Learn to have fun! Monday, 3rd period

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon sighed and rubbed his face. "I think we all had entirely enough 'fun' last week. We'll talk about that later. For today, we're going to have fun like cats."

He pressed a few buttons, and the Danger Shop turned into a large room with sun streaming into half, and cool shadows in the other half. All around were heated, human-sized cat beds. Jon headed directly for one in the sun. "We're napping."

That was fun, right?

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

[doesdoctorstuff]

"Today, we're going to talk about themes in your stories," Navaan said. She was dressed up like a ghoul for reasons that would become clear with her lecture. Or maybe just for fun. Who could really say? "Themes are really important in books. They're the main idea of the novel, the underlying premise. You have to have one, or the whole book falls apart in a big gloppy mess and even the best of sex scenes can't save it." She paused to reconsider. "Okay, maybe the best, but they'd have to be really up there and I'm not sure I've seen the quality of work from you lot that suggests you could pull that off."

Look, she didn't mean to be harsh, but aspiring writers needed to be able to take criticism.

"So, there are lots of themes you can choose from. Like...steampunk! And vampires! Or really, any kind of supernatural creature, as long as they're sexy. Ghosts are kinda a tough sell, being all incorporeal and all. Trust me, they just up and vanish on you when things are getting good. Other themes might include wizards, or magical high schools, or--hey! Has anyone thought about combining those two? That'd be awesome!"

Anyone who was expecting Navaan to delve into the class divide of steampunk or the underlying cultural anxieties of supernatural monsters was a) going to be sorely disappointed, and b) probably in the wrong class. Apparently, when Navaan discussed 'themes' she meant them in the most surface way possible, more like a theme park than anything to do with literature. "So, once you got your theme picked out, you need to make sure the it fits the rest of the book. Don't worry if it's not exactly perfect, you can pretty much make anything work if you try hard enough. You just have to be careful about using too many themes. Like, steampunk vampires would be cool--ooh, hey! I'm claiming that!--but you don't want to have steampunk vampires in a dystopian future setting with clockwork angels fighting for supremacy in the ruins of ancient temples. Space that stuff out and get a book deal that covers sequels."

Introduction to Paleobiology - Monday, 1st Period

[itsananomaly]

It was back to normal this week and both teachers were standing in front of the class.


“Good morning,” Cutter smiled as he began that week’s class, “this week we’re going to be looking at Micropaleontology, which is the branch of palaeontology that studies microfossils. And microfossils are fossils that are generally not larger than four millimeters, and commonly smaller than one millimeter and you need a microscope to study them. Every kingdom of organisms is represented in the microfossil record and they can provide important information about ecology in the past”


“Microfossils are most common in sediment that forms beneath water, particularly ocean water or lake water , very old microfossils may also be found in rock,” he explained, “Special techniques are used to separate microfossils from rock. For example, the shells of diatoms and some other organisms are made of silica; other materials in the rock can sometimes be removed with acid, leaving just the silica shells,” he smiled over at Connor for him to continue the lecture.

Connor nodded and gave a small smile as he picked up his notes to continue the class.

“Micropaleontology can be divided into four areas of study. The different areas of study use different techniques to separate the microfossils from the material they are encased within. This is because the microfossils are made of different minerals and stand out from the other minerals in the rocks and stones around them. Most microfossils are made of one of the following: Silicon dioxide, for example in the shells of diatoms, Chalk, for example in the shells of coccoliths and foraminifera, Phosphate, for example in bones of vertebrates, Organic compounds, for example in pollen and spores. And while they are very small, they are still important bits of the fossil record. It is these tiny fossils that have helped us understand more about ancient oceans, extinction events, and the way plant and animal life evolved on the Earth. “

Connor looked back at Cutter so he could wrap up the lecture while he got the activity for the day set up.

“For our class activity today we’re going to be looking at some slides of microfossils and I would like you to fill in the worksheet as well with your notes and observations. As always if anyone has any questions myself and Mr. Temple will be happy to answer them for you,”

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

[good_for_six]

"When considering a heist you also have to consider the getaway." Just skipping over a bunch of stages there, Aphra. "Regardless of whether it goes right or wrong, but especially when it goes wrong."

"Sometimes you don't even have to have done a heist in order to have to do a getaway," Isabela added, helpfully.

"Yes, sometimes people just decide to hunt you down through no fault of your own." Are you sure about that 'no fault' business, Aphra, are you really sure.

"As can be seen by today's educational film."

"It has extremely relatable protagonists."