Rock Crystal Candy

A couple Fridays ago we set up an experiment in class to make Rock Crystals.

These ones are just made of sugar mixed in water. The trick is to heat the water so that it can dissolve even more sugar than normal (called "super-saturation"). When the solution evaporates, sugar crystals should be left behind.

We used a kettle to boil the water in the classroom, then mixed it with as much sugar as we could in a large mixing bowl. Each of us came up with our own colour combination using food colouring mixtures.

The following Tuesday... nothing had happened. That was a surprise! The instructions called for crystals forming overnight but three days had passed with no effect!

By the following Friday, some small crystals had started to form on the surface of the sugar solutions. The red one solution by far the best looking crystal growth -- it had been the last one from the mixing bowl, which meant it had all the extra sugar from the bottom.

Next time we should try to keep a constant heat on the water and really try to super-saturate the solution before it cools.

Some brave souls tried to eat the rock crystals... Check out this YouTube < VIDEO LINK > to see what happened!

Posted by Karen

The Setting Sun

Last night we saw a beautiful sunset outside the windows of our classroom.

Now that we're into Winter and the sun is setting earlier every day, the sky becomes lit up with the gorgeous patterns of orange, pink, and purple hues only about a half hour after our classes finish.

Here it is, captured on camera in three shots and rendered into a panoramic view:

Posted by Karen

Traditional Teachings with Elder Joseph McQuabbie

This week on Tuesday we had an inspiring and motivational traditional teaching by Elder, Joseph McQuabbie. We are so happy to welcome Joseph to the college and to join us in Pimooteewin.

He taught about the various uses of 4 in the Medicine Wheel such as the four directions, the four seasons, the four stages of life, the four sacred medicines, the four races of the world and the four dimensions of self.


He also taught us about the power of 3 and how we have three major responsibilities on the Red Road we call life and that is to 1) Self  2) Family  and 3) Community


What does 3+4 equal? Joseph then brilliantly moved into the seven Grandfather teachings, helping us to pull together the teachings into the ultimate teaching: WISDOM, the state we achieve once the other teachings have been balanced into our lives.


Most of all, the teachings Joseph spoke of were about empowerment and self-direction, about standing proud in the light of who we are as individuals, distinctly beautiful and authentically powerful, each in our own way and for our own purpose.

As a class we reflected on Joseph's teachings and this is the poem we wrote together to represent these thoughts:

PAUWAUWIN THROUGH PIMOOTEEWIN

2010©Pimooteewin Program

Pauwauwin means gaining insight and understanding through dreams

Learning lessons to see what our experience means

On the Pimooteewin—finding the path through the trees

I feel a nice cool breeze

Trust truth and what it brings

A butterfly dances across the meadow

Making a change is to know yourself

Bee-Leave!!!

Miig Wetch to Joseph and all our fabulous students!!!

By Rachel Larabee

Portfolios and the White Ribbon Campaign

This morning before lunch we took a short field trip out to the Dollarama just down the street. We helped choose a ton of supplies for making our portfolios. Keep posted for updates!

Sneak peak: metallic paper, feathers, colourful beads, wacky letters, words, pipe cleaners, earth tone card stock, ribbons...

Since December 6th is coming up. This is the National Day for Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, Centennial College invited a guest speaker to kick off the White Ribbon Campaign in the Auditorium over lunch...

Carlos Andres Gomez challenged the audience's definition of masculinity through performances of his poems and led animated discussions, truly getting "Behind the Masc". Gomez is an actor, a playwright, a spoken word poet, and a teacher with a ton of experience influencing young minds and perceptions around North America. He left us wanting to hear more.

Back in math class for the afternoon, we discussed the talk and then listened to a podcast Kevin helped develop for a previous White Ribbon campaign called "Tie Your Shoe With A White Ribbon". The project delves into issues such as gender, violence, and healthy relationships. < PODCAST LINK >

"Our future has no violence against women." Wear a white ribbon if you agree.