LESSON REVIEW #10A...To Samuel and Jean Craig
Cleophas Mike McAlpin......Tutor
Marci Williams.............Tutor
The bus strike? What strike? You should be able to take my mode of travel!
September 20-21, 2000
September 20th..
The bus strike is on! We are caught between a "rock and a hard place" in Los Angeles. Those fortunate enough to afford gasoline are paying "through the nose" for it. The cost has reached $2.00 a gallon in some locations! The students of a "Free Tutoring Service" are struggling along with their Tutor, Cleophas McAlpin" to keep a perfect attendance record in their respective schools. Strike or no strike, gasoline or no gasoline, we are moving ahead to improve grade point averages, at any cost.
Jarrell (14) has to live with me until the strike is over. He catches the Metro-Blue Line to Banning High School in Wilmington. I have to take him to school and pick him up. His mother is single, works, has another young child, and can not take him to school. Keyotta (15) has to flag a ride to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach. I have to pick her up in the afternoon because her mother, too, is single and has no car. Joshua (12) has to be picked up from Carnegie Middle School in Carson because his mother is single, works, and can not.
I went to Brooks College in Long Beach to pick up our Graphics Design student, Jamise (18, our 2-year tutoring student). She was still in class. I returned to my home with Jarrell and Keyotta at 4:00 PM. I had to miss picking up Cleasana (14) from San Pedro. Joshua (12) could not make it. That was all right because I picked him up after school yesterday and tutored him. Bus strike.
Jarrell and Keyotta had to endure another "motivation lecture" as we made our way home. The two students outlined their days at school and filled me in on the subject matter for the day.
Keyotta had vocabulary words. Plagiarism, superfluous, obsolete, mediocrity, truant, presumptuous, residual, implausible, impudent and arrogant. We reviewed the words on our way home. Keyotta must maintain a 3.5 grade point average at Long Beach Polytechnic High school because she is our future "Olympics Hopeful" in the 800-meter run and the 400x400 meter relay. She is leader of Track Team at the school and has begun her training again. She complained about her aches and pains, but I ignored her.
Jeremiah was brought over by his grandfather, Andrew Williams. Jeremiah gave me very good news about his Middle School, Rooveselt, in Compton. Jeremiah said that his teacher was highly impressed with his knowledge of the Periodic Table of the Elements. The teacher wished that all of the students could have tutoring such as he is receiving. Jeremiah's other teachers feel the same way.
Other teachers have desires to meet me. Mr. McCabe at Mayfair High School in Lakewood has that desire. I find that I must communicate with some teachers via the Internet or by telephone because my time is limited. It is as I envisioned it when I began the Tutoring Service over 2 years ago. Tutors, and School Teachers, working together to improve the educational lot of our youth in California.
I am standing in the shadows of the real heroes of the Tutoring Service. Samuel and Jean Craig of Camarillo, California are two of the forces behind the Tutoring Service. Their financial support and words of encouragement are enough for me to carry on. It is indeed their Tutoring Service. I only do my small part to help make it work. I want to personally thank Sam and Jean for giving me the will to carry on this worthwhile effort. You will never be sorry for what you have done and are doing to help us. Your donation will be used to help us buy an oscilloscope. The total cost is approximately $500. The oscilloscope will bear your name. It is the least that we can do to say "thank you." A tax deductible receipt will be sent immediately.
I will send you occasional updates on what we are doing. These updates will also appear on our website...as this one will. It is my intention to let the supporters of the Organization know all of the details of what is going on. Our Tutoring days will be followed by a report such as this one. Feel free to communicate with the students at any time. They will be very excited to hear from you.
Of course, I had to take Keyotta home. We reviewed her vocabulary words while on the way to her home (15 miles). No music from the radio. No music from the tape player. Just my voice and her response to the meanings of her vocabulary words. Keyotta should make an "A" this Friday.
Back home and Jamise is still working on her homework from Brooks College.....10:00PM.
September 21st...3:30PM
I called it a "Biology Blitz".....
The 9th grade biology book from Banning High School seemed too unused. Two students, Michael and Jarrell, would be introduced to what I have called a "Biology Blitz."
(3:30 PM)... The two Banning High School students took out the Biology book and began reading it..word by word...line by line....all while taking notes on what they were reading. I halted them occasionally to discuss a point or ask a question.
"What was said about muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis? What was said about the Anopheles mosquito and who found out how it was able to transmit malaria? How many died from influenza in 1918-1919? What is the population of the world and what is "zero population growth? What is A.I.D.S. and how can it be prevented? Cancer is a killer, but it can be linked to life style. Explain. What is D.N.A.?
I encouraged each student to "speed read". We will follow this procedure when we tackle each chapter of the Biology book. The students reminded me that they had not read this page or that in class, but I discouraged such remarks by letting them know that I did not care about what the teacher skipped or did not skip. We would read each word, each sentence and each paragraph. We would take notes on what was read, and I, Cleophas, will give them an examination on what was read and discussed.
Believe it or not, the students begged to read after a while. They begged to read all about the "terrible mosquito", the eradication of malaria and the scientific method in carrying out research in Biology.
We completed 2 chapters. We are one chapter ahead of the class at Banning High School!
Jeremiah came in later. He joined the Blitz. He also reviewed Michael on the vocabulary words of the day before. Michael was surprised by the 8th grader. The nerve of him telling a 9th grader the meanings of such words. Jeremiah beamed.
Chemistry time.....Jeremiah was sent to the Internet to retrieve: www.webelements.com
There was some controversy on the atomic structure of Radon. How many electrons were in which rings? We had gone down the list of those "Noble Gases" (Helium, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Radon...and got stuck on the atomic structure of Radon. Jeremiah pulled up the structure from the Internet and beamed as he said, "You see, I told you where those 86 electrons went!" He had been right! Not bad for an 8th grader! I am requiring Jeremiah to do an extra-credit report on some of the chemical elements. He understands atomic structures and how molecules are formed from various elements. He might possibly tackle Uranium (U-238) because he and I marveled at the atomic structure and uses of this nuclear material.
After Gayle had fixed pizza, it was back to the books again. It was back to Spanish and the 20 or so words that Michael had to learn. I grilled Michael, Jeremiah and Jarrell on Michael's Spanish words. I also added a few verbs to make sentences out of them. The students are gaining a good knowledge of the Spanish Language.
It is now 9:00 PM, Thursday. We concluded our session a few minutes ago by deciding what report we would be doing on this Saturday when we visit the California Science Center at Exposition Park. It will be on some "Life Function" in the Biology section. We will also visit the IMAX Theater (approximately 12:00 Noon)... to see "Galapagos Island". Charles Darwin questions will surely follow.
We will cook hamburgers in the park and have a little fun. All are invited to join us!
The original lesson review 10A has been archived and is now called " "Lesson Review Archives" on the Home page. See Home page for all of the 10 archived lesson reviews. See "Lesson Review" on the Home Page for various lesson reviews dating back to January of 1999.
Week's photos....September 17-21, 2000...Studying and more studying. California's youth.... on the move..and loving it!
Supplies (Paper, folders, scientific calculators, books) donated by
Floyd Black (FIHS Member)