Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Independent Study Curriculum I wrote and wanted to save



Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Current Issues
Watching and analyzing “60 Minutes”
Student________________________________ Student Number________________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade _____________  Credits Earned _______________   Date ______________
Teacher Signature_________________________________________________________


Objective:  to get more interested in current issues by watching more in-depth news stories on 60 Minutes


1.      60 Minutes is on TV on Sunday nights. It is the longest running news show on TV and was started in 1968.  Watch 60 Minutes online or on TV.  Write down the titles of the news stories in the program.  Usually 60 Minutes presents 3 news stories during one show.  Watching and writing about 2 programs (one hour long each) equals approximately 10 hours of school work.
a.     write a summary of the program including your opinion of the program
b.     write down at least two quotes from the program
2.     Note to teachers:  You can keep track of your students’ progress on the chart below.  You can also assign History Channel programs, or pbs.org videos or other programs you’d like your student to watch.
date
1st program
2nd program
3rd program
grade
Teacher Initials










Vineyard High School
Summer 2009 Assignment
*This assignment is due the week of August 24, 2009 at your first meeting with
 your teacher.
At the start of each school year, Vineyard High School needs to give proof to the State of California that our students completed 20 hours of homework during the summer in order to collect attendance monies (ADA) for the first week of school.  Your teachers met and decided to give you a choice between two summer assignments. You can also do both summer assignements and receive extra credit.
Community Service: Caring for Others
The first choice is meant to motivate you to become more knowledgeable about community groups and about volunteering and doing community service.
1.  Research at the library and/or on the Internet a minimum of 10 community service organizations.  There should be at least two international organizations (such as the American Red Cross, the Peace Corps, Greenpeace) and two national organizations (such as the YMCA, the Salvation Army, the American Heart Association, the SPCA, Make-a Wish Foundation, Sierra Club.) Also, include at least two local organizations (such as the Open Heart Kitchen, Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch, Shepard’s Gate, Hoofprints on the Heart.)
2. Write one paragraph on each of the 10 organizations that you have chosen.  Find out and include in your paragraph who started these organizations, what the groups’ goals are and how the organization grew.
3.  Next, perform at least 10 hours of community service.  You can choose one of the organizations you researched or arrange to volunteer at your church, synagogue or mosque.  You can also do yard work or repair work for elderly or disabled people in your neighborhood or community. We want you to be resourceful and find a place where you can do community service.
4.  Fill in the attached verification form and have it signed by the appropriate person.  All the blanks on this form must be completed and handed in to your teacher.
In order to encourage you to do more community service: if you continue to volunteer during the school year (90 hours = 5 units of credit), the 10 hours of community service earned for this summer assignment will count toward your 90 hours!
Verification of Community Service
Student name ___________________________________________________________
Name of organization or individual _________________________________________
Number of hours student worked __________________________________________
Volunteer duties of student
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Signature of person verifying work _________________________________________
Title ___________________________________________________________________
Phone number for verification of work ______________________________________
* Student:  If you work for multiple people or organizations, please duplicate this  
                form or print out a copy from the school website at
                www.vineyard.schoolloop.com   


Vineyard High School
Summer 2010 Assignment
Planning My Future 101
This assignment is due the week of August 23, 2010 at your first meeting with your teacher.  This assignment is also posted on the school website:  http://vineyard.schoolloop.com
Purpose:   This summer assignment is intended to prompt you to research careers, colleges, universities and technical schools.  Plan to do this assignment over the course of at least two or three days and not all in one day.
Supplies: You will need binder paper, unlined paper, access to the web and/or library reference books on careers, colleges, universities and technical schools.
1.   Go to websites (or to the library and look at college and higher education reference books) where you can find out about colleges, universities and technical schools.
First, write or type a list of all the 23 California State campuses (Suggestions: You can search the web by typing the words:  Cal State campus locations or go directly to websites like www.calstate.edu , www.csu.mentor or find this information in reference books at the library.)
Next, list all 10 University of California campuses and at least 5 community colleges and 5 technical schools.  (To locate technical schools on the web, search for California technical schools) On your technical school list, include at least 5 of the specialties taught at that school.  (For example, at ITT Technical Institute majors range from Construction Management, Graphic Design to Electronics and Communication Engineering Technology to Business Accounting Technology.)  On your community college list, include at least 5 certificate programs or majors that the school offers. Then, think about schools outside of California and make a list of at least 5 colleges, universities or technical schools that you have read or heard about that are outside of California.
2. It is a good idea to know some of locations of colleges, universities and technical schools that are in your home state.  Since you live in California, make a map of California on blank paper and locate and label all 23 Cal State (CSU) and 10 University of California (UC) campuses on the map.
3.  Take an interest survey at www.CaliforniaColleges.edu
It takes about 4 steps to find the survey.
  • First go to “Explore Colleges and Careers”
  • Click on “Determine which careers best match your skills and interests.”
  • To find the survey click on “Career Self-Assessment”
  • Take the survey called “My Interest Finder.”
You will need to create an account at this point in order to take the survey.  Creating an account is free. Use your own email address and password to set up a free account.  If
                                                       
you don’t have an email address and are doing this assignment at the library you can set up a temporary or permanent hotmail or yahoo account.  The librarian can help you do this. Answer all the questions of the “My Interest Finder.” There are 15 pages to the survey with about 12 questions on each page.
  • Then click on “Get Results”
Print or write down the results and bring them to your teacher.  If you cannot print the results, bring in your scores that show your highest interests in six categories: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional.
  • Next, find careers that match your interests by clicking at the bottom of the page
“Find careers that match my interests.”  The top of this page should read “Student
Career Matching Assistant.”
  • Click on “Careers.” Many careers (over 500!) will be on these pages. Click on at
least 5 of the careers that you would like to learn more about.  There will be a lot of details about the career, such as: description, education, training, tasks, national average salary, important abilities, etc. You will want to save the 5 careers you choose (and print the information) or take notes to bring in and show your teacher.
  • At the bottom of this page are “Institutions offering related majors.” Click on the
school names that offer related majors to the career choice.  Write at least 5 of the school names down.  Click on the name of the school to find information about schools.  Use the information to make a chart.  Search the school websites (or look at the reference books in the library) of the 5 schools you chose to focus on. Some students have found these websites helpful as well:
www.insidecollege.com                                           www.mycollegeoptions.com
www.Collegeboard.com                                      www.collegebound.net
www.Princetonreview.com                                
Make a chart similar to, but bigger with more room for information, than the example below.  In the first row list the name of the school, then in the second row its location.  In the next row list majors that match your interests, then list the costs per year (tuition & fees and room & board).  Include a final row that is either extra curricular (this means clubs, sports, activities) that sound interesting or information about the school that sets it apart/makes it different from other schools.
                   
Name of school
Location
Interesting majors
Costs per year
Other information
4. Your last task is to tie together what you have researched.  Type or write a summary of what you learned about the careers that fit your interests and the schools where you can study and train for these careers.   Include your top 3 choices of schools based on
your interests, your career choices, your major and the location and cost of your school.
5. For additional credit it would be a great idea to visit one or two of these schools.  Take some pictures and bring in the campus brochure to show your teacher.
Note to teachers & students:
Complete assignment will include the following:
  1. 5 Lists:  all 23 California State (CSU) campuses, all 10 University of California (UC) campuses, 5 community colleges (including 5 certificate programs or majors) and 5 technical schools (including at least 5 majors) and a list of 5 schools heard or read about that are outside of California
  2. Map of California labeled with locations of all Cal State (CSU) and UC campuses
  3. “My Interest Finder” survey results
  4. Information on at least 5 careers
  5. Chart of 5 schools’ names, locations, interesting majors, costs per year and interesting features about the school
  6. A typed or written summary of your research findings
  7. For additional credit:  pictures and a brochure from a campus visit
Date _______________                              Student _________________________
Credits______________                             Teacher __________________________
Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Job Applications, Resumes, and Cover Letters
Course #87001
Student______________________________________________       Student Number________________________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law
and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade ____________                      Credits Earned ____1______   Date ___________________________
Teacher Signature__________________________________________________________________________________
Objectives:  
1.  to explore and then compare two job search websites
2.  to interview an adult who has a job that you would like to learn more about
3.  to practice writing a resume with a cover letter and filling out a sample job application

These 8 assignments are due at your first meeting with your teacher in August.

assignment
completed
Teacher’s Initials
1. comparison of 2 job
websites


2. paragraph explaining the most helpful website


3. informational interview questions (typed)


4. informational interview answers


5. paragraph about interview


6. your resume (typed)


7. your cover letter  (typed)


8. your job application


1.  Job websites
Explore at least two job search websites such as snagajob.com, craigslist.com, monster.com, careerbuilder.com, etc.  See what help, advice and jobs these websites have to offer. Compare these websites by listing at least five features that are similar and at least two features that are different.  Make a list of these similarities and differences on a separate sheet of paper. Write these similarities and differences in complete sentences not just phrases. Your list can be organized in a chart like this:

name of website:
name of website:
5 similarities of two job web sites
2 differences between two job websites

2. Write a paragraph explaining which website you think is more helpful to you and why.

3.  Informational interview questions
Type up at least ten informational interview questions to guide you when you interview an adult who has a job that you want to know more about.  Some sample questions are:
1. What are the skills and requirements needed to do your job?  
2. What are the personality traits needed to be successful in your job?  

4. Informational interview answers
Set up a time to interview the adult and ask that person the questions you have prepared.  Make sure you say thank you at the end of the interview.

5.  Paragraph about interview
Write a minimum of one paragraph explaining what you learned from the person.

6.  Your resume
Look at the two sample resumes that follow.   There is a lot of information in books and online about how to write a resume.  These samples are included here because they show what a high school student’s resume could look like.  

If you don’t have volunteer or paid work experience, research two jobs that a high school student may have.  For example, Courtesy Clerk at Safeway, Barista at Starbucks, Food Server at Burger King, Sales Associate at Kohl’s. Find out what skills are needed to do these jobs and use these to type a sample resume.  See the two sample resumes that follow on pages 5 and 6 to give to ideas.
  • Under work experience you can include volunteer work you have done.  Below the job and volunteer titles and dates, write the duties and accomplishments as active, interesting phrases.  Usually people write these phrases starting with verbs like sold, managed, assisted, etc.    
  • Include skills you learned in school too.  See the two sample resumes that follow on pages 5 and 6.
  • Since your resume is shorter than an adult’s resume, include your references at the bottom of the page.  Ask three people who are familiar with your work if they would be willing to be a reference. Don’t include relatives.  
  • Type your resume and then ask an adult for feedback.  Make any changes that you need to make.
7.   Your cover letter
Look at the sample cover letter and type a cover letter for a job you would like to have someday.   See the sample cover letter below.  It is a good idea to look at other samples in books or online as well.  Usually cover letters are three short paragraphs.
  • The first paragraph states which job the person is applying for.  
  • The second paragraph explains how the person’s skills, background and education fit into the job.  
  • The third paragraph is usually:  “I have enclosed a copy of my resume.  Please let me know if you need additional information.”
Type and show the cover letter to an adult.  Have that person make corrections and give you feedback.  Make any changes that you need to make.

Date

Name, manager
Company
address
City, State  zip code

re:  food server job opening

Dear Mr. or Mrs. Name

I am applying to be a food server in your restaurant.

I have learned how to operate a cash register, keep work spaces clean, organized and stocked.  I know how to take food orders quickly and accurately, and I work well both alone and as part of a team.

I have enclosed a copy of my resume.  Let me know if you need additional information.

Sincerely,



Name
address
City, State  zip code
phone number
email address


8.  Sample job application
Fill out a sample job application by getting a sample online by searching for “sample job applications.”  You can also get a sample on the Vineyard High School website or get a real application from a place that you are interested in working at.  Write your answers on binder paper first so the job application will be neat. Fill out the job application in blue or black ink.



Name
Street Address
City, Sate  zip code
email address
Work Experience
Sales Associate,  House of Fabics, Livermore, CA September 2010-current
assist customers with purchases
stock and organize fabric, craft and other items
operate cash register

Lifeguard,  Robert Livermore Community Center Pool June 2010-August 2010
teach swimming and water safety to children ages 2 - 10
communicate students’ progress to parents
keep accurate records for the Red Cross

Babysitter,   Livermore, CA   September 2009-current
responsible for two toddlers on a regular basis
plan meals, organize outings to the park, reading and nap time

Other Skills
knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
type 45 WPM
fluent in English and Spanish

Education
Vineyard High School, Livermore, CA 94550 Class of 2012
1401 Almond Avenue
925.606.4756

References
Name, Store Manager, House of Fabrics, phone number, email address
Name, high school teacher, phone number, email address
Name, neighbor, phone number, email address

Name
Phone: 925-XXX-XXX
Cell Phone: 925-XXX-XXXX
Education
Livermore High School, Class of 2011
GPA of 4.077, coursework included: Honors English 9 and 10, Honors World History, AP English Literature
Work Experience
Café Worker, Ofelia’s Kitchen                              June 2008 to current
Managed the café in Ofelia’s absence
Handled cleaning the shop and closing at the end of the day
Made sandwiches, restocked supplies, operated cash register, and attended to customers on the phone and in person

Administrative Assistant Intern, Unified Grocers June 2010 to August 2010
worked in the Advertising and Procurement Department in the Livermore office
proofed ads for member stores
arranged data into Excel spreadsheets, and completed clerical work.
       
Administrative Assistant, Pregnancy Resource Center Sept. 2009 to April 2010
Helped rewrite curriculum, created and arranged the layouts of brochures using programs on the computer
Tutor, East Avenue Middle School March 2010 to June 2010
Copied and compiled homework assignments for 8th grade history and English students
tutored an 8th grade class in Algebra
spoke to class about the importance of AP/Honors courses and doing one’s best in high school

Other Accomplishments
Writer and Proofreader for Livermore High School’s newspaper August 2010 to current
Attended Close Up Foundation educational trip to Washington D.C., May 2010
Girl Scouts member, 2009 to current
Ballet dancer at Livermore School of Dance, 2009 to current
Writer, “The Boy and the Ladybug” published in school’s literary magazine, June 2009
Recipient of Teacher Recognition Award from German Teacher, March 2009
Member of high school marching band and drumline, 2007-2008
Church band member and drummer, 2007 to current
Church dance team member/co-leader/choreographer, 2006 to current
Graduate of Youth Police Academy, Summer of 2004
Synchronized Swimming member, 2003-2008
References
First and Last Name, Human Resources Manager, Unified Grocers, 925-XXX-XXXX
Ofelia Gomez, Business Owner, Ofelia’s Kitchen, 925-449-5162

Creative Writing    (unfinished course log)

Poetry and Prose

What is a poem?
a compression of a statement

the best words in the best order  by Coleridge
the rhythmical creation of beauty  by Poe
Frost   A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.

a UCB grad students   Every poem is about writing a poem.  “What?”

by Hopkins   a poem is speech framed to be heard for its own sake and interest even over and above its interest of meaning

the art of doing by means of words what the painter does by means of color
Macaulay


Favorite things poem
write a name poem using the letters of your name
and adjectives that describe you

senses poem    Like an I spy
noun,
i see
it tastes like
smells like
sounds like
feels like
noun

general to specific      tree pine spruce
female    friend Kelsey

Colorful modifiers
concrete nouns add an adjective   guardian spruce
noun plus adjective prep phrase    the spruce with its blue green needles
noun plus adjective clause     the spruce which looks over the valley


make believe explanations
clouds are great formations of smoke
from a giant dragon in space

Apology Poems

W.C. Williams   This is just to say  I have eaten
the plums that were in the icebox, and which you were probably saving for breakfast, forgive me they were so delicious so sweet and so cold

Cinquain poems

5 W’s Poem
Diamond Poem

I used to be...poems

I used to be a while roaming beast,
but now I am kept in a small cramped cage.   “King Kong”

Personification    underline the example of personification in the poem

“I wandered Lonely as a Cloud”     clouds wandering, daffodils dancing, stars stretching, tossing their heads

denotation and connotation   words that have levels of meaning   

memory poems   a memory of an event, a person, a place, an object like a toy you used to play wit, a dream, etc.
free write/collect your thoughts about it/brainstorm/
choices a list of words and phrases, complete ideas, or like a ballad,
revives   note the words and ideas you like and those you don’t and want to change
eval   a meaningful whole?  smoothly or big jumps?  careful word choice, new treatment of material, leave readers with a lasting impression or feeling?


Four ways to develop paragraphs
example, details, reasons   (first, then, and then...as more time elapses….), comparison/contrast    show and find examples


chronological, sequential, spatial, climatic, cause effect

transitional words and phrases/connectives
words that show time:   then, while, meanwhile, after, soon, later, eventually
show number or order
to continue with the same line of thinking….and, again, also, in addition,
to show degree of certainty   certainly, perhaps, possible, anyhow, anyway, …
to show summary or consequence,   as a result, finally, for this reason
to show place:   here, there, opposite, adjacent to, nearby, close to farther, etc.



write to inform, persuade, entertain, narrate, describe,
pick a topic where you are an expert  : cat communication
to inform:  cats meow at humans to get their attention and no other reason
to persuade:  while cats are mostly independent, that does not mean they are not in need of a good safe home
to entertain:  cats sometime think they are dogs, so knowledge of dog communication is needed too.
to narrate:  my cat had caught on to me once I meowed that I want her attention.  so we meow at one another once we both want each other’s attention
to describe:  

Look who’s talking
imagine that a bug and a shoe could talk to each other.  Inside each “talk ballon” write the words of the conversation

Conversations of a close kind
two peanuts within a shell
three pennies within a purse
five toes within a sock
grocery store items in a grocery bag

comics
collect fantasy comics   what are some imaginary elements, why are they long lived, what conclusions can you make about topic, tone, audience?  what conclusions can you draw about the authors’ purposes?

comic strip philosophy


The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde   No children allowed sign…
example of description   use simlie and methaphors, give size and shape through comparison,

Anecdote characteristics
single event or incident,  not an involved plot, comes out of events on some person’s life, anecdotes usually have an aura of telling an episode unkon to most people, there is a sense of a punch line at the end


self portrait on a time line


original greeting card     birthday, wedding, anniversary,

TV Commercial

Perspectives   Omniscinet, one of the drivers, one of the witnesses, another character you put in the scene

Interview a child  in order to write a kid’s book   favorite animal why, favorite tv show or favorite character, least favorite food, how many brothers and sisters, favorite color, what scenario areyou most scared of?



description paragraphs    draw as you listen?
excerpt from Benchley’s Jaws
Dicken’s Great Expectations
Poe’s the Premature Burial
Lewis  Out of the Silent Planet
Scott   The Towers of Silence
excerpt from Prologue the fellowship of the Ring
The Countess and the IMpossible Richard Y.Thurman


underline the similes and metaphors in the except
what words describe the mood created by the author...

Quotation Mark Rules

When characters speak….dialogue should strengthen the story's reality, help to characterize the speakers, help to characterize the speaker's’ relationship(s)  provide necessary information

A One Act Play

point of view  Little Miss Muffet    Miss M, her mom, the spider
Humpty Dumpty:  report from the paramedic who was called, the king’s men reporting on their efforts, a lawsuit claiming the builder...
Little JAck Horner    Jack’s mom reaction to his sticking his finger in the pie, the reason why Jack’s dad had him in the corner, Jack’s explanation of his claim to be a good boy
Hey, Diddle Diddle   cat’s music teacher, the speech the judge makes honoring the cow, the spoon’s reaction to leaving with the plate

Whimsical STory Chart
hero   place/setting vilain  conflict
superman supermarket  darth vader car broke down in desert

Elements of Fairy Tales
Imagination filled stories
contains creatures often with special powers
creatures many have human characteristics
good creatures vs. bad/evil creatures
Fables  short stories that teach a lesson  Aesop lived around 600 B.C.
fox trying to get grapes
fisherman caught small fish  and fish begged to be thrown in and catch him later when he is a large fish  fisherman said no better a small fish now

crow and fox    fox flattered the crow and crow dropped the cheese

bull and gnat   moral? bull says you think too highly of yourself and I didn’t even notice   


Telltale characteristics  
truth stretched, hero and villain, special superhuman powers, hero has to overcome a problem, everything is exaggerated

targeting an audience

persuasion techniques   testimonial, bandwagon, emotionalism, implied benefit, transference


Monologue writing/ stream of consciousness    example: put himself inside the mind of his pet and giving a cat’s eye view of the world.   the voice of a dollar bill or 20 dollar bill

whose story is it?  written in first person, second person, third person, (limited, semi omniscient, omniscient

Patterned fiction   the quest, the union, the initiation, the understanding, the separation,  the choice, the reversal (a twist)



Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Cultural Cuisine
Course #65000



Student ___________________________________Student Number ______________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by
law and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade ____________  Credits Earned _____________Date _______________
Teacher Signature_______________________________________________________



Course Description:  In this course you will research foods from different countries, find recipes, prepare at least one food item each week and have the food evaluated.  You will also watch and take notes on food programs (on TV or on the internet) that focus on foods from around the world. There is also a final project.  For your final project you will collect all your recipes (there will be at least 24 total), photos of the food, country (or region) maps and make a geography focused recipe book.
Teachers:   You can give your student a supply of evaluation forms and also Vineyard’s paragraph writing template located near the copy machine to guide your student as they write about ingredients, etc.
Week 1 and 2                  Northern and Southern Italian Food
1.      Research Northern and Southern Italian cuisine to learn about at least three dishes that are commonly eaten in Southern Italy (such as pasta) and three dishes eaten in Northern Italy (such as polenta.)  List these 6 regional dishes and write a paragraph about each dish explaining what you found out. Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the internet that focus on Italian cuisine. Take notes and hand these in to your teacher.
2.      The Livermore Library has a great collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
3.      Pick three Italian recipes and make one.  Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the country.  (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where Italy is located.)
4.      Make a one page photo collage of Italy’s historical landmarks. Label the landmarks and locate them on a map of Italy.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________
Week 3 and 4      Greek and Turkish Food
1.      The Livermore Library has a good collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
2.      Make a list of at least 10 ethnic restaurants in your community.  Write down the ones you have been to and which ones you haven’t been too.
3.      Research Greek and Turkish food and find out about (at least) three ingredients that are typically used in Greek food (such as feta cheese, capers, different types of olives etc.) and three ingredients typically found in Turkish food (such as lamb, a spice called cumin, etc.)  List these ingredients and write a paragraph explaining each ingredient.
4.      Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the internet that focus on Greek and/or Turkish food.  Take notes and hand these in to your teacher. Pick three Greek food recipes and make one or pick three Turkish food recipes and make one.  Have a family member evaluate what you made. Bring in the recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the country.  (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where Greece and Turkey are located.)
5.      Make a one page photo collage of Greek landmarks and a one page photo collage of Turkish historical landmarks.  Label the landmarks.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________
Week 5 and 6                  French food and Irish, Scottish and English food
1.      Visit an ethnic food market.  Don’t pick your own ethnicity, but seek out a new and different grocery store.  Write a paragraph describing the store using all your 5 senses. Pick three items that you find interesting but don’t recognize.  Find out what they are. Write a paragraph explaining the three items.
2.      Research French food and food from England, Scotland and Ireland (England, Scotland and Ireland=United Kingdom=UK=Great Britain=British Isles) and find out about (at least) three French dishes and three Irish, Scottish or English dishes [for example, corn beef (Irish), tea and the food that accompanies tea (English), Scottish (haggis)] Pick at least 3 of these dishes and write a paragraph explaining each dish.
3.      Find out about the blend of French food with Vietnamese food. What is the history behind this food? Explain the history in a paragraph.  Find recipes for at least 2 foods that blend French and Vietnamese cuisine (such as banh mi=Vietnamese sandwiches.)
4.      Find out the history behind the Irish potato famine.  Write a paragraph explaining what happened.
5.      Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the Internet that focus on French food or food from the UK.  Take notes and hand these in to your teacher. Make one of the recipes you found. Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the country. (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where France and the UK are located.)
6.      Make a one page photo collage of French landmarks and a one page collage of UK historical landmarks.  Label the landmarks.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________
Week 7 and 8  Mexico, Central America (such as El Salvador)
or
two countries of your choice that are not covered in this course
1.      The Livermore Library has a great collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
2.   Research Mexican cuisine and the foods eaten in El Salvador.  Find out about (at least) three ingredients that are typically used in Mexican food and three dishes that are part of El Salvadoran cuisine. (Or you can choose 2 other countries not covered in this course.) List these 3 ingredients and 3 dishes and write a paragraph explaining each ingredient and dish.
3.   Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the Internet that focus on the two countries you chose.  Take notes and hand these in. Pick three food recipes and make one. Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you too, and a map of the country. (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where the two countries are located.)
4.   Make two one page photo collages of each of the country’s historical landmarks that you choose to focus on.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________

Week 9 and 10            Indian food and spices
1.      The Livermore Library has a great collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
2.      Find information on 10 different spices.  These spices do not need to be Indian spices.  (Choose oregano, Mexican oregano, cardamom, coriander, cilantro flat leaf parsley (aka Italian parsley), curly parsley, and 4 other spices of your choice.)  Write down the similarities and differences between the types of oreganos and write down the similarities and differences between the types of parsley. Make a spice chart including the name of the spice, where it is found and what it is best used for.
3.      Research regional Indian food.  (Punjabi, Bengali, Kashmiri, and South Indian food, for example.) Find out about (at least) three foods that are commonly eaten in two of these regions.  Write a paragraph explaining each of these regional dishes.
4.   Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the Internet that focus on Indian food.  Take notes and hand these in. Pick three Indian food recipes and make one. Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the country. (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where India is located.)
5.   Make a one page photo collage of at least 6 historical landmarks in India and label the landmarks.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________
Week 11 and 12            
Ethiopian, Moroccan, Egyptian, North African and South African food
1.      The Livermore Library has a great collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
2.   Research foods commonly prepared and eaten in African countries (for example, Ethiopian’s prepare a bread called Injera, South Africa’s have a tart called a milk tart, Egyptians eat falafel) find out about (at least) three ingredients that are commonly found in two of the countries.  List these ingredients and write a paragraph explaining each ingredient so you can share this information with your teacher.
3.   Watch at least two cooking program on TV or the Internet that focus on foods found in Africa.  Take notes and hand these in to your teacher. Find three recipes and prepare one. Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the 3 recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the two countries or regions you focused on. (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where Ethiopia, Morocco, Egypt, etc… are located.)
4.   Make two one page photo collages of historical landmarks found on the African continent and label the landmarks.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________
Week 13 and 14   
Chinese food:   Cantonese, Szechuan, Hunan, Mandarin, etc.
and
the Cuisine of Thailand
1.      The Livermore Library has a great collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
2.   Research and list the types of Chinese food and describe the similarities and differences.  Present this information in the form of a chart or table instead of in an essay or paragraph.   Also, find out about (at least) three ingredients that are typically found in Chinese food. List at least 3 ingredients typically found in Thai food such as coconut milk, lemon grass, etc.  List these ingredients and write a paragraph explaining each ingredient so you can share this information with your teacher.
3.   Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the Internet that focus on Chinese food or Thai food.  Take notes and give these to your teacher. Pick three Chinese or three Thai food recipes and make one.  Have a family member evaluate what you made. Bring in the recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the country.  (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where China and Thailand are located.)
4.   Make a one page photo collage of historical landmarks found in China and a one page photo collage of landmarks found in Thailand.  Label these landmarks.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________

Week 15 and 16             Middle Eastern Food
1.      The Livermore Library has a great collection of international cookbooks with great photographs and recipes.  Take a look at these to get an overall picture of the ingredients, recipes, equipment and cooking techniques unique to this region of the world.
2.      Make a list of the countries that are considered to be part of the Middle East.  Be able to find these countries on a map of the world.
3.   Lebanon, Israel, Afghanistan and Iran (historic name=Persia) are Middle Eastern countries. Research Lebanese, Israeli, Afghan, Persian or another Middle Eastern country’s food and find out about three ingredients that are typically found in this region’s food.  List these three ingredients and write a paragraph explaining each ingredient so you can share this information with your teacher.
4.   Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the Internet that focus on Middle Eastern cuisine.  Take notes and give these to your teacher. Find three recipes and make one. Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the 3 recipes, photos of the food, a sample if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the Middle Eastern countries.  Make at least 2 one page photo collages of historical landmarks found in the Middle East. Label the landmarks and show where they are located in the Middle East.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade __________
Week 17 and 18                           
Scandinavian, German, Austrian and Eastern European food
or
Japanese food and a country of your choice
and Final Project
1.   Final Project:  Collect your 3 weekly recipes from the past weeks (you should have at least 24 recipes.)  Also, collect all your food photos, country landmark photos and maps and put together a geography focused recipe book.
2.   Research the food from two of the countries (or regions) listed above (Scandinavia, Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe, Japan or a country or region of your choice.) and find out about three ingredients that are commonly found in these foods.  List these ingredients and write a paragraph explaining each ingredient so you can share this information with your teacher.
3.   Watch at least two cooking programs on TV or the internet that focus on the food from the two countries (or regions) you picked.  Take notes and give these to your teacher. Pick three food recipes (from the countries or regions your chose) and make one. Have a family member evaluate what you made.  Bring in the 3 recipes, photos of the food, a sample of the food if your teacher would like you to, and a map of the country. (Also, make sure you are able to show on a world map where all of the regions (Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, etc…) and countries (Germany, Austria, Japan) are located.
4.   Make 2 one page collages of historical landmarks from the two countries (or regions) you chose.  Label these landmarks and show on a map here they are located.
Date ___________  Teacher ________________________  Grade ______

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Digital Photo
Course # 60270
Student________________________________ Student Number________________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade _____________  Credits Earned _______________   Date ___________
TeacherSignature_________________________________________________________
Each week (for 18 weeks for 5 credits) bring in at least five of your best photos relating to one theme.  (To finish in 9 weeks bring in photos relating to 2 themes.) Write a statement about each of the photos.  Include in the statement what you intended to capture in the photo, problems you encountered (such as, too much shadow over peoples faces, etc.) and solutions you found to these problems.
A Note to Teachers:  You may want to have your students check out a photography book at the library in order to challenge themselves each week.  Have your student bring in notes each week about the topic they are studying in the digital photography book. Some topics are composition, framing and layering, lighting, lenses and focal length, aperture and depth of field, found or ambient light, background and perspectiveand macro phtography.  Students can learn how to draw the viewer in with leading lines and S-curves, show scale to communicate a sense of vastness and use the rule of thirds to construct well-blanced images, etc.
WEEK 1- 16
Discuss with your teacher what themes you would like to photograph each week. Some ideas are listed here:
Windows and doorways                 Animals                                         Mothers and Children
Plants                                                            Portraits Dads
Shadows                                                    Hands                                Sunsets            
People in motion                                  Food                                   Shoes
Landscapes                                              Photos in a sequence Faces found in nature
Skyscapes                                                     Trees             Buildings
Silhouettes                                                   Flowers             Textures
Sports                                                Transportation              Night
                                                                                                                   
WEEK 17 & 18
Final Project
Develop your own project and discuss it with your teacher or choose one from this list:
1.      Make a calendar with 12 of your best photos.  (A copy store can help you print the calendar(s) to look professional enough to give as gifts to family and friends.)
2.      Mat, frame and enter one or two of your photos in the Alameda County Fair.  Entries are usually due each year in May.
3.      Use Windows Movie Maker to make a movie setting your photos to music or use PowerPoint to make a slideshow.
4.      Research 2 to 3 professional photographers (Dorothea Lange, Carl Mydans, Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Steiglitz, etc.) and experiment with imitating their styles and subject matter.


Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Drawing  
Course # 60340
Student________________________________ Student Number________________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade _____________  Credits Earned _______________   Date ___________
Teacher Signature_________________________________________________________
These websites were developed by a self-taught professional artist and art teacher.   It is free for you to log on and get a password and see the drawing lessons. You will see that the lessons are divided into three categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced. The step-by-step instructions are very good and very detailed.
WEEKS 1-16

Choose several drawing lessons to do each week.  You will need to do five hours of drawing each week for 18 weeks (or 10 hours for 9 weeks) in order to earn five fine art elective credits. For the advanced lessons, it may take longer than five hours to complete just one drawing.
A note to teachers:  
You can keep track of student progress (dates, grades, drawing titles, etc.) on an Independent Elective form.  Ask students to write the heading on the back of their drawings and the hours it took to make the drawing. You may want to make copies of the drawings and have the student keep the originals.
WEEK 17 & 18

Discuss with your teacher ideas for a Final Project to do at the end of this course.  Some ideas are:
1.   Make photocopies of 12 of your best drawings and make a calendar.  Kinkos can help print the calendar and it will look professional enough to give as gifts to friends and family.  You can also make a portfolio of your 12 best drawings, instead of a calendar.
2.   Mat one or two of your drawings and enter the Alameda County Fair.  Registration for the Fair is in May every year.
3.   Learn to draw people and pets and make portrait gifts for friends and family.




Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Khan Academy Math Elective      
Course #87001
Student____________________________________________        Student Number________________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade _____________         Credits Earned _______________       Date __________________
Teacher Signature________________________________________________________________________
Purpose:  To practice elementary, middle and high school math and watch videos to learn new math skills.   The mission of khanacademy.org is to offer a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.
Directions:
1.  Go to khanacademy.org  and login with a Google account.  You will have to create a Google account if you don’t have one.  
2.  Click on PRACTICE and start practicing.  Start with elementary school math first, like addition and subtraction, to get to know the web site.  The web site has gone through changes since we first started using it. Find out how you can use the screen as scratch paper.  (For more difficult problems you will want to use scratch paper.) Also, figure out how Khan Academy keeps track of your progress and your hours.  Record the total time and skills you practiced each week. Plan to spend at least 2 hours a week on Khan Academy.
week/date      total time (18 hours = 1 credit)       skills completed                         Teacher initials
1



2



3



4



5



6



7



8



9






Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Fine Arts  Elective
Livermore’s Annual Art Walk
Student____________________________________      Student Number________________

Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Final Grade _______         Credits Earned ___1___    Date __________________

Teacher Signature__________________________________________________________

Directions:  We are providing you with a chance to attend the Livermore Art Walk to earn one credit in Fine Arts. You will find art displayed in downtown Livermore. In addition you will find food and entertainment. This is a lovely way to earn Fine Arts  required credit or elective credit.
You will need to fill out this form completely to earn your one credit. This experience will have you evaluating 10 artists’ works. An example of what to do follows. At the end of this exercise you will find a list of five questions for you to use to interview one of the artists.  You need to record the answers and have the artist sign-off that s/he was interviewed and that you have recorded the answers accurately. We hope you enjoy your experience.

Sample:
Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      


Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      

Artist:       Location:     
Type of Art:            
What I liked most about this artist’s work:                                           
Artist’s signature:      
Interview Form:
Ask the following questions of one of the artists you visit and write your answers on this page.
1.     How long have you been an artist?
2.     When did you discover you had a need to work in the medium you are now using?
3.     Why is you art important to you?
4.     Why is art important to society as a whole?
5.     If you could give any teen like me advice about art, what would you suggest?
Artist’s signature: (to indicate the artist was interviewed)      


Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Vineyard High School
Practical Writing
Course #
Student________________________________ Student Number________________
Certification:  To the best of my knowledge this report has been kept as required by law
and in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Final Grade ____Pass__  Credits Earned _______________   Date ___________
TeacherSignature_________________________________________________________

Practical Writing
Objective:  to practice writing for the workplace.  
Choose at least three of these assignments to equal 20 hours in order to earn 1 credit.  
Find samples of these writing projects online, or in books so you can learn from these samples how to do the writing project.

Business Letters
1. Write a business letter giving a company positive feedback about one of their products.
2. Write a business letter to a company giving negative feedback.  You can add a suggestion for improvement if you have a suggestion.
3. Write an envelop for a business letter.

On the job writing
4. Write a resume and cover letter to an employer for a job you would like to have.
5. Write a thank you email to an interviewer, who interviewed you for a job.
6. Write a “two weeks notice” letter to your employer.
7. Write an email to a co-worker or an email to a boss about a work procedure you want to improve or a new idea you have.
8. Write 5 to 10 informational interview questions.  Then ask someone (whose career path you are interested in) out for coffee and ask them the questions.

Polite people write
1. write a personal thank you letter to a relative thanking them for a present they gave you.
2. Write a Christmas/holiday/Happy New Year letter sharing news about what you did all year and that you were thinking about them and wish them a Happy New Year.
3. Write a letter to your mom or dad as if you are living away from home or on a trip.  Share your new experiences and thoughts with them so they will want to save the letter forever!

Democratic citizen type writing
1. Write an email or a letter to the editor of a newspaper  expressing your side on an issue or endorsing a candidate that is running for office.  Find samples by reading a newspaper first so you know how this is done.
2. Write a letter to one of your representatives (city, state or federal representative) expressing a problem that you need solved.  
3. and a solution and a second letter explaining a problem that you need solved.  
4. Go to a public meeting and write minutes to the meeting.  Find some samples of meeting minutes to learn how to do this.



Wednesday, May 15, 2019

afterschool fun class descriptions, etc.

Acting and more

You will learn how to act old, young, mad, sad, glad, scared, surprised and more on the big stage in the multi purpose room.  You will learn what character acting is, blocking and improvisation by doing these things.  We will do "warm ups" for the voice and body and practice eye contact, working with props, memorizing parts and projecting your voice.

Basic Guitar
Learn to play two songs on the first day.  You will learn strumming skills, how to make chord changes and play a guitar with confidence and joy!

Friday, May 10, 2019

Bread recipes to save...

Swedish Rye bread from the Vegetarian Epicure cook book

2 b. dry yeast disolved in
1 cup warm water

In a large bowl melt 2 Tbsp. butter in 2/3 cup hot water
and add:
1/3 cup molasses unsulphured
1 1/2 Tbs. sea salt
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
1 Tbsp. anise seeds
2 to 3  Tbsp. grated orange rind
yellow corn meal

Sift together 
2 1/2 rye flour
2 cups pastry whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups gluten flour 

add most of the flour to the liquid, stirring it well to make a stiff dough.  Put out some of the flour on a large board, and turn the dough out to knead.  When you have kneaded it until it is smooth and elastic, pace it in a greased bowl, voer with a towle and let ris in a warm place until double in size.  1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down, form into nice loaves, place on a baking sheet which you have greased and dusted with corn meal and covering again, let them rise until almost double.  Then bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for about 45 to 50 minutes.  This makes 2 loaves.

Outback Steakhouse black bread

1 pk. Yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tb. sugar
1 cup warm water

1/2 cup dark molasses
1tsp. salt
2 Tb. oil
2 cup rye flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

dusted-with-cornmeal loaf pans

This bread freezes beautifully



This is the dough I make for the streusel kuchen base
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. yeast
2 Tb. sugar

2 Tb. oil
2 cups flour


1/2 tsp. salt


English Muffin bread


Thanksgiving harvest Bread from Family Fun magazine.  The author writes it is worth the effort.  It is the most popular food on the table.  It makes the house smell wonderful and kids get a satisfied feeling out of mixing and kneading the bread.

2 Tb. yeast
1 1/4 warm water
1 tsp. sugar

Mix together in a measuring glass and let sit for 15 minutes until bubbles.

Stir together in a large bowl:
1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
4 Tb. light molasses
6 Tb. unsalted butter

Slowly add:
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 3/4 cups all flour

remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on a floured surface, adding more white flour as necessary to keep the dough from getting too sticky.  Knead in the nuts and fruit.  When the dough feels smooth, form into a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let stand until double in bulk.  This takes about and 1 1/2 hours.   Punch the dough down and divide it into two loaves, and place in buttered loaf pans.  Let rise again for about 45 minute.  Beat together the egg, water and slat for the egg wash , if desired.  Brush to loaves with the glaze, then bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.


1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped aprictos
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1/4 cup grated carrot

egg wash
1 egg
2 tsp. water
dash of salt

A church friend named Julie gave me this recipe.  I think she even baked it for communion.  I was sad when she and her family moved away.   She said it came from a book called A Taste of Oregon

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour, divided
2 pkg. yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp salt
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp. butter
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. oil to brush loaces
 milk or butter (optional)

These directions below seem a little strange and passive sounding, and sort of similar to no-knead bread recipes.  I remember making this bread and really liking it and thinking it was worth doing again and again.

Mix 2 1/2 cups white flour, yeast, salt, honey, and butter in a large bowl.  Pour in the hot water.  Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and beat again.  Add 1 cup white flour and remaining whole wheat flour as needed.

Cover dough with a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Punch down and knead for 30 seconds.

Divide into 2 sections and shape into round loaves.  Flatten slightly.  Plae in 2 greased 9 inch round cake pans and brush with oil.  Cover with plastic and put in fridge  for 2 to 24 hours.  it is best if in fridge for at least 6 hours.

Remove from fridge 10 minutes before placing in oven.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.  Brush with milk or butter for a soft crust.


Pannetone---Italian Christmas bread   Usually I buy this at Christmas time but I would like to try making it one day.

Spoonbread:  a corn meal souffle to serve for breakfast with cream cheese and preserves, or for dinner with great baked beans..



Saturday, October 13, 2018

Oatmeal Bar cookies made from melted butter

Ingredients 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (1 cup flour = 125g) ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt 8 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly (1 stick) 1 cup lightly packed Brown Sugar (light or dark will work) (1 cup sugar = 200g) 1 large Egg 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract 1 cup Old Fashioned / Rolled Oats 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (see note) ½ cup M&Ms (see note) Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper and / or spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until evenly combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Pour dry ingredients over wet and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon just until no dry spots remain (do not overmix.) Gently stir in oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms. Pour batter into prepared pan, scattering any reserved mix-ins over top. Bake 24 to 28 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. (Note: If cooked on the lower end of the bake time, these will be very soft and will stay moist for a couple of days. If you plan to serve them the same day as they were baked, bake at the higher end of the recommended cook time.) Let cool in the pan until the bars can be easily removed. Once cool, slice and serve. The bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Notes Chocolate Chips and M&Ms - You can use both or just one of these. Reserve a few extra to scatter on the top if you’d like. If you’d like different fillings try butterscotch chips, chocolate chunks, or toasted pecans / walnuts. Just be sure the total amount of mix-ins add up to 1 ½ cups. Glass or Ceramic Baking Pan - If using a glass or ceramic baking pan, the bars will take longer to bake. Expect to add about 5 minutes to the baking time. Nutrition

  • Makes
    9 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Melissa's Vegan for Everybody cookbook

I thought I would write down the titles and look up these recipes online because I don't want to bring the book with me.  While waiting for my visa to go teach in China, Joe and I tried a lot of these recipes.  We liked them all.  I brought some of the soups and stews over to Molly's.  I would put on running shoes and run over to get more exercise.  I don't get enough exercise living in the suburbs.  I shared two of the soups with Andrew, who was staying at Opa's old place in Rossmoor.  Molly liked the Turkish tomato soup best.

BREAKFAST

1. Black Beans on Toast with Avocado and Tomato  (cherry toms, olive oil, 1 can black beans, lime zest, crusty bread, avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro)

2. pickled red onions  (red onion, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, jalapeno chiles)

3. Sweet Potato Red Flannel Hash with Tempeh  (russet and sweet potato, beets, oil, salt, pepper, temphe, soy sauce, onion, garlic, thyme, scallions, unsweetened coconut creamer)

4. Tofu Ranchero (canned toms, lime juice, onion, green chilies, chili powder, garlic, tofu, cilantro, avocado, scallions, con tortillas, brown sugar)

5. Tofu Scramble This was an awesome recipe.   Actually, all of these recipes are great in this book because the authors write about the testing process and what worked and what didn't.  I like the how the text explains why they decided on certain ingredients.  (In this recipe the ingredients are tofu, olive oil, red bell pepper, shallot, salt, turmeric, pepper, fresh basil, parsley, tarragon or marjoram)  Call Joe for the measurements!

Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomato (from the Garden Grazer)  The author loves Yellowstone like Joe too!   A similar recipe is in Melissa's cookbook called Vegan for Everybody

Ingredients

1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
2-3 roma tomatoes
1 lb. extra-firm tofu
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Large handful baby spinach (or more)
Salt to taste

Directions

Dice onion and mince garlic.
In a large pan over medium heat, saute onion with a little salt for 7-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble tofu and dice tomatoes.
Add garlic to the pan, and cook for 30 seconds. Add crumbled tofu and tomato. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Some may stick on the bottom but that's normal.)
While the tofu is cooking, put the cumin, paprika, and turmeric in a small bowl. Add 1-2 Tbsp. water, and stir to combine.
Add seasonings and nutritional yeast to the pan. Stir well to combine.
Add spinach and cook another 3 minutes.




6. Tofu Frittata with Mushrooms  (tofu, olive oil, turmeric, garlic powder, pepper, chickpea flour, cremini mushrooms, shallots, clove of garlic, fresh thyme and parsley)

7. Overnight Three-Grain Breakfast Porridge

8. Creamy Breakfast grits with chives  (olive oil, onion, grits, almond milk, chives, salt and pepper)

9. 100% whole wheat pancakes

10. Chia pudding with fresh fruit and coconut  (soy milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, blue berries, strawberries or sliced bananas, flaked coconut toasted)

SOUPS and stews

1. Chickpea noodle soup.   This is a chicken noodle soup substitute.   I made it and Joe and I decided it needs more spice, salt and carrots.  These are the ingredients.  I will call Joe to ask what the proportions are.
oil, onion, carrots, celery, nutritional yeast, thyme, bay leaves, vegi broth, chickpeas, pasta, parsley

2. Creamless creamy tomato soup  (America's Test Kitchens)
oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, can tomatoes, white sandwich bread hearty, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, vegetable broth, brandy, salt, pepper, chives

3. Farmhouse Vegetable and Barley Soup (this reminded me of Polish Barley Soup) 

4. Supergreens soup with lemon-tarragon cream

5. Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

6. Roasted Eggplant and tomato soup  (toasted slivered almonds, North African spice blend called  ras el hanout, raisins, bay leaf, lemon juice, cilantro, eggplant, oil, onion, cloves, cumin vegetable broth, can tomatoes)

7. classic gazpacho

8. Tortilla soup

9. Turkish tomato, Bulgar and red pepper soup  (oil, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, dried mint, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, dry white wine, 28 oz. can fired roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, 2 cups water, medium grind bulgur, chopped fresh mint)  Joe thought the soup had too much acidity.

10. red lentil soup with North African spices  (oil, onion, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, garlic, broth, water, red lentils, lemon juice, dried mint, paprika, cilantro)   You make a paprika and dried mint and oil topping and then also top with the cilantro

11. Thai coconut soup with tofu

12. South American quinoa and vegetable stew  (olive oil, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, paprika, coriander/cilantro, cumin, vegi broth, red potatoes, quinoa, corn, toms, frozen peas, salt, pepper, an internet version used feta cheese and I did too, avocado)

13. mushroom and farro stew

14. ultimate vegan chili

15. roasted poblano and white bean chili

16. butternut squash chili with quinoa and peanuts

burgers, sandwiches and pizzas
lentil and mushroom burgers
black bean burgers
pinto bean-beet burgers
grilled portobello burgers

quick pickled radishes  (radishes, shallot, lime juice, sugar, salt)
crispy onions     (onion in rings, white vinegar, flour, salt pepper, cream of tartar, oil)

chickpea salad sandwiches
tofu banh mi
falafel with tahini yogurt sauce
Korean barbecue tempeh wraps
Sizzling Saigon crepes (bahn xeo)
baja style cauliflower tacos
pesto pizza with fennel and cauliflower
mushroom pizza with cashew ricotta

Chickpea Veggie Burgers http://runningonrealfood.com/chickpea-veggie-burgers/
★★★★★
4.8 from 74 reviews
These easy to make veggie burgers are bursting with flavour and make an excellent alternative to store-bought versions. Try them on the BBQ for a delicious meal perfect for a summer afternoon.
Ingredients
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained, well-rinsed,and mashed
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 small zuchini, grated
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup quick oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, place them in a bowl and mash them with a fork.
  2. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl.
  3. Use your hands to mix very well.
  4. Form into 6-8 patties.
  5. Cook on the BBQ around 400 F for approximately 10 minutes each side.
  6. You can also fry these in a pan with some oil for 3-5 minutes a side.




salads
garlicky tofu tabbouleh   I am making this right now.  I forgot to saute the tofu!  The ingredients are:  tomatoes, salt, pepper, Bulgar, lemon juice, extra firm tofu, olive oil, garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, parsley, mint, scallions,

cauliflower salad with chermoula and carrots (chermoula is a Moroccan marinade made with cilantro, lemon and garlic)  This is an awesome recipe.  I shared the final results with Bessie.

Chermoula   I think it is best to chop the cilantro and garlic by hand rather than use the food processor.  I used the food processor once and it was too smooth.  Here are the proportions:  1 bunch cilantro, 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup EVOO, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2  tsp. cumin, 1/2 paprika.   

quinoa, black bean and mango salad with lime dressing
farro salad with sugar snap peas and white beans
wheat berry salad with chickpeas, spinach and orange
freekeh salad with butternut squash, walnuts and raisins
red rice and quinoa salad
brown rice burrito bowl
farro bowl with tofu, mushrooms and spinach
spicy peanut rice and noodle bowl
barley bowl with roasted carrots and snow peas
brown sushi rice bowl with tofu and vegetables
Korean rice bowl with tempeh  (dolsot bibimbap)



Dinner
mushroom bolognese
whole wheat spagetti with greens, beans, and tomatoes
almost hands-free mushroom risotto
pinto bean and swiss chard enchiladas
cauliflower steaks with salsa verde
chili rubbed butternut squash steaks with ranch dressing
pan seared tempeh steaks with chimichurri sauce
crispy orange seitan
teriyaki tofu
Thai style tofu and basil lettuce cups
bbq tempeh, mushroom and bell pepper skewers


stir fry

stir fried tofu, shiitakes, and green beans
stir fried tempeh, napa cabbage, and carrots
stir fried eggplant with garli-basil sauce
Thai red curry with cauliflower
saag tofu (tofu and spinach)
Indian-Style curry with sweet potatoes, eggplant and chickpeas
potato vinadloo
shiitake ramen
tofu pad thai
udon noddles with mustard greens and shiitake-ginger sauce
sesame soba noodles with snow peas, radishes and cilantro
spicky basil noddles with crispy tofu, bok show and bell peppers


sweet potato hummus
muhammara  (roasted red peppers jar, walnuts toasted, wheat crackers, lemon juice, oil, molasses, sugar, salt cumin, cayenne pepper parsley)
loaded nachos
buffalo cauliflower bites
marinated cauliflower with chickpeas and saffron
socca with Swiss chard, pistachios and apricots
polenta fries with creamy chipotle sauce


For Thanksgiving 2017 at Melissa's we made a topping for
sweet potatoes mashed out of flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, coconut oil, rolled oats, pecans, water

we also roasted mushrooms with salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil

Brussels sprouts with garlic

asparagus with salt, pepper and oil

and a great stuffing with kale, onions, garlic, and sour dough bread.  Public radio talked to the cook and she said the recipe was so good that you would make it more often than just for Thanksgiving.  You could bake the dressing in a loaf pan, freeze it for later and cut it and fry and egg to eat on it.  You could also cook it in a waffle iron and add a fried egg on top. The recipe was on Smitten Kitchen's web site.














33 Great Cities of Europe and...



London
Paris
Barcelona
Copenhagen
Prague
Rome
Venice
Florence
Athens
Istanbul
St. Petersburg
Moscow
Dubrovnik
I am adding Budapest!
Norway's Fjords
Amalfi Coast
Greek Isles 

European Commission as a Destination of Excellence

UNESCO Heritage sites

Darkness at Noon: Did I read the same book as they did?



I remember Freshman year in college we were assigned to read the book Darkness at Noon in an introductory political science class.  When we discussed it in class I remember thinking to myself: Did I read the same book as they did?  The professor and some of the students were talking from the "deep end of the swimming pool".  I read the book in the shallow end.  I knew the plot and what a pince nez was.  Darkness at Noon is a man's personal story of being arrested during the time of Stalin's rule over the Soviet Union, put in prison and interrogated.

How do you teach students to read books in the deeper end?

I wanted to save a copy of this from school, but it doesn't fully answer the question.

Analysis
What was the most exciting part of the story?
What is the author trying to tell the reader in this story?
How would you compare this story to a similar story?

Synthesis
Create a new ending to the story.
What changes to the main character would you make?
How could you improve the story?

Evaluation
What is your opinion of this author?
Would you read another book by this author?
Would you recommend this book?  Why or why not?


What do curious, deep readers do when they read?