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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week Three: Friday, September 13, 2034

Welcome:  This week, we had the privilege of watching a video titled "Dear High School Self," created by a former student. This heartfelt message serves as a poignant reminder for our students to cherish their time in school, as it passes quickly. Many students found it relatable and impactful, highlighting the importance of reflection during their formative years.   This Past Week: Monday: I was out today for a few doctor's appointments and the students worked on a Wizer activity meant to help them differentiate between primary and secondary sources and recognize bias. The guest teacher had nothing but great things to say about the students!  Tuesday:  Today was the final day for the students to work on their Unit One Timelines (#10 on the Google Classroom). It was great to hear the students discussing the different ways to go about finding the information for the timeline. One student said, "ohhh, it's like a game and you have to put together the clues."  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Two: Friday, September 6, 2024

Welcome:  I simply cannot believe how quickly these past two weeks have gone! We are nine days into school and the students are doing great. They have been learning the new morning routines and bell schedules and it's starting to feel like we never left for summer break.  This week I showed a quick little video about happiness by Jay Shetty. If you follow anything in the personal growth space you may know that Shetty has come under fire recently as claims that he may have embellished his background have surfaced. I feel that we can all believe whatever we like about him, but the message of this video still stands--it's all about how to be truly happy in life.  This Past Week:  Tuesday: The students came back from their long weekend today and were given time to finish the Week 1 Gameboard before we used MagicSchoolAI to practice using AI to research so we can formulate and defend opinions. The big question for today was "Should we study history or is it a waste of tim...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Twelve: Friday, November 17, 2023

Welcome:  Well, we are finally finished with the first quarter content and moving on to our next topic--Westward Expansion! I'm very excited to dive into the new content as we get closer to Thanksgiving Break and parent-teacher conferences next week.  The week after Thanksgiving starts one of my favorite things we do as a school community--Operation Giving Tree. This drive helps make the holidays better for families within our school community. Check out the quick video, flyer and spreadsheet for more information.  Operation Giving Tree Social Studies (1, 5 and 6)  This Past Week:  Monday:  We took time today to go through a self-directed Pear Deck activity meant to help the students learn the meaning of the term "Manifest Destiny," review for the Civics Exam, join the new Google Classroom, and start working on the first assignment for the second unit called ✅ #01-Westward Map & Timeline Activity.  Tuesday:  The students got a preview of the C...
Post a Comment
Read more