Winter/Spring 2012 Calendar

January through May

World Class Learning Days at the International Appalachian Academy :
Every Wednesday, 6:00 to 7:30PM beginning January 25th (every Wednesday without writing emphasis) : Japanese Language and Culture (reading, writing, and conversation for children and adults) at the International Appalachian Academy (390 Tom Bell Odom Rd, Dahlonega, GA 30533 For registration, contact Joseph R Adams 706-265-5502 or learn@internationalappalachianacademy.com
Every Thursday, 6:00 to 7:30PM beginning January 26th (every Thursday with writing emphasis): Exploring World History and Literature (introductory studies for kids to thinking and writing historically as well as tutoring for essay writing skills for Advanced Placement tests at the International Appalachian Academy (390 Tom Bell Odom Rd, Dahlonega, GA 30533 For registration, contact Joseph R Adams, 706-265-5502, or learn@internationalappalachianacademy.com
Second Saturdays 1-4PM (next one on February 11th) the Garden Bugs and River Critter Club Spend the morning in the garden (9:30-11:30) and the afternoon at the river (1:30-4:30) conducting a Georgia Adopt-a-Stream invertebrate sampling on sites on the Etowah River (Revival Gardens and Jay Bridge) and Mud Creek (an Etowah tributary that flows out of the Hightower and Montaluce communities.)

Outside Studies and Garden Dinners (on the second and third Saturdays every month)
February 11th 10AM-1PM: Tater Planting! Potato planting at Revival Gardens
February 18th, 6-8PM Early Signs of Spring Garden Supper (Japanese Setsubun ritual: "out with the evil, in with the good") Revival Gardens
March 3st 11AM-1PM: River Invertebrate Sampling and Gumbo (Revival Gardens Etowah River site)
March 10 th 1-4PM: "Girls Day" Garden Dinner (including a display and explanation of the Japanese girls festival imperial dolls of which Sayuri has two sets)
April 14th 6-8:30PM: 4th Annual "Greens Gorge" Supper Revival Gardens
April 21th 1-4PM: Garden Bugs and River Critters Club World Class Learning Alliance site at Mud Creek
April 28th 8AM-1PM: Etowah Fishing Day Revival Gardens
May 5 8AM-1PM: Etowah Fishing Day (a display and explanation of the carp wind streamers that were once used to celebrate boys, but now represent the whole family in Japan) International Appalachian Academy and Revival Gardens
May 12th 9-11; 1-4PM: Garden Bugs and River Critters Club River Invertebrate Sampling and Gumbo Revival Gardens Etowah River Site
May 19th 6-8:30PM: Garden Dinner Seasonal Harvest Dishes by Revival Gardens

Japanese Language and Culture: 8 (or 16, for writing option) ninety minute meetings every Wednesday 6-7:30PM, with the purpose of becoming relatively fluent in the Japanese language for travel and home stay enjoyment in rural and urban settings. Conversational topics range from work, history, the environment, education, and economics, depending on students' interests (for example: fishing, farming, hiking, cooking, movies, gardening, tea aesthetics, etc.) Sayuri Aoyagi-Adams, the instructor is a 12 year veteran Japanese primary school teacher who has even taught the family dog to understand Japanese! Our studies will culminate in a 10 day trip to Japan, June 12-22, for those who can make it. back to calendar

Exploring World History and Literature: 8 (or 16 for writing option) ninety minute meetings every Thursday 6-7:30PM to survey the current field of world historical research and related literature as it relates to questions and issues of our time: food, the environment, religion, human rights and war. We will be doing history ourselves rather than memorizing what someone else tells us it is. Take the topical question of women's rights or status in history: Have women always been subject to the whims of men; only recently gaining status and the right to participate in politics? We will review sources that will allow us to draw our own conclusions. "Truths" will change according to the time frames, regions, and documents we analyze. Such a variety of analytic contexts will be useful when we consider the wars of the twentieth century and the current war on terror. The analytic skills we develop amount to doing world history is being able to draw from a wide range of historical and cultural "lenses" and literature (evidence) to begin to piece together more contexts, (local, regional and global) to complex questions. The professor, Joseph R. Adams, has taught English and History at every grade level in Japan (5 years), Hawaii (3 years) and Georgia (4 years); he has a Master of Arts from the University of Hawaii, he has taught Chinese history and World History at North Georgia College and State University (1999/2000; 2005/2006). For the last four years, he has read and scored student essays for the College Board AP World History course, so this course should aid a student in preparing for the exam or anyone interested in improving his or her essay writing skills. Students are also welcome to travel to Japan with Joe's family, June 12-22. back to calendar