Tag Archives: Scobie

Summarize THIS! (Scobie)

In this long-running developmental writing class, you’ll be able to start right where you are as a writer, and then improve all your fundamental skills. 

What do we write? 
In Summarize THIS, we listen to an audio or video source piece several times (excerpts from This American Life, The Moth, and other well-produced audio/videos are common). Listening to the piece, you’ll take notes, make a draft summary, and improve it using a custom checklist created just for your current writing skill set. The idea is to communicate as much of the piece as possible in a limited number of words. You’ll often have time in class to get started, but you’ll probably need to spend more time to produce your best work, so work with your advisor to plan for that!

Then what?
After writing each piece, you’ll respond to a very detailed edit of your original work to further improve it.

For most students, it’s at least a few hours of work each week OUTSIDE of class, but a great investment in becoming an effective listener, logical thinker, and competent, efficient writer.

  • Credit for the class requires all summaries to be complete and up to the standards in your checklist.
  • If this is a repeat class for you, no problem, you can take it as many times as you want…. but I’ll be asking you to up your game!

Geometry (Scobie)

In this year-long PSCS class, we’ll establish and refine basic elements of geometry and geometric definitions. We’ll learn and refine geometric drawing techniques while looking at the practical math and beauty of angles and shapes. We’ll also continue to explore systems of measurement for distance, angle, slope, area, and volume, linear and non-linear equations, graphing,  and visual & algebraic proofs.

The class will finish in the spring with a unique introduction to the core principles of Trigonometry as inspired by an insightful New Zealand math curriculum.

  • Some algebra is required. If you have the equivalent of a high school Alg.1 class, you’ll be fine as long as you’re willing to work to revive your skills. If you have only the bare essentials of algebra, you’ll need to be willing to work hard at some specific sections of the class, but there will also be large parts of the class that don’t require any algebra at all.
  • expect occasional in-class tests, quizzes, and puzzles
  • expect collaboration on some work
  • be able to maintain a quiet non-social work environment when asked
  • of course there is outside work most weeks; a full credit of HS math requires some work outside of class. How long it takes has a lot to do with your strengths, supports, and commitment to learning efficient work strategies.

Bamboo Structures: Flightful?, Floating? Flapping? (Scobie)

Lashing a Bamboo Trellis - FineGardeningBamboo Pole Banner Stock Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from DreamstimeGentle Giant Buka

I’ve been curing a big sheaf of bamboo, some of it almost twenty feet long, for over a year, hoping we might get to do an all-natural-materials structural project. The time has come.

By combining the incredible strength of bamboo, “nature’s carbon fiber,”  with the tensile strength of hemp or sisal strands in the form of cord we can create awesome tension-compression structures!   And the opportunities for graphic design and decoration of these structures is also too good to pass up!

Options include flags and banners, large and small traditional Japanese kite forms, and possibly kites from other traditions as well, and, wait for it…. a skin-on-frame boat we can paddle and/or sail!

In our opening class, we’ll take a look at our team, and I will demonstrate some of our materials options, and we’ll start to prioritize and design our projects to fit the size of our class and the time we have to work.

If you join this class, be prepared to:

  • work indoors with tools, sometimes in the shop
  • run structural tests and try out ideas for different materials and techniques
  • learn lashing knots and lacing skills
  • possibly work outdoors in the “cage” or in front of the school on the walkway, depending on what shape and size of boat we design
  • contribute labor, design ideas, artwork,
  • help out with finding additional materials we might need

Shop Life (Scobie)

If you like making things, fixing things,  and  being competent with tools, you should always take as much Shop Life as you can possibly get your hands on! Here’s what we’ll be doing:

  1. Learning about tools and the skills to use them effectively and safely.
  2. Working on improving, organizing, stocking, and cleaning our ever-developing shop.
  3. Contributing to the school and our larger community with fixes, furniture, and projects.
  4. Completing projects that result in gifts you can give to yourself or others.
  5. Possibly learning about our new CNC cutting machine, when to use it, and for what. (If you wish to use this aspect of the shop, please understand there may be significant outside-of-class work to learn about drawing and preparing cut files)Outside work is elective and almost entirely voluntary in this class, almost never assigned.
  • Outside work: See course description above