BASIS Phoenix – Term Projects April 12, 2014 Dear Students and Parents, We are nearing the home stretch of an amazing second year at BASIS Phoenix, and it is time to choose a project for Project Week, which will be May 16-22 (with early release at 1:15 pm). These one-week courses are exciting and allow you to expand your educational scope beyond the traditional classroom setting. With your parent, carefully read through the project descriptions on the following pages and choose your top three favorites. Complete the registration form as well as the liability waiver, if applicable. Return the completed forms to the Front Office by Friday, April 18. Please note that some projects have grade restrictions due to specific requirements. Term projects will be filled with preference going to students in the highest grade level. We will do our best to assign students to one of their top three choices. Adjustments to payments will be made once projects have been assigned. Any student who does not turn in a form will be assigned a project based on space available. All students with an outstanding balance on their SMART account will be reassigned to a free project based on space available. Important: The projects are meant to be an enriching learning opportunity; however, students will receive a Pass/Fail grade at the end of the project period. The major criteria for evaluation are participation in the activities and cooperation with peers. In order to be promoted to the next grade, students have to receive a Pass grade for their project. Students who fail or are not present for the project are required to complete an assigned alternative project over the summer. Only students who fulfill the requirements of the alternative project will be promoted to the next grade level.
Transcript
BASIS Phoenix – Term Projects
April 12, 2014 Dear Students and Parents, We are nearing the home stretch of an amazing second year at BASIS Phoenix, and it is time to choose a project for Project Week, which will be May 16-22 (with early release at 1:15 pm). These one-week courses are exciting and allow you to expand your educational scope beyond the traditional classroom setting. With your parent, carefully read through the project descriptions on the following pages and choose your top three favorites. Complete the registration form as well as the liability waiver, if applicable. Return the completed forms to the Front Office by Friday, April 18. Please note that some projects have grade restrictions due to specific requirements. Term projects will be filled with preference going to students in the highest grade level. We will do our best to assign students to one of their top three choices. Adjustments to payments will be made once projects have been assigned. Any student who does not turn in a form will be assigned a project based on space available. All students with an outstanding balance on their SMART account will be reassigned to a free project based on space available. Important: The projects are meant to be an enriching learning opportunity; however, students will receive a Pass/Fail grade at the end of the project period. The major criteria for evaluation are participation in the activities and cooperation with peers. In order to be promoted to the next grade, students have to receive a Pass grade for their project. Students who fail or are not present for the project are required to complete an assigned alternative project over the summer. Only students who fulfill the requirements of the alternative project will be promoted to the next grade level.
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BASIS Phoenix Term Project Catalog – 2014
African Inspired Masks
Students will design and construct a mask inspired by images of African and Pacific Northwestern masks. The students will also form a society; within that society they will choose a name, symbol, family structure, economic system, religion and roles for each of the society’s members. When creating their societies, “Their imagination is the limit!”
Instructor: Mrs. Rieser # of students: 30 Cost: $30 Location: Art 2
Art and Physics Constructables Come visit the nexus between physics and art and you will find the beauty of symmetry, the wonder of light and energy, and the dimensions of space and time. Together we will write with light—engineering simple pin-hole cameras and planetariums—as well as listen to energy by constructing the electronic instrument used in haunted houses and Vincent Price movies alike, the Theramin. We will also explore space-time by building a paper galaxy using a variety of folding and cutting techniques.
Instructor: Ms. McClain # of Students: 30 Cost: $40 Location: Art 1
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The Beady Bunch Are you creative, artistic, and stylish? Come learn about the basic concepts of making beaded jewelry including bracelets, earrings and necklaces, and apply this knowledge to making jewelry of your own design. Students will get to select the beads and design and construct their own jewelry. Over the course of the term project, the level of difficulty of design and construction will increase. All jewelry created by the students will be theirs to keep and enjoy. Come prepared to inspire and be inspired!
Instructors: Ms. Holtzman and Mrs. Levy # of Students: 30 (Grades 6-10) Cost: $35 Location: Room 09
Board Games Have you ever had an idea in your head for a brand new game, but didn’t have the time to make it? Then this is the project for you! Students will start by playing a whole gamut of games on the first day—getting ideas from the many great board games out there. Then they will go through the process of creating their own board games: brainstorming, designing, building, playtesting, and even marketing. On the final day, the students will play each others’ games and give each other feedback on what could make these games better. Perhaps we’ll even choose one to mass-produce for the BASIS community and beyond!
Instuctor: Mr. Neufer # of Students: 30 Cost: Free Location: Room 5
Chemistry & Biology in Medicine This project will give students an opportunity to see how classroom biology and chemistry topics relate to modern medicine. The goal is the help them further develop their love of science and see how it connects to the world around them. It will be a combination of lecture and video presentations in addition to classroom discussions. Topics discussed will not be heavily technical, but the
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depth of conversation can be adjusted based on student interest and background knowledge.
Topics may include pacemakers, biologic medicines, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and personalized diagnostics.
Instructors: Dr. Ruben and Mr. Estess # of Students: 30 Cost: Free Location: Chemistry 2
Chess Explorations The game of chess is played by people of all ages all over the world. Chess is very old—over 1000 years old—and yet perfectly matched to our world, with thousands of games going on over the internet at any moment. Mr. Wharton, who will be guiding these explorations, is a master level player with over 30 years of experience teaching and coaching school chess players and teams,
including at least ten national champion scholastic teams. He has also spent untold hours investigating and dabbling in "chessic" activities, "just for fun", or "just because."
This project will be a tour of "chessic" activities, "just for fun", or "just because." It will include: looking at problem solving with pawns; some chess and math connections; some chess and logic type problems; some chess variants (two-move, progressive, monster, Vegas, and/or others). It will include some competing, mostly, just for fun.
Instructor: Mr. Wharton # of students: 30 Cost: $10 Location: Room 06
Chinese Language & Culture Exploration This project is designed for 5th and 6th graders as an introduction to Chinese language, history, and cultures. Students will be introduced to the pin yin alphabet, Chinese characters, and simple greetings through activities communication and song. They will create Chinese themed crafts and basic calligraphy. The students will watch movies and educational videos to explore the history and culture of China. Students will also experience Chinese cuisine.
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Instructors: Mrs. Smetanick & Ms. Adkisson # of students: 30 students (Grades 5 & 6) Cost: $50 Location: Room 01
Cinema & Socrates Finding one’s individuality and ‘coming of age’ are common themes reflected in film and literature. To examine these concepts in depth, students will view films and documentaries from different eras that reflect these motifs. Through Socratic circles and creative projects (posters, graphic art novellas, drawings, journals, poetry, short stories, scrapbooks, etc.), students will further explore how these topics relate to their own experiences.
Instructor: Ms. Querciagrossa # of students: 30 students (Grades 8-11) Cost: $15 (plus the cost for any tangible work product supplies the student needs) Location: Room 14
Critical Thinking and Design Students will work together on three projects throughout the week: skyscrapers, egg vehicles, and bridges.
Skyscrapers: Following a limited set of rules and using only recycled materials, teams will compete to earn points in certain categories: height, load support, wind resistance, etc.
Egg vehicles: The rules become a bit more specific in this exercise requiring teams to build a vehicle to support an egg. The team that can drop theirs from the greatest height, while minimizing the harm to the egg, wins.
Bridges: After spending a few days with their teams, they will be put to the ultimate test building a fully functional bridge. The bridge will be built from balsa wood and glue only. It will have strict requirements for size and weight. This project will require some forethought and drafting and most importantly, sound construction techniques.
Who can build the ultimate bridge?
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Instructors: Mr. Miller # of students: 30 Cost: $45 Location: Physics 1
Epic Battles of Roman History Fight the battles of Scipio! Embark on the campaigns of Julius Caesar! We will discuss the strategic and tactical implications of the battles of Cannae, Zama, Munda, Teutoburg Forest, and many more. Then we will fight those battles, using Rome: Total War for our battle simulations. Laptops will be provided.
Instructor: Mr. McCorkle # of Students: 30 Cost: $30 Location: Room 11
Greece – Pre Departure Project This project is specifically for those students who will be going on the Greece trip. Students will view various historical documentaries on Ancient Greece. In preparation for our trip, we will catch up on international news and review readings on current economic affairs. To immerse ourselves in the classics, we will read excerpts from Homer’s The Iliad. We will also read Pericles’ Funeral Oration; then we will compare these works to edited dramatizations. On a lighter note, time permitting, we will also watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding and sample some Greek cuisine.
Instructor: Mr. Morgan # of students: 15 (only students signed up for the Greece Trip) Cost: Free Location: Room 03
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The Happiest Project on Earth!
The students will take part in a survey of all things Disney. They will learn about Disney past and present, while engaging the media used by The Walt Disney Company. We will discuss the animation studio, the theme parks and today’s Disney. The students will learn to draw classic characters, listen to soundtracks, and sample animation shorts and full-feature films. Throughout the week students will create their very own Disney short. They will storyboard, script, and animate their creation through a handmade flipbook.
Instructors: Ms. Brown & Mr. Buchanan # of Students: 30 Cost: $10 Location: Room 12
Health, Nutrition and Fitness The purpose of this project is to educate students about proper nutrition and fitness. Students will learn about general nutrition and its effects on the human body, exercise regimens, and making balanced meals. This project incorporates physical activities such as cardio, strength training, and sports. Students must wear appropriate workout attire.
*This project requires a resistance band for each student. Resistance bands normally cost between $10 -$20. Please obtain a resistance band appropriate to the student’s strength and height. Students also need to bring a water bottle each day. A signed waiver of liability form is required in order to participate.
Instructor: Mr. Irwin # of Students: 30 Cost: Free Location: Room 16
Human Anatomy In this project, students will have the opportunity to study human anatomy through lectures, readings, coloring labs, and a dissection. The goal is to give the students an understanding of anatomical terms and human body systems.
Lion Dance Students will learn about the traditional Chinese Lion Dance. The Lion Dance is part of Chinese culture and is performed on many special occasions such as Chinese New Year. As part of the class students will learn traditional dance steps, performed in unison to animate the lion. Students will also learn to play traditional music on drums which accompany the dancers.
Participants will work together in small groups to design and execute the construction of several lion costumes. Costume designers will learn aspects of Chinese culture and incorporate culturally significant artistic elements into each lion costume. Students will perform the Chinese Lion Dance using their costume on the final day of Project Week.
Instructors: Ms. Homan & UMA Staff # of students: 32 Cost: $30 Location: Theater
Mathematical Art – How to Doodle Correctly Have you ever found yourself doodling while talking to your friends on the phone? Well we’re here to tell you that YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IT WRONG THE WHOLE TIME!! Doodling (when done properly) can be more awesome and interesting than you ever imagined and (despite your best efforts) you might learn something wonderful about math. If you have ever wondered what stars, snakes, and snowflakes have in common, then this project is for you.
Together we will learn (and invent) some wonderful doodles as well as explore some classical and beautiful mathematical images that you can make on your own. From fractals to space-filling curves to mobius strips, we will open up a whole new world of doodles so that the next time you are bored you will know how to make it way more awesome.
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Instructors: Mr. Dahlgren & Mr. Komarinski # of students: 30 (Grades 6 – 11) *Not available to those students who did this project last year Cost: Free Location: Room 7
Project Runway Step aside Heidi and Tim! Aspiring fashion designers at BASIS Phoenix are working the catwalk during project week. Designers are both creators and models of fashions constructed without the use of a sewing machine. And just like the reality television show, the BASIS fashion innovators compete with each other to create the best clothes while being restricted in time, materials, and theme.
Instructors: Mrs. Hardy & Mrs. Slayton # of students: 30 Cost: $30 Location: MS Science & Biology 2
Rhinestone It! Join Mrs. Morris to learn how to rhinestone practically anything. Learn the ins and outs of putting a little bling in your life. You will be taught how to create your own designs and how to select suitable rhinestoning materials. You’ll start by rhinestoning a picture frame and then flip flops to wear this summer. In the following days students can bring in what they would like to add some flash to: cell phone cases, license plate covers, accessories, hair clips, head bands, watches, etc.
An acrylic picture frame, flip flops, glue, rhinestones, and other craft materials will be included in the cost. Just bring in your own items to rhinestone.
It’s Soccer Time! The world’s number one most popular sport is truly global and has legions of fans all over the world. We will look at how and why soccer has achieved this status. Soccer has played an important role in culture, society and politics. This project will focus on the history and development of soccer in various parts of the world. We will watch movies such as Atletico San Pacho, Bend It Like Beckham, Gracie, Super Soccer Skills, La Magia Del Mundial: 100 Anos de Clasicos, and discuss how soccer has influenced the world. Students will also learn the basic skills of soccer in the field and have a final match at the end of the term project.
A signed waiver of liability form is required.
Instructors: Mrs. Williams and Ms. Owanga # of Students: 20 Cost: $15 Location: Room 17
Softies! Softies are cute, cuddly creations made out of a variety of materials. Using patterns and a little creativity, we will sew together a softy that you can give to a friend or to keep you company over the summer. Students will learn sewing and embroidery basics to make these adorable creatures. So if you like arts, crafts, and cute things, this is definitely the project for you!
And, yes, it is bigger on the inside. Come on in! Join the Doctor and his companion as they travel throughout space and time. Students will watch poignant episodes of Dr. Who, and delve into the structure of episodes and characters of the Whovian universe.
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Students will then write their own mini-episodes, which they will perform on the final day of Project Week.
Depictions of Truth, Beauty and Memory “Up until now everything around here has been, well, pleasant. Recently certain things have become unpleasant. Now, it seems to me that the first thing we have to do is to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant.” – Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross
“There is no such thing as memory: the brain recalls just what the muscles grope for - no more, no less - and its resultant sum is usually incorrect and false and worthy only of the name of dream.” – Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
If memory is elusive and truth is beauty, then how do we make sense of the ways these ideals converge and diverge to find our own truth and beauty? Through Socratic discourse, our class will interrogate classical and post-modernist representations of truth, beauty, and memory in the narratives of poetry, prose and film.
World Domination 101 Warning: Ample sarcasm in use This short course is designed to provide the requisite background knowledge vital to staging a successful world take-over. The class will participate in global exercises that will provide each student, according to acumen, with the adrenaline explosion of annihilating adversaries in military conflicts or, as appropriate, a taste of the agony of devastating defeat on the field of battle.
Participants will demonstrate their military prowess on the field of the standard Risk Board (courtesy of Milton Bradley). Specific, supplemental instruction will be provided by Sun Tsu and Pinky & The Brain.
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Begging for mercy will not be tolerated. Appropriate and tasteful trash-talk is encouraged. Crying will be mocked, and remembered.
This is an introductory course only, and the finer nuances of world domination will be covered in higher level class work. The management is not responsible for ego-crushing sensitivities or hurt feelings during the course of class activities.
Instructor: Dr. Speyer # of Students: 24 (Grades 9-11) Cost: $15 Location: Biology 1
World Food: Manufacturing, Cooking, and Sustainability This mini-course will overview the fundamentals of food production, consumption, and cultural representation in the world – from climate effects on agriculture (what grows where), to strategies for growing enough food for the whole world population, to the processing and distribution (international trade) of ingredients and packaged meals. Connections between food, culture, and the environment will be explored, with students invited to research relevant questions of their own interests and share the findings with their classmates. Project materials will consist of video clips, news publications, collective presentations, and food samples from different cuisines. Students are welcome to bring and share recipes from their own family traditions.
Yoga and Mindful Living Learn about the physical postures in yoga, proper alignment, breathing techniques, and meditation. Maybe even learn some acroyoga poses. Learn the names of poses in Sanskrit and how to write a few of them in Devanagari. Learn what it means to make mindful choices about what you eat, how you spend your time and what you do with your life. Guest speakers/teachers may include an expert in Sanskrit language
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and Vedic Chant, a Naturopathic Medical Doctor, an expert in mindful living, and certified yoga instructors.
Wear comfortable clothing that you can exercise in and bring a mat for yoga. Also, please plan to bring a healthy snack and water every day.
BASIS Phoenix Term Project Sign-Up 2013-14 BASIS Phoenix is pleased to announce that Term Project Week is approaching quickly. Each student will need to indicate their top 3 project choices below. Prices vary for each project, with some being free of charge, and the fee must be paid prior to May 16th. Any students with an outstanding balance on their SMART account will be reassigned to a free project based on space available. By signing this form, you authorize BASIS Phoenix and SMART for Charters to bill your account for the cost of the project that your child is placed in. ____________________________________ ____________ Student Name Grade ____________________________________ ____________________________ _____________ Parent/Guardian Signature Parent/Guardian Name Date Please indicate your Project Week choices below. If there is more interest than spots available, a lottery will take place. 1st Choice ___________________________________________________________________ 2nd Choice __________________________________________________________________ 3rd Choice ___________________________________________________________________ Please return this completed form to the front office by Friday, April 18th. During Project Week school hours will be 8:15 am to 1:15 pm. Early Bird will be from 6:45 am to 8:10 am, and Late Bird will run from 1:20 pm to 4:30pm. Payment Options All Payments to BASIS are made through SMART for Charters. You may use the following methods to pay the concert ticket fees: Mail Payment: SMART for Charters Phone Payment: 877-418-1003
