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REinNOVATION is back! TECHNIverse founder Rex C discusses various topics on this blog.

Waffles, Hot Chocolate, and Books: Pre-Spring Break Extravasagna

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MACC students were treated to a pleasant surprise the last two days before spring break: an afternoon of reading with hot chocolate on the side, and a wee bit of sugar and waffles after math.

When vacation mode kicked in with the students, it was clear that there was no way they could handle two straight days of work. It was then that the teachers dreamed up the perfect plan: how about a fun day?

The buzz of excitement began when the MACC teachers announced a ‘Reading Party’ in the library, hosted by our very own librarian, Ms Trieu. As everyone delved into their books, immersed in literature, Mr Buhler and Ms Moody generously prepared hot chocolate for the enthusiastic readers.

The subsequent morning, after a long and cumbersome math block, the delicious smell of waffle mix kindled the students, who returned to their work with renewed passion (mostly due to the no-waffles-before-math-is-done bribe, anyway).

As Mr Buhler’s waffle maker chirped and whistled, students eagerly lined up for their quarter of a waffle. They were evidently well prepared! Tables were lined with assortments of whipping creams, syrups, sauces, fruits, and a variety of other toppings.

Since it was Mr Buhler’s final day, everyone applauded and cheered enthusiastically as many  gifts and farewell cards were presented to him.’This has been the most wonderful two months of my life,’ Mr Buhler said to thunderous cheers.’Thank you so much.’

Among the gifts were baby products, a hint at the impending excitement of Mr Buhler’s first child. ‘This is awesome,’ he declared.

With all this excitement, MACC students are definitely ready to go for spring break.

An Experience of Cosmic Wonder

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At the HR MacMillan Space Centre
BY MACC, January 18, 2013

When humans gaze into the night sky, we can’t help but feel minute in the universe.

That is just how MACC felt as we headed to the HR Macmillan Space Centre, located in a quiet, sedated area, not far away from the bustling city. Sharing a building with the Museum of Vancouver, this small but awe-inspiring facility houses a stage for live performances, a series of cosmic exhibits, and, most stunning of all, a massive 360° Star Theatre built into the roof itself.

A steel crab statue, solemnly standing in the centre of a frozen-over pond, greeted our party. Not long afterwards, we found ourselves in the grand theatre, contemplating the origins of our native star, the neighboring planets, and the entire cosmos beyond, with the presentation of ‘Quest for Origins’.

Perhaps the greatest wonder of the theatre is an extremely accurate star projector dubbed ‘Harold’, nestled in a central area, and the seating radiating out in all directions. Despite its incredible similarity to a mace, Harold was able to predict and project the wonders of the night sky.

Aided by an animated robotic character named ‘Oliver’, the narrator discusses the problematic question of the Big Bang, the discovery of the universe’s expansion using the Doppler Effect, as well as ongoing projects that investigate the great mysteries the cosmos presents us with.

After a brief break, we viewed another theatre program: ‘Night Watch: The Astronomer’s Passion’. This program began with an overview of milestones in the course of astronomy, followed by a rapid slideshow of famous astronomers—after which the narrator remarked that they are currently all dead.

Then, we examined the different theories concerning our place in the universe: from the ridiculous geocentric, to the currently accepted view of just how endless the universe is. This was followed by connections between the science of astronomy, popular culture, and history: constellations, the sun, and the zodiac, as well as the ‘Little Green Men’ radio signal, the new star observed by the Chinese in AD 1140, and finally the current perceptive on supernovas.

Then, the show culminated in a resident astronomer guiding us through the night sky of Vancouver for the night: starting from sunset at 4:55 PM, to Jupiter, Ursa Major and Minor, the Big Dipper, Polaris, Orion’s belt, the Orion Nebula, Taurus, Saturn, Venus, and finally sunrise at approximately 7 AM.

After a time for lunch, we headed down to the exhibits downstairs for a tour of the exhibits (collectively, the ‘Cosmic Courtyard’). Highlights included a simulation of dizziness of space, a looping video concerning the Hubble and Kepler space programs, a discussion of the likeliness of a meteor impact, numerous animated features, a small metal box that fell from a Soviet satellite (later discovered to contain Soviet souvenirs and other paraphernalia), and interactive games simulating a space shuttle docking at the ISS, as well as the virtual planning and launching of a Mars manned mission, facing obstacles such as saboteurs, lack of storage space or supplies, and malfunctioning of essential equipment.

Then, in the live theatre ‘GroundStation Canada’ was a presentation, ‘The Color of Fire’, demonstrating how different chemicals have different light ray signatures (also, colors when burned), and its applications in spectroscopy to investigate the properties of stars such as Polaris. Also discussed were the life cycle of stars, the prospects of another Earth for humans in case our sun expires, and current planet-finding missions. The feature experiment involved lighting chlorides and sulfates, and witnessing colored flames storming through large plastic water jugs.

The visit ended with another stroll through the exhibits, and a moment in Vanier Park’s rolling hills and marine backdrop. As we left the parking lot, some couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the universe.

The HR MacMillan Space Centre is located at 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, in Vanier Park. Look for the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory, featuring a ½-metre Cassegrain telescope to explore the skies around Vancouver. Weather permitting, it will be open Saturdays at 8 PM.

 

A Overview of Our Exciting 2011-2012 Year

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By Rex C. June 22, 2012. Coquitlam. Some experiences are personal.

ANOTHER YEAR IN MACC @ HILLCREST! 2011-2012

This school year has indeed proved quite eventful. We saw more fun, more development, more variety, and more learning. Here are some of the memorable moments:

  • THE FIRST TESTS: We started off with quite a few tests. But once we got through Math and French tests, it was as wonderful as could be!
  • EXPLORATIONS: We had much fun cooking simple meals, sewing simple projects, building computer models with Google SketchUp TM, making a key couch with wood, making music videos, using the mixing software Mixcraft TM, doing various drawing exercises, and even making our own clay ‘kimono’, having it fired, then painting it!
  • MATH: Independency proved to be quite effective for learning.
  • FRENCH: Themes explored in Advanced French include basic vocabulary, family, food, verbs, tenses, Halloween, and more.
  • HCE: The Friends for Life program is an anxiety prevention and resiliency skill-building program. Teachers are Ms Abbot and Ms Brochu.
  • SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT: Everyone had great ideas for a clean, productive future.
  • SWIM: Blue Team went to Spani Pool for a while. Unfortunately, this time of year proved to be quite (too?) rainy.
  • PRO-D AND I-DAYS: The first one: yay! Second: boring!
  • TERRY FOX RUN: We had a good run in Mundy Park while fundraising for a great cause: cancer research!
  • UH, SHOTS. Some of us had the fortune to escape the deadly sharp points of needles.
  • HIGHLANDER GAMES: Many had a lot of fun trying out the various different activities hosted by the school. There was even a “javelin” tournament!
  • JESSE MILLER came and talked to us about the risks of social networking and how to keep you safe.
  • HALLOWEEN… Many attempted building a ‘haunted house’ out of used material.
  • CURLING: MACC classes headed to the Sports Complex/Library for a few fun mornings of trying curling out and silent reading/resting at the library.
  • BILLY THE KID: This inspirational singer/songwriter/many other professions, Ms Abbot’s high school classmate, came in to talk to us about her career.
  • MATH ON THE MOUNTAIN: I was the only one at this fun, educational event exploring the wonders of mathematics. There weren’t enough drivers for everyone else. Also see https://adventuresinmacc.edublogs.org/2012/02/14/middle-magnet-math-on-the-mountain/
  • DR. MACDONALD: A brilliant neurologist came in to talk to us about his research, some of the interesting things about neurology, some common myths and misconceptions, and even an actual brain that had been donated to science by an elderly gentleman.
  • YAY! NO REPORT CARDS: Due to JOB ACTION.
  • WINTER BREAK!!! Some time off…
  • SNOWSHOEING & TUBING @ CYPRUS MOUNTAIN: A fun day was spent at Cyprus Mountain. With LOTS of snow, snowshoeing through trails in the heart of the forest and cascading down a slope in a tube became more enjoyable.
  • EMPIRES: We studied ancient civilizations and did a series of out-of-the-box projects on the great empires that once ruled the world. Some of my ones are investigating the sustainability of the Chinese language, recreating the Roman Basilica of Maxentius in SketchUp, comparing the Chinese Yen with the Greek drachma, and exploring the early achievements in space exploration.
  • PE: Highlights include table tennis, basketball, kickball, scooter soccer, and more.
  • CLUBS DAY: There were all sorts of sessions for MACC students from different schools. It was enjoyable for me to take a morning stroll in Mundy Park, looking at the biodiversity. I also went to an afternoon session in which a MACC teacher/author from Citadel discussed the things that make a novel great (or even better).
  • ROMEO AND JULIET: The school was delighted by this hilarious live production of the classic play. There was a happy ending, too.
  • INSPIRATION GARDEN: Down by the Cultural Centre, we had much fun learning about gardening, farming, sustainable eating, sustainable garden/farming, as well as planting greens and harvesting.
  • EMINENT PEOPLE DINNER PARTY PROJECT: We started off with 10 bios about eminent people from different times and places as well as their unique achievements. Then, it was an in-depth bio about one of the people (mine was Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn a.k.a. Rembrandt) and the final bit (dressing up, presenting our work, and having a pasta lunch party) was the best.
  • SPRING BREAK: Highlights of mine included an extra 2 days off and visiting my relatives in Taiwan.
  • A MIDNIGHT SUMMER’S DREAM: A more classic performance of Shakespeare’s play.
  • CONTAINERS FOR CHARACTERS: We read a selection of novels (half of them by Carl Hiaasen) and recognized the leadership qualities of the main characters as well as some of our own. Used containers were used for the display.
  • SCIENCE ROTATIONS: We in groups explored different ways of generating energy and reflected on the pros and cons of each. Energies explored included solar, wind, hydro, biodiesel, fossil fuel, and nuclear.
  • GATEWAY COMMUNITIES PROJECT: Then we looked at the Northern Gateway pipeline, which is to be built by nasty oil company Enbridge. We examined the pros and cons and even had a mock ‘National Energy Board Review’ with representatives from each ‘community’ (I was one of the two for Kitimat, BC) presenting what they think about the pipeline and its impacts on the community. I liked the final decision: NO.
  • THIS BRINGS US TO THE FINAL FEW BITS.
  • PASSION PROJECT EXPO: Everyone showcased their marvelous talents. I had a blog with a couple of stories and a couple of illustrations: http://macc11rex.edublogs.org/. It’s about dinosaurs in Spain and the Biblical book of Exodus. I also saw some other cool projects: https://adventuresinmacc.edublogs.org/passion-projects/
  • ACTIVITY DAYS: We have been to the Mundy Park field. We will head to Spani Pool next Tuesday. These days are organized by Mr. Foot and Mr. Hewlett.
  • SCRAPBOOKING: You are reading the product of this activity.
  • CEREMONIES: Graduation and stuff. Wonder how it’ll be?
  • SUMMER BREAK! YES! YES! YES!!! FINALLY!!!

So that concludes an exciting year. I hope that next year will be even better, but the future is uncertain…

Middle Magnet- Math on the Mountain

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Three times a year, junior mathematicians gather at Simon Fraser University to learn more about the wonders of this field in an educational but also entertaining setting. The most recent of these workshops occurred on Thursday, February 9th, 2012, from 12:30 to 3pm, in the irmacs theatre. The day begins with the American Billions problem, a game in which one player sets down a card numbered 0-9, and then the next player sets down a card which will make the two-digit number a multiple of two, and so on. The player that “gets stuck” loses.

After a brief introduction, Roman Numerals are covered in great detail, from the adding and subtracting rules to dating buildings through hidden messages in inscriptions[1]. Then, we move on to the history of numbers, and we look at the Fibonacci sequence and Fibonacci s “Rabbit Problem.” Then, we look at Euler’s Seven Bridges of Königsberg and his networks, as well trefoil knots and Olympic rings. Finally, we move on to 3-D movie-making, which features two high-quality 3-D films and specialized glasses.

Math on the Mountain is a highly interesting and educational workshop that is not to be missed!


[1] Buildings built during the Roman Empire (such as a church inHungary) would have the numerals I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, in larger font, hidden in their inscriptions, as a method of dating.