American Western Art, Zines, and Decibels

Quarks Math Club
Our Math Club today continued our exploration of math and sound. After a snack, we divided into two groups and stood across the room from each other. Just how distance is measured in inches, feet, and miles, volume can be measured in decibels. Each child took turns saying his or her name and the group on the other side of the room watched a decibel meter to measure the volume. One group then made an “ah” sounds and walked closer to the other group, to measure how volume changes with distance. Finally, we got out the instruments and explored rhythm and math. The kids practiced playing their instruments to a count, on only odd counts or even counts, and double-time. We ended by using the instruments to make the loudest sound we could and measured it on our decibel meter.
Neutron Art
Today we learned about the painter and sculpter Frederic Remington. Remington is famous for depictions of the American West. We specifically focused on his cast bronze sculptures. To explore the casting process, the kids used homemade “cold porcelain” clay to sculpt faces. These faces will dry to a hard finish during the week and we will continue with the casting process next week.
Magic Muons
This week the Muons discussed the possibility of creating a fictional Co-op “economy”, in hopes of stimulating some activities centered around buying, selling, and related business interests to incorporate into our math activities at Co-op. Each Muon was asked to think about potential currency designs for the Co-op dollars. The Muons also worked on their upcoming zine, by drafting their first articles and working on various layout options for the zine. Some potential ideas for the zine included an area for interviews, club notices, and even some possible advertising space.