Lamar Middle School & Fine Arts Academy

Student Spotlight

Special Edition Newsletter:

What is the Student Spotlight?: Here’s what the young poet had to say about her experience “Last year, in fifth grade we had a really fun After being blown by some student work a teacher assignment. Each of us had to write a poem about showed him, Mr. Llewellyn decided we just had to find a something scientific. I knew what to write about at once. way to feature our students. They never fail to impress us ‘Something nice and poetic, but with endless scientific around here. This special edition of the newsletter seeks possibilities.’ I thought. ‘The SUN!’ my brain screamed! to share with you some of the great work being created So with the help of my amazing English teacher, I wrote by our very own Lamar students. In the second semester, my poem.” we will seek to feature our students within the weekly Poems of students who won at their grade level were newsletter as their work continues to flourish at Lamar. paired with an Austin Community College (ACC) student’s artwork to be created into a poster. Ellie’s Eleanor Greene has Vision + Voice: poster is hanging throughout the campus. th How does it feel to be in 6 grade, and already a A reception was held on September 19, 2014 to honor the published poet? Just ask Eleanor Greene! Ellie entered a contest participants. AISD’s Channel 22 recorded the poem into the Vision + Voice poetry contest last year, event, and it can be found at and won. In spring 2014, the Austin ISD Office of http://vimeo.com/108953440. Winning poets were also Academics, Austin Community College’s Division of recorded at KLRU studios Videos are online, were Arts and Humanities, and KLRU partnered to launch the played at the reception, and are part of KLRU’s Arts in Vision + Voice poetry contest—an enrichment strategy Context program. Check out the videos at: of the Literacy Action Plan. Over 800 students http://video.klru.tv/program/voice-vision. participated in the contest. One winning poem was selected per grade level by a panel of published poets. Winning poems and honorable mentions were digitally published in Voiceprint, the Austin ISD digital printing press: www.voiceprintaustin.org. Poems will also be printed in an anthology to be distributed to campuses.

The picture included in this article was taken by Ellie’s parents, and shows her holding up the poster with her award winning poem. Wow! We are just so impressed with this writer’s accomplishments.

Lamar Artists:

Each month the Lamar Art Department features a student artist’s piece in a display case at the front of the school. The display is found to the left of the library entrance. Take a look at the November work along with their artist’s statements.

Gabby S. -7th grade (Pictured below) “I think that my artwork represents my imagination and creativity because I really like patterns that resemble nature. I used a variety of warm and cool colors on each hand to show how different they are. I had to decide what designs and colors I wanted to use and the position of my hands. My goal was for all of the lines to be neat and clean and for the colors to be bold and well colored.”

Addie S.-M.-6th grade (Pictured below) “My goal was to an abstract drawing of tools in the art room using warm and cool color schemes. I tried to keep a really clean composition by coloring neatly inside the shapes. I used Prisma Colors because it makes the colors more vivid. I used cool colors for the positive space and warm colors for the negative space. The colors unify the piece and make it pleasing to the eye.”

Sarah R. -6th grade (Pictured top right) “We learned about how the Buddhist monks created their mandalas with sand. This made me take my time and concentrate just like the Buddhist monks. Many different skills were implied. I used radial symmetry, warm and cool color schemes, geometric shapes and blending colors together by just using oil pastels. This project represents me by showing how I tried to blend tiny areas. I always try to be unique and try my hardest on everything.”

Getting Creative in Science: We never fight, we always just love each other like we should” Carbon concluded. “Awww” everyone else Our science department works hard to keep their replied. “Yea that was kinda cheesy though” Carbon assignments fun and engaging for their students. says. Recently, the science students had the chance to display One day Silicon and Carbon were hanging out their knowledge of the elements while trying their hand with their friends, Xenon and Hydrogen. They were both at creative writing. The assignment was to write a short so happy for the two newlyweds. “I am just so happy for story imagining that the elements were characters in you guys!” Xenon said. “Thanks!” the couple replied, in Periodic Tableville and they were looking for a way to sync. “I think it would probably be nice to get married become molecules. They had to incorporate pieces of but I don’t really want to. I am perfectly happy just the evidence that a chemical reaction occurred and why the way I am, me and my eight goldfish” Xenon announced. element character wanted, or did not want to become a “I think it would be great to get married! But no one molecule (number of valence electrons). Check out the wants to marry me.” :( I only have one dog and everyone following story written by Sutton Ballard. else has so many animals. It’s the new thing and I’m just A Tale of Chemical Reactions not a part of it, so no one wants to marry me.” :( There once was a man named Carbon. Carbon Everyone then felt bad for hydrogen after he told them had four cats but all his life he had always wanted eight that, but they all went home and went on with their lives. cats. With only four cats, he just wasn’t happy. Carbon And in the end, they were all about as happy as was also lonely living by himself. they could get. Except for Hydrogen… One day Carbon was sitting under a tree and he thought of an amazing idea! “WHAT IF I MARRIED Fin SOMEONE ELSE WITH FOUR CATS :O” he thought to himself. Then all of a sudden an apple hit him on the Future Playwrights in English Class: head, and when he looked up, a beautiful woman was th walking by with four cats. Carbon walked up to the lady This fall semester, the 7 grade English department had and said “Hello, my name is Carbon, I’m sorry to the opportunity to work with teaching artists from approach you like this but you are an extremely beautiful Creative Action on a playwriting unit. Students were woman. And I like your cats”. They smiled and blushed. charged with the task of creating two characters, and “Thank you. My name is Silicon” she said. writing a scene that included both a dialogue, and Carbon and Silicon went back to Carbons house individual monologues. Take a look at just a few of the at 2-4A Street. “Wow!” Silicon said, “We were final projects. Some students kept it clever and light, neighbors and didn’t even know it!” she exclaimed. some students decided to show off a darker side of their “Really?” Carbon asked “Which house is yours?” Silicon writing; but, all students were impressive. pointed to a cute little pink cottage at the end of the The Three of Us street. “Cool!” By: Graceyn Garza The next day, Carbon and Silicon went over to their friend Xenon’s house at 5-8A street. There they Scene 1: Jane’s Monologue talked about how they met and past relationships. “Yeah, (Jane has a phone to her ear and looks tired/ done with it) before I met you, there was this girl I liked named Tin. JANE: (on phone) Look just- just meet me there okay? She was cool and all and we hung out but I know she (gibberish on the other line) okay whatever, yeah bye. didn’t like me. But when I met you, it was like a (hangs up) Okay Jane, just do it. Tell her the truth. She’s chemical reaction happened! Its like I had one life and it been really confusing lately! One minute she’s the same got turned around when you walked into it. I got a new old Blythe then she’s… I don’t know. Evil Blythe? (sigh) life with new thing just like when molecules rearrange to It’s like there are two of her or something! I never know form new ones. The evidence was clear. I was happier, which one to expect, And then she always acts all like the colors went from gray to yellow. Also I’m not as innocent like nothing ever happened. What is with her? I angry all the time, like when chemical reactions form mean, c’mon JPA can’t have changed her that quickly in heat or coldness. And this relationship seem more solid, that little time...can it? I don’t even know what to think like a solid formed and its keeping us together. Another anymore. I’m scared to even talk on the phone with her. thing is its like a gas formed, and the gas was pure love. Sometimes she can be so- so cold. I just need to confront her. When we meet at “King of Diamonds” tonight I’ll trying to confuse me and play innocent! Well it won’t tell her. Over a nice burger, some fries, maybe a work. milkshake, yeah...ease her into it. We can talk it out, I’m B: Jane, I’m not the villain here, Last time we made sure she doesn’t realize what she’s doing right? Right? plans you left me alone, feeling like an idiot standing at ‘Oh this is so confusing! What if it ends badly? She’ll be the door asking your mom where you were! What did I broken, and so will I. We’ve shaped each other in so do to make you so-so mad? many ways. She bought me my first CD. (smiles) And J: So I ditched you, but that was only because I couldn't that one year when she was the only one I invited to my stand wondering which of you would show up! As far as birthday party. ( falls) But it’s different now... I what you did to make me so mad.. we already went over can’t think like that. We’ve grown up and maybe we’ve that! This is what i mean by not listening to me! grown out of each other. I just have to do what I have to B: (softly, confused, hurt) I don’t know what you’re do and face the consequences. I can’t do this anymore, I talking about. can’t just sit around and wonder which one of her will J: Forget it! You’ll just keep denying it! show up, I have to talk to her about it. B: (angry) Fine, whatever. Just keep me in the dark like always! Admit it... ever since I got into JPA you’ve been Scene 2: Dialogue hesitant to tell me anything. But you sure haven’t been (JANE and BLYTHE are sitting on the outside patio of hesitant to give me enough clues to make me curious! I “King of Diamonds”) guess it makes you feel superior, or maybe you’re still J: Hey, we need to talk. mad that I got into JPA and you didn’t! (realizes she’s B: (suspiciously) Okay, about what? gone too far) J: Look, we’ve been friends for a really long time- B: Jane I-I-I’m so sorry! I just got mad and I was hurt but B: Yeah since kindergarten. you know I would never- J: Yeah okay well uh- let me start over. We’ve always J: Never what? Cause I think you just did! But whatever, been be- uh really good friends but lately, uh, I don’t okay who cares about that stupid school? Forget it, and know lately I’m just- I feel like you’ve kind of kicked me forget you! to the curb. B: Jane please--- B: Oh, poor Jane! Not enough “you time” eh? I call you J: No Blythe, I’m- I’m done. all the time! B: (hurt) Fine me too. J: (getting angry) Yeah, but only to talk about your J: Goodbye Blythe. problems! All we ever do is talk about you and your (JANE walks off stage and BLYTHE is left watching her stupid private school problems! walk away, then spotlight on B) B: I work a lot harder than you! Just because you have a substandard life at a substandard school with a Scene 3: Blythe’s Monologue substandard boyfriend doesn’t mean I have to be a (Jane is standing alone in front of “King of Diamonds”) nothing too! You don’t get to me down with you. BLYTHE: I don’t know what the heck she’s talking You may be okay with settling with everything in life but about, when we hang out we always talk about each other I’m not! equally! Is this her way of “sneakily” ditching me? (B gives a smug look) Because, news flash, it isn’t that sneaky. I know for a fact J: You know what Blythe, maybe I’ve settled, but I have not been doing any of the things she accused me pointing that out doesn’t change the facts. And the facts of. And what did she mean by “which one of me would are that you’ve changed and we’ve outgrown each other. show up”? I’ve been the same Blythe I've always been (holds up hand) Let me finish. You have been so off and and she knows it. Maybe she just thinks she’s too cool on lately. One call we only talk about you. Then the next for me. But when I call her, I always make sure we each two times we hang out you’re perfectly normal, then “get a turn” to talk. She’s my only friend really. I make you’re back to being a jerk, and back again. I’m sick of JPA seem really glamorous and fairytale-esc, but it it! sucks! Everyone there avoids me like the plague. I don’t B: (looks confused) What are you talking about? When even know why. I’m nice to everybody and I smile and did we get here? And we always talk about each other make small talk but they always hurry off with some equally when we hang out. (frowns) lousy excuse. I just don’t get it! (voice getting wobbly) J: (outraged) Yeah like every three times we talk! And And now my best friend (pause) my only friend is what do you mean when did we get here?! You’re just ditching me too! Nothing is going right! In addition to now being a friendless loser, I’ve been having memory Blinkey: Ha ha! Pacman I have caught you now! Give it gaps. Sometimes I don’t remember what I did in 1st up, you’ve lost! period, or lunch or I wind up places and I don’t know Pacman: Not quite Blinkey, I’ve got something up my how I got there. They’re getting more and more frequent, sleeve! and I know I should tell someone but what will they say? Blinkey: You don’t have sleeves. You’re basically a They’ll think I’m crazy! I know they will! (near yellow ball. hysterics) They’ll laugh and point! And then they’ll send Pacman: BE QUIET BLINKEY! You get the point! me somewhere awful! Why does this have to happen to POWER UP ACTIVATE! me? I’m- I’m so confused, and the worst part is that I Blinkey: (Whispering.) Oh poop. don’t have the slightest clue what I’ve been doing during Pacman: MWAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAA! (Gobbles up these memory lapses, and that scares me. What if I’ve Blinkey.) I guess I’ve become a ghost myself! been doing something awful? But that’s- that’s not me! I wouldn't hurt a fly and Jane knows that, I don’t know why she thinks I’ve done all these things, but I think it The Undiscovered Duo might have a connection with the memory lapses. (sigh) By Charlotte Evelyn Well, all I can do right now is give us both some time to cool down, then I’ll talk to her. Monologue #1 (Jamie is sitting at an old mirror in what appears to be a Pacman garage. She is admiring herself as she starts to speak) By: Benji Juenger JAMIE: (with much enthusiasm) Welcome to tonight, with Jamie and Phillis! We’ll be putting on a fantastic, Scene opens: Pacman is huddled in the corner of a dark brilliant, and hilarious show for you, so get ready! (stops spooky maze. speaking for a moment and soon returns to normal voice Monologue #1 - Pacman: (Crying) Oh my Cherry! Why level) Okay. That sounds good. Yup. That’ll be the does it have to be ghosts? Why do I have to be trapped in opening. Then we’ll tell all of our adoring fans how a maze with ghosts?! They’re so scary; they’re like evil, much we LOVE THEM! Speaking of fans…(yelling) flying, colorful….(He sighs. The wind blows creepily, PHIILLIS! It’s ridiculously hot down here. Where are Pacman continues sobbing—weep, sniffle) and there’s you with my lemon water? (returns to normal voice level like four of them and only one of me. (Pacman suddenly with a look of annoyance on her face) Ugh. Why is she becomes angry.) HOW FAIR IS THAT!!?! Why do I taking so long? How are we going to become comedy have to be trapped in this hideous confusing MAZE?! mega stars if she can’t pull herself together? I deserve (In his rage Pacman leaps up for his hiding place and better. (phone rings) Look! It’s my agent! (picks up scurries away.) phone) Yes, this is she. Hi mom. Oh! Th- (she is cut off Scene opens: Blinkey the red ghost is hovering by himself and stops speaking as her once pleasant expression ruefully eating bananas. morphs into a face of terror and rage) What? (her voice Monologue #2 - Blinkey: (Sadly) You can do this gets louder) Not excepted? You don’t understand, Blinkey. (Chew, chew. Whispering.) Dang that was your Hollywood is calling my name! No, everyone’s last banana. (Galiantly) BUT THAT IS BESIDE THE confused, I’m hilarious. (stops) You’re just like all the POINT! You are a ghost; it is in your blood! You kind kids in fifth grade. Whatever. You’re wrong. Guess who has been brutally slaughtering Pacman since the 1980’s! just booked a show at the public library?! ( she makes a Com on you do this. You were practically born to hunt disappointed face) No, mom, me and Phillis. Gosh. Get Pacmen! on my level. Anyway, libraries are perfect for stand-up (Blinkey flies away, determined to catch Pacman.) sh- (cut off again) Hello? (slams down the phone and (Blinkey rounds a corner of the maze and runs right into quickly continues to admire herself. As Jamie’s Pacman.) monologue ends, Phillis quietly crosses the stage to a Pacman & Blinkey: (Simultaneously.) table, placing the lemon water on the vanity) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (Pacman flees in terror while Blinkey comes to his wits Monologue #2 and begins to chase him.) PHILLIS: (Phillis is standing by a large wooden table Pacman: Oh no! He’s going to catch me for sure! covered in various documents. She seems nervous. She (Blinkey corners Pacman.) speaks to the audience ) Ugh. I hope Jamie likes our slot at the library for tomorrow. (pauses to think) The library. eat lettuce and hard boiled eggs together like all best Why a stand-up show there, of all places? Well our friends should. (Jamie cuts her off) careers have to start somewhere! Maybe I should practice JAMIE: Okay, okay. We’ll go look at the turtles. my jokes. (pulls out an old yellow piece of paper from PHILLIS: Let’s go make some new friends!!! pocket and begins to read it aloud) Why did the chicken JAMIE: So, you’re sure about this? Turtles cant edit cross the road? (pauses for a few seconds as she looks to scripts or sort papers. I don’t even think they can run the audience with excitement) Because the cross walk tech. I guess we could try. But you’re sure you wouldn’t was under construction and his car broke down! (she prefer a cat? grins and laughs historically for around five second until PHILLIS: (looks at Jamie with an annoyed expression) Jamie looks over to her in confusion) That’s a really Yes. Obviously. good one. (yells to Jamie) We should really use the one JAMIE: Fine. (giving in) Let’s go meet some new about the chicken! (she then picks up a paper off of her friends. desk and looks at it with some irritation) Why do they (Phillis screams and jumps high into the air) want to know about our noise level? Eh. It’ll be fine. I’ll PHILLIS: All of my dreams are finally coming true! just leave that one blank. Unless Jamie disagrees (begins JAMIE: I hear you. You know, maybe I can take a break to raise her voice, sounding worried and unsure) I really from performing for a while. hope Jamie doesn’t disagree. (she takes a few deep PHILLIS: Great plan! Let’s name our new friend shelly, breaths and calms down) I need to get back to work. after my third grade science teacher. She wasn’t a very (raising her voice) The show is almost upon us! JAMIE: nice lady, so if we name our pet after her, it’s pretty Shh! PHILLIS: Sorry. much meant to be angelic. JAMIE: Shelly it is. (We see Phillis and Jamie exiting the library. The appear (They walk off stage, Phillis is skipping a smiling, Jamie very upset. Phillis is holding a bag of Goldfish crackers, is following slowly.) eating them with much emotion) JAMIE: (nearly in tears) I can’t believe they kicked us Forensics: out! My life? Done. My Career? Over. This is ridiculous! PHILLIS: They didn’t even chuckle. This fall our very own Ms. Randall taught 3 sections of JAMIE: We weren’t even THAT loud! forensics science as a semester long elective. Students PHILLIS: Sorry. have had the opportunity to study fascinating aspects of JAMIE: Thank you for apologizing. this popular field of study. For the end of semester PHILLIS: Well, at least our outfits looked good? culminating experience, the class embarked on a research JAMIE: That’s true. The glitter really did great things project to delve deeper into one of the semester’s topics for me. And you look nice in tan. that particularly interested them. Students focused on one PHILLIS: Thanks, yeah, that skirt took me like 16 area of forensic science, and researched the various hours. aspects of working in the field. They also studied a real- JAMIE: So… What are we gonna do now? life case that highlighted how their field of study helped PHILLIS: We could sell snow cones. (long silence in the solving of crimes. Ms. Randall collaborated with Jamie looks at her and rolls her eyes) the librarian, Mrs. Hames, to teach the children how to PHILLIS: Or not. access and properly use the online research databases JAMIE: There’s a pet shop over there (she points at a provided by the district. The librarian also taught the large grey building a few yards away) students how to properly cite their credible sources using PHILLIS: (With growing excitement) Oooohh… MLA formatting. JAMIE: (dully) Don’t you love turtles? PHILLIS: YES! Did I ever tell you about Samantha? Students could choose from a myriad of mediums to pull (not giving Jamie any time to respond) No? Well, she together their information, and then present it to the was my best friend in High school. Everyone thought it class. Annie Dale created an online prezi about forensic was really strange to have a best friend who also psychology that can be viewed at the following link: happened to be a turtle, but I thought it made us unique. http://prezi.com/2jikomipoe1l/?utm_campaign=share&ut Anyway, Sammy and I loved to play that card game m_medium=copy. Catalina Mendivil and Ruby Henson memory, even though she always won. Then, we would also studied forensic psychology, and put together a prezi. As part of their research process, these two students interviewed former forensic psychologist Dr. arson the investigators role would be to detect any Anne Kelly. Dr. Kelley worked in the Giddings juvenile accelerants or explosive near the point of origin. Another detention center. She spent five years in the role of way to recreate the fire is to look at the distinct patterns forensics psychologist, and five years as the director of left by the flame on furniture, walls, etc. The most treatment. She now works in Austin as a family common fire pattern is the “classic V” named for the V psychologist. The full transcript to the interview can be shaped burn marks on walls. It starts from the point of found online with their prezi at: origin then spreads in both directions. A helpful tool http://prezi.com/0m_gkvcwyobi/?utm_campaign=sh investigators use is the high-tech computer program are&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share. FireFlies.

Chloe Henderson and Hannah Zuniga—who studied gait analysis—put together a trifold presentation in addition creating life-sized foot mold accompanied by a video documenting the process. Their video can be viewed online at: http://youtu.be/7fYF4K553QA.

Motives: Arson investigators study the motives of arsons and why they deliberately set fires. There are seven common motives, vandalism, excitement, revenge, crime concealment, profit, extremism, and serial arson. The serial arson is a repetitive fire setter who fits in the mentally insane category of criminals because they don’t

have a clear motive or reasoning behind it. Nilava Saha and Andreas Cheng chose to write an article Arson is not the most popular way to murder someone for their final product. Take a look at the turnout: but to cover up a murder. The motive crime concealment is when someone burns all the evidence of the crime they Arson Investigation: previously committed. The way arson investigators tell if a corpse was killed by the fire or was already dead when Evidence, Salary, Requirements, Motives the fire was started is they look to see if the blood of the Arson is the act of setting a fire with purposeful and victim has high levels of carbon monoxide in it. This criminal intent. Around 700 deaths are caused by arson a means that the victim was breathing while the fire was year and causes hundreds of thousands of dollars in happening. Suicide by fire is called self-immolation. property damage. The punishment for this crime ranges from fines, restitution, probation, and even a life sentence An Arson investigator get about $53,990 per year, the in jail. The forensic scientist who studies and solves lowest percent of investigators make as little as $33,920 these types of crimes are called arson investigators. annually. However the top ten percent make over $87,400 per year. The requirement to become an Arson Arson investigators look for certain pieces of evidence to investigator you need to have a high school diploma, tell them about the fire and what happened. The first Experience with law enforcements or the fire department, thing the investigators do is find the point of origin of the and attend a specialized arson investigation academy. fire and then find out what caused it. The fire could be They work for the state police or the local fire caused by natural causes, an accident, arson, or department. They mostly work 24 hours a day for each undeterminable. If the fire turned out to be caused by case. from Advertisement to Environmental Portrait to this Famous arson cases: year’s theme, Go! The Fall Photo Contest also had Julio Cesar entries for Multimedia and short movies. The judges are He immigrated to New York City Julio was being thrown professional photographers and filmmakers from . out while he was making threats to the security at a social club. So after he bought dollars of gasoline at a nearby We are so proud of our students, because their photos gas station and he poured all of the gasoline on the stairs were judged with High School students’ work (with over (the only exit) and he threw a match and set the club on 2,000 entries) from all over Texas. The following blaze after him watching the firefighter trying to put out students placed: the fire he went home and took a nap and on his clothes there was soaked with gas. Photography: Astra Elliot - Honorable Mention (Student Life) John Orr Charlie Stone - Honorable Mention (Student Life) John Orr an ex-firefighter wanted to become a police Carter Cordes - Honorable Mention (Thematic - Go!) officer but didn’t make the cut. His co-workers said he Henry Martin - Honorable Mention (Advertisement) used to chase down burglars and shoplifter in his fire truck but one day he use a cigar attached to a pack of Multimedia/Animation: matches by a rubber band to burn down a nearby 1st place - Amanda Lambert establishment. He made a total of 700 fires and killed 4 2nd place - Ian Clennan people. 3rd place - Skyla Riggleman Honorable mention - Amanda Lambert Works Cited Short Movie Newton, Michael. "Arson Investigation." Encyclopedia of 1st place - Magnolia Hammer (Thematic - Go!) High-Tech Crime and Crime Fighting n.d.: n.p.. Science Online. Web. 5 December 2014. Photography winners are included below. All results can be viewed at http://www.atpi.org/wp- Bell,Suzann. “Arson and Forensic content/uploads/2014/11/winners_fall_2014.pdf, Science.” Encyclopedia of Forensic Science nd.: and the animations and short movie can be seen on the n.p. Science Online. Web. 9 December 2014. Lamar Digital Media Vimeo site at: https://vimeo.com/album/2578892 Barry Franklin. “Arson Investigator Salary & Job Outlook.” Forensics Colleges.

Hot Science: How Investigators Determine the Causes of Fires “National Geographic “National Geographic Society. 2014 n.p. December 11, 2014.

Photography:

Our photography students have been learning a lot this semester, and have even managed to get some state wide recognition with their work. We are pleased to announce the 2014 ATPI (Association of Texas Photography Instructors) Annual Fall Photo Contest winners from Lamar Middle School. This year, we had 8 Scotties recognized in the Beginning/Middle School contest area. The contest consists of various entry sections ranging British. Memeing history allowed students to think about historical perspectives in a fun and interesting way. Chloe Linscomb used an existing meme style to portray Jing George holding "his favorite acts" written on the papers in his hand is the "quartering act, stamp act, and sugar act." Chloe combines both humor, history and artistic ability in this awesome meme.

Recently, students were charged with task of taking of the historical figures they had learned about this semester, and creating a social media page that depicted their life and work as it would look on the web today. Hector Hernandez and William Critendon created a tweet page for the one and only Sam Adams. Two teams tried their hand at Patrick Henry’s Instagram page: Dilynn Von Thies & Damaris Benitez, and Evangelyn Nobles & Imi Wallace. Take a look at the attached projects on the following pages for the clever and relevant finished products. Social Studies Brings History to Life:

A step inside Ms. Gomez’s class reminds us that there are so many different ways to bring history into the present day. Earlier in the semester, students learned about the colonists’ rebellion against their mother country, the British. For one assignment, students "memed" perspectives of either the colonists or the