week 2 homework

Hello. Add/drop period is over. Kids are in their classes now and the work of the semester is truly underway.

Here is what is happening in my classes at the end of week #2:

AD&D/RPGs: Students are to write the back story for the characters we created in class. This is a biographical sketch of their origin, how they gained their skills, beliefs etc. We will review these on TUESDAY, Sept. 28th.

WRITING WORKSHOP: Fiction stories have been started. I will sit with each student one-on-one and discuss the page length, writing goal, editing process, and due date for their final work. Some installment of the story must be presented at this time. DUE Tuesday, Sept. 28th.

ADVISING: We will start a read aloud book in class on Monday. Students will eventually write an analytical essay on the book with guidelines to come. Also, after our trip to Powell's, students will all have their own books to bring to school for SSR as it fits into the week. ROTATIONS begin on Monday.

MATH OF TRAVEL: We move to the next installment of our simulation in class on Monday. Students need to be done with the assignment below. We have worked on it in class all week and it was sent home with folks who were not done.

Simulation Overview: Week 1

You will be traveling in pairs around the world. In each location there will be problems and obstacles that must be solved and overcome.

• You will have a budget of $10,000 (US) as a team. This money must get you around the world. That means you must make some money along the way (most likely) unless you can somehow stretch it the whole way.

• Because this is a “simulation” it will not necessarily be exactly how travel and commerce works. For example there will be an interest rate and taxes that occur on your budget that is artificial, and this will have to be tracked in a log.

• There will be ONE new location per week to “circumnavigate” the globe and everyone starts in Portland. The first destination is London, England.

This week students must:

Book a flight

Find a hotel for 3 nights

Find prices on 3 meals per/day

Report on England’s chief import and export

What is their deficit and what is their GNP?

Purchase the means to travel to the next destination (TBA)

Hypothetically invest or accrue money while in London (to be discussed)

Balance budget at end of week (including all expenses, exchange rates, interest and investments)

NOTE: When the team finishes these tasks their next destination will be announced. A team cannot move forward until they accomplish these goals (which change in each location, as does what the students can do in each location). As the simulation progresses, more choices can be made in the travel arrangements.