Wednesday, June 6, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esgfG3BoAPc We watched "The Origin" by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye. We learned the mnemonic devices for the thirteen colonies: Deli sandwich with underwear hanging out Huge pencil punches through the middle like a toothpick pencil strikes the middle of a new basketball jersey The face above the jersey is George of the jungle A huge pair of scissors is cutting off the back of his hair The hair falls into a mass of shoes The last shoe laughs because it is so merry and kicks Santa Claus in the rear He goes head first into a clothes hamper gin runs out of the bottom of the basket Drips all over a big apple The apple takes off in a straight line north Gets into a row boat and rowed to an island This is the mental stack. If you have worked much with mental stacks you already know that one image must connect with the next, Exaggeration and motion are important parts of memory, so when I teach these images I add detail to support it. I have had classloads of kids be willing to learn the mental stack without me even telling them what it represents. When I have finished I tell them, “You did such a wonderful job of learning that mental stack, I bet you I could teach you the 13 colonies in the order that they joined the union, and I bet I can do it in 30 seconds!” They think I am crazy so I have someone time me. then I tell them that the stack they just learned is the answer and it takes about thirty-five seconds to explain what state each image represents. Delaware Pennsylvania New Jersey Georgia Connecticut Massachusetts Maryland South Carolina (Santa Claus initials) New Hampshire Virginny New York North Carolina (line north) Rhode Island Then we learned number-letter code in order to make a peg system. Memorize for tomorrow: 1=t,d 2= n 3= m 4= r 5= L 6= sh, s 7= k 8= f 9= p,b 0= z

Monday, June 3, 2013

World View work is due tomorrow. Have at least one strong paragraph, but better up to one full page. This is a thirty point assignment. Up to ten points extra available for anyone who wants to read a meaningful part of their paper. Bring envelope and address, forever stamp tomorrow- if you can. We will write our graduation letter in class.Ideas were given out in class. Have an address you think will be good for five years in order to get a letter to you. We did choice reading total points today. If you missed, have it ready tomorrow. Grades were updated. Reminders: Monday, June 3, Choice Reading due Tuesday, June 4, D-Day, letter to future self Wednesday, June 5, Letter to teacher done in-class