Monday 3/18/2019:
On Monday in Mr. Greenberg’s Quest class, we had our final Socratic Seminar about the topic we chose the week prior. Each section had its own question ranging from serious topics to not so serious topics. My section’s question was: How has the US approached international issues with violence? Specifically, in Vietnam. Section X’s question was: What impacts do wealth and technology have on modern warfare and the people involved? In Mr. Gornto’s Humanities class we were given time to write our essays based on our lit group’s book. In Science, we finished a worksheet where we had to spell words using abbreviations for elements on the periodic table. We also had to figure out where elements are found in the earth and what they can be used in. Monday was a busy day in Quest.
By: James
Proofread By: Haila, Dinah
Tuesday 3/19/2019:
In Quest Science, we watched a video of a really energetic woman talking about where elements can be found, and what makes up an element. In Mr. Gornto’s Humanities class, we were given more time to work on our essay. However, in Mr. Greenberg’s Humanities class, we reflected on all of our previous Socratic Seminars. The night before we were tasked with completing the log: Reflect on your experiences over the past several weeks learning about and engaging in Socratic Seminars. How do you think this experience has strengthened you as a learner and your class as a learning community? Describe what left the most lasting impact on you (new skills, challenges, articles read, and/or questions). My section decided that Seminar helps with public speaking because you have to present your ideas in front of a group; using evidence from the text, and preparing for essays. I think all in all people enjoyed seminar more than a regular class which made this unit fun.
By: James
Proofread by: Dinah, Haila
Wednesday 3/20/19:
Today in Quest: Humanities, both Greenberg and Gornto, we worked on our book group essays. The goal of this project is to write an essay to answer a question your group agreed on. The question must be tied to character, theme, or another main idea. Today, some people finished their essays and were having other people proofread them. Other students were still finishing up their drafts and reading them over themselves. Some groups’ questions are: How have Xian Li-Lin and her father, Xian Zhengying, changed over the course of the book? (Makayla B., Isabella B., Katherine, and Maggie); How does friendship affect survival in The Passage? (Noah and Bella D.); and How does Memory find out the truth of her parents’ murder? And how does the absence of the killer affect the book? (Haila, Moses, Marina, and Nick S.). Although everyone did their own essay, there was a lot of proofreading and combined work in groups, and some between groups. In Quest: Science we had a study hall, which gave us even more time to work on our essays. Overall, today we worked hard on our essays in all three Quest periods.
By: Maggie
Proofread by: Haila
Thursday 3/21/19:
In Mr. Gornto’s Quest Humanities today, everybody was hastily working to finish the literary groups essay that was due at the end of the day. We had to write in the third person and in the present tense. The essay was on the reading groups that we had been working with for the past two weeks. Others who had finished their essay were helping peer edit other students work. If students had done their essay and did not peer edit they would use that time to do work in a grammar book. These pages were not due immediately, but we will come back to them after spring break.
In Mr. Greenberg’s Quest Humanities, we had the time to finish the grammar work that we still had to do. We had a conjoined class with Mr. Gornto during this period. People working on their essays would go to Mr. Gornto’s room, and if you had finished that you would go to Mr. Greenberg’s classroom. If you had finished both the essay and the grammar, Mr. Greenberg would give you an article to read. It was an update on Climate Change. If you read the blog quite often you will know that we had a six week unit where we learned about Climate Change and its effects.
In Mrs. Bruvik’s Quest Science, we played periodic table bingo. Section Y missed Quest science for Meeting for Worship. We have been working on the periodic table for two to three weeks. We have been learning the uses of these elements and their names for the past several weeks. If a student won in bingo, they would receive candy if they wanted.
By: Nick Mandrackie
Proofread by: Haila
