Week of Feb 27- Mar 3 LL #29

Pre-Algebra:

This week I completed a lesson and did my Chapter 8 test. I did not win the video contest. I was invited to join a Zoom meeting with a music producer, but when I checked the time I was almost an hour late and it was over.

Creative Writing:

This week was Service Week at my school. We did a freewrite and then worked on numerous service projects for the rest of the time. One of the projects was making adult bibs for the elderly, as well as making cards for them. The sewing machines didn't want to cooperate very well for the final step, but we were able to get most of the stuff done.

I made this "Happy Spring" card with some reference photos on my tablet. 

It was so much fun to draw, talk, and do service.

Social Studies:

This week I read two chapters of Story of the World. I learned about making tobacco and how they hired slaves to work in the farms because it was too hard for themselves.

Tech (Exploring Technology):

This week I started my Psychology Minecraft class! I learned about Naturalistic Observation, which means people carry out experiments in a natural environment. The people in the experiment don't know they are part of it. I watched example videos of a person "accidentally" tripping in front of people (seeing if people will help them up or ask if they are ok), and of a person "accidentally" dropping a dollar on the floor (seeing if people will return it or steal it), among others. It was fun but took at least an hour because there were so many videos.

My build this week was to make an experiment lab and use signs to show what your experiment is. So, of course, I immediately think of a mad scientist lab with a prison cell. That's what I made.

First I made a spooky, dark entrance. Can you see it?

Down a dim stairway, you'll find my glowing signs. My experiment is: How long will it take for a person to go crazy when living in a dire prison cell, exposed to a soft life and high accommodations just a few yards away?

So, here's the prison cell. There is a thin, thin blanket, and a thin, thin pillow on a slab of stone. There's ugly green floor and a toilet. The prisoner's food comes out once a day from the machine in the wall, consisting of the worst food in Minecraft- rotten flesh, poisonous potato, and a suspicious stew. What's suspicious stew?

It's made from mushrooms and a flower. Depending on the flower, you will get a special potion effect, which can be anything from Swiftness to Instant Health to Poison. You can't tell which effect you'll get unless you make it, so it's very risky if you find it, already made, in a chest. Mine was made with a Wither Rose, which gives you the Wither effect for a few seconds. Don't know what that is? Well, it's the worst of the bunch, and very, very bad.

Here's the nice life, just a scant few blocks away. Purple wool floor (not the cold, hard stone of the cell), a cushy bed, lights so you can actually see (as opposed to the- perfect, really- dimness of the cell), a working, warm shower (heated by lava under the water), an aquarium, armor equipper, some REALLY cool Minecraft items (amethyst shard, heart of the sea, dragon egg, eye of ender, diamond, nether star, dragon's breath, blaze rod, and the newest- Recovery compass), and the best thing- no bars. You can (in theory) come and go as you please. Also you can have whatever food you desire (that exists in Minecraft) that comes out whenever you want in the machines next to the shower.

The only lights in the room (aside from the lights in the nice accommodations) come from the blue torches and a blue campfire fireplace. It's very dim in contrast to regular orange fireplaces and torches.

I put lava above the campfire. It makes it look like the smoke is coming from the lava, and it's just a fun build hack I've seen.

Elective (Writing for Publication):

This week before class I helped mom with teaching kids to work on crochet blankets for Service Week. This was the longest time I have ever been at Link Education League. It was so much fun!

They also had a stuffed animal sewing project, so I made this cute purple cat to donate!

Mom and I are also working on this granny square blanket for people in wheelchairs.

In class, we did a freewrite and then went over our homework as we sketched designs on water bottle labels. The class went by very fast unfortunately. :(