Week+1+Spring+2010

=Week 1 Spring 2010=



Maria's recap
Hello,

It was nice to meet again after the winter break! Here are some notes for this week:

HOMEWORK: 1 - Please upload your pictures from the meeting to this week's page on our wiki here http://physicsmathmodeling.wikispaces.com/Week+1+Spring+2010 Write a couple of sentences about your picture (a caption so people know what it's about), something like "Momentum and me." 2 - Scratch track: make "Newton vs. Apple" game into something Newton would approve! Insert acceleration! The game is here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/riadsila/510531 Make sure to upload your versions to our group's gallery at http://scratch.mit.edu/galleries/view/58724 If you have questions, find Scratch TAs: Trevor and Katherine 3 - Python track: we shall persevere! Head to http://inventwithpython.com and start going through the "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" book there. Finish the first chapter work by the next meeting. If you have any questions, the book author, Albert Sweigart, said he will answer your questions by email: al at inventwithpython dot com Let him know you are in Natural Math modeling group, please. Ben will email a series of "how-to program" videos about gravity we will look at, as well. Contact Python TAs with questions: Hannah and Daniel

More notes:

There will be an annual Scratch Day celebration this Spring. I hosted a party last year, and I will do so again! You are all invited, come May. The site is here: http://day.scratch.mit.edu/ We may invite some local Python folks to come, too, because the communities are friends.

Speaking of parties, there's the Natural Math kick-off and planning party this Friday, January 22nd, at 7pm at 309 Silvercliff Trail, Cary (my house). It's for grown-ups and "kids who like long grown-up conversations." If you'd like to come, RSVP and bring a snack to share.

This weekend, I went to a conference called Science Online 2010. Retrospectively, all of us should have attended - so let's plan it for the next year! There were quite a few cool teens there, and adults weren't square either. Jim should present his work next year, for sure. Here is the link to the presentation where the Python model we tried to run yesterday resides: http://www.scienceonline2010.com/index.php/wiki/Connections_with_mathematics_and_programming_through_modeling/

Trevor was at a hockey game he could not miss, but with us in spirit. We are talking about going to an ice rink to experience many wonderful momentum possibilities the ice provides. Stay tuned.

See you next week!