Fruitful Failures: *Frankenstein* Drafts and Capstone Questions

View along the LBSP "Bog Walk" Trail on 10/18/14. Those are Tamarack needles on the water.

A couple Saturdays ago, I drove up to the Bemidji area where I like to take photos of Lady Slippers and other orchids. I knew there wouldn't be any orchids blooming at this time of year (it's a bit too late now even for Autumn Coralroot, I think), but I thought I might get a head start on my goal for this spring.

I've only been hunting for Minnesota orchids since about 2010 when I first spotted a patch of Yellow Lady Slippers on the Munger Trail. And it's only been a couple years since I started driving up along the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway and exploring the [X] Bog Scientific and Natural Area (SNA). But even then, I started setting goals for each year's orchid (and wildflower) season. 

My goal for last year's season, for instance, was to take photos of the Stemless Lady Slipper, and I was able to fulfill that goal during a visit to Lake Bemidji State Park. There's a lovely little "Bog Walk" Trail there which is beautiful in all seasons. Lots of Stemless Slippers grow there. 

Stemless Lady Slipper, Lake Bemidji 
State Park, spring 2014

My goal for spring 2015 is to find a large colony of Ram's-Head Lady Slippers that grows in this region. (I'm told there are about 2,000 plants in one area.) I've had a couple folks tell me about the general area of this colony, and my research tells me that I'll find the Ram's-Heads in Barott Bog, a place I have yet to see on any map. I think Barott Bog is between Pimushe Lake and Little Moose Lake, somewhere in the vicinity of Forest Road 3862, but that's all the information I have...

Ram's-Head Lady Slipper
photo credit: aposematic herpetologist
via photopin cc 

I drove up to this area a couple weeks ago to try to get better acquainted with it, and I thought that maybe, if I walked around in the woods along FR 3862, I might be able to glimpse some Ram's-Head seed-pods which form after the blooming season is over. I thought it would be easier to navigate this area after some of the vegetation had died back...

It was a nice idea, and I had a lovely day, walking around in the woods--which were golden with the Tamaracks at the peak of their fall color--but I didn't spot any Ram's-Head seed-pods. They would only have been about four inches off the ground, and rather tiny. The woods were still so thick with life and color that I didn't really have any chance of finding the colony. But I did get a better sense of the place, and I really enjoyed the attempt, even though it failed. On the drive up and back, I saw NINE Bald Eagles (I almost got a photo of one), four Swans (two pairs, in flight), and lots of lovely Pitcher Plants. 

Catching my reflection in the Pitcher Plant's reservoir

Tamarack Needles in their golden glory

Will I find the Ram's-Head colony this spring? I don't know. Maybe. I hope so. Maybe it will take several years. I'm okay with that. Sometimes--usually, really--that's how it goes when you're working on a project, when you're doing some research, when you're trying to solve a problem. You have a goal; you think you have some ideas for reaching that goal; you try some things. Some strategies work; others don't. But you don't give up, and you don't get upset. You appreciate what you learn from your failures, and you try another strategy. --And you enjoy every step of the process. [Update:  I found a colony of Ram's Heads in the spring of 2015, thanks to a tip from a friend. You can read about it here.]

* * * * *

Right now, my AP Lit students are struggling with their Frankenstein drafts. It's been taking them longer than they expected to get their ideas figured out, and I've asked them to do some difficult thinking about some really challenging topics, but that's the way it always is, and that's the way it's supposed to be. Some of them have had to scrap their original thoughts and start over, and try another approach. I've had good conversations with Ethan F, Megan C, Jeremy S, and others who have come in for help.

The [X] Bog, with cedar fronds partially covering the still-green moss

Some seniors are experiencing a similar process as they complete their college essays. I was talking to David K yesterday during lunch, and he was telling me how he had abandoned his original drafts and started fresh. That's what you have to do. If you only ever stick to your first thought, you're selling yourself short. You'll never discover what you're truly capable of if all you ever do is cling to rough drafts, first thoughts, spur-of-the-moment ideas. It's only when you keep thinking, trying, and working, that you find out what you can really do.

I remember back when I was working on the first chapter of my dissertation: I thought I had finished it, and I was very pleased with it, but then I discovered that another scholar had already published my idea! I was devastated. Six months of work down the drain. My dissertation director John Dings, one of the best teachers and mentors I've ever had, helped me to see this as a great opportunity to strengthen my idea. He urged me to see this other scholar, not as a rival, but rather as a helpful source, as a positive influence on my work. John made me realize that if I could find the vulnerabilities in this person's work (and therefore, of course, in my own), I could use this experience as the foundation for a new, and much better, idea. And that's what I did. Was it easy? No! But John was right--my work was stronger and better because I met this challenge. I thought much more deeply and discovered a line of thinking that carried me through the rest of my dissertation. 

This time of year, the [X] Bog is carpeted with a multi-colored mixture of live, dead, and dying vegetation.

In Advisory, seniors are beginning to work on ideas for their Capstone Projects. They're just beginning the same kind of process. Here, however, we're asking them to start with what they love, with what they enjoy, for "a true Capstone Project has its roots in the students' genuine academic and personal interests, pulls together past experiences and future goals, and generates intellectual curiosity and creativity" ("Senior Capstone 2015," emphasis added). Whenever I get some free time, I get out in the woods somewhere and try to find interesting plants, beautiful flowers, and fascinating fungi. It's what I love best, and every time I make a discovery or see something new, I laugh out loud with joy--I can't help it--it makes me happy. It never feels like work, and even my "failures" are fruitful. 

Whether you're working on a paper or trying to come up with a Project idea, try to develop the right "Habits of Mind." Be willing to think creatively and ask lots of great questions. Set some goals, throw out some ideas, take some risks, start over (and over, and over), and try again (and again, and again), laugh at the joy of discovery, and fail fruitfully!

A Conspirator is Revealed! Part Ten of The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker

[This is Part Ten of The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker. See also Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Four-and-a-Half, Four-and-Three-Quarters, Suggestions for My Dear Readers, A Note from Mrs Hudson, Five,  A Plea For Help, Six, Seven, Seven-and-a Half, Seven-and-Three-Quarters, Eight, A Most Ingenious Theory, and Nine.]

After much furious--and, unfortunately, wasted--activity, Ethan F solved the Second Coded Message last night!  

Ethan's email

It turns out that it was much less complex than I originally thought. Also, rather unfortunately, several of my devoted former students stayed up late, neglecting their own studies, to help me--needlessly, as it turns out. I wish to thank them most profusely: Calvin K, Ian P, and Sean S, if I could send you Chocolate Pie, I would! They put in some serious computational labor!

I thought we were getting somewhere with "Did u bake pz?"

                             

Their Futile Labors

The Riddle was almost complete nonsense--at best, one ought to have derived from it the number eight. And one can quickly convert the number groups into text, if one knows that an octal numeral system conversion tool is needed.  

A Conspirator is revealed!

I am happy to say that all my faculty suspects are in the clear for this incident. My deepest apologies to Mr Diener and Mrs Birnbaum. 

The Culprit, at least in this instance, is young Thomaz N, from my AP Lit course, whom I have mentioned before and to whom I fondly refer as "Horselegs," because of his mis-reading of a passage in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  

The Previous Mention of Thomaz "Horselegs" N

He wrote the riddle, though perhaps not all on his own, as I am informed by Ethan F that Jeremy S may have helped with the writing and certainly with the delivery of this message. Mr Mattson's sighting of the lovely Mrs B in the vicinity of my classroom was, as it happens, a mere coincidence. You might also remember, my Dear Readers, that I suspected Thomaz of being an Anonymous Commenter on Part Eight of The Case.  

"Horselegs" begins to give himself away...

Clearly, young Thomaz is a suspicious character who craves my attention, and I must keep my eyes on him and his comrades...  Of course, none of this nonsense brings me any closer to solving the original puzzle: the identity of The Lady Slipper Stalker (the person who left the Photo in Question on my car).

Another Plea For Help! Part Nine of The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker

[This is part of The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker. See also Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Four-and-a-Half, Four-and-Three-Quarters, Suggestions for My Dear Readers, A Note from Mrs Hudson, Five,  A Plea For Help, Six, Seven, Seven-and-a Half, Seven-and-Three-Quarters, Eight, and A Most Ingenious Theory.]

I brought the remainging slices to an English Department
meeting, & one English teacher ate THREE slices! Can
anyone guess the name of that gluttonous Anglophile?
(It certainly wasn't me!)

What a week I've had, Dear Readers! I've been busy making and delivering slices of Chocolate Pie to various Suspects and Commenters, which made for a busy start to the week. I was hoping that the pie-recipients might let slip some clues while in the throes of a chocolate-induced ecstasy, but no such luck, Dear Readers. Clearly, I am dealing with cunning and careful conspirators.  

The Donation

Then, I had to make sure that the Twenty-Five Year Club received my donation, and when I returned to my room late Tuesday afternoon, I noticed a piece of paper on the bulletin board by my door. It was yet another Coded Message, but one of a Higher Order than the last one, consisting of both a riddle and some kind of number puzzle. 

A Second Coded Message

When I showed it to Mr Mattson, he suddenly remembered that he had spotted the lovely Mrs Birnbaum on campus after school on Monday, the 6th. He said she was walking in a most determined but yet surreptitious manner towards my classroom. He is quite certain that she must be the one who delivered (and perhaps also composed) this second Coded Message. (Perhaps we should promote her to Suspect #1 status?)

The numbers, my Dear Readers, are beyond me. I notice only that both 145 and 163 repeat, that there are ten groups of three digits, that no single digit higher than 7 is represented, and that there are 

• three zeroes, 
• nine ones, 
• one two, 
• two threes, 
• five fours, 
• five fives, 
• three sixes, 
• and two sevens. 

I somehow feel that this is not a simple substitution cipher, like the previous Coded Message. I did have a chance to show this puzzle to some of my students, and Lillian M said right away that she thought it must be some kind of matrix problem. I was advised to show it to Ethan F, who promised to work on it as he travels out of town next week. I also asked Tiffany W to take a look, and her eyes lit up with exitement at the prospect of this challenge! 

I sent an email to three of my suspects, asking them if they knew anything about this Message. I present their responses below: 

Such Charming Denials!

In their defense, I do think the Message had probably been left the night before, as I said above, by Mrs B. 

During Wednesday's morning assembly, Mr Pearson asked to look at the Message. He seemed to confirm what my students had said, that this involves some kind of matrix problem. Pearson said a "two by two" matrix is needed to solve it. (I have no idea what that means!) Of course, he could say anything mathematical, and I would have no way of judging the validity of his words.

As far as I am able to understand, I think the numbers for the matrix must be derived from the Riddle, and at that point, a graphing calculator can be used to turn the number sequence into letters... Perhaps this online matrix calculator will help? 

So, I turn my attention to the words of the Riddle, which has nine lines. The "octo" in October means "eight," as October was, in Roman times, the eighth month of the year. I assume the Riddler makes reference to Chariots of Fire, the 1981 film about the 1924 Olympics which took place in Paris. The film is about a Scottish runner, Eric Liddell, who refuses--because of his religious principles--to run a race on the Sabbath (a word that is associated with the number seven). Mr Mattson told me that the DVD case for the movie features a picture of a runner wearing a jersey with the number 451 on it. I am a bit baffled by the reference to a German student, but perhaps one will read this and help me out! (I begin to sense an international flair to this Riddle, and the French and Scottish references make me think, of course, of Madame Greenan!) 

I find the last line of the Riddle most intriguing. The imperative verb "Ponder" makes me think of two former students, though I really don't think they have anything to do with this. Although I know nothing of football, I do know that there is a football player named Christian Ponder, who wears a seven on his jersey... I'm not sure which "name" I should "ponder," but I wonder if it's a place-name, because I am then prompted to look "South West," but south west of what? Am I to "ponder" the name by which the writer signs his/her work, "October Riddler"? I'm not sure that gets me anywhere, but it makes me think of the Batman villain, the Riddler! The earlier reference to a "Roman origin" made me look at a map of Europe to see what is southwest of Rome, but that didn't seem to help, either.

Later today, Mr Diener sent an email to the faculty, urging us all to look up at the sky tonight, in a southwest direction. Notice the numbers 730 and 732 in his message...

Just another Cryptic Response from Suspect #1

Is Mr Diener's "yup" an indication that he knows what was in the Message? Or was he unaware of this Message, as he claimed to be, after eating my "truth serum" pie? The link in Mr Diener's email takes one to a NASA site where one can check on the current location of the ISS (International Space Station). Are these the names I am to ponder? NASA, ISS? The site includes some other numbers, which I reproduce here.

Are these numbers helpful?

Are Mrs Birnbaum and Mr Diener working together? Was Mr Pearson being helpful or was he bamboozling me? Is the Language Department being drawn into this conspiracy? 

I am left with these very perplexing questions, but when I got home today, I found in the mail a most sweet and colorful thank-you note from the family of the Ely Scholar (my DNR-intern friend), a family whose youngest member is a boy named Noah who just happens to be the grandson of the lovely Mrs Birnbaum! This beautiful art-work serves as a most pleasant distraction from puzzles and riddles. Noah's message, at least, is clear!

I am informed that this note depicts, in part, a Lady Slipper

I don't think I've ever received a sweeter note! 

Well, my Dear Readers, consider this post another Plea for Help. I am interested to know what you think. The Riddle advises me to seek the help, yet again, of the League of Mathematical Scholars, so perhaps they will come to my aid. In the meantime, I will continue to examine the artistic intricacies of young Noah's note...

Guest Post: A Most Ingenious Theory

[This is a guest post written by Jonathan T at the urging of Dr Nygaard, and it is part of the The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker. Jonathan is now officially an F-Wing Irregular.]

Why I believe the Lady Slipper Stalker is Mr. Diener

Upon request by Dr. Nygaard, I am to share with you my theory regarding the identity of the infamous Lady Slipper Stalker. As stated above, I believe the identity of the LSS to be none other than Mr. Diener. I developed this theory shortly after the post regarding the second Ziploc bagged surprise (the one containing the coloring book and coded message). 

To uncover the identity of the LSS, one must look deeper than the obvious “hints” provided by the supplied items. The first thing I thought about was where one would procure a wildflower coloring book. Beyond the obvious “the internet” answer so many of my fellow Marshall students seem to like, I believe a national park, like perhaps Jay Cooke State Park, would be a very plausible location for the procurement of such a coloring book. This points the finger at Mr. Diener because, as many of you know, he works at the park.*

At this point, I went a little deeper into the evidence provided by the items. As Dr. N pointed out, the LSS had used four plastic bags to house their mysterious gifts twice in a row. Someone willing to take the time to do this twice would undoubtedly enjoy order and would likely display similar traits in other endeavors. However, other items in the parcel pointed in the opposite direction. For example, the coded message, another thing seemingly right up Mr. Diener’s alley, was rather disorderly. The lines were of rather variable length, the spaces between words were wildly variable, and the unusual orientation of the message on the paper all pointed to a haphazard, rushed job. This note was therefore likely created by an individual who may be disorganized or rush through things. 

These contradictory clues, in my mind, could only point to one person. In Marshall’s community of teachers I feel only one person displays a strong affinity for order, as well as disorganization. Those who have taken a class taught by Mr. Diener will surely remember the infamous power-point presentations, every time polished and perfected to the letter. Countless hours were surely spent making sure they were clearly ordered and typo-free. Students will also remember his well planned out curriculum and syllabi. 

On the other hand, students will surely also remember the “back room,” a place containing disorganized heaps of scientific equipment, props, and seemingly random items all threatening to tumble to the floor at any second. Students may also remember activities like the rock/mineral test and the chaos of students running around the classroom trying desperately to remember their halite from their graphite. 

I believe the LSS can be none other than Mr. Diener because he displays the simultaneous levels of meticulous order and haphazard disorder that can be found in the items left around campus by the LSS.

Jonathan T

*Mr Diener now works at Gooseberry Falls State Park (Dr N).

Are There Any Quotation Marks in This Cookie?

"Hey," said Mr Mattson, as I passed him in the Upper School Commons, "I've got some students who need some practice with integrating quotations, smoothly and grammatically, into their sentences. Do you have that exercise you always use?"

"What exercise is that?" Mr Johnson asked, as he came out of his classroom and walked with us towards the Library.

"Oh, Nygaard has this overly-complicated but funny and creative quotation-integration exercise that I sometimes use in my classes," Mr Mattson said, peering down at his shorter colleagues as the three of us entered the Library.

"I'd like a copy of that, too," Mr Johnson said.

"Okay," I said, "I'll share it with the entire Department."

"What's up?" Ms Stiles asked enthusiastically from the table where she was working in the Library. "What are you sharing?"

I answered her. "We're talking about helping students learn how to avoid dropping quotations." 

Ms Stiles scowled. "Oh! When I see a dropped quotation, it sets my teeth on edge." She got up from where she was sitting to join us.

"I know," I said, "That's why I take two points off every time I see one." 

"I thought Mr Lockhart said there were cookies in here." Mr Mattson looked all around. "Oh! Here they are, in the back room."

"Are there any peanut butter cookies?" Mr Johnson asked? "Hey," he said, "You should turn that exercise into a short-story contest." "Look," said Mr Mattson, "There are quotation marks--I mean--chocolate chips in that peanut butter cookie!"

"What great ideas," I murmured to myself, thinking about both short-story contests and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, as Mr Mattson and Mr Johnson both reached for the last cookie. I left them to fight over it, and wondered if some faculty and staff members might also be interested in entering the contest...

Photos from Unsplash.com are licensed under the CC0
designation; they are in the public domain & don't require
any permission! I would prefer that you always indicate the
source with a link to that site, as I did here.

"What we need now is some coffee," I heard Mr Johnson say, as he and Mr Mattson brushed the crumbs off their clothes. 

"Describe this exercise." Ms Stiles said, as she and I exited the Library. 

"It's kind of a weird multiple choice logic test, combined with fill-in-the-blank options," I said, talking with my hands. "You have to see it to understand it, and the directions are a bit complicated. I've noticed that my students aren't in the habit of reading directions completely or carefully, so this could be really challenging for them."

"Good! That's great." Ms Stiles said, as we walked off down the hall.

***

In the text above, there are eight dropped quotations. Can you find and fix them? Do so in a comment. There might be extra credit in it for you, 1 point per fix.

And now, here's the exercise, below. Work with your partner and complete it by [due date TBA].  

 I would be happy to see what any faculty/staff members come up with, if they want to try it...

Deciphered! Part Eight of The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker

[This is Part Eight of The Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker. See also Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Four-and-a-Half, Four-and-Three-Quarters, Suggestions for My Dear Readers, A Note from Mrs Hudson, Five,  A Plea For Help, Six, Seven, Seven-and-a Half, and Seven-and-Three-Quarters.]

Today, Dear Readers, my Plea for Help was finally answered. I received a letter from the League of Mathematical Scholars, and, as I suspected, they were able to decipher the Coded Message for me, even though it required no mathematical skill to do so. The letter came from Weiting S, and it is reproduced below.

The Message Deciphered

Finally, I can read this message from my mysterious Stalker (or from one of any number of Copy-cats)! I am commanded to "stop." --Stop what? Blogging endlessly about the Case of the Lady Slipper Stalker? I would, if I only knew his/her identity.  

I am also told, along the lines of the old adage carpe diem, to slow down and appreciate the beauty around me, which is something I do rather frequently, actually, as this blog in its entirety amply demonstrates...

My newest Slipper Orchid: "Double Deception" (paphiopedilum
venustum album x sukhakulii album), purchased at the Northland
Orchid Society's annual Fall sale last weekend.

"Stop and enjoy the flowers..." --I assume this to mean both the collection of Lady Slipper-related items left on my vehicle and around the building as well as the natural beauty aforementioned. I have indeed been pleased with the multiplicity of Slippers popping up all over, so I am doing what the Stalker (or Copy-cat) tells me to do...

But "from the person you would least expect"? Well, that has me thinking... and there is only one person in this community that I would least expect, and that person is Mrs Gross in the Business Office! (She is a member of the Twenty-Five Year Club, but she is not, as far as I know, as devious as the Stalker has been!) The author of this Message is making some assumptions about whom I would or would not suspect. Or perhaps the author is one of my suspects and simply wishes to place suspicion on someone else... 

Ah, well, I am no closer to solving the mystery, Dear Readers. Perhaps I will learn more when I pass out Chocolate Pie slices next week...