Free Throw Contest

The Knights of Columbus branch # 12487 is sponsoring a Free-Throw Contest January 12, 2008 at 1 PM at the Charter Oak-Ute High School Gym. Kids from the Charter Oak, Dow City and Ute areas are all eligible. Registration begins at noon, January 13. For more information, please contact Randy Staley at 712-678-3844

Cover idea

This MIGHT be something LIKE what our cover COULD end up looking SORT OF like...
I will tell you that we won't be doing pink or red or magenta or anything like that.

But I should also say "good work" to the Senior Dream team; Cody, Chris, Jamie, and Liv for their hard work and creativity.

What kind of shape are you in?

Want to learn what Mr. Mallory tried to teach Boyer Valley's elementary teachers? Click the link below:

Shape Slide Show

Escher in the Classroom

Escher in the Classroom
Here's a great lesson on making tesselations. I think it would probably work for at least 5th grade, maybe even 4th. You can go all-out and make them with sponges or foam-core so that kids can experience them as puzzle pieces.

Inkscape tutorial: Elements

Inkscape tutorial: Elements & Principles

This tutorial will demonstrate the elements and principles of design which are normally taught to early art students in order to understand various properties used in art making. This is not an exhaustive list, so please add, subtract, and combine to make this tutorial more comprehensive.

Sub Lessons; Wed. Dec. 12

Mallory Lesson Plans
Wednesday, December 12

1 ∙ Web Design-

Continue working on Case Problem Websites and Final Websites
Chris G. may go to Mrs. Koenig’s if he needs help on Govt.
No games for Shawn

2 ∙ Drawing-

Should work on finishing erased sailor drawing in sketchbook. When done, should try drawing either self or a classmate on another page in their sketchbook

3 ∙ Planning Period-

4 ∙ MS Art-

Last day to finish painting portraits, or may free paint or glaze ceramics.

Expect an art criticism activity on Friday

Clean-up at 11:40, lunch at 11:52

∙ DEAR time-

Quiet and reading books, not homework

5 ∙ Ceramics-

Work on faces or glazing. Everyone should be working.

Andrew or Derek may (carefully) unload the kiln. Anyone done with their face may glaze items from the kiln.

6 ∙ Yearbook-

Seniors please work on Cover &/or end-sheets

Sophomores please work on finishing InDesign Pages

Vicky Jones may call Burgess Health Clinic about ad (phone # on coffee maker)

Juniors either work on pages or go to South Lab to work on ALECKS (math)

7 ∙ MS Cheer-

No Practice, Send to Mrs. McQueen’s study hall, they’ve known already

Mal • Toons

Mal • Toons
Here's a brand new blog of nothing but Mr. Mallory's cartoons. Why not use them in History or Government class?

1984; not just a Van Halen album

Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	George Orwell

Wow. This was good. The last time I read this book, I think it was 1984.
At that time, I saw it merely as some weird science fiction thing that fortunately hadn't come true. Of course, my English teacher at the time tried to help us see how it was about conformity.

Two things motivated me to give it another look. Someone said that it was a brilliant political satire. SATIRE, I thought, satires are funny. Okay, you know how people imagine different actor's voices as different characters when they read a book? I thought I'd try to imagine what this book would be like if it were a movie made by the Coen Brothers or Tim Burton. (I figured that Woody Allen or Mel Brooks was a little too silly). It helped, especially early on when Winston Smith's life is so bleak and lonely.

The other thing that encouraged me to read it was when a friend suggested a cartoon idea to me- (see below) I just figured he was referring to the illegal wire taps and email phishing, but it it SO much more than that- the propaganda, the use and abuse of the media, TORTURE, and the psychological tricks of perpetual war. Wow. It is really frightening.

The first part of this book is bleak and depressing, the second part is an exciting combination of political thriller and romance. The third part is almost as surreal and existential as a Jean Paul Sarte play.

What is truly frightening is not the idea of this book being somehow prophetic, or of how it features many of the kinds of ideologies and tactics of the current administration, what is really scary- and shaming, is that this isn't just a satire of Socialism or post WWII Brittan or 1940's America, or the NAZIs or the Soviets or the cold war, it isn't just a satire about conformity- and it is, by the way. It occurred to me that John Hughes or somebody could rip off the basic plot and turn it into a movie about how miserable high school can be. It's not just a warning about how society or governments could evolve. What it is is a searing commentary on human nature. Very much in line with the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. We are all oppressors and followers. We are all capable of torture or betrayal. That's the frightening part.

If you read this and really take it seriously, you will be bound to become skeptical of any politician- regardless or party or promise. You will treasure and appreciate you rights, freedoms and your relationships. And you just might be a little less comfortable undressing with the TV on. I don't have a web-cam on my computer. Do you?


See you in the place where there is no darkness. (or room 101, whichever).
Read more of Mr. Mallory's book reviews at http://tmal.multiply.com/reviews

Two more by Miranda

Here are a couple more pictures that I'm pretty sure Miranda took (maybe Holli?) I think you'll recognize these hams as members of our yearbook staff. I figure, anyone who's goofy enough to pose like this deserves to be embarrassed by having the pictures posted on the internet.

Yearbook; Miranda's Awesome Eye

Miss Willis took these three pictures. I sure hope she registers to take Digital Photography 2nd hour next semester because I think she's great. I was going to use the one of the auditorium chairs as the picture of the week this week on the school website- but I figured parents want to see kids and the Drill team shot that I took was more topical with them going to State. I AM using the ones below as the picture of the week starting this Friday. They were both so good, I couldn't choose, so I put them together in Photoshop. The one on the left is a great example of "framing" the subject. Both show how changing your angle can make an otherwise mundane topic into a really dynamic composition. I wonder what Mr. Boysen would think since our esteemed Woods teacher used to teach Darkroom Photography for years.

Yearbook; This week

Now that we have server access again, please get back into InDesign and try to finish the Fall sports pages you were working on in November.

• Seniors can be working on our cover, since Josten's sent us a template.
• I will try to check up on each of you individually to see the progress on your pages, offer help, and make sure that they are saved in the right place. Before too long, I can take Bonnie, Cody and Christine or someone, and start preparing some of these pages for submission, and uploading them to the Josten's site.
• I have login names and passwords for everyone for the Josten's Yearbook Avenue website.
  
• Monday, Dec. 10 Colleen will visit. Be ready with any questions you may have for her.
  
• Mrs. Staley has class lists for me in my mailbox, so Thursday and Friday, we may be able to start creating Class pages.
• We also may as well start working on our ad pages before Christmas break. I may put you into teams of two, assign 2 spreads to each team. I'll start one DPS and then you'll be on your own for the second set of pages.
• When we get back from Christmas break, we should immediately start on Winter sports pages, even though the sports will still be going. We can also assign club pages too.
  

Drawing; Faces

This week we're reading Chapter 10; Values (p. 194 ff)
We have 3 more faces to draw, including your finals. When in doubt, go back and re-read Dr. Edward's directions on pp. 181-187. Also, she has some additional pointers that may help on pg. 188 for drawing any face.

Web Design

So, we went about 2 weeks without server/internet access...
Here on out we really only have 3 weeks left. I have 3 major goals and we need to use all of our class time to achieve them:

1. Review for the final. I have 4 portions of it that we will work on together in class as a worksheet. We may get them repeated as quizzes, so keep them and be studying them.
2. Get those case project sites done and your personal sites done. -These are each 1/3 of your "final" grade, along with the post-test we're studying for.
3. Have some fun and find out some tricks you can add to your pages. Here are a few websites I recommend for getting codes to experiment with:

• http://pixelhivedesign.com/tutorials
• http://bignosebird.com
• http://www.turnstep.com
• http://www.lissaexplains.com/fun3.shtml

Congratulations Drill team

Congratulations to the Drill team for their wins at the State Competition in Des Moines last Saturday:

• 1st place in pom
• 4th place in hiphop
• 2nd in show production