We wrapped up Astronomy last week with biographies of notable figures. We learned about Johannes Kepler and his three laws of planetary motion. We also studied Galileo Galilei and his contributions to observational astronomy, physics, and the scientific method. We also discussed the disciplines of astronomy and astrophysics as courses of study and the backgrounds of observational scientists, mathematicians, and astronauts. To kick off Women's History Month, we learned about the first women space travelers with biographies of Mae Jemison and Sally Ride as well as the early Russian women in space.

This week we are kicking off our African geography block with much anticipation and enthusiasm from the students. I've been holding on to this block as a good candidate for a remote learning block in the event that we would need to be online, but since it looks promising that we'll be able to get through the year in person, we're going to proceed in class. This will be a writing intensive block, and the students have done such a great job of elevating their writing skills this year that I'm excited to see what they will produce. The students will all be doing research projects on various African regions, so homework will involve online research.

We continue to work with polynomials in algebra with ongoing competency and understanding across the class. They have self-arranged a collaborative learning model for math review time that is working well and supports each student while also letting them shift in and out of peer-leader roles. It's so interesting to watch how they function as a class unit and understand and meet the needs of each other individually.