"There is no force on Earth more powerful than the will to live." A Ralston

We just launched our latest Read it Forward, Between a rock and a hard place (the book the movie 127 Hours was based upon, if you did not know that) and all the copies are gone!  I hope you're one of the lucky ones to get it; if not, ask a friend to pass it along after they've read it.

We have some really great activities paired up to go with Aron Ralston's story.  First, we'll have a guest speaker from REI come and talk to the outdoor adventure classes as well as Dr. Hauwert, a professor from Southwestern University in Georgetown, talk to us about the caves underneath McNeil.

That's right; there are caves under our school.  And drumroll.....this is the biggest coup OF ALL TIME.  Dr. Hauwert has agreed to take a small group through the caves.

We are so excited we can hardly stand ourselves.

Actually, Mrs. Bligh and I haven't stopped high-fiving ourselves since  Thanksgiving break.

Stay tuned for the details on the cave exploration/ pick-up project!

If you've been under a rock and have no clue what I'm talking about with all the rock/cave stuff, check out Aron's blog (who doesn't have a blog these days?) or watch the clip below in which he discusses being trapped between a rock and a hard place (lest you think the title was merely figurative) while on a hike, alone, in Utah's Canyonland National Park.

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it - Hunger Games official trailer!

Periodic Table fun!

The chemistry classes visited the library this week (it's about time!) and we had fun.  Well, I know I did.  We managed to get through the general trends of the Periodic Table and the classes presented their fascinating facts.

Many students dazzled their classmates with their knowledge.  Which was the goal, after all.

Some of my favorite facts:
1. Police officers are referred to as "cops" because back in the day, they wore copper buttons.
2. The Statue of Liberty has 62,000 pounds of copper.
3. Radon was found in 1 out of 5 classrooms in a study done up north.  That's 73,000 classrooms!

I'm looking forward to the next unit wrap up covering chemical bonds.  I need my own chemistry text book!

As for what I'm reading now...

It is SO funny!  Paul Feig's memoir of growing up in the 70's is hysterical.  One of my favorite lines: at Christmastime his father says, "Anyone over the age of 18 who expects a Christmas present needs to have their head examined."

Amen.

And poor Paul, he had to dress as an elf for a Christmas play in 1st grade.  Since his father ran an army surplus store, that's where his costume came from.  He was an olive green elf with oversized socks covering platoon-shaped boxes on his feet.

God love him.

If you don't know, Paul Fieg is the creator of Freaks and Geeks, one of best shows of all time.  And that's no exaggeration.  After reading this book, I know where his material comes from - his life!

Here's a clip of Sam preparing for his dramatic entrance into school with his new John Travolta leisure suit.  About 5 years too late.

I am so geeking out on this Periodic Table of Videos

The Periodic Table of Videos - University of Nottingham

Check it out - it links to videos on *every* element. It makes chemistry fun!

Which reminds me, for those elementally interested, and especially challenged, check out The Disappearing Spoon. I've picked up all kinds of interesting tidbits, like the fact that Lewis and Clark (and followers) were tracked 100 years after their expedition by the mercury left behind from their, ahem, deposits (after ingesting a "medicine" with mercury). It makes chemistry fun, too!

And we're back!

We love the beginning of the year.  We see all our Mavericks, ready - and dare I say eager?- to check out books. 

Shew! Orientations are done (snooze fest, even for us) and it’s on to the fun stuff!  We’ve worked with several students checking out books – modern classics, creative non-fiction, psych-nonfiction and more.  Our hottest books right now are Hunger Games  and Tweak – along with In Cold Blood.  Check out these book trailers on the above titles.

Nic Sheff on his decision to write Tweak: have you heard that he has a new book out?  We All Fall Down -  we have it!)

Ellen Hopkins discussing why she began writing for young adults.



Hunger Games is coming to a theater near you! (March 2012)  Is it possible that the trailer doesn't do the book justice?  Why yes, it is.  Here's hoping the movie lives up the book!

Rock the Casbah and boy, do I feel smart

Ms. Phillips & Mrs. DK came to Mrs. Bligh and I and said, "Hey, could you put together a unit on the US' foreign policy towards the Middle East, Truman through Obama?  We only have one class period."

"Sure thing!" I was so naively enthusiastic.

After a couple of weeks of going back and forth and trying to come up with some really awesome project that would relay all the complexities of the many different situations in the Middle East, we came up with Plan B.  Make a timeline.  Turns out - it was really good!

All classes worked their rear ends off, researching their president and then summarizing main points within each presidency, and in turn presenting to the class.

Too bad I can't make this sound as exciting as it was.  And it was exciting.  Trust me.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm a librarian and lead a boring life.

Mrs. Bligh brought in the Arabic remake of the Clash's Rock the Casbah, Rock el Casbah. For the story behind this song, read this article on Wikipedia.  Yes, Wikipedia.  The song tells of a Sharif outlawing rock music, only to have the people defy him and rock the casbah.



Here's the original,  filmed in Austin...

Ever had to drink horse urine?

And we think we have it rough.  There were members of China's Liberation Army forced to drink horse urine on the Long March because they *literally* (Parks and Rec, anyone?) had nothing else.

Mrs. Bligh and I took that little nugget (which stuck with me for the gross factor, obviously) and many more we learned from reading Jean Fritz's China's Long March along with :

Jung Chang's Mao: The Unknown Story (both GREAT books, though you have to be in it for the long haul to finish Chang's biography - but look through the pictures to learn that Mao never bathed <had his people rub him down with hot towels> nor brushed his teeth.  She uses a picture of Mao laughing heartedly...with his black teeth showing in all their glory.) 

At any rate, the purpose for this post is to tell the story of how, once upon a time, in a land with library assistants to cover the fort while the librarians go to classes (a time never to return?), two librarians dressed as Chairman Mao and Otto Brawn (original, German leader of the Long March for those of you not in the know) - banged on Mrs. Giblin's door and commandeered her class and marched throughout our school simulating the Long March, as best we could.

Once in the library, after drinking "horse urine" (apple juice, really), men falling off cliffs, leaving babies behind with peasants, and the big break between Mao and Brawn, students arrived in the library to complete an info hunt.  From here, Mao lectured from his bed, as he was known to do at the end of his life.

"A revolution is not a dinner party."
Mao Zedong

(but is it a slumber party?)

We so enjoyed working with Mrs. Giblin and Mr. Chenowith on this project - looking forward to next year!  "Down with the Nationalists, Communists unite!"

Interested in learning more about this fascinating country?  I'd like to recommend:

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
On Gold Mountain by Lisa See
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan also by Lisa See
Chinese Lessons by John Pomfret
and of course anything by Amy Tan

DISCLAIMER: above links are to Amazon but I'm not suggesting you buy them - CHECK THEM OUT FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY (big smile).