  |
| 8:00
a.m. |
| Muriel
and Emma arrive at school for morning childcare. Middle school
students can sign themselves in, rather than depending upon
their parents. This makes both girls feel independent and empowered.
Because school does not start until 8:30 a.m., they are able
to use this time to fulfill their service hours requirement.
Muriel works on preparing the patio for paving. She spreads
sand on the designated patio area and tamps it down. Emma and
another student meet with the PE teacher to discuss the soccer
drills they will run for the Elementary class tomorrow. |
| 8:15
a.m. |
| Muriel
and Emma move to their classroom and are greeted by their teacher.
Muriel takes down the chairs from the tables and comfortably
positions herself on the couch to review George Orwell's 1984 for
today's seminar. Emma finishes her math homework. |
| 8:20
a.m. |
| Bertie
arrives at the classroom, signs himself in, and greets his
teacher. They briefly discuss the score of last night's professional
basketball game. He checks the task board to see what work
is due today. |
| 8:30
a.m. |
| The
students join the teacher at morning group. Together they review
the task board and clarify the lessons to be given today. The
teacher reminds the students about today's seminar on 1984.
Announcements are made. She requests that any information
regarding the sale of their soaps that were made from the lavender
flowers last week be turned in before the business meeting
at 1:00 p.m. |
| 8:40
a.m. |
| The
students and teacher stretch out, then go on a jog/walk around
the school grounds. Bertie and Emma walk together. Muriel feels
energetic and runs at the front of the pack. |
| 9:00
a.m. |
|
Muriel
goes to her pre-algebra lesson. They have been working on converting
percents to fractions. A homework problem is written on the
whiteboard. A student goes to the board to demonstrate how
they solved the problem. Muriel solved the problem in a different
way and goes to the board to demonstrate her strategy. The
class discusses the benefits of each strategy. Emma and Bertie
go to work in the garden. Emma records the temperature of the
compost piles. She then samples each pile to test for N, P,
K, and pH levels for each compost pile. She records all data
in the daily garden log. Bertie samples soil from each of the
garden beds for pH testing. According to his previous lessons
in science class, the root vegetable bed, Bed #3, is too acidic
for proper growth. He records this in the daily log, and recommends
that the bed be treated with lime to balance out the soil. |
| 9:30
a.m. |
|
Muriel
has finished her math lesson and is working independently
on creating percent-to-fraction conversion word problems
for the next lesson. She takes an informal survey of the
class's preference regarding popular music. She uses the
data to create questions converting percents to fractions
and back again. Having finished in the garden, Emma reviews
her essay on "freedom of the press" for correct spelling
and grammar. Her goal this unit is to master the differences
between "their, there, and they're." Bertie is still working
in the garden. He has finished his soil testing and is preparing
seed starts for next month's planting. |
| 9:45
a.m. |
| Muriel needs a break
from her math work, so she uses the telephone to confirm the
class's fieldtrip to the local newspaper. She confirms the
date and time and uses this information to type up a reminder
flyer that she puts in every student's contact folder. Emma
finds a friend to peer review her essay. A fresh pair of eyes
can catch mistakes previously missed. She staples the peer
review sheet to her draft. Bertie realizes he has not completed
the reading and questions for today's 1984 seminar
and sits down to read. |
| 10:00
a.m. |
| Muriel
decides to work on her timeline note card work. She needs
to research 10 facts about ancient Persia. The computers
are all in use, so she signs up on the waiting list and opens
up a reference book to gather facts. She is careful to record
the bibliographic data from each source, since she forgot
to do this for the last timeline project. Emma is gathering
data for the report on the Middle School garden project.
She is comparing projected garden yield to actual garden
yields. However, there is a problem. Muriel was supposed
to gather the actual garden yield data, but she did not record
it. Bertie continues to read and prepare questions for his
seminar. |
| 10:30
a.m. |
| Emma is
frustrated by the lack of data collected by Muriel. She goes
to Muriel to get the data, but Muriel indicates that she is
too busy working on her timeline to help Emma. This further
frustrates Emma, who is now feeling angry. She calls a conflict
resolution, mediated by the teacher. Emma expresses her frustration
and requests the data from Muriel. Muriel indicates she can
prepare the data for Emma by the end of the day, but must soon
go to make lunch, and thus cannot prepare the information this
minute. Muriel also indicates that the form created to record
the actual garden yield data is not complete or efficient,
and wishes to see it changed. Emma agrees to revamp the actual
yield data collection form and Muriel agrees to compile the
necessary data over lunch. Bertie continues to prepare for
his seminar. |
| 11:00
a.m. |
| Muriel
goes to the kitchen to help prepare lunch for the school. Her
job is to prepare sandwiches and package raw vegetables for
each classroom. Emma and Bertie go to their geometry class.
Together they work on figuring out the area and volume of the
spring veggie beds. |
| 11:30
a.m. |
| Muriel
has finished making sandwiches and is carefully trimming vegetables
for lunch. She is careful to cut the toddlers' vegetables into
small sizes so they cannot choke. Emma and Bertie decide to
work together to create a skit to explain the special features
of an isosceles triangle. They begin to write a script, wherein
Bertie is a television interviewer and Emma is an isosceles
triangle. |
| 12:00
p.m. |
| The
students and teacher sit down to lunch together. Everyone is "starving," both
for food and for conversation. |
| 12:30
p.m. |
| Emma
and two other students stay in from recess to help clean the
kitchen. Bertie plays soccer with his fellow students. Muriel
wants to talk with her best girlfriend about the movie she
saw this weekend, but remembers her agreement with Emma and
goes back in to collect the garden yield data. |
| 1:00
p.m. |
| Bertie
goes to a Primary classroom for his service assignment, soothing
nappers by patting their backs. Muriel and other students begin
the business meeting to discuss each student's role in the
upcoming soap sale. Emma goes on the computer to create a flyer
promoting the lavender soap sale. A copy goes into each student's
contact folder as an advertisement. Emma organizes three students
to hand out flyers at pick up this afternoon. Other students
commit to packaging the soap. |
| 1:45
p.m. |
| The
class and teacher organize the chairs into a large circle in
preparation for the 1984 seminar. Each student brings
a copy of the text and a series of questions to the seminar.
Unfortunately, Bertie has failed to complete the preparation.
He sits outside of the circle and watches as the others discuss
the reading. He is frustrated because he has important points
to make regarding the reading he did manage to complete. He
resolves to manage his time more effectively in the future
so he can fully participate in the seminar. |
| 2:45
p.m. |
| All
of the students and the teacher complete their daily chores.
Muriel wipes down the counters and scrubs the sink, Emma sweeps
the floor, and Bertie shelves books in the bookcases. |
| 3:00
p.m. |
| The
students and teacher all silently journal for half an hour.
The topic is "What do you think taxes are, how are they used,
and how would you change the way they are used?" Emma, Muriel
and Bertie finish early to prepare to hand out the soap sale
flyers. |
| 3:30
p.m. |
| The
Middle School students collect their belongings, sign themselves
out, and say good-bye to their teacher. They walk to the curb
where their parents pick them up. Emma, Muriel and Bertie position
themselves at the various Elementary pick up locations and
hand out the lavender soap flyers to parents. When they have
finished, they collect their belongings and go to their waiting
cars. Muriel promises to IM Emma with the requested vegetable
yield data tonight. Bertie checks his backpack for his copy
of 1984. |
