally, President Biden visited Tulsa on Tuesday and issued the following remarks:

 “As painful as it is, only in remembrance do wounds heal. We just have to choose to remember, memorialize what happened here in Tulsa, so it can’t be erased,”

 We also learned the following regarding the incident:

• It began when a black teenager named Dick Rowland slipped while entering an elevator in a department store and accidentally came into contact with a 17 year-old white girl named Sarah Page
• The black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma was called Greenwood and consisted of 35 square blocks
• Greenwood was one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the United States
• The Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa was widely known as “Black Wall Street”
• The Tulsa Tribune printed a story about the incident in the elevator saying that the black teen had purposely attacked the 17-year-old girl in the elevator suggesting that Dick Rowland should be lynched
• Fearing that Rowland would be summarily hanged, numerous African-Americans, who had served in World War I went to the Tulsa jail where Rowland was being held for the purpose of protecting him from vigilante mobs
• Mobs of white men began setting fire to houses in the Greenwood neighborhood
• More than 1,400 homes were torched, leaving some 10,000 African-Americans homeless
• Most historians believe that up to 300 people were killed in the incident – the vast majority of them African-American

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/01/joe-biden-live-updates/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/tulsa-race-massacre-fact-check-n1269045

We also continued working on our map skills, using coordinates to locate cities around the world.  We found the following cities using coordinates and our atlases:

In Science, we continued building our volcanoes and identifying their various components.   Including: Eruption Cloud – A cloud of ash which is formed by volcanic explosions.

• Vent – An opening in the surface of the Earth through which volcanic materials, such as magma, can escape.
• Crater – The mouth of a volcano which surrounds the vent.
• Throat – The entrance of a volcano which ejects lava and volcanic ash.
• Conduit – An underground passage which magma travels through.
• Magma Chamber – A large underground pool of liquid rock found beneath the surface of the Earth.

https://www.twinkl.es/teaching-wiki/volcano

Additionally, we investigated what has come to be known as the “Ring of Fire” which includes the western shores of the Western Hemisphere including countries such as: United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ring-fire/

In Math, we worked on measuring the circumference at the base of our volcanoes.  We also measured their height.  Additionally, we measured their height.  We also looked at the size of the Mt. St. Helens and Krakatoa volcanoes.

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Michael

 

Dear Parents,

We continue to make headway in our reading of Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.  I anticipate that we will be able to complete the novel by the end of the year.

We’ve also been working on grammar skills.  This week we have focused on prepositions, objects of prepositions and prepositional phrases.  We are also learning to recognize and use adverbs correctly.

Additionally, we’ve also been rehearsing our short play entitled: Humpty Dumpty: The Real Story.

We’ve continued to play chess and this week we looked into the life of Marie Antionette who was the wife of King Louis XVI of France in the late 1700’s.  Some of the things we learned about Marie Antionette include:

• She never uttered the phrase: “Let them eat cake.”
• She was born a princess in Austria
• She was the 15^th of 16 children born to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Empress Maria Theresa.
• She married Louis XVI when she was only 14 years old
• She was executed by guillotine in the French Revolution in 1793
• The city of Marietta, Ohio is named for her
• The guillotine was invented by Joseph-Ignace Guillotin as a more humane form of execution
• The last execution by guillotine happened in France in 1977
• France outlawed capital punishment in 1981

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/marie-antoinette-134629573/

https://www.livescience.com/let-the-eat-cake.html

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-marie-antoinette

https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/marie-antoinette-facts-life-death-cake-buried/

In Math, we worked on converting mixed numbers into decimals and percentages.  A few examples include:

• 6 1/2 = 6.50 and 650%
• 3 1/4 = 3.25 and 325%
• 2 1/3 = 2.33 and 233%
• 5 4/5 = 5.80 and 580%

We also talked about how to use percent appropriately.  As an example, we might correctly state that the United States makes up 5% of the world’s population.

Conversely, we discussed how it is not appropriate for the quarterback of an NFL team to state after a victory that everyone on his team gave 110% as that would be an impossibility, given that one can only give a maximum effort of 100%.

In Science, we focused on volcanoes.  There was a piece on 60 Minutes last Sunday of a new volcano being created in Iceland that piqued their interest.  We then looked into the eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883 which created the loudest sound ever heard on Earth.  In that blast, 36,000 people were killed either as a result of the blast itself, or the ensuing tsunamis.  Some other facts regarding Krakatoa include:

• Material from the eruption rose 50 miles into the sky
• The explosion could be heard some 2,800 miles away in Perth, Australia
• The eruption was 10 times more powerful than the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State
• Shock waves from the explosion circled the Earth 7 times
• Earth’s temperatures cooled an average of 1.2 degrees over the course of the five years following the eruption
• Krakatoa last erupted in March of 2014
• “Krakatau” is the Indonesian word for volcano
• The force of Krakatoa’s explosion was 13,000 times greater than that of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan at the end of World War II

https://www.livescience.com/28186-krakatoa.html

https://eden.uktv.co.uk/nature/earth/article/krakatoa-facts/

https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/krakatau.html

We also began building volcanoes with an eye toward improving upon the superficial model that is typically constructed by elementary school students in which a large amount of clay is hollowed out and baking soda and vinegar are combined to simulate an “eruption.”  At the conclusion of our construction, we will be able to identify the following elements of a volcano including:

• Eruption Cloud – A cloud of ash which is formed by volcanic explosions.
• Vent – An opening in the surface of the Earth through which volcanic materials, such as magma, can escape.
• Crater – The mouth of a volcano which surrounds the vent.
• Throat – The entrance of a volcano which ejects lava and volcanic ash.
• Conduit – An underground passage which magma travels through.
• Magma Chamber – A large underground pool of liquid rock found beneath the surface of the Earth.

https://www.twinkl.es/teaching-wiki/volcano

Additionally, we investigated what has come to be known as the “Ring of Fire” which includes the western shores of the Western Hemisphere including countries such as: United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ring-fire/

In Social Studies, we worked on our map skills, locating the following global cities and determining how far they are away from both the equator and the Prime Meridian.

• Quito, Ecuador
• Cairo, Egypt
• Oslo, Norway
• Juneau, Alaska
• Singapore
• Shanghai, China
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Jacksonville, Florida

 

Additionally, we learned the following geographical facts:

• 1 degree of longitude = 69 miles at 0 degrees latitude
• 1 degree of longitude = 60 miles at 30 degrees latitude
• 1 degree of longitude = 35 miles at 60 degrees latitude
• 1 degree of latitude = 69 miles

At recess on Thursday, students took it upon themselves to become human bowling pins.  Below, are a couple of photos.

Have a great weekend!

 

Dr. Michael

Dear Parents,

Much of our week has been consumed by standardized testing.  We will all be looking forward to next week when we can resume our typical routine.  We did manage to read several chapters of Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo and students appear to be greatly enjoying it.  The story takes place in Germany as Hitler is rising to power and involves a magic harmonica that is discovered by a teenaged boy named Friedrich.

Next week we will be working on our end of the year presentation of Humpty Dumpty: The Real Story.  We’ve worked together to create our own take on the classic fairy tale.  In our version, Humpty and his brothers Lumpty and Jumpty are attending Game 7 of the World Series at Wrigley Field – so it remains a fairy tale.  We have most of the costumes we will need, however, I may reach out over the course of the next couple of weeks if we need anything that you might be able to provide.  Hopefully, our short video will be included in the montage of other videos from the other classrooms here at Plato.  I’l place a copy of the script we have written at the end of this newsletter.

We’ve looked into the story of Humpty Dumpty and found that the character originated from the English Civil War.  Humpty Dumpty was actually the name of a canon used by Royalists in the English city of Colchester that was placed atop a wall, hoping to keep Parliament’s army at bay.  Additionally, we learned that Humpty Dumpty is featured in Chapter 6 of Lewis Carrol’s Through the Looking Glass.  Of course, as you may know, Through the Looking Glass is the sequel to Alice in Wonderland.  Here is a short excerpt from Through the Looking Glass:

“However, the egg only got larger and larger, and more and more human: when she had come within a few yards of it, she saw that it had eyes and a nose and mouth; and when she had come close to it, she saw clearly that it was Humpty Dumpty himself. ‘It can’t be anybody else!’ she said to herself. ‘I’m as certain of it, as if his name were written all over his face.'”

It has also been theorized that Humpty Dumpty was used by the English as a derisive name for King Richard III who was famously hunchbacked.  We know Richard III well as you will recall we read Shakespeare’s Richard III in September.

https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/humpty-dumpty/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/10/23/why-is-humpty-dumpty-an-egg-an-investigation_a_23253276/

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/02/28/humpty-dumpty/

In Social Studies we discussed the current situation in Israel and explored how the state of Israel was established after World War II in 1948.  We also discussed grievances held by the Palestinians.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wo2TLlMhiw

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Michael

 

Humpty Dumpty: The Real Story

(Humpty Dumpty is at a Cubs game with his brothers Lumpty and Jumpty at Wrigley Field sitting on the right field wall. It is a sunny day, with a few clouds, in the middle of October).

Harry Larry: Here we go folks!  It’s Game 7 of the World Series here at Wrigley Field in Chicago, between the Chicago Cubs, and the Boston Red Sox. It’s 3-2 Boston in the bottom of the 9^th inning and the tension is so thick, you can cut it with a knife.  Holy cow!  I haven’t had this much fun since that Budweiser truck crashed into my house last year.  The Cubs need one to tie and two to win.  The runner Baez is on first with Cubs first basement Anthony Rizzo up to bat facing Red Sox pitcher Clarence Sale who has just taken over in relief.  Two outs.

Humpty: (enthusiastically) It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame!  C’mon Rizzo, you can do it!

Jumpty: (shaking voice) No it’s not!  Every time the sun pops out from behind the clouds, it scares me!

Lumpty: Relax Jumpty, you’re always so jumpy.  Maybe you should try decaf.

Jumpty: I’m scared of decaf!

Vendor: (yelling) Popcorn! Get your popcorn!

Jumpty: (jumping and falling back into his seat) Ahhh!  Don’t scare me like that!

Vendor: (palms upward toward the sky) Nothin’ I can do about it.  It’s my job. Popcorn!  Get your popcorn!  Hey, who are you guys?

Humpty: I’m Humpty Dumpty – because I have a hump.

Jumpty: And I’m Jumpty Dumpty – because I’m nervous.

Lumpty: And I’m Lumpty Dumpty – because I’m huuuuuuuuge!

Vendor: Humpty, Jumpty and Lumpty Dumpty eh?

Humpty: (removing straw hat and singing) I’m Humpty.

Jumpty: (removing straw hat and singing) I’m Jumpty.

Lumpty: (removing straw hat and singing) I’m Lumpty.

Vendor: (rolling eyes) And I’m outta here!  You guys are stranger than a monkey on a tricycle.

Lumpty: I sure did miss being at the old ballpark.  All last summer I couldn’t even go to a ballgame because of COVID-19.  But, I made up for it by having a great Fall.  How about you, Humpty?  Did you have a great fall?

Humpty: Eh, it was mediocre at best.

Jumpty: (nervous) Maybe things will turn around for you this year.

Humpty: Let’s hope so.  But, I remain aware of numerous eggistential threats. 

Harry Larry: There’s a long drive.  It might be!  It could be!

Jumpty: Humpty look out!  Oh my God!  I’m so scared!

Lumpty: Get yourself together Jumpty!

(The ball hits Humpty and he starts wobbling on the wall)

Humpty: Oh God!  The old ball in the head dilemma.

Harry Larry: It isn’t!  Is that Humpty Dumpty?  It seems it is!  Humpty Dumpty has stopped a home run that would’ve won the World Series for the Cubs!

Lumpty: Way to go Humpty!  You stopped the game winning home run.

Humpty: (wobbling) I’m gonna fall!

Lumpty: Oh well.  (Shrugging shoulders).  If you’re gonna make an omelet you gotta break a few eggs.

Jumpty: (chewing on knuckles) Who’s making an omelet?  Omelets scare me.  They’re even more yellow than me (points two thumbs at himself).

(Humpty falls to the field.  We hear a scream, a thud and then a cracking noise)

Jumpty: Oh my gosh! Someone call 411and get the number for 911.

Lumpty: (pulling out cellphone) Hello?  411?  Could I please have the number for 911?  Oh, it’s 911?  Yeah, I guess that makes sense.  Hello?  911?  I need an ambulance at Wrigley Field pronto!  Humpty Dumpty has been hit by a baseball and is lying on the warning track in front of the 368 sign in right/center field.

(We hear sirens in the background as Humpty tries to get up with little success.  Paramedics arrive carrying a stretcher)

Paramedic 1: Okay!  Out of the way!

Paramedic 2: Coming through.

(Humpty Dumpty is loaded onto the stretcher)

(Sign saying “The following day at the hospital”)

 Humpty: (on a bed in the hospital.  Lumpty and Jumpty are by his side)I’m finished!  I’ll never be whole again.

Lumpty: Cheer up Humpty.  It’ll be alright (Makes several ridiculous faces in order to brighten Humpty’s mood)

Humpty: Thanks Lumpty.  You really crack me up.

Dr. Spatula: (entering suddenly, carrying a clipboard) Hello!  I’m Doctor…

Jumpty: (screams) Oh my God!  Who is that man frightening me to death?

Dr. Spatula: As I was saying, I’m Doctor Spatula.  Humpty.  I’m afraid I’ve got bad news and worse news.  Which do you want to hear first?

Humpty: Give me the bad news.

Jumpty: (jumping up and down, biting knuckles) Oh my God!  So scared!  So scared!

Dr. Spatula: Humpty, I’m afraid you only have 24 hours to live.

Humpty: Twenty-four hours to live?  What could possibly be worse news than that?

Dr. Spatula: I’ve been trying to get ahold of you since yesterday.  Ha!

(Jumpty steps forward, looks into the camera doing his best version of “The Scream” and runs down the corridor into a wall and collapses on the floor)

 Humpty: There’s nothing that can be done?  Are you sure?

Dr. Spatula: I’ve even called all the King’s horses and all the King’s men.

Lumpty: And what did they say?

Dr. Spatula: They said that they couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.

If there’s anything we can do to make you more comfortable please let me know.  In the meantime, there’s a practical matter that we must address.

Lumpty: What is it Doc?

Dr. Spatula: If you are willing Humpty, we can donate your body to the Chicago Area Food Depository.

Humpty: Why would I do that?

Dr. Spatula: Why, you’ll be able to feed those that are hungry in the greater Chicago area.

Reporter: (bursting into room) Humpty?

Humpty: Who else could I be?  Look at me!  I’m a giant cracked egg.

Brad Dirt: Hi Humpty.  I’m Brad Dirt from WIND television.  Are you familiar with our programming?

Humpty: (deadpan) Yeah, well you know what the wind does.  Wait a minute.  I know you. I went to school with your brother Burt.  How’s he doing?

Lumpty: Burt Dirt?  Really?

Brad Dirt: I’m afraid Burt is no longer with us.

Humpty: He’s not?

Brad Dirt: No.  I’m afraid Burt’s in the dirt.

Humpty: Oh my God!  What happened?

Brad Dirt: It was a horrible badminton accident.  I don’t like to talk about it.  (Moving forward).  Now Humpty, what do you plan to do once you are released from the hospital?

Humpty: According to Doctor Spatula here, I’m not going home.  Maybe you should talk to him.

Brad Dirt: Dr. Spatula?  Can you elaborate on Humpty’s condition?

Dr. Spatula: Well, it seems that when Humpty fell out of the right field bleachers at Wrigley Field, he sustained multiple lacerations and contusions that resulted in a plethora of hematomas that will render further inhabitation on planet Earth fundamentally problematic.

Brad Dirt: Could you say that in English?

Dr. Spatula: He’s going to die.  Even if the injuries weren’t so severe, he’s contracted a fatal case of Covid.

Lumpty: I told you to wear a mask!

Humpty: I couldn’t find one that would stretch all the way around my head!  Besides, I don’t trust in Science.  I like to follow my yolk.  It doesn’t matter now anyway.  I’m going to that big egg carton in the sky.  I’m no longer an egg – I’m toast.

 (Jumpty bursts back into room)

Jumpty: (excitedly) Here, Humpty, these are for you.  (Throws paper bag to Humpty).  Maybe they’ll help.  (Scurries away and begins jumping rope in the background).

Humpty: (opening bag).  Let’s see what we have here.  It’s a roll of Live Savers. (Holds packet of Life Savers up to the camera and then tosses them against the wall).  Thanks for nothing Jumpty.  (Covering eyes).  It’s getting dark!  I’m slipping away!  Mom?

Lumpty: You can see Mom?  Man, I haven’t seen her since 1997.

Brad Dirt: What happened to her?

Lumpty: She died at a family picnic (tears welling in eyes) – an egg toss that got out of hand.

Humpty: Dad?  Dad, is that you?

Lumpty: That’s Dad he’s speaking with.  We lost him on Halloween when we were young – thrown against a gym teacher’s window.  He didn’t have a chance.

Humpty: Here I go to the other side.  I’m so eggcited!  Remember me as a source of protein.

(Humpty dies)

Brad Dirt: And that’s it folks.  Humpty Dumpty is dead!  We’ll not see his like again.  Any final words Lumpty and Jumpty?

(Jumpty drops the jump rope, gets as close to the camera as possible, opens his worried eyes wide, turns around and runs directly into a wall and collapses)

Jumpty: (sadly, from the floor where he lies after having fallen) I’m a shell of my former self.

Lumpty: He was a good egg.

 

(Fade)

Dear Parents,

We have begun reading Pam Ryan Munoz’s Echo which will likely be our final novel of the year.

Our current book Echo takes place in Germany, just after Hitler has taken power in 1933.  We discussed propaganda and viewed a short film explaining how propaganda works and how it has been used in films and newsreels over the years.  In particular, we focused on the seminal film Triumph of the Will which was used to forward the Nazi ideology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7hJVaTW45M

We also explored the elements of propaganda which include:

• Name Calling – Links person to negative symbol in hopes that the audience will reject the person or idea on the basis of that negative symbol with no evidence.
• Card Stacking – Use of statistics, often one-sided manner. It is biased because it leaves out important information that is crucial to drawing an informed conclusion.
• Glittering Generalities – Name calling in reverse, seeks to make us approve and accept without examining evidence.
• Plain Folks – Appeals to regular people.
• Bandwagon – Tries to convince audience that everyone else is doing it so they should too.
• Transfer – Projecting positive or negative qualities onto a person to make the other seem more acceptable or discredit them.
• Fear – Disaster will result if the audience doesn’t follow a particular course of action.

We continue to prepare for a standardized test next week by reviewing the following concepts and providing examples of each in the books we have read this year (Richard III, To Kill A Mockingbird, In Cold Blood, A Raisin in the Sun, Whistling Past the Graveyard, The Crucible and Echo)

• Author’s point of view – refers to who is telling or narrating a story. A story can be told from the first person, second person or third person point of view. Writers use point of view to express the personal emotions of either themselves or their characters.
• Main idea – The main ideais the point of a paragraph. It is the most important thought about the topic. To figure out the main idea, ask yourself this question: What is being said about the person, thing, or idea? The author can locate the main idea in different places within a paragraph.
• Similes – a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox).
• Alliteration – the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. “the alliteration of “sweet birds sang””
• Mood – In literature, moodis the feeling created in the reader. This feeling is the result of both the tone and atmosphere of the story. The author’s attitude or approach to a character or situation is the tone of a story and the tone sets the mood of the story. Atmosphere is the feeling created by mood and tone.
• Rhyme – a popular literarydevice in which the repetition of the same or similar sounds occurs in two or more words, usually at the end of lines in poems or songs. In a rhyme in English, the vowel sounds in the stressed syllables are matching, while the preceding consonant sound does not match.
• Assonance – the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in nonrhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible (e.g., penitence, reticence). “the use of assonance throughout the poem creates the sound of despair”
• Imagery –language used by poets, novelists and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader. Imagery includesfigurative and metaphorical language to improve the reader’s experience through their senses.
• Onomatopoeia – the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle).
• Allegory – a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. (e.g. The Crucible and McCarthyism)
• Metaphors – a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
• Prefixes – an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix un- is added to the word happy, it creates the word unhappy.
• Personification – The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

In Math, we continue to review the following skills in preparation for our standardized test which will be administered later this month:

• Long division
• Multiplication of mixed numbers
• Division of mixed numbers
• Area and circumference of circles
• Mean, medium, mode and range
• Inputs/Outputs
• Mathematical patterns
• Expanded form
• Ordering of whole numbers, decimals and fractions
• Types of angles
  • Right
  • Acute
  • Straight
  • Obtuse
• Perimeter
• Ratio
• Graphing

We also looked at an article about the megalodon, a primitive member of the shark family in order to sharpen our understanding of percentages and decimals

In Science, we looked into the element Iridium and looked into the parts of an atom including:

• Nucleus – the positively charged central core of an atom, consisting of protons and neutrons and containing nearly all its mass.
• Protons – a stable subatomic particle occurring in all atomic nuclei, with a positive electric charge equal in magnitude to that of an electron, but of opposite sign.
• Electrons – a stable subatomic particle with a charge of negative electricity, found in all atoms and acting as the primary carrier of electricity in solids.

In Social Studies, we looked at the Haymarket Square Riot which occurred in what is now Chicago’s Greektown in May of 1886.  We discussed the history of unions in the United States and their function.  Last fall when we visited Graceland Cemetery, we visited the grave of former Governor John Altgeld who pardoned several men accused of anarchy in the Haymarket riots.  This was an unpopular move at the time, causing him to lose his reelection bid.  However, Altgeld is now celebrated as a hero by laborers around the world.

http://www.illinoislaborhistory.org/the-haymarket-affair

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-03-16-9903160060-story.html

https://gracelandcemetery.org/tour-map-biographies/john-altgeld/

We also returned to playing a bit more chess as the year comes to an end.  Moving forward, we will examine the life that is connected to each of the pieces.  This week, we focused on the King by looking into the life of King Henry VIII of England.  Some things we learned included:

• He was born on June 28, 1491
• Henry was married six times to the following women:
  • Catherine of Aragon
  • Anne Boleyn
  • Jane Seymour
  • Anne of Cleves
  • Catherine Howard
  • Catherine Parr
• Henry executed two of his wives – Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard
• His daughter Elizabeth ruled over the English empire for 45 years from 1558-1603
• He established the Church of England
• Henry was a talented musician
• He died on January 28, 1547

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewLpXw6uN28

We are continuing to accept any books you wish to donate to Bernie’s Books.  We are already donated the books that I have purchased for the class over the course of the past 3 years.  If you have any books that you would like to donate, please send them to school with your child.  Once all books have been donated, I will be bringing them to a Bernie’s Books drop off location in Mount Prospect.  Books for all age levels are welcome.  Thank you in advance for any contribution you may be able to make. in which we will attempt to get books to less fortunate children.  For a brief overview of the program please visit their website at:

https://www.berniesbookbank.org

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Michael

Dear Parents,

We have concluded our reading of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible this week.  We also completed a comprehensive exam on Friday.  We have also explored McCarthyism in the United States in the 1950’s.  Additionally, we completed our viewing of The Crucible film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and we also watched an episode of The Simpsons lampooning the Salem Witch Trials.  We also happened upon a Monty Python video in which the witch trials were satirized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjRsYk00tGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4DyQTSsUU4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_l5ntikaU

We will be moving on to the novel, Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.  Below is a review of the novel:

https://www.penningtonlibrary.org/book-review-echo-pam-munoz-ryan/

We will be preparing for a standardized test later this month by reviewing the following concepts and providing examples of each in the books we have read this year (Richard III, To Kill A Mockingbird, In Cold Blood, A Raisin in the Sun, Whistling Past the Graveyard and The Crucible):

• Drawing conclusions
• Author’s point of view
• Main idea
• Similes
• Alliteration
• Mood
• Rhyme
• Assonance
• Imagery
• Onomatopoeia
• Allegory
• Metaphors
• Prefixes
• Personification

In Math, we continue to review the following skills in preparation for our standardized test which will be administered later this month:

• Long division
• Multiplication of mixed numbers
• Division of mixed numbers
• Area and circumference of circles
• Mean, medium, mode and range
• Inputs/Outputs
• Mathematical patterns
• Expanded form
• Ordering of whole numbers, decimals and fractions
• Types of angles
  • Right
  • Acute
  • Straight
  • Obtuse
• Perimeter
• Ratio
• Graphing

We also looked into mathematical rates using statistics about the Great Wall of China.  We also saw a short film on the history of China’s Great Wall.  Additionally, we uncovered the following facts about the wall:

• The wall is largely located in the northern part of China
• Construction of the wall began 2300 years ago
• The Great Wall was largely built to defend against Mongolian invaders and to protect Silk Road trade
• The walls between 16-26 feet high
• The wall has a tower every 500 meters (1,640 feet) which allowed defenders to shoot arrows at attackers

https://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EotbKqZmBuY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23oHqNEqRyo

In Science, we looked at a picture taken earlier this week when President Biden and his wife Jill Biden visited former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn in Atlanta.  Afterward, we discussed how images can be distorted depending upon where figures are placed, and the type of camera lens used.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/us/politics/biden-carters-photo.html

We also looked into the chemistry and engineering implemented in transforming ordinary sugar into cotton candy.

https://theraptorlab.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/the-science-of-cotton-candy/

We are continuing to accept any books you wish to donate to Bernie’s Books.  We are already donated the books that I have purchased for the class over the course of the past 3 years.  If you have any books that you would like to donate, please send them to school with your child.  Once all books have been donated, I will be bringing them to a Bernie’s Books drop off location in Mount Prospect.  Books for all age levels are welcome.  Thank you in advance for any contribution you may be able to make. in which we will attempt to get books to less fortunate children.  For a brief overview of the program please visit their website at:

https://www.berniesbookbank.org

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Michael

Dear Parents,

We are well on our way to completing our reading of The Crucible.  We will also be dovetailing our study of The Crucible with a continued investigation into the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s.  In order to better understand the McCarthy hearings, we will provide some context by exploring the following events:

• The trial and conviction of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

https://www.theguardian.com/world/1953/jun/20/usa.fromthearchive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxmsBePZwHY

• Birth of Rock n’ Roll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TsYPVVDEiA

• Korean War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxaegqvl4aE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIobfyaiAUU

• Construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway

https://greatlakes-seaway.com/en/resources/for-students-and-educators/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYvBD-rBnUk

• Brown vs. Board of Education

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGHLdr-iak

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka

• McDonald’s opens

https://www.thestreet.com/markets/history-of-mcdonalds-15128096

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygM3DFucj5o

• Murder of Emmitt Till

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjr6XLcCXgU

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/emmett-till-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0vClQa1Hw

• James Dean is killed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wnxM1qg76Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5k29d9Gcc

• Jonas Salk develops the polio vaccine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tncrBZp0dxM

 

Our next book will be Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.  Copies of the book have already been donated so there is no need for you to purchase a copy.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t&ei=UTF-8&p=is+there+a+movie+of+echo+by+pam+munoz+ryan%3F#id=2&vid=b97d2e9ba55920616eb4897ec29584a0&action=click

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t&ei=UTF-8&p=is+there+a+movie+of+echo+by+pam+munoz+ryan%3F#id=3&vid=96713deb7c2326d34c711ffdd56839e1&action=view

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t&ei=UTF-8&p=is+there+a+movie+of+echo+by+pam+munoz+ryan%3F#id=7&vid=bd16df39daca96bb56e83050eb104353&action=view

 

In Science, we learned about how overfishing in the Bahamas is threatening the future of conch which is a large part of Bahamian culture.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/conch-decline-overfishing-the-bahamas

 

In Math, we worked on ratios by studying how Nike has developed a strap-on sneaker for people with disabilities.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2021/02/03/nike-unveils-hands-free-sneakers-for-those-with-special-needs/29179/

 

We also covered percentage by looking at microscopic quartz crystals.

https://www.minerals.net/mineral/quartz.aspx

 

Additionally, we looked into why Los Angeles is referred to as the “City of Quartz.”

https://archinect.com/news/article/122585949/the-days-of-infinite-thinking-what-city-of-quartz-means-for-los-angeles-25-years-later

 

In the upcoming week, we’ll look at how the following cities received their nicknames:

Chicago – The Windy City

Cincinnati – Queen’s City

New York – Big Apple

New Orleans – The Big Easy

Seattle – Emerald City

Las Vegas – Sin City

Denver – Mile High City

Boston – Beantown

Detroit – Motown

Philadelphia – City of Brotherly Love

Pittsburg – Steel City

Houston – Space City

 

We are working on a short video that we will be making for the end of the year entitled: Humpty Dumpty: The Real Story.  It will feature Humpty Dumpty at Wrigley field and a post crack-up interview.

We are still collecting books for Bernie’s Books.  If you would like to donate a book, you can drop it off in the foyer or send it to school with your child.

Dr. Michael

 

Dear Parents,

We have begun reading Arthur Miller’s The Crucible this week.  Along the way, we have learned the following things about the Salem community in the 17^th century including:

• There was an incentive for townspeople to accuse their neighbors of a capital crime in that if someone were executed, their land would be seized by the state and sold at a more than reasonable price.
• The Puritans despised the color red
• The Puritans had no ritual capable of washing away one’s sins
• Puritans founded Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635
• Puritans did not celebrate Christmas
• Puritans believed in fairies
• Adultery was sometimes punished by execution
• Puritans like to drink alcohol. The Mayflower had more alcohol aboard than water
• Pilgrim hats did not have buckles, contrary to the common depiction
• Pilgrims named their children after the morals they wished them to uphold (Faith, Goodness, Praise God etc.)
• Puritanism died out in the mid-1700’s
• Puritans believed in predestination – the idea that God had already decided who would and would not be going to heaven upon their death

https://study.com/academy/lesson/hypocrisy-in-the-crucible.htmlhttps://www.ducksters.com/history/colonial_america/puritans.php

https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/11/10-things-didnt-know-puritans

We also did a virtual tour of Salem, Massachusetts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmSQA0cFF3Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eio5waWGwcs

In Math, we investigated percent using hot air balloons.  Additionally, we learned how to determine supplemental angles by looking at the development of roller coasters.

On Friday, we played the 24 Game.

As the year comes to an end, I will be reviewing all the Math concepts we’ve learned over the course of the past three years.  I may even send some worksheets home if I feel that it may be of some help to individual students.  These skills will include, but not be limited to the following:

• Long division
• Multiplication of mixed numbers
• Multiplication of fractions
• Division of fractions
• Sequencing
• Division of mixed numbers
• Area and circumference of circles
• Mean, medium, mode and range
• Algebraic concepts
• Perimeter
• Area
• Types of polygons
  • Triangles
  • Quadrilateral
  • Pentagons
  • Hexagons
  • Octagons
• Triangles
  • Right
  • Acute
  • Isosceles
  • Equilateral
  • Scalene
  • Obtuse
• Types of Quadrilaterals
  • Rectangle
  • Square
  • Rhombus
  • Parallelogram
  • Trapezoid

In Social Studies, we continued reading a New Yorker article about Senator Joseph McCarthy entitled, “Joseph McCarthy and the Force of Political Falsehoods.”

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/03/joseph-mccarthy-and-the-force-of-political-falsehoods

We also watched a video of the McCarthy hearings and discussed similarities and differences between them and the Salem Witch Trials which we are covering in The Crucible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svUyYzzv6VI&t=43s

In Science, we learned about how bottles containing Covid-19 vaccines are being made with stronger glass so as to insure that they will not be damaged in transit.  We also visited the world’s deepest indoor diving pool which is located in Poland and is 148 feet deep.

We continue to accept any books you wish to donate to Bernie’s Books.  We are already donated the books that I have purchased for the class over the course of the past 3 years.  If you have any books that you would like to donate, please send them to school with your child ASAP.  Once all books have been donated, I will be bringing them to a Bernie’s Books drop off location in Mount Prospect.  Books for all age levels are welcome.  Thank you in advance for any contribution you may be able to make. in which we will attempt to get books to less fortunate children.  For a brief overview of the program please visit their website at:

https://www.berniesbookbank.org

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Michael

Dear Parents,

We’ve had an extremely productive week here at Plato Academy.  In Reading, we have completed Whistling Past the Graveyard.  Along the way, we have learned about the following:

• Gateway Arch in St. Louis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6iMtjPliHY

• Cuyahoga River Fire in 1969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU_AFnCuj_o&t=85s

• Ozark Mountains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw_NqBdLtDo

• Smokey the Bear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU3n3ZTEMN0

• Weeping Native American Public Service Announcement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0sxwGlTLWw

• Miami Dolphins Become the NFL’s Only Undefeated Team

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfswgvcP-Ug

• Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHv4WaHtRZA&t=79s

• Death of President Lyndon Johnson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97K89uvtE48

• Viet Nam Peace Accord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPa9wDetXSI

• President Nixon Announcing the End of the Viet Nam War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXTiz8F6S5E&t=63s

• Resignation of President Richard Nixon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqlLeRseh8o&t=528s

In Math, we worked on a puzzle entitled “SumTotal” in which students must plug in numbers to achieve a total at the bottom without having identical numbers next to each other.  I’ve taken a picture of the puzzle along with the solution if you wish to try your hand.

We also reviewed the previously covered Math concepts:

• Long division
• Multiplication of mixed numbers
• Division of mixed numbers
• Area and circumference of circles
• Mean, medium, mode and range

On Friday, we played the 24 Game which continues to be a fan favorite.

In Social Studies, we continued viewing a video chronicling the Salem Witch Trials which dovetails with our reading of The Crucible.

https://www.amazon.com/Salem-Witch-Trials-Kirstie-Alley/dp/B071JX8KGX/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=salem+witch+trials&qid=1617974751&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

We also read a biography of Senator Joseph McCarthy and attempted to understand the phenomenon that was McCarthyism.  We also watched the following video explaining McCarthyism and its implications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35IugBYH04

In addition, we investigated the 156^th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qAeFjCscRY

Adjacently, we looked into the coincidences between the administrations and assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and attempted to determine which were true and which were embellishments or outright falsehoods.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/linkin-kennedy/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=277CTqHTWiU

In Science we learned how scientists are using bacteria from the human body to make cheese.

https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/scientists-cheese-human-bacteria-article-1.1526332

We also learned how Tasmanian devils are making a comeback in Australia

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tasmanian-devils-reintroduced-mainland-australia-180975997/

Rick Wittmer (our school attorney, former Plato teacher, current Plato parent, and School Board member) has graciously volunteered to take the lead in a workshop to assist students researching and developing their essays for Law Day 2021.  He will be coming to our classroom on April 19^th and 20^th.

We are currently accepting any books you wish to donate to Bernie’s Books.  We are already donated the books that I have purchased for the class over the course of the past 3 years.  If you have any books that you would like to donate, please send them to school with your child.  Once all books have been donated, I will be bringing them to a Bernie’s Books drop off location in Mount Prospect.  Books for all age levels are welcome.  Thank you in advance for any contribution you may be able to make. iThe purpose of Bernie’s is to get books into the hands of less fortunate children.  For a brief overview of the program please visit their website at:

https://www.berniesbookbank.org

Have a relaxing weekend.

Dr. Michael

Dear Parents,

We’ve had a great week here at Plato Academy! In Reading, we have continued Whistling Past the Graveyard, making our way to Chapter 23.  Along the way, we have learned about the following:

• How Ford Motor Company knew about the dangers of the early 1970’s model of their Ford Pinto and made no changes in order to save money

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qjM0CQTBn4&t=313s

• How Pagan holidays became Christian holidays

https://historycollection.com/10-christian-holidays-beliefs-steeped-pagan-traditions/

• The life and death of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUVt500aY5A

• The life and death of gangster John Dillinger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZqM-XVY5KE

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph4YK5_86P8

• Roe v. Wade Supre4me Court decision

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHv4WaHtRZA

• Haunted Archer Avenue in Chicago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKfG1QkB_XQ

• My Lai Massacre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osW9U36KkDs

Students also continued to work on their autobiographies.

With the conclusion of Whistling Past the Graveyard next week, we will be reading Arthur Miller’s The Crucible which chronicles the Salem Witch Trials of 1893.  We will also be looking into the McCarthy hearings which took place in the U.S. Senate in the 1950’s which sought to uncover Communist sympathizers in Hollywood, academia and the U.S. government.  In writing The Crucible, Miller used the Salem Witch Trials as a metaphor for what was happening politically in the United States in the 1950’s and to expose demagogues like Senator McCarthy who demonized their opponents as a way of elevating his own fortunes.  We will be looking at the price that was paid by many, who became unfortunate victims of the “witch hunt.”  We will also be delving into adjacent subjects such as:

• Korean War (causes, resolution, impact on the world today)
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg espionage case
• Cold War
• Those most negatively impacted by the Red Scare including:
  • Dalton Trumbo
  • Pete Seeger
  • Orson Welles
  • Lena Horne
  • Charlie Chaplin

https://www.history.com/news/7-famous-victims-of-the-hollywood-blacklist

I have the books in hand so there will be no need to purchase them.

In Science, we learned how iron, from abandoned coal mines that seeps into river waters is being used to create paint.  You can access the article below using the access code: WVC6B46

https://scienceworld.scholastic.com/issues/2020-21/041221/painting-with-pollution.html?

We also read an article from The Guardian which details how sperm whales were actually able to outsmart whale hunters in the 19^th century, reducing the kill-rate by 58%.  It seems that the whales became wise to the fact that they were being hunted by humans and escaped by swimming against the wind in order to flee, something that vexed human predators who depended upon wind at their backs to propel their sailboats.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/17/sperm-whales-in-19th-century-shared-ship-attack-information

Additionally, we looked at efforts to protect sacred Native American lands in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and Northern Canada.

We also investigated efforts being made to ward off large hornets that appear to be making their way to the United States from eastern Asia – specifically Japan and Korea.

In Social Studies, we discussed the trial of Officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis.  Chauvin, as you know has been charged with 2^nd degree murder in the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vksEJR9EPQ8&t=331s

We also viewed an excerpt of a video chronicling the Salem Witch Trials in advance of our reading of The Crucible.

https://www.amazon.com/Salem-Witch-Trials-Kirstie-Alley/dp/B071JX8KGX/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=salem+witch+trials&qid=1617974751&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

In Math, we explored a “Magic Circle” in which numbers from 1 to 33 must be arranged in concentric circles so that each of the circles adds up to the same sum.

https://benvitalenum3ers.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/yang-hui-magic-circle-part-1/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5nPwWkrQBY

Also, in Math we conducted an experiment to determine if our unconscious minds play a part in assisting us in locating numbers in a mosaic.  We used two number mosaics.  With the first, we located the numbers from 1 to 90 in order, without using a pencil to cross out those we’d already located and used stopwatches to determine how long it took us to do so.  We then looked at the second number mosaic and did the same.  Among all students, it took significantly less time to locate numbers 1-90 in the second mosaic.  We subsequently learned that mosaic number two had been designed so that a repeated zig-zag pattern allowed us to locate the numbers more readily.  In short, 1 would be located in quadrant #2, 2 would be located in quadrant #3, 3 would be located in quadrant #1 and 4 would be located in quadrant #4.  The placement of numbers 6,7,8 & 9 would also be located in quadrants 2,3,1 & 4 respectively and the pattern continued until we arrived at 90.

 

This pattern was established to manipulate our unconscious brains, helping us to find the numbers more expeditiously.  We then discussed how our unconscious brains may be tapped into in the following instances:

• Subliminal advertising
• Repetition of untruths in the media
• Learning in a classroom environment
• Avoidance of dangerous situations

You can find the number mosaics we used among the photos at the top of this newsletter.

We will be undertaking a service project in tandem with Bernie’s Books in which we will attempt to get books to less fortunate children.  More details will follow shortly.  For a brief overview of the program please visit their website at:

https://www.berniesbookbank.org

Have a restful weekend.

Dr. Michael