Creative Writing--So Simple Even You Can Do It! (Probably), Monday, Period 4

[doesdoctorstuff]

On the board there were some...words...written when the students came in.

"S'pose we must be resigned; but oh Lord! how ken I? If I know'd anything whar you's goin', or how they'd sarve you! Missis says she'll try and 'deem ye, in a year or two; but Lor! nobody never comes up that goes down thar! They kills 'em! I've hearn 'em tell how dey works 'em up on dem ar plantations."

"So, we've already talked about making sure your characters don't sound the same, and make sure you use different words for them. But there's another way to make sure all your characters sound different, and it's also an easy way to shove some background diversity in there while you're doing it. Today, we're talking about eye-dialects!"

"Now these are really useful writing tools, because you can pack SO MUCH into just a sentence! With an eye-dialect, you show that your character is from somewhere different, and talks funny, and so they stand out from the rest of your cast! In fact, you can just give a bunch of your characters eye-dialects and then you don't have to spend much more time on making them special or unique! Just throw some zh's in for t's or use a v instead of an s and BAM! You've got a character that people can already just assume a lot about because they talk funny--where they come from, how smart they are, everything! And the best part is? You can just leave it there! Nothing else is needed, just some wacky misspellings and a letter substitution or two and your work as an author is done!"

And anything that made writing easier was something to be used liberally. Nay, excessively! "Now, the important thing is to make sure that your character is always speaking in dialect. You can't just have them use one or two words, oh no! You want them to be authentic, right? It doesn't matter how difficult it makes reading become--if your book is good enough, your characters will be invested!" She pointed up to the blackboard. "That quote's from a book by somebody named Harriet Beecher Stowe and shows a lot of dedication! I want to see all your writing look like that!"

Learn to have fun! Monday, 3rd period

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Class was back in the Danger Shop today, but instead of a library, they would walk into a lovely beach cove. A warm beach.

"It's been rather cold lately," Jon started, "so I thought we could, well, enjoy ourselves and warm up a bit."

He pointed over to one side. "There's a sort of shop there, though no money required. You can get swimming costumes and towels and such. Going in the water is not required, though - there's plenty of beach to lounge on. But, um. Clothing of some sort is required." Navaan. "If you do want to go into the water, there are also, by request, jet skis." Here, where the safeties would keep anyone from getting hurt.

"I, um. I didn't program any fish to look at or anything. If there's something you'd like that isn't here, just let me know, I suppose."

Introduction to Paleobiology - Monday, 1st Period

[itsananomaly]

“Good Morning,” Cutter began class that morning, holding onto his usual cup of coffee, “today’s class is going to be covering mycology, phycology and dendrochronology,” he said, “these topics are all connected in the field of paleobontanty as it applies the principles and methods of paleobiology to flora and other green land plants but it also includes fungi and algae , mycology is the study of fungi, phycology is the study of algae and dendrochronology is the study of dating tree rings to the exact date the tree formed,”

“For this lecture I’ll be talking about mycology, Mr. Temple - “ he smiled over at Connor, “will be talking about phycology and then we’ll both talk about dendrochronology since these topics are quite involved,”

“As I explained mycology is the study of fungi, originally mycology was part of the field of botany but due to the fungi’s evolutionary relationship to animals it was reclassified to be independent field,” Cutter continued, “fungi are an essential part for life on earth as they fulfil the role of symbionts and many fungi are able to break down complex organic biomolecules and they are able to play an essential part in the global carbon cycle,”

“Many fungi also produce toxins, antibiotics and other secondary metabolites and many fungal species are very important in controlling plant diseases by different pathogens, for example, species of the filamentous fungal genus Trichoderma are considered one of the most important biological control agents as an alternative to chemical-based products for effective crop diseases management,” Cutter finished and nodded for Connor to continue the lecture.

Connor nodded and stood from the desk as he started his part of the lecture. “Phycology is the branch of science that deals with the study of algae. It also includes the study of various other prokaryotic organisms like blue-green algae and cyanobacteria. It is also known as algology. Algae has great ecological importance. Phytoplanktons form a vital part of the food chain and feed the majority of fish and marine animals that are key to the rest of the food chain hierarchy. A few types of algae are commercial sources of iodine, alginic acid, agar, potash, and other materials used in many applications across multiple industries. Many large species are a food source for many humans as they can actually be prepared and eaten. There are even some species used in sewage-oxidation ponds and water-cleaning plants. Algal products are also used in insulating materials such as bricks, filters, and scouring powder.”

“This field of scientific study became officially recognized in the 19th and 20th centuries and our understanding of the importance of algae in the production of oxygen, clean water, and other critical ecological systems continues to deepen. For organisms that are so small, they play a vital role in food chains and the carbon/oxygen cycle of the world” Connor noted as he looked back to Cutter with a nod for him to pick up the lecture again.

“And finally the last topic for today’s class is dendrochronology, which is the scientific method of dating tree rings to find out exactly when they formed in a tree and it is through this that we can find data for climate and atmospheric conditions during different periods in history from the wood of old trees, Dendrochronology is also useful for determining the precise age of samples, especially those that are too recent for radiocarbon dating as that provides a range rather than an exact date,” Cutter continued the lecture, “However, for a precise date of the death of the tree a full sample to the edge is needed, which most trimmed timber will not provide. It also gives data on the timing of events and rates of change in the environment, most notably climate and also the wood found in archaeology or works of art and architecture and it can also be a useful technique to help calibrate radiocarbon ages,” he paused, “new growth in trees ccurs in a layer of cells near the bark. A tree's growth rate changes in a predictable pattern throughout the year in response to seasonal climate changes, resulting in visible growth rings. Each ring marks a complete cycle of seasons or one year of a tree’s life and as of 2020 securely dated tree-ring data for the Northern Hempisphere are available going back 13,910 years,”

“For the rest of the class I would like you to work on your handwaved worksheets and Mr. Temple and myself are available to answer any questions that you may have,” Cutter finished the lecture.

Let's Plan A Heist! [Monday, 2nd Period]

[jedigrammarians]

"Okay, introductions are and you've gotten an idea about how the real fake professionals do things," Aphra said by way of greeting. "Now it's time for us to start planning out own real fake heist."

"Now I'm certain you've all done the homework we set for you," If Isabela sounded vaguely dubious about that, well, she'd been a student here too. "And you all have your own ideas about what we should steal for our heist."

"Improvisation is also a pretty useful skill for a heist, just saying." Real subtle, Aphra. Real subtle. "In any case, time to share with the rest of the class."