4 SQUARE is revived at MHC-After 3 at VMNH

• VMNH MHC-After 3 students had fun with an 'old school'
• game of 4 square on March 11, 2010
  

The age-old game has apparently been dropped from physical education programs in Martinsville, so the student learned an entirely new way to play with a ball and a piece of chalk!

Here everyone is 'warming up' by practicing their hand-eye

coordination skills before the start of the 4-square game.

Students get low, or get out!

A student looks to the "king's"

square as he retreives the ball

for the next serve.

Bassett Community Center Goes Nuts!

The students at the Bassett Community Center after school site enjoyed cracking nuts on Thursday. They made predictions and determined which nuts have the hardest shells to crack.

I'm not sure what inspired them to do this, but they were enjoying themselves!

March 5, 2010

PLANTAINS!

Have you ever wondered what those funny looking bigger than banana-things are in the supermarket? So did we! Luckily, we got a chance to learn all about plantains: in which countries they grow, how they grow (what the plant looks like), the plantain's native country which is India, the other countries that enjoy the fruit, comparisons and contrasts to the banana, how and why they end up here for sale, and at last, a simple recipe for how to PREPARE THEM! (we chose frying!)

We hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we did eating them.

The salty version as well as the sweet version with cinnamon and Mexican Creme were delightfully delicious!

The slice

Dropping them in the sizzling oil

Cinnamon and sugar style!

The first bite!

Yummy yummy!

The final thought.

March 3, 2010

THE DEBATE IS ON!

After the class decided upon a topic to debate, they were alloted a few days after school

to do research to support their arguments 'For and Against School Uniforms'.

The activity maintained a very professional tone as the female participants (it turned

out to be a day without a male presence other than the instructor) carefully constructed

their arguments and counter-arguments. One of the groups even presented the debaters

with images printed from websites of school uniforms. It was an enlightening day as both

teams brought up valid points and everyone ended up a winner.

Preparing for the first argument AGAINST school uniforms.

Another opinion.

The debate heats up!

A calm and collected comeback.

Referencing photos.

The closing remarks.

March 1, 2010

Having fun while using fractions, VMNH MHC after 3 students sit down
to find probabilities with candies. They were instructed to select a number of candies and

make note of the colors that appeared. After 18 successive selections, they were asked to make comparisons of the probability of retreiving each color with what they actually found while doing the hands-on experiment. In the end, the sweet candies were enjoyed,

but only after a little math was 'sorted out'.

Selecting candies from the bags.



Students make comparisons and calculations,



Make note of their results,



And then share them with the class for study!

On February 26, 2010, the students were asked to look for representations of 'wealth' in the United States and glue them to one side of a poster board. Then, on the opposite side they were asked what the word 'rich' and 'wealth' meant to many other people in the world.

On the U.S. side images of music, art and leisure, cars, fast food, medication, beauty products, pocket books, money, jewelery, credit cards, diamonds, and technology appeared.

On the other side, the students defined 'wealth' in a very different way by cutting out images representing family, love, happiness, rain, food, culture, freedom, shelter, water, and clothing.

Cutting and pasting...

Identifying the images.

Compiling the ideas.


The final products!

Shooting hoops

On February 16, 2010, the VMNH MHC-after 3 group decided to head down to Wilson Park and brave the chilly temperatures. It didn't take long to warm up playing an intense game of basketball, where the students and instructors soon forgot that it was barely 40 degrees.

Who's got it?

'Taking it out' after the other team sunk a basket.

Was that a SWISH I heard? "Who's open? I need help over here!"