Algebra A
- AoPS Algebra A - will bring printouts of April progress for evidence.
Other Math
- Middle school math club weekly on Mondays
- Cascade/SHG chess club on Mondays, 2 chesses on Saturdays, other chesses throughout the week
Multidisciplinary Reno/Tahoe Trip
- Traveled to Reno and Tahoe to visit cousins.
- Participated in April 16 protest from Carson City (Nevada's Capitol City.)
- Much social emotional learning (for all!!!) from spending time with a large neurodivergent group with conflicting needs and wants.
- Improvised skits with cousins
- Went to Science Museum in Reno
Arts:
- Alonzo King LINES Ballet at UW Meany Hall
- Lara Downes live music performance at Meany Hall (arranged by Laurie!!)
- Listened to lots of other protest music as inspired by Woody Guthrie sing along at Lara Downes performance
EH Game Design:
Designing a metroidvania rogue lite game. Includes creating game concept designs, character descriptions, and level designs. Will progress from high level to specifics on different character designs.
Bringing printed samples of this month's progress.
PE:
- Weekly climbing class at Vertical World
- Tried climbing at a new gym in Reno
- Weekly gymnastics class at SGA Ballard
- Swim lessons through Little Fish Swim School
Science:
Biochemistry Literacy for Kids
- finished course! Bringing full notebook of handouts for evidence.
Carkeek Park Salmon Release Field Trip:
- Scavenger hunt with friends to find boxes with beads in them. Before opening each box they answered a question about the salmon lifecycle. They also got to release a salmon fry from the bucket that Lily brought to the park into the imprint pond and give it fish wishes for its journey!
UW Astrobiology Program's 25th Anniversary Lecture Series
- April 9, 2025 – “From the Deep Ocean to Deep Space" Dr. Rika Anderson, UWAB Graduate 2013, Associate Professor of Biology at Carleton College
- April 16, 2025 – “Exploring Mars with the Perseverance Rover“ Dr. Ken Williford, UW Astrobiology Program Graduate 2007, Deputy Project Scientist for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover
Brains On podcast
- Trends. Join Molly and co-host Harlynn as they explore the fussy and fabulous world of trends. Sanden will reveal how trends start and spread throughout a population—and why beige wallpaper is out and mocha mousse brown is IN! They’ll also learn about trends in animal populations like orca whales and chimpanzees. To top things off, Marc will start a fad by accident: fruit pants! (Yes, they’re literally pants with dried fruit stuck to them.) Plus, a super cool mystery sound.
Radiolab podcast:
- G: The Miseducation of Larry P. Are some ideas so dangerous we shouldn’t even talk about them? That question brought Radiolab’s senior editor, Pat Walters, to a subject that at first he thought was long gone: the measuring of human intelligence with IQ tests. Turns out, the tests are all around us. In the workplace. The criminal justice system. Even the NFL. And they’re massive in schools. More than a million US children are IQ tested every year.
We begin Radiolab Presents: “G” with a sentence that stopped us all in our tracks: In the state of California, it is off-limits to administer an IQ test to a child if he or she is Black. That’s because of a little-known case called Larry P v Riles that in the 1970s … put the IQ test itself on trial. With the help of reporter Lee Romney, we investigate how that lawsuit came to be, where IQ tests came from, and what happened to one little boy who got caught in the crossfire.
Shortwave Podcast
- Some scientists are convinced that beyond Neptune, there's a planet they've yet to see. This so-called "Planet 9" is so far away, it would be a faint object. The stretch of sky researchers would have to search is huge. But a new astronomical facility on a mountaintop in Chile could help tackle the search. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has been under construction for years. Now, scientists are finetuning its instruments so the telescope can begin its 10-year mission of taking images of almost the entire southern sky.
Science Vs.
- The battle over whether we should be putting fluoride in our water has reached fever pitch. We’ve got U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and anti-fluoride activists saying it’s a neurotoxin that’s lowering our IQs. But supporters say that fluoride is a safe and effective way to protect our teeth from cavities, and that stopping water fluoridation would lead to a spike in tooth decay. To find out who’s right, we talk to epidemiologist Dr. Ashley Malin and community health scientist Professor Lindsay McLaren.
- ADHD is all over the internet, with people saying that it’s way different than we thought it was — and that tons of us might have it without even knowing it. Influencers are telling us that ADHD can cause all sorts of things, like hyperfocused states, serious emotional dysregulation, even something called rejection sensitivity dysphoria. So — is all this true? Plus, when you do have ADHD — what’s going on inside your brain? And what are the best ways to cope with it? We talk to Prof. Maggie Sibley, Prof. Philip Shaw, and Dr. J. Russell Ramsay.
ELA:
Created a logic puzzle from scratch
Books this month:
- The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science. Kate McKinnon. Audiobook. (65% complete)
- Max in the House of Spies. Adam Gidwitz. Audiobook.
- Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library
- Philosophy For Beginners
- Law For Beginners
- Money For Beginners
- And many more
NPR Sunday Puzzle podcast
- In honor of Earth Day on Tuesday, I've brought a game of Categories based on the word EARTH. For each category I give, name something in it starting with each of the letters E-A-R-T-H. For example, if the category were "Two-Syllable Girls' Names," you might say Ellen, Amy, Rachel, Tina, and Helen. Any answer that works is OK, and you can give the answers in any order. Note: In some cases there may be more than one answer.
- For tax season, this puzzle is titled "C.P.A.s." Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name, in which the first word starts with C- and the second word starts PA-.
- Every answer today is a familiar phrase in the form "___ and ___." You'll get the first and last words, but with a letter changed in each one. Figure out the familiar phrase.
- Every answer today is a word or phrase that comes from French but is also commonly used in English. See if you can get them from their anagrams.
Whose Amazing Life Podcast
- The Shy Guy. You've had a tough childhood, and have moved homes several times. The one thing that makes you feel at home throughout it all is country music. As you get older, you discover that maybe country music isn't just home, it's also your future.
- The Helper. Ever since you were little, your dad has pressured you to be ""successful."" To him, that basically means making a lot of money. But deep down, you wonder if YOUR idea of winning at life is less about money, and more about helping others.
- The Believer. You love to sing, but people make fun of your voice for being lower than other girls' voices. And as if that isn't bad enough, you just moved to a whole new country. You want to believe that you'll be a star... but are there too many obstacles in your way?
- The Author. You have always loved words and language. But you haven't spoken for years. If you're able to find the courage to use your voice, maybe you'll be able to find the right words to share your story.
Smash Boom Best
- Molly is paging through piles of maps, trying to pick the ideal spots to visit during the Brains On Spring Break Road Trip. Marc and Shahla both have fabulous and funky destinations in mind – who will be the one to convince Molly that their roadside attraction reigns supreme?
- Today’s debate is an out-of-this-world throwdown between two dazzling sky spectacles – Eclipses vs. Aurora Borealis! Improviser, writer, and podcast host Meghan Wolff will rep the mighty, moon-shadowed mystery of Team Eclipses while improviser, content creator, and podcast host Maria Bartholdi will help the swirling, shimmering colors of the Northern Lights shine for Team Aurora Borealis. Who will be crowned the Smash Boom Best?
Social Studies/History/Economics/Ethics:
April 5 Hands Off Rally at Seattle Center
- Read booklet about the constitution and bill of rights
- Made a sign
- Participated!
- Brought a friend!
- Studied issues
- Talked to people at all the tables about issues and collected stickers
- Wrote a postcard to DOGE
Everett Boeing Factory Tour
- Learned about the history of Boeing in the PNW
- Learned about self flying taxis!
- Learned about Bernoulli's Principle and got to experiment with it! (Very fun)
- Toured the HUGE factory (longest hallway ever, loudest tour guide ever, strangest accent from a NW native ever)
National Constitution Center Zoom
- The Day the Revolution Began: Lexington and Concord at 250. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, historians Rick Atkinson, Mary Beth Norton, and Rosemarie Zagarri explore the events leading to the first shots of the American Revolution, the battles themselves, and the colonists’ response to this pivotal moment in history.
Throughline
- The Fifth Amendment. You have the right to remain silent when you're being questioned in police custody, thanks to the Fifth's protection against self-incrimination. But most people end up talking to police anyway. Why? Today on Throughline's We the People: the Fifth Amendment, the right to remain silent, and how hard it can be to use it.
Consider This
- Pope Francis I has died. Now what happens? On Monday morning in Rome Cardinal Kevin Farrell Camerlengo or Cardinal Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church announced the death of Pope Francis I.
That was followed some 17 hours later by the rite of ascertainment. A formal acknowledgement of Francis' death...and the transfer of his body to his coffin. And it's one a few of the many centuries-old rituals that will play out over the next several days as the church mourns Pope Francis. There will be the mourning of the faithful as Francis' body lies in St. Peter's Basilica. A funeral, where Francis will be remembered by his fellow priests, followers and world leaders. Then, the Conclave where the College of Cardinals will meet to choose his successor.
Pope Francis has died at 88. Now the church has to chart a course without his leadership. Who will be his successor, and what path will he choose?
TED Radio Hour
- What to do in an eggless future?
Planet Money
- In today's bonus episode, Mary Childs talks with journalist Atossa Araxia Abrahamian about her book, "The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World." In it, Atossa explores the ways the very rich and corporations stay out of reach of the nation-state — free trade zones, freeports, tax havens, even creating independent cities in international waters. Atossa also shares one of the more interesting practices she came across in her research, ships that fly "funeral flags." It's when, she says, a company wants to dismantle a ship below the radar (maybe skirting labor and environmental laws), so it registers its vessel with an agreeable country.
The Indicator from Planet Money:
- On today's episode, we investigate falling foreign travel to the U.S., why student loan default collections are back, and why maaaaaaaybe being so friendly with our AI chatbot pals has a cost.
- By now, you've heard a lot about how the U.S.-China trade war is affecting American consumers, businesses and the stock market. But how is the trade war being felt in China? Today on the show, two of NPR's in-house China experts, Emily Feng and John Ruwitch, explain the view from China.
- "There's no bad weather, only bad clothing." That's the motto of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, where Austan Goolsbee is president. As economic weather conditions stay unpredictable, Austan tells us how he's gearing up for tariffs, inflation, and more.
- It's Jobs Friday and all eyes are on government workers. Will the Trump administration's layoffs finally show up in the latest jobs report? Today on the show, we look at the numbers for federal workers and who's trying to hire them.
- Mexico is gearing up to directly elect federal and state judges for the first time this June. President Claudia Sheinbaum says the new system will combat nepotism and increase the integrity of the courts. But critics see it as a naked attempt to dilute the court's independence. Today on the show, how Mexico's judicial reforms are creating angst for businesses at home and abroad.
- We also have the price of gold going up, German defense stocking up, and U.S. mergers and acquisitions slowing down.
- China has set out its target for economic growth this year: around 5 percent. That's a hefty goal for a nation coming off a painful real estate slump. But leaders have their eyes set on other industries to help its economy grow. Today, we dig into the headwinds and tailwinds facing China's economy.
Forever Ago:
- The History and Mystery of Mayonnaise. Host Joy Dolo loves the listeners of Forever Ago – but does she love them enough to do an episode about her nemesis MAYONNAISE??? Yes, yes she does. Joy faces down her least favorite food to learn about the origins of this very popular condiment, and co-host Maya calls in Splendid Table’s Francis Lam to help Joy open her mind to mayo. Plus, a gloopy game of First Things First!
Short & Curly Ethics Podcast
- Can you lie without saying a word? The line between truth and deception can be blurry. Is leaving out important information a lie? What about misleading gestures, or half-truths? Babysitting Matt's kids force Molly and Carl to confront these complexities firsthand as they lie to get out of tricky situations.
- Do we need a rule book to be a good person? Molly and Carl visit Greece in search of the mythical "Scroll of Rights and Wrongs", an ancient guide written by the smartest person to have ever lived: Adamantia The Wise*. The elusive ancient text contains the ultimate guide to morality, but what does it say?
*definitely not a real person and very much the invention of Molly & Carl. - Three siblings, one musical instrument: who should get it? Have you ever had a fight with your sibling over who should get to keep something? In a small village a long time ago, Queen Ethiconia had to settle a dispute between three siblings fighting over a musical instrument they all want and all think they deserve: a wooden recorder. Each says the recorder should be theirs, but for very different, compelling reasons. So, who should get the flute? You decide.