Skip to main content

Week 14: Friday, December 2, 2023

Welcome:  

Welcome back from the Thanksgiving Break and into the first week of December! Our school started an amazing community outreach program called Operation Giving Tree by collecting toys for local families for Christmas. We also watched a great video about overcoming challenges and obstacles. 


This Past Week:

  • Monday: Today was all about research--the students got back into the groove of school by completing their research for the second quarter writing assignment in #013-Trails West Research. 
  • Tuesday: I was home today with a sick kid, and the students spent time completing their research without me. 
  • Wednesday: The students created their first mind map for me today. They sifted through the research of all of their classmates to pull out the top 3 dangers/difficulties for each of the four groups we've been researching. They then used that to create their mindmaps to help organize their thoughts.
  • Thursday: We continued our preparation for the quarter two writing assignment today. I told the students that we are narrowing a funnel--they finished their mind maps that they started yesterday, we went over the writing prompt/rubric for tomorrow, and then the students were given time to plan with the graphic organizer. 
  • Friday: The whole focus for today was writing--the students were given the entire period to write their second quarter writing piece on the travelers that went west during the 1800s. 

Next Week: 

We're moving on to our next big topic this week when we discuss a variety of tribes of Native Americans. The students will be working in collaborative groups to create Common Craft-Type videos starting this week. The project includes a good amount of research, planning, and creation and will take the students until the winter break to finish. Check out the directions and expectations for the project here. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Week 16: Decemberr 9, 2024

Welcome:  This week we welcome the students back from Thanksgiving break and to the month of December! It was a busy week in homeroom as we had a second-step lesson on Wednesday and clubs on Thursday. We've also been busy collecting items for Operation Giving Tree--donations will be accepted through December 11, so please think about helping if you can.  Social Studies (Periods 2, 6, 7 and 8):  This Past Week: #22-Trails West Google Doc: Most of the week was centered on this Google Doc. The students completed four parts to help them gain a better understanding of the lengths to which Americans went in order to survive and thrive in the West in the 19th century.  Part One:  This was a simple chart about the trails that went west that the students completed using content burst videos recorded by Miss Boyd (the Orange Team social studies teacher).  Part Two:  The students then answered a series of questions to help serve as guided research about life on ...

Week Eight: October 14-18, 2024

Welcome:  Just like that, we are into the middle of October and more than halfway done the first quarter! The students started the annual fundraiser this past week and went wild over rubber ducks and possible trips to Citizens Bank Park. Next week marks the beginning of the Make a Difference Day collection--the students will be collecting canned goods, paper products, and personal hygiene products to donate to the Coventry Food Pantry to support local families.  I've been listening to a lot of Ryan Holiday and his Daily Stoic podcast lately and he has been on a moment mori kick. Momento mori  is the idea that everything must die, it although it sounds morbid, is a great reminder for us to live our lives to the fullest. This reminded me of one of my favorite clips from the movie Dead Poets Society-- we didn't have time to watch it on Friday so we'll start the week with it on Monday.  This Past Week:  Three Branches Mastery Grid: The students spent most of the wee...

Week Nine: October 21-25

Welcome This week we continued to collect for the North Coventry Food Pantry as a school for the annual Make A Difference Day drive. The students can continue to bring in canned goods, paper products, and personal hygiene products throughout the week. This is an outstanding drive since everything stays right here in this community.  This Past Week:  Social Studies (Periods 2, 6, 7 and 8)  #38-Three Branches Infographic:  This assignment is designed as a culminating project where students synthesize their understanding of the three branches of government. After thoroughly investigating the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, students created an infographic that serves as a quick reference for key information. This includes the primary responsibilities of each branch, additional roles they perform, and the specific requirements for serving in each branch. The infographic offers a visual summary that students can use for future reference in understanding the ...