The Planetarium at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center Prepares for Laser - Light Shows. JJ Returns and is Conscripted to the Starships Cassini and Falcon. Hyrum Trains Under a Watchful Eye. Could There be War? My Class Fears the Worst. Imaginairum Theater.

 

JJ Returns to the Space Center. His Reactivation Clause was Enforced.

The Cassini's Ellie welcomes JJ to the ship's Control Room and Active Duty.  

"I'm excited to have another supervisor on board," she said. "It gives Jon someone else to yell at :)"

     JJ recently returned from an LDS Mission to Colorado and was met at the airport by representatives from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center with his two year old termination contract in hand.  After patiently waiting for him to hug parents and family, they approached and shook his hand. "Welcome Home," Jon Parker said from behind dark glasses. "You are Hereby Reactivated. Report for duty to the Starships Cassini and Falcon ASAP," and with that said Jon, and his associate quickly left in an unmarked black Suburban.  

     Welcome home JJ. It is good to have you back at the Space Center.  Your old Supervisor Blues still fit.

Training to Flight Direct, The Starship Cassini's Hyrum Briefs the Saturday Morning Crew on Cry From the Dark.  

     Part of being a good flight director is giving an awesome preflight briefing.  Hyrum is training to do just that on the Starship Cassini.  Saturday morning I found him on the bridge briefing a crew on Cry from the Dark.  Sitting just on the other side of the wall near the ship's sickbay sat Jon Parker, Cassini's Set Director, with pen and tablet in hand to take notes on Hyrum's performance.  

    Wondering how harsh Jon would be in his evaluation, I pointed to Hyrum and asked Jon a question, "How merciful are you feeling today?"  

     Jon thought for a moment before answering. "I'll show Hyrum just as much mercy as you gave me in our discussions of my performances back in the day. So following your example, I will show none to him." 

     "Ouch...." I replied. "You got me there."  

Will There be War? An Update on My 6th Grade Historical Experiential Education Simulation   

       

      My students stopped outside my classroom door to read Thursday morning's Daily News post on the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.  It was a shock to them and needless to say, nerves are on edge.  

     The question on everyone's mind, how would this affect them?  Czar Tyler has already passed decrees to build more battleships and increase his defense budget.  Now, because of his treaties with Serbia, just how far will he go to defend Serbia should things go south quickly?   

The hallway news posting

Imaginarium Theater

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My Classroom is Set for War: Practicing the Art and Science of Experiential Education in Space and the Classroom.

     I'm using the art and science of experiential education six days a week; whether it be in space aboard the Starships Voyager and Cassini or in my sixth grade classroom at Renaissance Academy in Lehi.  Let me give you an example from this week.  My challenge - how do I take something as mundane as the creation of the Triple Entente of 1907, and its significance in creating the world we live in today, from a lecture to an experience?  The task pulls my thoughts far to the right side of the brain where creativity thrives. 

     Last week, as part of the modern history segment of my hour long history class (my class period is divided into modern history - 1900 - present, and ancient history) the students worked their way through the reasoning and rationale for the creation of the Triple Entente by seeing it play out in the room. They saw the students playing the German and Austria Hungary ambassadors working together on an alliance called The Triple Alliance.  They read the posted headlines on Germany's push to build battleships.  The classroom Czar was concerned.  He discussed a possible alliance with the French and British classroom ambassadors. Their discussions resulted in a new treaty - the Triple Entente.  The treaty was signed in class on Thursday and is now in force.    

 

The Czar signing the Triple Entente   

The Hallway News Announcing the Signing

The Treaty signed by the Czar, Great Britain, and France with Serbia looking on

The Document.

     This week there is news that Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the crown prince of Austria Hungary, and his wife are to visit Sarajevo in Bosnia.  I wonder what will come of that?  I have a feeling things may get interesting.......

An Economy Based on Everything Bread Instead of Gold

Everything Bread, our Gold Standard :)

     You can't run an effective classroom government simulation without a stable currency.   My classroom has such a monetary system - the Denarii.  Remember, I teach a mixture of modern and ancient history.  The simulation experience is set in modern history but we use the Roman Denarii as our currency.

     The Denarii's purchasing power gives it value.  While some national currencies rely on gold for foundational value, my Denarii rely on two things, the penny candy sugar bucket stored high on a shelve and Walmart's Everything Bread - a strong favorite by the vast majority of my students.  I keep a sliced loaf at my desk every day.  For the inexpensive price of one denarii, a student can satisfy a bout of hunger by purchasing one slice of Everything Bread from my desk bakery.  

     The Czar runs his government on Denarii, a currency with value thanks to Walmart's Everything Bread. Thank you Walmart.  

      

Imaginarium Theater

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A Murder at the Space Center: Committed, Investigated, and Solved in One Evening. An Early Photo of the Voyager's Bridge Found. Imaginarium Theater.

People Who Entertain for a Living Need to be Entertained.  Thank You Tyler Weight 

     Last week a brutal murder was committed at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Found dead was the fragile sweetheart of the forest, Snow White.  Her body was discovered outside the Magellan's transporter exit.  

A photo of Snow White taken minutes before the heinous crime. She was enjoying herself 

with "friends" when her life was cut short - and no prince's kiss could save her.

     The question to be solved, who was the culprit?  Those present when the dastardly deed was committed were people you know from your childhood; people you grew up with, some you even admire to this day.  Let me introduce the suspects :

Jon "Big Teeth" the Wolve

     Throughout the night your fabled heroes mingled and mixed whilst enjoying a lavish banquet to celebrate the pending arrival of spring. It was for many a last supper of innocents for after the meal there was one dead among them and one or more quilty.

     The clues to unwrapping the mystery and identifying the quilty were held by all. The trick was to acquire the clues by bartering, purchasing and even most strongly coercing the facts from some willing to exonerate themselves, and others whose sideways glances and sweaty foreheads foretold involvement. 

     Just before the midnight hour the murderer was unmasked.

   Today, I present to you the face of evil itself; for only one so possessed of such darkness could conceive and carry out a most foul crime against an unblemished soul.  The murderer was...... Herb, a tormented, deformed dwarf - shunned from his fellow dwarfs because of his towering height.  He was, by all accounts, a lonely creature - pitied by those of a forgiving nature. However, that pity did not save him, for Snow White's blood called from the moss blanketed forest floor for vengeance and justice was done. The dwarf somehow found his way to and unguarded exterior airlock with a faulty flushing mechanism.  I fear the worst......      

     Sadly I was unable to attend, a school teacher at the scene of a murder would not be proper.  I want to thank Audrey Henricksen for the photos and of course, we all thank Tyler Weight for creating and sponsoring the event. 

     Now, Mr. Porter, and the rest of the Space Center staff have some explaining to do when the Disney executives come looking for their lost starlet.   

The Space Center Staff enjoying an evening not to be forgotten

An Early Photo from the Voyager's Bridge Found

 

     The Space Center was open for 16 months when this picture was taken on the bridge of the Starship Voyager in March of 1992.  The Voyager was the only ship at the Space Center at that time.  The Odyssey was in the "planning" stage.  Everything that makes a Space Center mission today was in its infancy back then. This was even before we had uniforms. 

     Above you see one of Central's 4th grade classes on their Space Center in school field trip. The captain is seated in his command chair with his trusty first officer beside him. They sat on a raised platform at the back of the bridge overlooking the two lower sections and the main viewer.  

     I found this photo while I was posting pictures to my other Facebook page: Central School Memories.  For the last two years or so I've been posted the pages from Central Elementary School's history albums. The albums stretch back to the 1930s.  

Imaginarium Theater March 20, 2022

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