Nov 10-14

Upcoming Events:

• Overnight to Borrego Palm Canyon State Park 9:00 am Thursday Nov. 20 - 12:00 Fri Nov. 21 cost is $6.00. Click here for emergency contact form and here for packing list and campground info.
• Recycling Drop off Friday mornings curbside or any time in room 509. We can take cans, plastic or glass bottles .

Update on my daughter Brianna:  After 9 days in the hospital, she finally came home!  Let the recovery begin! 

This week during our project, 'Where's the Water? From Drought to Deluge' students worked on their individual  topic presentations.  We also held a mock Socratic Seminar using simple classroom topics in order to practice the valuable discussion technique.  Click here for a model students watched before performing our own.  This coming Wednesday, students will hold a Seminar on "Climate Change."

In Math we completed our unit on Thinking With Mathematical Models with a group test - Students had no idea the fun activity we completed was their test!-

 Writer's Workshop below is a message from Melissa, our WW teacher: 

While we only had an hour of writer’s workshop time this past week, students were able to complete and submit their introductory paragraphs to me. I have reviewed their submissions and have commented on their Google docs entries or their printed sheets. They will receive these on Monday and will be given time to make corrections.  We practiced this past week identifying evidence to support a claim. Each student was given an expressive face and was asked to identify from a list of possible emotions which emotion the face expressed citing evidence. Most students were able to be specific about their evidence. For instance, if a student thought his or her face expressed the emotion happy, they would note that the mouth was curved into a smile, the eyes were bright, and the eyebrows were relaxed. We practiced this in anticipation of finding evidence in the short story, “All Summer in a Day” to support the claim or thesis statement in each student’s intro paragraph. Our goal is to complete the thematic analysis essay in time for exhibition night in December.

Nov 3-7

Upcoming Events:

• Veteran's Day No School Tuesday Nov. 11
• 8th Graders help with pizza lunch on Thursday
• Recycling Drop off Friday mornings curbside or any time in room 509. We can take cans, plastic or glass bottles .
• Overnight to Borrego Palm Canyon State Park 9:00 am Thursday Nov. 20 - 12:00 Fri Nov. 21 cost is $6.00.  More info will be posted this week.

Thank you for the well wishes for my daughter. Her surgery went well though she is a lot of pain.  I have had the pleasure of spending the past 5 nights in the hospital(not really a pleasure!) and am grateful for Cynthia for taking over our class on Wednesday and Friday.    

This week during our project, 'Where's the Water? From Drought to Deluge' chose individual  topics to research and present. The presentations will be on display at next month's exhibition night (Thur. Dec 18) Our field trip to La Jolla Shores couldn't have been a more perfect day, weather-wise at 80 degrees with a water temperature of 69 degrees! Unfortunately, the sharks weren't out in the numbers we hoped as it was low tide. There were sightings of one leopard shark, corbina and a seal swimming in the waves with the kids and tons of sealife in the tidepools north of Scripps Pier, including a large octopus!  More pictures coming!

In Math, students applied their knowledge of linear and nonlinear relationships by completing the ACE #3 assignment.
 On Friday we started a activity relating arm span and height using the Vitruvian Man

Vitruvius, a Roman engineer of the first century B.C., influenced Leonardo da Vinci's work in architecture and also his drawing of the human figure. One of Leonardo's drawings is called the Vitruvian Man. It is based on a model of ideal proportions which Vitruvius established. Upon viewing the drawing, the conclusion can be made that the length of a man's arm span is equal to the height of the man. In other words the ratio of the Vitruvian Man's arm span to his height equals 1.

During this activity, students measured each others' arm span and height to investigate the conjecture by Vitruvius. On Monday we will decide how to best display and analyze the data to test his claim.

We are almost complete with our Unit on Thinking With Mathematical Models and should wrap it up by the end of the week.

Writer's Workshop below is a message from Melissa, our WW teacher:
Thank you parents for giving me the opportunity to work with your wonderful kids. Since I came on board in October to teach writer's workshop, I have found many of them to be very descriptive writers which is a hard skill to learn and use. To give me a sense of where they are in their writing maturity, I had them respond to a Cahsee test writing prompt. I hope to use this to show growth as the year progresses. In the past couple of weeks, the students have been exploring theme identification and summary writing in anticipation of writing a thematic analysis essay. This has included working on the structure of an introductory paragraph: attention getter, summary, and thesis statement or claim. Our finished essay will identify a theme found in Ray Bradbury's story, "All Summer in a Day." In class this past week, we worked did activities using well-known tales and short poems to help us identify themes and learn how to justify our opinion. We had a lively discussion as the point was not to arrive at a correct answer, but rather, to be able to support one's opinion. We found that several different themes could be identified with each story depending on how the student analyzed the story elements. We also practiced identifying the parts of an introductory paragraph and writing different kinds of attention getters. On Monday, we will use these ideas to start our "Summer" essays.

Week of Oct 27-31

Congratulations to our 8th graders!  They made $236 from their Fright Night fundraiser!


Events this week:

• Field Trip Thursday to see leopard sharks at La Jolla Shores.  Need drivers!
• Recycling Drop off Friday mornings curbside or any time in room 509. We can take cans, plastic or glass bottles .
• Overnight to Borrego Palm Canyon State Park 9:00 am Thursday Nov. 20 - 12:00 Fri Nov. 21

A field trip this week?  YES! If we can get enough drivers, we have an unscheduled field trip down to La Jolla Shores. I heard the leopard sharks are still down there.  One of the reasons is because of the warmer than normal water still on our shores. (An effect of El Nino ocean patterns)  Since we are studying the effects of weather on sea life, I thought this would be a great opportunity to see wildlife of San Diego.  If we are lucky, students will be able to snorkel with the sharks in just a few feet of water. 


This week during our project, 'Where's the Water? From Drought to Deluge' we gathered information about the El Nino and La Nina ocean-atmospheric phenomena.  We wrote an evidence summary after reading an article from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  We also did a web quest to learn details about El Nino weather patterns compared to normal patterns. Current Event #2 was due on Friday.  The topic of the  biweekly current event was "Weather.  "  Next week we will choose individual research topics as well as investigate possible water capture systems we can build for our school.  These systems will be on display at next month's exhibition night (Thur. Dec 18)


In Math, students learned about inverse variation, a nonlinear relationship in which the product of two variables is constant. An inverse variation can be represented by an equation of the form y=kx , or xy=k , where k is a constant. In an inverse variation, the values of one variable decrease as the values of the other variable increase.

We used scenarios such as finding area and determining speed to investigate:

• How do the values of y change as values of x increase?
• Describe the pattern in a graph of (x, y) values.
• Describe the equation that relates the values of x and y.
• How is an inverse variation similar to a linear relationship? How is it different?

During Writers' Workshop,   students use Bradbury's story "All Summer in a Day" to write intro paragraphs.

In Wes' Science class, students learned about convection, conduction and radiation.

Our Friday fun day included a spooky morning meeting with our Kinder/First grade buddies.  We spent the morning touring their classroom and seeing their games and activities they created for their Stormy Halloween party.  Buddies then worked together to make up spooky stories.  Friday Sci-day included a demonstration on gas pressure volume and temperature.  We saw what happens to a can filled with a small amount of  boiling water and vapor when it is inverted into a bowl of ice water.  We also watched what happens when a balloon filled with air is place in boiling water and ice water. 

Oct 20-24

Events this week:

• Eighth Grade Picture Day Tuesday, October 28 at 10:50. 
• Middle School  Fright Night Halloween event on Wednesday, October 29 from 5:30-7:30.  Cost will be $3.00 and includes pizza, costumes, games and music!  Tickets on sale after school this week.
• Halloween is this Friday.  Students may dress up. Please no masks, weapons and respect others' cultures race or ethnicity when deciding what to wear.
• Recycling Drop off Friday mornings curbside or any time in room 509. We can take cans, plastic or glass bottles .

We are now using Fresh Grade for student portfolios.  You can see assignments, photos and assessments here.  I will update weekly by Sunday evenings.  Access it in "Links I Like"


In Math, students practiced using slope and y-intercepts in linear equations.  By now, students should be familiar with:

• Identifying slope and y-intercept from a graph.
• Writing a linear equation from a graph.
• Writing the equation for a line in the form y = mx + b given only slope (m) and y-intercept (b)
•  Identifying the slope and y-intercept given a linear equation.
• Using a table to find slope by looking at the change in y values and the change in x values.
• Determining the slope given two points.
• Determining the y- intercept given a point and the slope.
• Determining the y- intercept given two points

During Writers' Workshop,   students read short stories including Ray Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day." They used a template to write summaries of the stories by stating how a character did something in the story in order to accomplish a need and what he/she learned because of that action. They will use Bradbury's story to write intro paragraphs this week, with the goal of a full essay by the end of the month.  See tips on how to write an introductory paragraph here

We kicked our new project, 'Where's the Water? From Drought to Deluge'.
This week included gathering information.  We watched a documentary, "Drought To Deluge", a film that examined life in one of the wettest places on earth as well as one of the driest places on earth.  We were able to learn how people can survive with minimal water, as well as with an abundance of water. We discussed reading technical writing while reading an article about the 1934 Dust Bowl. Click here to view the article. We also used the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to create questions about 8 topics we plan to learn about while participating in this project. For information about the QFT, scroll to the bottom of this post. This coming week we will gather information about El Nino, La Nina and other weather patterns that effect California. 

Our Friday fun day included a morning meeting with our Kinder/First grade buddies.  Buddies interviewed each other about some of the things they like.  Friday Sci-day included a discussion about matter and its different phases, solid, liquid, gas and plasma.  We learned about an anomaly called a non-Newtonian fluid by creating oobleck.  How many substances do you know of that has both solid and liquid characteristics?





Our class has taken over the recycling program at our school.  The proceeds will go toward our 8th grade trip.  Please collect cans, plastic and glass bottles and bring them to school!  We are working with an organization who gives high payback for our recyclables. Our students are collecting recyclables curbside on Fridays as well as going from class to class at the end of every school day.

Have a safe week!




WHAT IS A QFT?



Source: The Right Question Institute




The QFT applies to all levels of schooling and can be employed "to introduce students to a new unit, to assess students’ knowledge to see what they need to understand better, and even to conclude a unit to see how students can, with new knowledge, set a fresh learning agenda for themselves." The QFT basically validates students' natural inquisitive sense when starting new research or beginning to write an essay. It formalizes in a helpful way what can sometimes become rushed or quotidian.

Source: The Right Question Institute, ASIDE

The essential QFT process is student-initiated, with the teachers as facilitators. The six QFT steps, as originated by The Right Question Institute, are as follows:

1. Design a Question Focus (or QFocus) - With a prompt, a dilemma, or a guiding statement, the teacher frames the inquiry to point the children in a beneficial direction.
2. Students produce questions - Using a set of guidelines (listed above), the children generate questions based on their own curiosity and wonder.
3. Students improve their questions - The groups of students then refine and modify their lists based on an understanding of open- and closed-ended questions.
4. Students prioritize their questions - Through discussion and debate, the students choose specific questions they would genuinely like to probe further.
5. Students and teachers decide on next steps - As a group, the kids and adults together decide how to use these core questions to guide the coming days and weeks of classes.
6. Students reflect on what they have learned - By looking back over the process they have just pursued, students explore the value of self-initiated experimentation.

Week of October 13-16

Events Coming up:

• Eighth Grade Picture Day Tuesday, October 28 at 10:50. 
• Our next fundraising opportunity will be our Middle School Halloween event on Wednesday, October 29 from 5:30-7:30.  Cost will be $3.00 and includes pizza, costumes, games and music!  Many 8th graders have volunteered to help with this event. I could use a parent or two to be there too!

I can't believe October is almost over!  We crammed a lot into our very short work week. I enjoyed meeting with all of you for Student Led Conferences. We had almost 100% participation last week and plan to meet with the last 3 families this coming week.  I so appreciate all parents' support in learning at IA.  As mentioned during our SLCs, links for Math XL for School and Fresh Grade can be found in the "Links I Like" section to the right of this blog --->



In Math, students worked on their ACE 2 problems 1,2,7,8 due Monday Oct 20.  We used geo-boards and rubber bands to demonstrate an understanding of slope and y-intercept.  Students were given a quiz to check for understanding on Wednesday.  We will finish Investigation #2 and start Investigation #3 this week.
During Writers' Workshop, students were given graphic organizers for writing essays.  They worked on writing intro paragraphs. 
In Science, students learned how hydrochloric acid (HCl) reacts with rocks from the Grand Canyon. The "acid test" included placing a drop of dilute HCl on a rock and watching for bubbles of carbon dioxide gas to be released. A positive reaction of bubbles signaled the presence of carbonate materials such as calcite.
We displayed our Walk A Mile In My Shoes and Poem artwork for SLCs outside the classroom.  I hope you had a chance to see your student's work as well as other poems and shoes.  I was quite impressed with the beautiful poems created by our 7th and 8th graders. The work will continue to be on display within our classrooms.


This week we begin our new project, 'Where's the Water? From Drought to Deluge'
One essential question we will attempt to conquer is "How can we use what we know about El Nino weather patterns and the history of droughts in California to more effectively capture and utilize water'?
Some topics we will investigate include:

• How does the ocean regulate the planet's weather
• Why do ocean temperatures change during El Nino and La Nina?
• What geographical areas are affected by El Nino and La Nina?
• What is a drought?
• What effects are we feeling because of California's drought?
• How do we measure weather patterns in history?

We hope to take a field trip to a home that has been retrofitted to collect water.  Another field trip is planned on November 20-21 to Borrego Springs where we will hike to Palm Canyon, a natural palm oasis and (weather permitting) spend an evening stargazing and practicing what students have learned about space in Science class with Wes.

 

Week of Oct 6 - Oct 10

We had a fast and busy week!
Reminders:

• Student Led Conferences this week.  
• Minimum days Monday through Thursday. School releases at noon each day.
• No School Friday

I wanted to thank our room parent, Elise for helping us with our Friday BBQ Fundraiser that wasn't meant to be.  Unfortunately, there was a mishap with the food beyond our control.  I know our 8th graders who were ready to help and serve food were disappointed, but I am glad for their enthusiasm and willingness to jump in where needed.  Thanks to Robert for creating flyers for the school and Carson for sending out a phone blast to IA.  We will definitely have more successful events in the future.

Our next fundraising opportunity will be our middle school Halloween event on Wednesday, October 29 from 5:30-7:30.  More info about this event will be announced later this week.

Last week in math, we started our investigations into linear equations in slope-intercept form.  We discussed the definition of functions,  slope and y-intercept.  During science, students explored air pressure inside two syringes and what happens to them.  We enthusiastically finished reading and watching 'Lord of the Flies'! During Writers' Workshop, students discussed themes of Lord of the Flies. They also completed an in class essay assessment using various writing prompts such as cell phone use, eating and listening to music in class.  We started looking at current events.  Our first one is due Monday Oct. 13.  We completed our final edits and final decorations of our Walk A Mile In My Shoes artwork.  They will be on display Monday afternoon through the end of this week under the overhang between mine and Tony's classrooms. Their permanent home will reside within our classrooms after that. Come check them out!

I look forward to meeting with everyone this week during SLCs.  Your students will be discussing their academic and personal goals for this year with you.  I will be discussing new useful resources for you such as Fresh Grade and MathXL.

Have a great week!

Week of Sept 29 - Oct 4

• Don't forget to sign up for SLCs!  Link is on my last blog post.  
• We need help after school on Friday.  I am hoping 5 or 6  8th graders (and a parent or two) will join chef Fred in serving Hawaiian BBQ after school.  The proceeds will go toward our 8th grade trip!

Our week was full of surprises and changes to our normal schedule. We started Writer's Workshop with Melissa, an expert teacher in humanities. She has a personal insight into high school English courses, having been a long term sub at a few high schools in our area. Her experience will greatly benefit our class as they prepare for the rigors of high school. 

In science, students started a lunar log as they learn about why we have night and day. In Zingy science, students learned about the periodic table, elements and the structure of atoms.  We created human balloon atoms. Students used red balloons to represent protons, white to represent neutrons and blue to represent electrons. It was hilarious to watch the neutrons and protons squashed together to make the nucleus as the neutrons ran (orbited) around them. 

Math time included finishing up ACE problems and deriving equations with two variables using triangle patterns. 

We started our art project, decorating shoes to complement our Walk A Mile In My Shoes poems. Niki was instrumental in making arrangements with the owner of ReInterpret to donate various supplies to our school so students could decorate their shoes.