Improvisation for two Kirkwood Missouri Elementary Schools by St. Louis Community College at Meramec Calculus III students.
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Definition: funk n. 1. Music. a. An earthy quality appreciated in music such as jazz or soul. b. A type of popular music combining elements of jazz, blues, and soul and characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive guitar and trumpet line. 2. Slang. An unsophisticated quality or atmosphere of a region or locality. (From The American Heritage Dictionary)
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Funk with a touch of circus music for what follows.
PRE-SHOW OPENING IDEAS
The pre-show begins when Kathy and Kate, videographers, turns the cameras on Jody/Pollyana then Bill and Bob working the audience.
Jody/Pollyana in formal attire greeting students as they enter. Musicians are warming up then begin to play slightly more organized music that has a funky beat. Bill and Bob emerge from the back stage area and Jody/Pollyana stops chit chatting with students to look up and see what antics Bill and Bob are doing then she points toward them. Jody/Pollyana then stands in front of the audience but faces Bill and Bob - other Meramec students remain hidden until Jody/Pollyana opens with "Good Day students... " Band plays entrance music while Meramec students walk out and stand behind Jody/Pollyana as she slowly finishes opening sentence.
Jody/Pollyana, Bob and Bill end up in the center stage.
All others end up in back of or to the sides of Jody/Pollyana, serious looks, give impression of a serious show. Others are wearing "shape" shirts and blue jeans and hats.
OPENING ACT [should take around ten min.]
Jody/Pollyana - "Good morning students and teachers and welcome to the Five Ring Surface Circus presented by our group of St. Louis Community College Math Students."
Anthony gives "ta-da" and changes to a slow drum beatabout every 30 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Bob holds up sign that reads Three Ring Surface Circus presented by ..... He walks in front of everyone flashing the sign.
Jody/Pollyana - "Today we will be showing you different shapes that we have been studying in our Calculus Three class and how they apply to everyday events. First we will look at the sphere."
Bill searches in big duffel bag for a poster board with a picture of a sphere. Before he finds the poster, he throws things such as balls, juggling pins, real egg(!?!), hacky sacks, dancing ribbons, and other things. Bill hands the sign to Bob to show Kirkwood Elementary Students.
Jody/Pollyana goes on to describe a sphere and demonstrates how a sphere is sort of a three dimensional circle.
Jody/Pollyana-"A sphere is a three dimensional surface but round like a circle, just like a beach ball."
Pollyana/Jody will be wearing a shirt with a circle on it and will bring a beach ball to the front for a model of a sphere. He will also have a hula-hoop which he spins around as Jody/Pollyana describes how a circle spun around it's axis is a sphere.
Anthony moves to a slow drum beatabout every 20 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Jody/Pollyana- "One way to see a sphere is to take a circle such as a hula-hoop and spin it around a line through its center which gives the illusion of a sphere."
In the meantime, John and Jody will grab some of the balls or pins that Bill threw and start playing with them. Anthony starts a slow drum beatabout every 15 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Jody/Pollyana goes on to describe three more shapes, a parabola(parabaloid), torus(ring), and hyperboloid(Planetarium).
Bill continues to throw more and more balls and other things out of his bag. Bob keeps showing the signs of the shapes but seems to be distracted. After each person has presented their model, they join in on the juggling in the background.
Simon will bring a model of a parabola.
Jody/Pollyana-"A parabola is similar to the letter "U." Another name for a parabola is an "arch". The McDonald's sign is made of two arches joined together. A three dimensional parabola is a paraboloid. A paraboloid can also be made by spinning it around its center line."
Anthony starts a slow drum beatabout every 10 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Teresa will have an innertube and a hula-hoop to demonstrate the torus.
Jody/Pollyana- "A torus is simply a circle rotated around a circle. Two examples of a torus are a donut and an inner tube."
pause, Anthony starts a slow drum beatabout every 5 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Jody/Pollyana- "Can you think of any more examples?" . . . SPINGO JUGGLE . . .
Jody/Pollyana- "An example of a hyperboloid is the planetarium at the Science Center. There are two ways to make a hyperboloid. One is to use circles stacked on top of each other."
XXXX's model for .....
pause, Anthony starts a slow drum beatabout every 2 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Jody/Pollyana- "You use larger circles on the ends and smaller circles in the middle." XXXXXX's model for demo . . .
pause, Anthony starts a slow drum beatabout every .25 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, not to dominate in any way.
Jody/Pollyana- "Another way is to take a hyperbola, turn it on a line midway between its branches!"
XXXXXX's model demonstration where each wire is a different position of the rotating wire.
Meanwhile, the drum beat picks up tempo and more people start tossing balls and playing with dancing ribbons behind Jody/Pollyana. During the last presentation, Jody/Pollyana gets drowned out by the juggling and talking.
Jody/Pollyana- "... ellipsoid.... , .... football !"
Jody/Pollyana- "... slinky ... helix.... , .... !"
Anthony now drums about every .01 to .005 seconds in synchronization with a note from Josh and Jimmy, however, start to dominate funk style. [I.E. characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive guitar and trumpet line]
Bill joins in on the action in the background as Jody/Pollyana gets enticed by background commotion during the last model, she fumbles with her papers and eventually drops them. She acts silly and plays with her papers as she picks them up.
After a minute of Meramec students playing, the jugglers walk over to the Kirkwood Elementary Students and teachers to give each a ball and invite them to come march in a parade with Bill. Marching to music (maybe Entry of the Gladiators) All Meramec students give support to, foster and stimulate Kirkwood Elementary Students and teachers to join in with the march then as they march - - -
Meramec students go set up three THE RING SURFACE CIRCUS with 25 foot ropes made into large rings and each circus troop (from group one, two and three) places the props in their ring.
Kirkwood Elementary Students and teachers march around the room as each tosses one ball from hand to hand.
Bill will then lead the all students and teachers around the room as everyone juggles one ball from hand to hand. After a few laps, he will march them into their "RING" with the Meramec students taking five or six students (1/4 th of the students) from Bill's line as they pass their RING. Jody/Pollyana may talk about it saying:
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SECOND ACT [should take 15 to 20 min.]
Kate rove around picking skit students and video tape stuff.
Jody/Pollyana: "Okay, Kirkwood Elementary Students we are here to share our math experience! That's right, You just did the GRAND ENTRY march. Bill will take you to RING ONE, RING TWO or RING THREE to perform and experiment with our MATHEMATICAL TOYS. There are a few rules we have to play it safe.
Bob can show a list of the following
1. Have fun!
2. When it is time to switch groups, do it in an orderly way.
3. If you pay attention to the shape of the curves or surfaces, then you will have more fun.
4. Keep a lookout for each other's safety. Lob a toss rather than throwing.
5. And - above all - have fun!
At this point, Anthony, Josh and Jimmy begin to play a rhythmic beat and the groups get their Kirkwood Elementary Students and spread out in their areas. Depending on the time allotted, the groups will rotate so that there is equal time in each group session. Estimated total time: 15 minutes
RING ONE - SPHERE and HELIX GROUP (JUGGLING GROUP RELATED SKIT?)
People: Heather, Karilyn, Jeff, Jody, John, and Bob {Bill}
Props: Juggling, eggs, basketballs, footballs, juggling pins, beach balls, spheres,
dance ribbons(2), juggling balls &/or juggling pins, slinky, globe, football, spirograph, skedoodle/etch-a-sketch, 3d sphere puzzle, lake topo., mountain topo., golf course topo.,
Jeff's wooden helix project, balloons, . . .
Objective: {Make one or two note cards for 1 and 2 below.}
1. teach children basic concept of juggling emphasizing one or two tosses
2. teach them some new vocabulary words--using several techniques
a. sphere, ellipsoid, parabolic ellipsoid
b. soccer ball, egg, egg cut in half
3. Ideas to get started
Start juggling to grab their attention - lob or toss a ball to one or two Kirkwood Elementary Students and look for a return or mime a return to get attention.
4. use your imagination, they can learn from us about our interests in math!!
a)Making 3d model of sphere. Hole through center of sphere and let Kirkwood Students build the sphere.
b)Etch a sketch - draw their own spheres and spirals and helix.
c)globe - see we all live on the same surfaces and show latitude and longitude lines. Also
look at contour lines.
d)spirograph- draw their own spirals and circles
e)play dough - slice into layers
f)clock hand goes in circle and if you pull it vertically you get spiral (maybe)
g)candy canes - observe the spirals and have as treat
Objectives: {Make one or two note cards for 1 below.}
Use your imagination, they can learn from us about our interests in math!!
Jeff - My map was of the golf course on the campus at UMK. The total change in the elevation was about 45 feet from the two furthest points away. The two points I did pick were about 480 feet away from each other and 10 feet different in elevation.
John - The third topo we made was the channel height for Wren Lake. It is a fairly steep lake in most parts making it easy for deep hull ships (ok ski boats) to come closer to shore.
(note, its a reservoir so you may hit trees close to land). Also, we have a max of about 60 feet to the lowest channel.
Karilyn - A topographic model of Mount Saint Helen after its eruption in 1980 resulting in the loss of its side during the explosion.
Heather - I made a topographic map of Kincaid Lake in illinois. I noticed that as we enlarged the map the contour lines became thicker and the topo is a little "off" and not as precise as the original map.
Jody - Topo of Love Mountain Montana. Just a little off scale. 1 inch = 800 feet. Peak is (0,0, 11660 feet).
Bob - The 3d map we made was a representation of a river valley. We chose a section which would best deplict gradiants in the landscapeover the smallest region. When looking at the map top down, what looks to be an island sticking up not far from the Geo center has the steepest over all grade.
Bill - 3d model of f(x,y)= xy general and in the region y less than or equal to 4-x^2 and y greater than or equal to zero.
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RING TWO - TORUS GROUP
People: Robyn, Teresa, James, Kathy, Tshiswaka, Minh, and Owan
Prop List:
1. Long balloons (for hats)--Teresa will get
2. Playdoh (from classroom)
3. Hula hoops (from prop box)
4. Potato (Teresa will bring)
5. Yo-yos ( Bill will bring)
6. Torus shapes (from prop box)
Activities:
1. Balloon "torus" hats
2. Playdoh torus
3. Hula hoop
IF TIME:
4. Name that torus
5. Yo-yo
6. Hot potato
Objectives: {Make one or two note cards for 1 below.}
Use your imagination, they can learn from us about our interests in math!!
Minh - Model is topographic of a lake map. Each level varies by 10 feet.
Robyn -
My 3d topographic map was of Monk's Mound. It was unable to find a perfect slope between two points without an equation. I put the axis on the top of mound where (0,0,0,) is on the second level.
Teresa - 1) Monks Mound. It had 28 or 29 layers to it. Each layer represented a higher elevation. It was mostly shaped like a hill, with one area, a cliff.
2) f(x,y,) = xy It was a saddle, the depression areas when cut out formed the "hills". Making it helped me when visualizing the function.
James - I made a 3 dimensional map of the magnetic fields that exist around a helix when a current is applied. It shows how when you get further away from the helix, the field lines blend together and as you get closer to the helix they become circular around each wire.
Tshiswaka - The 3D topographic map I made was on the lake Mark Twain which I first enlarged the topographic scale and worked on different level/curves which the lake and different range of depths. I cut each level surfaces away and glued together on different slices of styrofoam and it showed how the lake was.
Kathy - The topographic map I designed was of Belle Isle Park. Belle Isle Park is a small area in Detroit Michigan. I chose this area due to a tragic story on the news. So when I went to Michigan for the summer, Belle Island Park was the first place I visited. It was so beautiful and peaceful, I am so glad that I went because now I have separated the land from the tragedy.
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RING THREE - HYPERBOLA AND PARABOLA GROUP
People: Mary Ellen, Forrest, Arian, Grant, Kate, and Claudiu {Pollyana}
Props: Flashlights, Jumprope, . . .
Objectives: {Make one or two note cards for examples, definitions, vocabulary . . . below.}
1. Juggling , throwing, skip rope
use your imagination, can learn from us about our interests in math!!
(list of things to accomplish)
Grant - My topo model was the western side of S-F Scout Ranch in Fredrick town Mo. It was made by cutting a layer of cardboard for each 5 meter interval, then placing them on top of each other.
Arian - The third may that I made was the map of the Republic of Alabama. I felt doing that because it reunited me one more time past days of my life, where I grew up.
Claudia - My model is a square area of my region where I live of approximately one square mile.
Forrest - The 3D topographic map is a stack of heights above sea level. Each colored level has the same height like the c in the first and second questions. The closer together the levels are the higher the slope or gradiant is.
Kate - I made a map of the area around my house - it is a hill, and I used 5 level curves with my house on the third (c=3).
ME - Made a model of a topo may that represented an area that contained a rectangular building on the highest area so that natural drain of sewage and rainwater was aided by the slope.
Pollyana - Topographic model of region around two Kirkwood Elementary Schools: Tillman and Keysor.
Subject: Parabola skit idea for Kirkwood Students
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BAND GROUP
People: Anthony, Josh, Jimmy, and Simon
Props: Rhythm Instruments such as Wrist Bells, triangles, blocks, tambourines, rattles, stamping sticks, ... idiophones
Objectives: {Make one or two note cards for 1 below.}
1. Again teach the children new vocabulary
a. shapes of instruments such as cone, cylinder, . . . and its association with music
2. have Kirkwood Elementary Students play in time to rhythm including tapping feet and clapping hands
3. talk about how the shape helps with the type of sound and distribution of sound waves
4. Use your imagination, they can learn from us about our interests in math!!
Josh - I presented a topographic representation of Monks Mound.
Simon - My 3D topo was of an area of national forest I mountain bike near while I lived in Rolla. I took it from a USGS map and enlarged it about 300 %. My scale was still twice as tall as it should have been. I used a technique of making 3 copies and a cutting every 3rd contour out of each copy it gave me a 2 contour line over lap allowing me to build the entire model out of only 3 times the base area by leaving the under side hollow.
Tony - I made a topo of f(xy) = xy using thin cardboard for the shape in the level curves and a thicker cardboard as spacers for elevation in the Z directions. Then with newspaper and drywall mud I attempted to make the curve smooth, but the moisture from the mud caused the cardboard to sag and warp somewhat. After it dried I painted the surfaces a redish color and the areas where the surface was cut, grey.
Jimmy - A study of the flow of air through a Pseudosphere.
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From the mid to near the end of the group activities, Kate will take eight Kirkwood Elementary Students that excel in one or more of the show events out of the room. Two Kirkwood Students for Heather, Jody and Karilyn, two for Anthony, Josh and Jimmy, two for Robyn, Kathy and Tshiswaka and two students for Mary Ellen, Grant and Forrest all join Kate at given locations in the hall away from the question-answer group. Kirkwood Elementary Students with the help of Meramec students put together a short - short skit to improvise the last act. Pass around the model topographic map of Kirkwood Elementary School area for a focal point to the dramatic or musical work each team will portray before this Kirkwood - Meramec Student audience.
QUESTION SESSION (Meramec Students: Simon, Jeff, John, Bob, Arian, Claudiu, Teresa, James, Minh, and Owan need to have ___ questions each - move forward with your example in your hands and ask the question when Jody/Pollyana calls on you!)
Jody/Pollyana-"Okay, how was that...fun?"
lean over with hand up to ear to hear them and say a little louder.
Jody/Pollyana-"Did you have fun!!! all right. We know you learned something in the process.
We are going to play a game to find out. When you are asked a question, see if you have an answer."
Look astonished like "what - a test today?!?!"
Jody/Pollyana-"Well all right, let the game begin."
Each Meramec student not working in the hall with Kate
will take a turn to ask Kirkwood Elementary Students a question - QUESTION # XX . . . Please have your question written on a 3 by 5 card - with answer too!
Kathy spends half the time in the skit preparation area and half in Q&A session for some video tapping of each or let Kate do the skit prep and Kathy Q&A.
The students Kate picked are in the hallway with their partners getting a short skit together.
Kirkwoodelementary school area topographic map should play some role in the act.
Jody/Pollyana: Well, our Third Act is about ready. We hope you are enjoying yourselves, we sure are.
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THIRD ACT
Kate leads Kirkwood Elementary Students and partners back into the room while Meramec students take the front row floor seats forming a semicircle stage area with one of the 25 foot ropes. (Not every skit group needs to return but Kate needs to que them in ahead of time needed.)
Kate gives list of each skit student and name of skit to Jody/Pollyana for their introduction. We need 3x5 cards for this.
Jody/Pollyana-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Jody/Pollyana interviews Kirkwood student for name and skit description) ... Two Kirkwood Students XXXXXX and XXXXXXX with Heather, Jody and Karilyn with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Jody/Pollyana hands the Kirkwood elementary schools area topographic map to:
XXXXXXX and XXXXX do their thing!
Jody/Pollyana - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and XXXXXXX!"
Meramec students stand and show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round).
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Jody/Pollyana-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Jody/Pollyana interviews Kirkwood student for name and skit description) ... XXXXXX and XXXXXXXX and
their sponsors Anthony, Josh and Jimmy with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Jody/Pollyana hands the Kirkwood elementary school area model topographic map to:
XXXXXX and XXXXX do their thing!
Jody/Pollyana - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and XXXXXXX!"
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Jody/Pollyana-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Jody/Pollyana interviews Kirkwood student for name and skit description) ... XXXXXX and XXXXXXX with Robyn, Kathy and Tshiswakaand with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
Jody/Pollyana hands the Kirkwood elementary school area model topographic map to:
Anthony, Josh and XXXXX do their thing!
Jody/Pollyana - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and XXXXX!"
Meramec students stand and show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round.)
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Jody/Pollyana-"Okay, ladies and gentlemen now we have ...(Jody/Pollyana interviews Kirkwood student for name and skit description) ... XXXX and XXXXXX with Mary Ellen, XXXXXXXX and Forrest with their ..."xxxxx"... SHOW.
XXXXX and XXXXX do their thing!
Jody/Pollyana - "Great performance lets have a round (do a round hand motion round) of applause for XXXXX and XXXXXXX!"
Meramec students stand and show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round.)
Jody/Pollyana - "Great show for today. Thanks for letting us treat you to a look at our math interests!"
This time Meramec students stand then turn around and face the Kirkwood Elementary Students to show approval expressed especially by the clapping of hands (do a round hand motion round) as Jody/Pollyana walks down the line giving each Meramec student time to say their name!
Jody/Pollyana - "...Names..." then Jody/Pollyana gets it too!
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