Photos from MPX Exhibition in Wood Hall

Why are some social movements successful (like the legalization of gay marriage, for example) while others (like stopping global climate change) are not? 

Students in MPX Humanities worked in teams to write social movement theories that answer this question. Then then created works of art in silhouette to visually explain their theories. Last week they presented their art pieces and theories in the newly remodeled Wood Hall. 

Thank you to over 100 parents and community members for attending and hearing them out! 

Full photo gallery is here: http://gallery.midpac.edu/High-School/MPX/MPX-10-Social-Movements/

Students also visited the library this week and learned how to search books in the genre of non-fiction. 

MPX Combined STEM & humanities had our last visit to KVIBE.  All eight bikes are now ready to race! 

Doing history through art

Our Social Movements Illustrated Exhibition is Monday Nov. 23rd! All family, friends, and community members are invited to join us in the newly renovated Wood Hall from 4-5 pm.

Last week MPX students sketched drafts of their final artworks expressing social movements. They were visited by students from the advanced art classes for consultations on their work. The MPX students said the feedback was incredibly helpful and adjusted their art based on the feedback.

Top 3 benefits of the bike shop classroom

On Friday we went to Kvibe bike shop where students worked on prepping their bikes to race. It was great to see them getting to test ride their bikes now that the breaks are all working properly.

Top 3 benefits when your classroom is a bike shop:

#1: Real-world experts. Galen is a mechanic with a wealth of knowledge. He works one-on-one with the students to get their bikes up and rolling.

#2: Getting Dirty. Here Kelsi and Dan are getting greasy in the shade. 

#3: Physical movement. Here Liam, Solomon, Brooks, Aleks, and Dr. Hines are all test riding their bikes.

Integrating "low tech & high tech" in the classroom

Last week in MPX humanities students worked on organizing their notes on the Emancipation Proclamation subjects into outlines and then drafted their papers.  Here Kelsi did a beautiful job with this "low tech" outlining strategy of cutting up her notes and glueing them into the paragraphs she needed. Beautiful job citing your sources Kelsi!

In MPX STEM/Humanities combined, students completed their infographics explaining how global climate change affects various species and presented them to the class.












Finally, in a high-tech after-school opportunity, Dane, Brooks, and Cole attended a training with me on how to use the school's new 360 go-pro camera. Moving into second semester we are going to try to plan a project which utilizes this incredible resource.

Project teams fighting? Create Collaboration Norms

We constantly ask students to work in teams.  It is hard for them. It is frustrating when other people in their groups don't pull their weight or pull too much weight and dominate the project. 

 This week in humanities students worked on infographics explaining how climate change is affecting various species around the world, which required them to brainstorm, listen to one another, try ideas, discard ideas, and eventually create a product together. Many adults would really struggle with this task! 

    In our combined STEM/Humanities classes teams face a bigger challenge because they are asked to use design thinking and power tools to make products that actually moves and functions. This week on our field trip to KVIBE bike shop in Kalihi students worked in their year-long teams to change out the headsets and clean the ball bearings on bikes they will actually race in the spring. 

This week students journaled about what they think is required for good collaboration. Above is the impressive list they came up with and the conversation about teamwork in class was powerful.  They know what it takes to collaborate, sometimes it is just helps to have it written on the wall to remind all of us to be hard on content, soft on people. These kids should teach adults how to work together!

3 Things You Never Did in High School

This week at a birthday party I found myself once again getting excited describing what is happening in our class. The birthday girl looked at the photos on my phone and said "I never did anything like that in high school!" Did you do any of these things in high school? 

#1: Use power tools

Students in MPX 10 combined STEM/Humanities continued to use grinder, welders, recip saws, and hand sanders as they worked on their bookshelf projects. Check out Matt's power stance!

#2 Worked with experts in the field

Ross Mukai, Mid-Pacific alumni class of 2003 works 1 on 1 with the students giving them advice on their bookshelf designs. Ross is founders and owner of Oahu Maker's Space (http://oahumakerspace.com) and problem-solver extraordinaire. 

#3 Debate historical events in character

This week in MPX Humanities we started exploring social movements. How is a social movement different from a revolution? What makes social movements successful? Here students debated whether or not President Lincoln should sign the emancipation proclamation and then made a timeline of events that led up to that fateful decision.

For more pictures follow @davislauradavis on Twitter.

Best 4 MPX photos of Oct 3-8

This week we culminated our Revolution event with a series of plays both written and performed by the MPX10 students. We performed for the 5th graders who chuckled extensively at the play's jokes and asked questions at the end to push the MPX10 students about their research and thinking.

Please watch the plays here!

Start School Late Revolution (Aleks, Priscilla, Isabel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDoGOp1HLhY

Cheap Lunch Revolution (Zoran, Michael C., Matt, Chaz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq0GK1gQe00

No HW (Nicole, Dan, Kelsi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b40Cu6W6QXY

Skateboard Revolution (Shannon, Max, Solomon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk122Tomo-c

PE Credit Revolution (Cole, Dane Brooks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itvypcwOur0

Dress Code Revolution (Kainoa, Ben, Avi, Michael B.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcZa_uljMFY

Off Campus Revolution (Ian M, Kai, Ian G.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFINAkTOlKI

No Homework without Representation (Liam, Kody, Landon, Kahiau)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQG4MeKXab0

In MPX10 Humanities/STEM combined we are still working on our bookshelves. Huge thank you to Greg Kiyan for coming to help us again this week Matt photo credit to Matt Erickson who took the initiative to apply his passion to photography to our class this week!

See more class pictures @davislauradavis

8 best MPX photos of Sept 28-Oct 2

It is a good week so far in MPX10! In MPX humanities, students are working on their year-long free reading assignment. They are aiming to complete 8 books by the end of the quarter on Oct. 8th and had a Monday visit to the library to learn about the "Classics" category from Ms. Goff the librarian. Students are also rehearsing for their plays on revolutions! They got costumes borrowed from the MPSA program. 

In MPX10 STEM/Humanities students are still working on cutting wood, metal and building their book shelves. We are using earplugs and eye protection when using the recip saw and grinder. We would love to have parent-volunteers on our build days which are usually Weds 1-2:25 and Fridays 8:15-11:15. Please email ldavis@midpac.edu. 

As always, follow @davislauradavis on Twitter for daily photos of MPX students at work.