TNCA Trivia, Week of February 3 02/13/2012
Q: What flower is named for the mythological Greek youth who fell in love with is own reflection in a pool of water? A: The narcissus flower. According to myth, Narcissus eventually died because he could not pull himself away, and the gods turned his remains into a flowering plant. Thanks so much to Blossoms at Biltmore Park for sponsoring this week's trivia question! 
These days, TNCA students are immersed in the study of ancient Greece. They love this unit; in particular, they're drawn to the drama of the divine soap opera otherwise known as Greek mythology.  The first and second graders made gorgeous paintings of their favorite gods. Here is Ares, god of war. Note that his name, as well as the artist's, are written in Greek!  Fifth graders made business cards. (Zeus will "water your garden" and "control your universe." Dionysus is available for party planning.) So much fun! Add Comment TNCA Trivia, Week of January 30 02/13/2012
Q: What two continents are separated by the Suez Canal? A: Asia and Africa. 
TNCA Trivia, Week of January 23 01/31/2012
Q: What events were included in the original Olympic pentathlon? A: Discus, javelin, long jump, running, and wrestling.  A new Olympic sport? TNCA students having some fun on an unusually balmy January day. TNCA Trivia, Weeks of January 9 and 16 01/20/2012
[Special fungus edition!] Q. What does a mycologist study? A. Mushrooms and other fungi. Q. Are fungi more closely related to plants or to animals? A. Despite appearances, fungi are in fact more closely related to animals than to plants. One major similarity: Neither animals nor fungi produce their own food. TNCA Trivia, Week of January 2 01/11/2012
Q. Who are your mater, pater, frater, and soror? A. These are the Latin words for mother, father, brother, and sister. Did you know that even our youngest students are Latin scholars? Ms. Elise visits with the preschoolers and kindergarteners each week and teaches them basic vocabulary; by the time they're in middle school, students are writing and translating full paragraphs. Latin accelerates the acquisition and retention of English vocabulary words and reinforces students' understanding of grammar. It also paves the way for the study of Romance languages.  Ms. Elise working with some middle schoolers. TNCA Trivia, Week of December 12 01/06/2012
Q: What Roman holiday was celebrated with the exchange of small gifts of candles and clay figurines? A: Saturnalia, an end-of-harvest festival held around the winter solstice and dedicated to celebrating the Golden Age of Saturn.  Send us an email to find out about TNCA Trivia sponsorship opportunities for your business. Speaking of harvest and the exchange of small gifts, check out the "crop" from our 2011 winter workshop! (Not shown: chocolate spoons, felt mice, candy garlands, and more.)        In this annual TNCA activity, students work on various craft projects during the month of December and earn "money" for the time they put in. On the last day of school before break, they can "buy" presents in the "gift shop" for friends and family. Winter workshop integrates a range of lessons--hand craft skills, time management, math, industry, appreciation of others' work, planning, and pride of accomplishment--and it's also tons of fun. TNCA Trivia, Week of December 5 12/13/2011
Q. Barchan, stellar, and transverse are terms for different shapes of what type of land formation? A. Dunes. Barchan dunes are crescent-shaped; stellar dunes are star-shaped and form where the wind direction is highly variable; and transverse dunes are broad and rippled like the ocean. 
Earth science in the classroom...and on the playground.
Hands-On Geometry with Ian Riddell 12/10/2011
Yesterday morning, a group of our 3rd-5th grade students had the privilege of spending some time with Tek-Kids' Ian Riddell, who uses Zometools (not to mention his engaging presence and kind manner) to teach geometry in 3D.  No, this isn't PE; it's their brains that are getting a workout. Drawing a triangle with one hand while drawing a square with the other is tough. Try it sometime! It's no surprise that Ian has a theater degree; he knows how to capture an audience.     Look at the way these kids just rolled up their sleeves and got to work, building structures they might not have thought themselves capable of.          Symmetry, patterning, spatial relations, shapes, problem-solving, innovation, accomplishment, and wonder all rolled into one 90-minute session: It doesn't get much better than that! Thanks so much, "ZomeMaster Ian," for sharing your talent with TNCA. TNCA Trivia, Week of November 28 12/05/2011
Q. Which type of biome do we live in (in Western North Carolina)? A. Temperate deciduous forest.  Deciduous trees lose their leaves for part of the year...making lots of kids very happy. (This photo was taken on our playground in October.) Are you interested in sponsoring a trivia question? Let us know. Outdoor Drumming on a Sunny December Day 12/04/2011
On Friday afternoon, TNCA mom Juliette Benezra-Winston brought her drum circle, Wild Bodema, to school for some West African drumming fun with the pre-K through 5th grade classes. (The middle schoolers were off on their own adventure in downtown Asheville.) Thanks, Wild Bodema, for making us smile, getting us moving, and giving us a nice tie-in with our school-wide geography unit on Africa to boot! We learned how different drummers add in different rhythms, so what starts as a simple beat ends up layered and complex. Everyone got an instrument--and a chance to practice keeping time; some students joined the circle for a bit with some makeshift drums.       We learned how to do a traditional harvest dance--tilling the soil, sowing the seeds, and bringing rain and sunshine for a good crop. And we ended with a joyful free-for-all. All in all, it was a glorious afternoon.      |
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