Wot no music? This month, I've included Jack's final project for the Berklee course on Game Audio Design. The students were given a video clip, without sound, and then had to add all the sound effects (and music) - so all the footsteps, voices, buzzing wasp machine sounds, explosions etc were added by Jack.

The movie is about 12MB. Click on this link to view it, or right click and save it, if you want to keep a copy for later viewing.

The Schoolhouse Log: May 2011


May was the month of field trips for the energy project. We visited the Lackawanna Coal Mine and Heritage Museum in Scranton, PA, where the children traveled down into the mine that closed in the 1960s. They also took in a tour of the heritage museum, to learn about the hardships of the people who came from all over the world to mine the coal. The next week they experienced first hand the effects of coal mining in that same region, when they spent a day with the Eastern PA Coalition on Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR). They visited and saw rivers impacted by acid mine drainage and the resulting "yellow boy' pollution.


The students visited the PPL Susquehanna Steam (nuclear) power plant and toured the perimeter with their community outreach specialist and met with a nuclear physicist. It was an eye opening day when the students saw first hand the very tight security and environmental awareness demonstrated by the staff. The students also experienced the PPL hydroelectric plant at Lake Wallenpaupack. Here they learned the many different demands on a hydroelectric plant, from fishermen, environmentalists and residents and tourists, as they attempt to generate electricity. They spent the afternoon testing water quality in the lake, and examining microscopic zooplankton in the water. This is a great tourist area, and I have a feeling we shall be returning this summer.

The students met with the local watershed ambassador and an energy auditor from Green Domain. These individuals offered some great information that extended their knowledge about energy and how to conserve it. Towards the end of the month the students worked to complete their scrapbook of the project and their energy movie, "The Journey of Energy", in preparation for their visit to the Rutgers Teen Climate Change Summit, and a public presentation evening, hosted by the Liberty Township Environmental Commission in June.

Jack and Phil were able to be part of Alison Bancroft's Girl Scout Gold Award, when they attended "Follow Evelyn Day". This day was created by Alison to highlight the life of her grandmother, Evelyn and the period she lived through in White Township, NJ.

Phil and Lorna attended a natural burial workshop at Genesis Farm. This was informative, enlightening and really helped us think further about this topic. During the same day we attended Jack's piano recital at our church.

Memorial Day saw us all enjoying a great meal, The Roast Beef Dinner, which is an annual church event. This year the restoration of the cemetery archway was admired and celebrated by all attending.

The silkworms continued to grow and consume masses of mulberry chow and mulberry leaves!
i