Water Day 2014

Once again we celebrated the summer season with our annual Water Day Event! The students enjoyed slashing about with their water toys and friends, ice cold ice pops, and dancing with the sprinklers under the warm summer sun.

Water Day was great! I liked going in the sprinklers. During the water game we had to see who could move swiftly through the water without getting wet. - Huntley Swaby

Water Day is cool because you get to splash

 water at each other. - Justin Mack

 

 

It was really fun. We were able to wet each other and enjoy the best day ever! - Thomas Toliver

Summer 2014 Music Production Session

This summer students were introduced to the fundamentals of music production.

During the first and second week of A.C.T. the students participated in creating music beats and operating audio recording technology using DAW's (digital audio workstation). The DAW's the students used included Garage Band, FL Studio and the online digital beat making tool Beatlab.

During the third through fifth week of program the students utilized what they learned into executing music production projects. The students collaborated on a music production project for the song "The Future". The song's instrumentals we're produced by Kamille Gordon using Garage Band. The song lyrics include an inspirational verse derived from Jordan Bartlet's and Tai Chandler's song from the P.S. 176 Boys Choir and original lyrics crafted in A.C.T. club. The students participated in the audio engineering process and observed the post production process of mixing and mastering the audio tracks.   

Below are some reflections and statements by the students based on their experiences during the first week of the music production session:

Today I made a cool new beat! - Taylor Washington

Today I learned how to make a creative beat using music loops. One day maybe I can put it in a movie. - Bianca Loyd

Today I made beats on Beatlab, FL Studios, and took photos of the students. - Tai Chandler

I made beats on FL Studio and I plan on making a song. - Jordan Bartlett

What Exactly is Global Warming?

The Students of A.C.T. Club we're introduced to the cause and effects of Global Warming.

Global Warming occurs when there is an increase in temperature in the Earth's atmosphere. The increase in temperature is caused by the greenhouse gas effect that increases the  levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.


 The effects of Global Warming over a long period of time will be detrimental to the environment. Global Warming may eventually transform Earth into an uninhabitable planet.

The students participated in a group discussion on Global Warming and completed worksheets and art work demonstrating their knowledge on the causes of Global Warming and what can be done to counter it's effect. The students also watched several videos on the topic including a clip from the popular Fox Network mini series Cosmos and a fun educational animated short Climate Tales funded by NASA. In our discussion we talked about the importance of preserving the environment by "Going Green" which means to take actions against waste, pollution and exhausting fossil fuels. 

Below are some comments that the students made based on their experience during the Global Warming lesson:

"The Global Warming cartoon was funny because the fish was old" - Jermaine Washington

"In the cartoon the trees were cut down and the air was polluted" - Joshua Jones

-Aniya Lewis
-Alana King
-Faith Grinion
-Jasmine Mayers