Olympian Article About Growing Local Food

John Dodge wrote a nice article in today's Olympian about growing and eating local food.  A number of local non-profits have joined forces for a series of events this fall called Focus on Food.  The culminating event will be a day-long food summit held October 15.

You can read John Dodge's article here.

More information about Focus on Food can be found at Sustainable South Sound's website here.

Here's the truth, kids: candy and soda pop are not good for you.  Mr. Gacek says: Eat Your Veggies! 

New Yorker Profile of the Rwandan National Cycling Team

Everyone should read this article, but I would especially recommend it to those of you who were present for Rachel's presentation on Rwanda in Geography last spring.  The article will give you a good sense of how the genocide continues to affect the country.  The poverty of the country is also starkly portrayed in the article.  However, the article is not depressing.  It's about how a few Rwandans--some Hutus, some Tutsis--have committed themselves to the sport of cycling and are starting to emerge on the international cycling scene.  It's all quite fascinating.

You can read The New Yorker article here.

The author of the article is Philip Gourevitch.  Gourevitch wrote the book We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, which was about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.  You can read an exerpt from the book here.

NPR's List of 100 Greatest Fantasy/SF Novels of All-Time

This is a pretty great list.  Over 60,000 people voted on the titles, so the list reflects popularity.I've read a bunch of them but certainly not all of them.  You'll note there are no children's or YA novels on the list: No Narnia, no Harry Potter, no Golden Compass, no Eragon, etc.  Ender's Game, interestingly, was allowed in and ended up at #3.  Obviously there's not a clear dividing line between YA and Adult.  There are a lot of classics on the list, and there is a lot of stuff on the list not suitable for kids.  However, if you're a genre fan and looking for something to read, you will find a lot of great ideas on this list.

You can find the list here. 

Mr. Kenis is off to Hungary

Well, Mr. Kenis has left Olympia and is currently driving through California.  He will leave for Hungary from Los Angeles in a few days.  You can follow his adventures by reading his blog here.  Leave comments on his blog so he will know people are reading.  Have a great trip, Mr. Kenis!

Little League Baseball in Uganda

The New York Times published a fascinating (and sad) article about Little League baseball in Uganda.  In short, the team became the first team from Africa to qualify for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.  Alas, the team was denied visas into the United States because some players' birth dates were recorded inaccurately. 

It's a shame Uganda won't be allowed to play.  Still, it will be interesting to see if the game continues to grow in Uganda.  That's the great thing about baseball: there's always next year.

I would encourage you to check out the article here.

Brandon Mull to speak at Olympia Barnes & Noble

Brandon Mull, author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series, will be at the Olympia Barnes & Noble Friday, June 17, from 5-7 PM.  He will be hosting a "Creativity Workshop" and signing books.

If you're a fan of the books, this is your chance to meet the author!

The Barnes & Noble listing can be found here.

Summer Reading

Here's what I'll be reading this summer:

1.  Black Swan Green, by David Mitchell: A chronicle of the year 1982 for a 13-year-old boy in rural Great Britain.  Half-way through; it's fabulous.

2.  Okay For Now, by Gary D. Schmidt: A companion of sorts to The Wednesday Wars, which I loved.  Lots of buzz.

3.  The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht: The best reviewed book of the year so far.   Obreht was born in the former Yugoslavia and grew up in the U.S.  She is 25 years old.

4.  Palestine, by Joe Sacco: A graphic novel documenting Sacco's experiences visiting the region in 1991-2.

5.  Holes, by Louis Sachar: The beloved middle grade novel.

6.  Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Septys: A historical Young Adult novel about Baltic peoples forcibly removed from their homelands under Stalin and sent to Siberian prison camps.  A sad story, one would imagine.  

SF Write #3

It is predicted by Ray Kurzweil that by 2061 the Singularity will have been in effect for 16 years. You all will have a different take on what this will mean. SF Write #3 will incorporate the ramifications of the Singularity into your story. The characters and world you created for SF #1 & #2 will continue into SF #3. In SF Write #3 your protagonist will have a confrontation with intelligent technology. If you think the Singularity will occur according to Kurzweil's prediction, you can write SF #3 along those lines. If you think the Singularity will not occur or will take a different form, you can incorporate your own ideas related to technology into your story.

You can choose the setting for SF Write #3 and you can choose what you want the piece to be about. SF Writes #1 & #2 were descriptive pieces. SF Write #3 is closer to a story. There must be some sort of resolution following the protagonist's confrontation with technology. You can not leave the story on a true cliff hanger.

The Singularity is Near

Grossman, Lev.  "2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal."  Time.  10 February 2011.



Ray Kurzweil (Larry Busacca/
Getty Images)

 1:  Define the following terms:   

     a)  Singularity

     b)  Artificial Intelligence

     c)  Exponential Curve

     d)  Telomere

2:  Answer in complete sentences:

     a) Why is Kurzweil sure the Singularity        

     is coming?

     b) How does Kurzweil see humans extending

     their lives indefinitely?

     c) What are some potential drawbacks to the

     Singularity?

     d) What do you think about the ideas

     presented in this article?  Do they make you

     more excited or more fearful for the future?  Explain.

Read more about the Singularity at The Singularity Hub.

Students Raise $1,500 for Nova Library

Nova students Aaron F. and Jackson C. initiated a fundraiser for the Nova Library for their Taekwondo Black Belt Project.  The fundraiser was a kick-a-thon in which participants were asked to collect pledges for the number of kicks they could perform in a two-hour period.  Six Nova students participated in the kick-a-thon:

Aaron F.  3, 728 kicks

Jackson C. 2,711 kicks

Danny D.  2,871 kicks

Sam S.  2,328 kicks

Danny R.  2,085 kicks

Rachel H.  1,862 kicks

Anjali V., Surabhi M., and Alex E. also collected donations for the kick-a-thon.  In all, $1,500 was raised.  These funds will be used to add to the collection of the Nova Library.  Thank you to all participants and to all members of the community who contributed!  Your generosity is much appreciated.

Country Presentations

You will be presenting your research on your country to the class.  You're slideshow must contain the following information:

Title/Name/Date
Map of Country
Basic Facts: population, area, language, religion, capital, largest city, etc.
Physical Feature or Region Spotlight: 3 facts + picture
City Spotlight: 3 facts + picture
Animal Spotlight: 3 facts + endangered status + picture
8 Historical Events (multiple slides)
Biographical Spotlight: 3 facts + picture
Cultural Spotlight: 3 facts + picture
Current Issue: What is the issue?
                      Why is it an important issue?
                      What did you learn about the issue?
                      What is being done regarding the issue?
                      What do you think should be done regarding the issue?
Summary: What do you find fascinating about the country?

You will also need to print a bibliography with your sources listed using proper bibliographic notation.

Geo Quiz #38: South American Physical Features

Andes Mountains (Wikimedia Commons)

Andes Mountains, Mt. Aconcagua, Amazon River, Orinoco River, Rio de la Plata, Parana River, Guiana Highlands, Lake Maracaibo, Lake Titicaca, Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego, Atacama Desert.

SF Write #2

The year is still 2061. Your alter ego is downtown in what today we would call Olympia, Washington. Your piece begins with your alter ego at a specific location downtown. Describe the location and what your alter ego is doing there. Your alter ego will then make his or her way through the city to a second location. Describe people they see, modes of transportation, and the city itself: buildings, structures, etc. Finally, describe the destination your alter ego reaches. Your alter ego must purchase something at this destination. Describe what they purchase and how much it costs.

Like SF Write #1, SF Write #2 is a descriptive piece. It doesn’t need any more plot than what is given above. However, the piece must be consistent with SF Write #1.

SF Write #2 is due Wednesday, May 4. It must be typed and conform to Mr. Gacek’s standards for typed papers.

Geo Quiz #37: Canada Capitals

Edmonton, Victoria, Winnipeg, Fredericton, St. John's, Halifax, Charlottetown, Ottawa, Quebec, Regina, Yellowknife, Whitehorse, Iqaluit.

Geo Quiz #36: Canada Provinces and Territories

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, Nunavut.

A blank map of Canada can be found here.

Recommended Science Fiction Films and Series

 These films and tv programs are generally appropriate for a middle school audience.  R-rated films have been excluded.

Films:

Avatar (2009)

Wall-E (2008)

Serenity (2005)

Minority Report (2002)

AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

The Iron Giant (1999)
Back to the Future (1985)
Explorers (1985)
E.T. (1982)
Star Wars (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

TV Series:

Fringe (2008-present)

Lost (2004-2010)

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

Firefly (2002)

The X-Files (1993-2002)

Star Blazers (1979-1984)

Star Trek (1966-1969)

The Outer Limits (1963-1965)

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Masdar: Futuristic City



Ouroussoff, Nicolai.  "In Arabian Desert, a Sustainable City Rises."  New York Times.  25 September 2010.

--Interactive Graphic

--Slideshow of Photographs

What does the author of this article feel are the drawbacks to this type of development?

SF #1

The year is 2061. Your alter ego is attending school in what today would be called Olympia, Washington. Describe a day at school for your alter ego. The narration must be in the first person. Your letter must contain the following:

1. 5 adverbs, underlined
2. Description of the physical school itself
3. Description of at least one class
4. Description of at least one teacher
5. Opinion of the narrator of the effeciveness of the school

This piece must be at least a page in length. It should follow Mr. Gacek's standard requirements for typed papers.

Geo Quiz #35: Caribbean

Countries: Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica.
U.S. Territory: Puerto Rico.
Capitals: Nassau, Havana, Port-Au-Prince, Santo Domingo, Kingston, San Juan.

Geo Quiz #34: Central America

Countries: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaraguea, Panama.
Capitals: Mexico City, Belmopan, San Jose, San Salvador, Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, Managua, Panama City.