Durham - Sustainable Development

Richard Benjamin
Jan 5 (7 days ago)
to David, Mandy, May, Thomas, leungkma, cchpwss, 刁綺蓮老師, kingfaiyeung, Matthew

David & May,     (as I mentioned, I am also sending this email to Dr. Thomas Leung, Vice-Principal, Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Secondary School - he also interested in collaborating on an arts integrated, interdisciplinary instructional unit)

As you suggested, I have been looking at the 'Algebra Lab' website that May mentioned, and love it...... http://www.algebralab.org/

I especially like the possibilities available at http://www.algebralab.org/activities/activity.aspx and identified a few key 'concepts' for us to strongly consider:
- cause & effect
- inference
- organizational patterns
- statistics......
- vectors

Your Algebra Lab, together with Earth Algebra & the existing units from my past project 'Education for a Sustainable Future' we will have plenty to work with. Please see my website for more on this:
http://benjaminsystems.com/
and, especially
http://benjaminsystems.com/id180.html
and
http://benjaminsystems.com/id245.html   (DRAFT Sustainability items)

As I said, as an arts integration 'hook' I think your students will enjoy reading the book The Lorax, to each other, then to younger children as they teach them about the environment and sustainability......please see:
http://books.google.com/books?id=cJnXmrk7BxAC&pg=PT18&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false
and, be sure to click on a page and perhaps view the entire book (I am not sure how it works, but I got it all!)

I also know they will get a lot out of a 'Read-Aloud' of the Chief Seattle letter.....
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC03/Seattle.htm

You two can check David's pacing guide and pick a time yet this year when this unit would fit best.
I think May seems comfortable that she can match nearly anything with her math priorities.

Please be thinking about the entries on the 'Unit Authoring Template' and we can chat tomorrow at 8am - I will call David at 404 375 1327 to arrange to then call using skype.

As I mentioned, both of you having head phones/ear pieces, with a built-in microphone, and meeting in a quiet place will facilitate communication.

Again, this is very good....I am so glad you are pushing ahead......

If you are interested, I think I will be piloting the Monday Morning China Webinars next week. It will be 7:15 pm Sunday evening for us, 8:15 monday morning for the pilot group (Matthew and perhaps Thomas) in Hong Kong.    Just sign - in as a participant, at
Participant URL
http://voffice.elluminate.com/voffice/enter/103361

Best Regards.......