Voyagers Study Group List

We will learn about different artists and their styles and then make projects in those styles.

Students must be willing to do written exercises as homework every week, as this is an integral part of the language learning process. ]

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Come join me in a study group that will be spent watching classic movies and sharing interesting facts about the movies themselves and the people who made them. I will decide the course content based upon consensus of my group attendees. I consider the ages and interests of participants in deciding what gets shown. I will not show slasher-type horror films because they disturb me.

I don't think there will be any homework, though I ask that people who take this study group are prepared to be involved in discussion after the movie is over. You don't have to intensely analyze every single plot point, just sharing your thoughts and impressions of the films will be plenty.

Two films we will be watching are rated R. The first is rated R solely for language and does not feature any violence nor any sexual content whatsoever. The second, while a comedy, does have very brief violence in two scenes as well as some sexual content, but it is done in the pursuit of farce. The violence in particular is not war-like or done to express brutality, rather it is shown to express how ridiculous the situation in the film has become. The sexual content is not plot integral and I'm very willing to skip over it if people so wish. If people are uncomfortable with my showing this particular film at all, then I can find a replacement, though I would absolutely love to show it as I think it's one of the best comedies of the decade. I'd like to keep these other two movies a surprise, but if you have concerns you're welcome to email and I will discuss them with you.

I also won't be showing anything that will horribly depress you, just because I think it's intelligent. If I show a film, my first reason for showing it will always be because I think it's a good and enjoyable movie. Whether or not it makes you think as well is my second priority.

I can also guarantee popcorn at every movie. =)

Everyone loves wearing a costume. It's even better when you've made it yourself. But how do you do it? Do you know where your sewing machine is? Let's learn how.

We'll learn how to use a sewing machine, from threading it, sewing straight lines, and curves, to making button holes; when to use a hot glue gun, velcro or even hand sewing; even making props. Learn how to adapt patterns to your ideas.

We'll start off with a tunic, and work up from there. If the desire is there, we can move from beginning to more advanced as the skills develop.

The purpose of this study group is for children with an interest in creative writing to come together to share their ideas, inspire each other and have fun writing together. The children will each create a portfolio of writing generated from ideas I will provide in class such as journaling ideas, story starters, story writing games, etc. Some assignments will require each child to write his/her own assignment, others will be collaborative. It is extremely important that the student can work together cooperatively and respectfully with others. Spelling is not important. This is a study group focusing on creative processes and not mechanics.

On occasions when we know a major event is to take place, participants will be asked in advance to pay attention to it. For example, I suggest that we all watch or read transcripts of Barack Obama's inaugural address before the first study group meeting, so we can discuss it knowledgeably. All participants are welcome to draw our attention to other events.

We will also have a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts (probably on a Wednesday afternoon because its free) to check out their mummies and Egyption artifacts. I would like to go see the Mummies movie, but it is no longer showing at the MOS - I'll have to check into that.

I do not expect the kids to do a lot of reading or homework for this one, but there is some fairly technical stuff.

While this course will not be as rigorous as my honors chemistry class, I will expect that students keep up with the assigned reading and be prepared to participate in discussions. There may be some student led discussion.

Optional, but fun: There is a competition called Envirothon, with workshops and a state competition. If there are enough interested people we will form a team and make sure to include the relevant topics in the course of study. There is also a service component to the Envirothon, giving you a chance to "think globally, act locally". If we have a team, those members may have occasional activities which take place outside the usual time and place.

THIS IS A PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL AND MAY BE EDITED IN THE FUTURE

This is an "independent study" type study group. Attendees must have a basic knowledge of sewing and know how to thread/use their own machines. I will have patterns on hand to use, or people can bring in their own. We will make items at people's own pace and people can make whatever strikes their fancy! MUST HAVE YOUR OWN SEWING MACHINE TO BRING TO VOYAGERS

If you are signing your child up for this study, you will be expected to help supervise these sessions.

Come listen to, read, and write poetry like many of the masters. We'll incorporate familiar pieces from famous poets, learn new poems and write and share our own works. We'll be reading and writing various forms of poetry from shape poetry to formally structured poems as well as free verse. Various poetic devices will be utilized in our work.

This group is meant to be an opportunity to discover new ways of expression through poetry from the simple to the complex. Participants are asked to be open to trying something new as well as to the ideas of others. If participants are interested, an exhibit and poetry slam are possible at the completion of the group. No required homework - this is an on site workshop! Propr spelin not rekwired!

We will be going over the basics of game design and game programming with Gamemaker. By the end, each student will have several Gamemaker games he/she can compile into Windows executables, and the skills to make many more.

Near the end I hope to cover some of the hidden workings of Gamemaker and other game programming languages , including things like double buffered graphics.

Note: Gamemaker is not quite free. The basic or "Lite" version is free, but the full version is $20. I am so used to having the full version, that if a student has the "Lite" version, I may forget what he/she can't do with it, and entire class sessions that use features not in the "Lite" version may be irrelevant. Therefore, all students are required to get full version.

The focus of the group is on discussing the books. In addition to topics suggested by the subject matter, we also analyze the works for literary devices, do character studies, place the books in historical context and do background research on the authors. Discussion will also be informed by the use of literature guides. We often read background material aloud together during class time. There is sometimes other class preparation involved, for example when we do role playing or simulations. Expect to read approximately 200 pages per week. Note that although the reading level might be within the capacity of younger members, the subject matter is best suited for those who are teens and older. When in doubt, please consult with me.

If any group members wish to write essays based on any of the books during the course of this study group, I am happy to review and critique these and work on revisions with you. Also, I am taking suggestions for books you would like to study. The list of books will be sent out a couple of weeks before the start of the semester so we can get started right away at our first session. If you want to get a better idea of the type of books we cover, please contact me and I will send you our lists from the last couple of years. Books discussed in Fall 2008 were Poe/Short Stories, Shelley/Frankenstein, McCullers/The Member of the Wedding, Sartre/No Exit, Knowles/A Separate Peace, and Vonnegut/Slaughterhouse 5. --Betsy -- Main.ElizabethFox - 14 Nov 2008

To keep the group from being unremittingly tedious, I also plan to discuss some of the odd and interesting bits of math that you probably won't find on standardized tests: dimensions (1, 2, 3, and more), infinities (yes, there are different infinities), fractals, and who knows what else?

Because being able to do math is often as much a matter of practice as of understanding, you should expect to do several hours of work at home for each hour spent in class. If you really do the work, you should find that understanding actually grows out of the practice.

This study group will need to be a cooperative effort if it's going to run. If you enroll your child in it, please plan to spend some time helping out. We'll coordinate our efforts to make sure each parent, science geek or not, is prepared to contribute in a way that's comfortable for him or her: leading or assisting some days, preparing materials for hands-on activities, coordinating clean-up efforts, etc.]

This class will be designed to teach people with little to no previous experience in Japanese, and it will require plenty of hard work. And by "plenty of hard work", I mean "you'd better pace yourself with the homework, because you're not going to finish it in a single day". By the end of the term, you'll have your hiragana and katakana memorized, along with some basic kanji and functional, simple grammar. There will be drill sessions every class, and a brief grammar lecture; the in-class meetings will be primarily focused on building up oral fluency.

Lastly, and addition to all of that, I intend to make this class as fun and interesting as possible!

Parents will rotate leading this study group. It is expected if you sign up your child, you will run some of the study groups.

We'll read and discuss three works of literature during this study. Expect to read 100+ pages a week at home. After registration I'll contact participants for book suggestions to add to my own list and then we'll vote on which ones to read. Emphasis is on choosing books that participants will ENJOY, at a reading level comfortable for everyone. (Please note:This study is for preteens and teens only, due to potential "mature themes". Reading the assigned chapters each week is required, as is approx half-hour of thinking and writing about what was read, and a final project which I'm considering may be a comparative five-paragraph essay. Don't let this scare anyone off! Expectations will be based on each individual's skills. I will teach them how to write the essay but most of the writing itself will happen at home.)

On The Banks of Plum Creek and By the Shores of Silver Lake

We'll discuss the book (about five chapters each week), and do a related craft activity.

Participants should already know how to play the game, but a complete knowledge of the rules isn't necessary - we'll be looking up rulings and rule changes as we go.

Some of the topics we'll discuss include: probability, deck creation, use of charts, fair ways to play multi-player games, how cards for games like this are designed, why rules change, the difference between cost & value, and what "rarity" means and how it's created.

Some activities will include: designing our own cards, creating decks for particular goals, and recording DECK performance (instead of player performance).

Other games may also be part of this study group, but the primary game will be Magic: the Gathering.

For those who are unfamiliar with the game, a description can be found at http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Multiverse/ but be warned - it is an addictive game whose players like to buy more and more cards.

We'll be watching a variety of movies, from, "Diary Of A Mad Man" (Which is surprisingly funny for a horror movie, seeing as it's so old), to, "The Ring" one and two. I would like to watch one of the old black and white silent films if the group would like to compare the old movies to the new, I would also like to state that a lot of the old ones are simply very silly, so even if you don't like horror, it may be fun to come watch some of the movies with us.

Non-class participation: Anyone in the Monday Coop is welcome to submit cartoons, drawings, stories, photographs, poems, etc. Subject to editing by members of class.

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Part I: Natural Awareness: Each week we'll spend time outdoors observing nature, tracking animals, and keeping a journal of our conclusions. Students should bring with them a small notebook, pencil, and something to sit (and easy to carry!)on to each class. Students should dress to be able to sit still in all weather conditions.

Part II: Teambuilding: We'll work through each of the three phases of the Adventure Education progression of getting to know one another, learning to trust one another and then working together as a team through fun, challenging, and active games, activities and initiatives.

Course Taught by: David Cudmore, Still River Outfitters, Inc

Come play, pretend, act, be someone (or something!)other than yourself for an hour. Theater games and improvisations are great for aspiring actors, public speakers, those seeking to build self-confidence and people who just simply want to have fun. No theater experience required.

We will learn to give speeches based on the Toastmasters model. For each class (except the first week) everyone will prepare 3-5 minute speeches on given topics (such as introducing yourself or your favorite hobby). You will then deliver the speech to the whole class and get feedback on it, such as how many times you said Um or Ah, how well you connected with the audience, etc.

The book we will be using:
"How to Think Like a (Python) Programmer" by Allen Downey is available as a free download at: http://thinkpython.com/

More books of interest:
http://wiki.python.org/moin/IntroductoryBooks

From Cindy Hughes, the instructor: " Class talk is basically about avoiding dangerous situations, what to do if you find yourself in a situation and safely get out of it, being aware of surroundings, etc. Our goal is that avoidance can be successful in at least 90% of the time to stay safe. The other 10% is the physical skills learned which are easy to remember, easy to administer and we give them enough to learn so that if one thing doesn't work, they have another tool they can draw upon. We do spend more than half the time with the physical skills and simulation seems to be everyone's favorite part of the program. We do request that students were comfortable clothes and sneakers to practice the physical drills.

All state colleges in Massachusetts offer RAD classes on their campuses which I think is wonderful. I also bring all kinds of information that students are welcome to keep for their reference.”

I plan to use a variety of materials, from folk tales to kids' book adaptations to possibly the Shakespeare for Kids! series.

This study group will use various building toys such as legos, knex, zoobs, gears and everyday household items to create structures that can be used in the Rube Goldberg contraption. Format is hands-on with no homework required.

If it exists, we will probably take a look at it. Possible authors include Alan Nourse, Philip Dick, Julian May, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Sylvia Louise Engdahl, David Brin, Kate Wilhelm, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Julie Czerneda, and your personal favorites!

There will be a fair amount of reading, a movie or two, and some writing assignments. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions.

I will adapt level to the capabilities and interests of who signs up. Some phenomena are common to multiple biological systems - g-protein action, the role of Ca++ ions in cell signalling processes, the structure of phospholipid bilayers, etc., and all of that crosses over into chemistry, or physics, or biochemistry. My primary interest is in neural function and molecular mechanisms, so that's likely to be the lens through which we examine things, but I'd also like to do a little bit of dissection and some work on understanding dna and genetics. I'll bring the microscope back in a few times so we can prep more slides.

PLEASE NOTE: I do not believe age is relevant here, only ability and interest. Parents, please honestly assess your child's capabilities; if you have any reason to believe that there might be difficulties with any of the skills listed, expect to either be physically and mentally present to help your child, or choose a different activity.

Copying & materials costs will depend on study group content; study group leader will make arrangements with participants if necessary.

From Cindy Hughes, the instructor: “We would run class time and physical practice for the first 6-7 classes and then have simulation where the girls practice what they learned in a realistic situation with a trained simulator. Class talk is basically about avoiding dangerous situations, what to do if you find yourself in a situation and safely get out of it, being aware of surroundings, etc. Our goal is that avoidance can be successful in at least 90% of the time to stay safe. The other 10% is the physical skills learned which are easy to remember, easy to administer and we give them enough to learn so that if one thing doesn't work, they have another tool they can draw upon. We do spend more than half the time with the physical skills and simulation seems to be everyone's favorite part of the program. We do request that students were comfortable clothes and sneakers to practice the physical drills.

All state colleges in Massachusetts offer RAD classes on their campuses which I think is wonderful. I also bring all kinds of information that students are welcome to keep for their reference.”

This study group is open to mothers also, on a space available basis.

It is requested that students wear comfortable clothes and sneakers to practice the physical drills.

Shadowrun is similar to DnD in that it's a tabletop role playing game, however the setting and system are completely different. It takes place in a futuristic world where high technology reigns...sort of. The interesting bit is that magic has returned to the world at this point- and with it, all the magical races. We have ork biker gangs in the same place as cyborgs. In addition, most of the world is connected to the internet at this point, effectively creating it as an alternate plane next to that of the living. In addition to THAT, the Astral Plane has returned along with magic, bringing spirits and gods back into the equation. With this, the factors of resonance (technology) and magic (fantasy) shape the world. Usually they stay apart, but have been combined in strange ways..A dragon was elected President of the United States for a day before he was assassinated, the outburst of magical energy rendering Maryland uninhabitable.

The most important elements are that magic works through belief, and the SINs. If you believe you have your powers because of your faith in a god, you do. If you believe that you get your powers via a special charm or amulet, you do. Belief is what shapes the world of Shadowrun. As for SINs, a SIN is a System Identification Number- without one, you can't work, go to school, or even shop.

The concept is that you play as a SINless, working your way through life as a criminal in employ of one of the Megacorporations that rule the world, usually in operations pitted against another of the corps. Shadowrun goes far more in depth in DnD, your character's beliefs and personality shaping their very powers, at times. It's complicated to get into, but once you do you see the beauty of the system- I prefer this to DnD because of it. Whether you're a hacker, battling with your online persona against firewalls and antivirus software, or a magician , in tune with the Astral Plane who summons spirits to do his bidding, Shadowrun's possibilities are nearly endless.

Americans are known for their eagerness for a new president to succeed. We give each one a “honeymoon”, traditionally suspending judgment for 100 days. “The First Hundred Days” comes from the FDR Administration when Americans of all political persuasions were demanding immediate action, and Roosevelt responded with a remarkable series of new programs in the “first hundred days” of his administration. During those 100 days of lawmaking, Congress granted every "request" Roosevelt asked. What will the Obama administration be able to accomplish? Discussion and assignments will deal with the challenges facing the Obama administration, such as the Economy, Iraq, Health Care Reform, Energy, Poverty, Education, Science, Global Warming, Guantánamo/Detention/Torture, and Executive Power/Orders. LIVE from America – it’s the first 100 days!

This is the first half session.

This is the second half of the semester.