Class Updates, February-May 2025

American Popular Music (fka History of Rock and Roll) (Melanie)
We continued exploring popular music in films of the 40s and 50s, as well as discussing the changing ways we consume music and how that affects our experience of it. Next, we spent several weeks watching and discussing the Led Zeppelin concert film The Song Remains the Same. After that, we brought in a variety of audio players from a Victrola to streaming devices and tried to play media from every decade since 1910—78s, 33s, 45s, cassette tapes, CDs, mp3s, and Spotify. Then we looked at popular music from visual point of view, watching “soundies” from the 1940s and contrasting them with promotional films made by rock bands in the 1960s, followed by a deeper dive into Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade”.

Big Topics Book Club (Ellen)
Well, we didn’t read books plural, but we sure as heck did a deep dive through The 1619 Project. By the last class on May 16th, we will have finished the book! At the time of writing this report we had two classes and two chapters remaining. Our group has been tiny but mighty all year; we’ve plunged into honest and challenging conversations about the history of our country and the intergenerational struggles for collective liberation. It has been an honor to join the students in digesting this heavy, vital, and motivating work.

The Body (Josh)
We've continued to study anatomy with a focus on inner organs, the heart and digestive organs, and the nervous system.

Bread (Loran)
We continued our pattern of alternating weeks between quick breads and yeast breads, with some nods to seasonal events. Our breads in this period included Steamed Buns with Red Bean Paste, Double Chocolate Banana Bread, Cheesy Corn Bread, Challah, Irish Soda Bread, Classic Donuts, Buttermilk Drop Biscuits with Cheddar and Garlic, and Dampfnudeln (German Steamed Dumplings).

Butterfly Knives (Quinn)
Butterfly knives has had very little people, but the person who goes regularly has been getting better pretty fast.

Exploring Voice in Writing (Airlie)
Students chose to continue our exploration of voice in writing through the spring semester, shifting the focus from the reader’s inner experience to stylistic features of the text when crafting voice in creative writing. We used passages written by African American authors and scholars to explore the concept of home language, vernacular, standard vs. stigmatized language, code-switching, and to challenge the notion that a human being can only have one authentic written voice. Students learned how to do close reading, paying careful attention to specific stylistic features of a text. We used Google Classroom to create dialogue between characters and were able to compare our efforts with ChatGPT’s response to the same prompts. Our comparison of human-authored texts with AI-generated texts helped students in the class develop a sophisticated understanding of the strengths and limitations of LLMs—one that I hope will enable them to use these tools wisely in the future.

Financial Literacy (Melanie)
After learning about compound interest, we talked about stocks and funds and some of us made simulated portfolios. It has been a very interesting time to follow the stock market. Next, we looked at different types of loans: car, student, and mortgage. We also had a guest speaker from the financial aid office at Greenfield Community College. After that we filled out mock tax returns and learned about 1099s, W-2’s, etc. We spent one day simulating a Ponzi scheme and discussing fraud. Then we learned how to write a check and keep a register. We ended the year by learning about the US healthcare system, focusing on health insurance.

Free Your Mind (Saleem)
Over the course of this year, we've explored a variety of meditation techniques including mindfulness, affirmations and guided imagery. Every session contained a guided script, curated soundtrack, and time for reflection. In recent weeks we've explored themes ranging from present awareness to impermanence. Participants gained valuable insights on techniques to promote stress reduction along with compassion for themselves and others.

Geometry (Josh)
This spring we focused on applications of Pythagorean Theorem, basics of Trigonometry and sine waves, as well as an introduction to derivative calculus. In the last weeks we have been summing up the year with a focus on how simple prime numbers relate to overarching geometric concepts.

Hands-on Science (Melanie)
We continued with the theme of color by looking at light sources with a spectroscope so we could understand how the elements in a star can be identified by the specific wavelengths of color they emit. We also performed flame tests on various compounds we had on hand. We learned about the electromagnetic spectrum and looked at things under UV light. Next, we extracted chlorophyl from leaves and discussed why leaves are green and how they absorb energy from the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. We then chemically removed the magnesium ion at the center of the chlorophyl molecule and replaced it with copper, noting the change in color in the chlorophyl solution. Next, we used plant pigment (red cabbage leaves) as an acid-base indicator and discussed the pH scale and acid-base reactions (which are also how we are fueling our rockets). We concluded our investigation of the electromagnetic spectrum by calculating the speed of light using a microwave oven, marshmallows, and chocolate and by performing the double-slit experiment using a laser pointer. We finally returned to launching our baking soda rockets at the end of the year.

Lunch Class (Ellen)
We made so much food y’all! We made Pasta in Rich Sauce, Cream of Broccoli Soup, Ramen Noodle Soup, Grilled Burritos, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup, Alfredo Pasta, Veggie Stir Fry on Rice, Sweet Crepes, and by the end of this semester (this report was written with two classes to go) we’ll have also made Sesame Noodles and a final dish of our choice. Whew! Everyone grew so much with their knife skills, their teamwork, and their culinary bravery. It’s been a wonderful year of Lunch!

Miniature Painting (Aaron)
Our group continued to meet regularly and chat with one another as we worked on our various painting projects. The whole class united to help Zaley paint an absolutely massive figure of Tiamat, the five-headed god of evil dragons!

Montague Sing (Josh)
Our small group has continued to attend the sing at the Montague Commons every Friday. We have learned and taught many songs, and ingratiated ourselves into the community of singers. It's been quite a unique class experience for all of us, I believe.

Open Maker Room (Melanie)
This class is an opportunity for members to use all the resources in the maker room for their own projects and enjoyment. Some of the things that teens have done include: woodworking, making armor and weapons out of foam core and cardboard, cosplay, fabric painting, crochet, beading, working with wax, electronics, and chemistry. 

Mysteries of Mind and Spirit (Ann)
Mysteries of the Mind and Spirit has had a small but very dedicated core group of students. This year’s group has been very enthusiastic, articulate, and engaged. We have explored many different ways of learning more about our selves and our relationship to the world.

Psychology (Ken)
This spring the focus has been on mental health diseases and disorders, including Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Personality Disorders, and more.

Rhythm (Josh)
This class has continued to focus on improvising rhythms and playing music the full half hour with little discussion or instruction.

RPG Adventures (Aaron)
Our final batch of RPG adventures kicked off with Dread, a horror RPG that uses a Jenga tower to simulate mounting tension. Our players quickly learned the danger of a toppled tower as they encountered a fearsome werewolf! After that, Zia took over the GM's chair for a few weeks to run Delta Green, a game of cosmic horror and government conspiracy. In this adventure, players took on the roles of service members at a remote airforce base menaced by a UFO. Finally, by popular demand, we ended the year with a return to the game Honey Heist, where teens played as a group of bears trying to break into the White House at the behest of Abraham Lincoln's ghost. Shenanigans ensued.

Scene on Radio (Ellen)
We didn’t make it to the end of Season 3 (MEN) but we did make it halfway through that season, and all the way through Season 2 (Seeing White). This class has been wonderful, as we all listen to episodes together and then have tough, honest conversations about the challenging content. These two seasons have been about the evolution and impacts of “whiteness” and of patriarchy and misogyny. Both seasons dealt with harsh truths, offered evidence and various perspectives, and included stories of the powerful work of those moving towards collective liberation. The class did a great job diving into this material together!

Service Trip to Washington, DC (Loran)
After a few final weeks of preparation and honing details, our group left for our weeklong service trip to Washington, DC on March 16. We had a wonderful week of activities, including volunteer service at Martha’s Table and Food and Friends, visiting numerous museums, a visit to our Senators and Congressman on Capitol Hill to share some issues of concern to our group, shared meals and conversations, and generally a great time. Our group was enthusiastic, positive, curious, and resilient, which made the trip fun for everyone!

Shut Up & Write (Aaron) We have settled into a very tight-knit group who talks little but knows each other's writing habits very well. It's a great, productive way to start the North Star week.

Social Issues (Ken)
It’s been a tough spring following the news.  How do we sort out what we need to know from what is deliberately distracting?  Much of it feels depressing, so we do our best to find some humor and original stories while we ponder what each of us might do.  Topics included immigration, democracy, separation of powers, tariffs, LGBTQ issues, and others.

The Star Wars Empire (Aaron)
In the final few months of our class, we moved on to looking at the various Star Wars sequel and spin-off films of the 2010s. We discussed the similar themes these projects all share, their turbulent productions, and the different ways they utilize nostalgia for the original Star Wars trilogy. We also spent a lot of time talking about the business of Hollywood, Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, and the financial performance of the new Star Wars franchise. Our numbers dwindled during this time, but we were left with a small, dedicated group with lots to say.

Take a Picture (Saleem)
This season in photography class, we've mostly focused on stop-motion film making. For inspiration we viewed works by a variety of influential eastern european stop motion film makers, and used modeling clay to make our own sculpted characters and landscapes. Most scenes involved alien characters interacting with unique landscapes until they met their untimely demise...

The 20th Century (Josh)
These past few months we've covered the post-World War II period right up to 2000. Mostly we've continued to use Peter Jennings' American Century as our guide through the time period with commentary, discussion and related media. Topics have included America's leadership role in the world, Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War as well as numerous associated hot wars, and changing culture, politics, economics and technology.

Volunteering at Amherst Survival Center (Loran)
Our group continued our weekly routine of helping with the distribution of fresh foods at Amherst Survival Center. We unloaded the van, sorted fruits, vegetables, breads & desserts and pantry items and shelved them for later distribution to the public. Later, we frequently repackaged eggs and/or sanitary products for the