Baishan AWS Weekly - Sept.11, 2020

 

BAISHAN AWS WEEKLY UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

 

Baishan AWS is partnered with Annie Wright Schools (AWS) in Tacoma, Washington and prepares students for higher education abroad.  Our Weekly Update is an opportunity for us to share all of the great learning experiences that take place both in and outside of our classroom, and is a testament to our commitment to communication with our parents as well as the community.

September 11, 2020

Baishan AWS, Qingdao, China 

 

 

                                                                                             

From the Director 

 

Baishan AWS has now finished two full weeks.  The students are in routines with classes, homework, and extra-curricular activities.  Teachers have clearly informed the students of their expectations for the courses.  The general feeling on campus is that everyone seems comfortable and where they are supposes to be.

 

Now, it is time to start focusing on teaching and learning.  The class day is filled with opportunities to learn new and exciting information.  The evenings are a time for the students to process the information and prepare for the next lesson.  

 

We are very proud of our teachers who spend the necessary time creating exciting, yet rigorous lessons that fit each type of learner.

 

•       Maths

•       English Language Arts

•       Physical Education

•       Sciences

•       Humanities

•       Visual Art

•       Chinese Language

•       Chinese Studies

•       University Guidance or TOEFL

 

 

Mathematics with Mr. Guo

 

The 9th grade students learned a good bit of Geometry vocabulary in the first two weeks. They learned definitions of basic Geometric terms in English, such as line, ray, segment, plane, angle, parallel and perpendicular lines and etc. There are a lot of words to remember.

 

The 10th grade students started their journey in Algebra II this semester. We learned different ways to express + - x ÷ in English and some vocabulary in Algebra. Students reviewed how to solve equations and inequalities in the first week and how to graph and write a linear function in the second week. They all worked well in class.

 

The 11th grade students are getting ready for their study in Calculus. We reviewed some of the main topic in Accelerated Algebra II, including Equations and Inequalities, Linear and Quadratic Functions, Systems of Equations, Sets and Intervals, and etc. Students showed great participation in class and enthusiasm towards their learning.

 

Our students have answered over 1000 Math questions on IXL website this week; this is equivalent to over 60 questions per student. What an achievement! Well done, guys.

 

 

English Language Arts with Ms. Jia and Ms. Roth

 

Students jumped right into work from the first day of school this year. The Red Ties (11th grade) are beginning the year with a study of Greek mythology. Their first assignment was to create a playlist with songs that represented the major gods.

 

The Green Ties (10th grade) are already hard at work, considering why and how people tell their own stories. They'll spend the next two and a half months studying how stories get told in poetry, prose, and nonfiction. Our major text for this unit is the memoir I Will Always Write Back, a beautiful and true story about a friendship formed through letters sent between two continents.

 

Finally, we enthusiastically welcomed the Blue Ties (9th grade) to ELA! We are kicking off their study of English language and literature by studying Joseph Campbell's theory of The Hero's Journey. We'll be looking at heroes' stories throughout history and across cultures, in poetry and prose, as well as considering whether we know anyone who is on a real-life hero's journey! 

 

 

Physical Education with Coach Faamamafa

 

The past two weeks we have been working on getting to know each other and get familiar with what we are doing in PE class. Knowing and respect each other is the most important thing in any community. I am trying to create a platform where everyone enjoys having fun and work as a team play every time. We started with Volleyball with a goal that we can form up a team to join the school volleyball competition in Qingdao in November. So far the students have been practicing basic skills like-

 

How to pass the ball

How to serve the ball

How to move around and etc

 

We were also doing badminton competition and let the students be familiar with basic skills and rules of the game. Hopefully we can create a competition between each other in different teams.

 

 

Chemistry with Ms. Jiajia

 

In Chemistry, we did research about the theory of atom; we studied models of atom, the structure of atom, the scale of the atom, isotopes, electron configurations, s, p, d and f orbital’s, orbital diagram; we considered and discussed how scientists measure the relative abundance of isotopes to get the relative atomic mass by using a mass spectrometer; we learn how to apply the Aufbau principle, Hund’s rule and the Pauli exclusion principle to deduce electron configurations and orbital diagram for atoms and ions up to Z = 36.

 

Our students were thinking and acting as a scientist, they found the solution why the periodic table was arranged by s, p, d and f blocks.

 

Good Job, the first two weeks!

 

Also they will think about" Are the models and theories that scientists create accurate descriptions of the natural world, or are they primarily useful interpretations for the prediction, explanation, and control of the natural world?"

 

 

Physics with Mr. Kytle

  

 

This week we have been studying the Universe and the Solar System. The students are gaining key vocabulary with regards to outer space and the galaxy we inhabit. This information will be used to transition into our next unit which deals with scale. The purpose of this first Unit is to help students approach Physics as a study of the Universe and not just Earth. The Laws of Physics are a byproduct of ways in which the Universe was formed and functions.

 

 

Humanities with Ms. Brauer

 

In both World Geography and AP Human Geography, we confronted the dilemma every cartographer faces: How can we turn a spherical globe into a flat map, and what sacrifices in accuracy do we make as a result? In both of these geography classes, we've also used these first two weeks to understand the foundational concepts and vocabulary that we'll use throughout the year.

 

We've begun our survey of World History with Classical Civilizations, and are currently immersed in ancient Greece. There's been a schism in our usually-unified class, with the warriors of Sparta facing off against the scholars of Athens in a series of class debates. Fear not: No one lost an eye (except Philip of Macedon!!!).

 

 

Visual Arts with Mr. Brandt

 

The 10th and 11th Grade Painting students have already started on their first assignment.  Students were challenged to create a monochromatic painting using various shades of only one color.  They must demonstrate the full value range and good contrast.

 

The 9th Grade Drawing students are off to an impressive start by showing quality observation and rendering skills.  These students have been challenged to create charcoal drawing based on three objects, but must draw it on found paper.

 

Both classes are finishing their practice and should be starting their summative projects.

 

 

Chinese Language with Ms. Zheng

 

When first exposed to Chinese language and culture courses, the 10th grade students showed strong interest and research and exploration ability. We studied the origins of Chinese and Western culture together, compared and analyzed the two concepts of "culture" and "literature", and concluded that people are the core of culture, and only people can create culture and form culture. Learning Chinese culture can enrich the knowledge system, increase international perspectives, and enhance cross-cultural communication skills. Next, we will explore the influence on the origin and development of culture and the unique cultural characteristics of the Chinese nation from the perspectives of geographical environment, history and social system.

 

The 11th grade AP Chinese course starts with vocabulary, the basic element of modern Chinese, and gradually establishes a systematic language system and cognition. This week we learned about the classification standards of parts of speech, and classified words according to the characteristics and grammatical functions of various words.  At the same time, a detailed study and exploration of nouns are carried out to understand and master special nouns: collective nouns, abstract nouns, location words and locality words, etc.

 

 

Chinese Studies with Mr. Zhan 

 

A speech is a comprehensive manifestation of a student's Chinese literacy. In order to improve students' comprehensive language skills, the 9th grade students give a three-minute speech before class. Students choose topics of interest from daily life to share their personal observations and reflections on life. Some students shared a week's life insights using a talk show, and some students shared her understanding of "Zhengtu Class". In this way, the students' verbal expression skills are significantly improved.

 

1 - Whether ancient poetry or modern poetry, grasping the image and artistic conception of poetry is very important for understanding poetry. And because the literary style of poetry is far from the life of current students, students will inevitably encounter many difficulties through personal and independent inquiry, so cooperative sharing of this learning method is particularly important. To this end, under the guidance of the teacher, the students first learn the basic characteristics of poetry, master the basic methods of appreciation, and then share their personal views through group cooperation.

 

 

University Guidance with Ms. Du

 

During the first class of university guidance, 10th&11th graders learned about the changes of application requirements due to the influence of COVID-19. There are three aspects for them to carefully think about: 1. self-care 2. service and contributions to others 3. family contributions.  Also, affected by the pandemic, enrollment standards have changed. Students got a whole picture about how to prepare more effectively and productively for their college or university through reading the response letter to COVID-19 of 315 American university and college enrollment deans. 

 

Contact Us

 

Please feel free to contact us!

 

BAISHAN AWS

Shazikou Dongjiang (Baishan Campus), Laoshan District, Qingdao, China 266102

Tel:  +86 (0)532-88815655

 

Visit us on the web at http://aws.baishanschool.cn/index.html