Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thursday, January 14, 2010

General Announcements:
  • Friday, 1/15: Remember to wear clothes to serve as a costume for your skit about segregation in Birmingham for this afternoon's MLK Day celebration.
  • You must have an independent reading book every day. If you are getting close to the end of one, have the next one at school and ready to go.
Math:
  • 7th Grade:
    • Due Fri., 1/15: Complete #22, 23, 24 on p. 26 in CMP book according to directions and according to our class discussion today. Back up answers with specific data. Write in complete sentences. (area & perimeter)
  • 8th Grade:
    • Due Fri., 1/15: 1.2 A1 only (not A2 or B). Write in complete sentences. State original question in answer.
Social Studies:
  • Due Fri., 1/15: Copy the Roman Republic timeline using pencil and colored pencil.
Science:
  • Due Fri., 1.15: Cover for science notes: Choose an image from our space study (including field trip to Amherst College) to draw as a cover for your science notes. Cover must be drawn in colored pencil. Title: Space Science
Language Arts:
  • Quiz, Fri., 1/15: Quiz on grammar lessons 3 & 4 (subject/object pronouns, possessive pronouns). Use returned, corrected grammar worksheets to help study. Questions will include material from sheets 1 & 2 as well.
Spanish:
  • 7th Grade:
    • Due Fri., 1/22
      • In ¿Qué Tal?, complete 3 written activities of your choice.
      • Read ch. 1 of Piratas and create a vocab list as you're reading.
  • 8th Grade:
    • Due Fri., 1/22
      • In Ahora, complete 3 written activities of your choice.
      • Finish reading ch. 1 of Robo en la noche and create a vocab list as you're reading.
Moment of Zen:
It's called the ampersand: a serpentine ligature of the Latin word et (meaning "and") which has inspired any number of interpretive versions of itself as it is separated more and more from its origin as two letters, and puzzled many people trying to coax one out of their pen. And now, for at least one graphic design junkie, it's inspirational enough for a whole blog. Click the picture above to see the gallery of ampersand. Click here for Wikipedia's entry with more history of the character, but here's a little background: "Traditionally, in English-speaking schools when reciting the alphabet, any letter that could also be used as a word in itself ("A," "I," and, at one point, "O") was preceded by the Latin expression "per se" (Latin for "by itself"). Also, it was common practice to add at the end of the alphabet the "&" sign, pronounced "and". Thus, the recitation of the alphabet would end in: "X, Y, Z and per se and." This last phrase was routinely slurred to "ampersand" and the term crept into common English usage by around 1837."

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

General Announcements:
  • You must have an independent reading book every day. If you are getting close to the end of one, have the next one at school and ready to go.
Math:
  • 7th & 8th Grade:
    • Due Thurs., 1/14:
      • Math's Mate 2.4 - work for * problems shown on a separate sheet of paper.
      • Corrections for Math's Mate 2.3 on a separate sheet of paper (can be same sheet used for 2.4 work)
  • 7th Grade:
    • Due Thurs., 1/14: Complete #2-7 on pgs. 22-23. Measure accurately for #2 and #3 answers so you have data to support your responses to all questions. Write in complete sentences and restate question in answer. Edit.
Social Studies:
  • None assigned :
Science:
  • Due Thurs., 1/14: Cover for science notes: Choose an image from our space study (including field trip to Amherst College) to draw as a cover for your science notes. Cover must be drawn in colored pencil.
Language Arts:
  • Due Thurs., 1/14: Grammar sheet #4 on Possessives
Spanish:
  • 7th Grade: Read through ¿Qué Tal? revista
  • 8th Grade: Read pgs 1&2 of Robo en la noche
    Moment of Zen:

    Improv Everywhere

    This guerilla improv group takes Calvin's directive to "...make everyone's day a little more surreal" very seriously. Their "missions" have included getting dozens of people to freeze for a full minute in Grand Central Station in New York, turning a mall food court into a musical and creating a "cell phone orchestra" by having a large group of people check their bags in the same place and having other people call them en masse at coordinated times. The picture above, from a mission where people stood in store windows, doing silly things in sync and then holding up letters spelling out "LOOK UP MORE" sums up well their core goal: to use spontaneous goofiness to ask people to really look at their everyday surroundings instead of rushing by until it could disappear without their noticing. Click the picture to go to their website, which details all their missions and links to videos of many of them. Additionally: Following up from the video this morning, here's the Complaints Choir website for more information about other complaints choirs worldwide, including videos of many choirs for inspiration.

    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

    General Announcements:
    • You must have an independent reading book every day. If you are getting close to the end of one, have the next one at school and ready to go.
    Math:
    • 7th Grade:
      • Due Wed., 1/13: Complete #2-7 on pgs. 22-23. Measure accurately for #2 and #3 answers so you have data to support your responses to all questions. Write in complete sentences and restate question in answer. Edit.
    • 8th Grade:
      • None.
    Social Studies:
    • Due :
    Science:
    • Test Wed., 1/13 on unit on Astronomy.
    Language Arts:
    • Due Wed., 1/13: Complete Grammar Sheet 3 (about Subject and Object pronouns). Read the information at the top of the page carefully.
    Spanish:
    • 7th Grade: Read through ¿Que Tal? revista
    • 8th Grade: Read pgs 1&2 of Robo en la noche
      Moment of Zen:
      Click the picture for a gallery of x-ray photographs of seashells and the occasional watch. Not only is it gorgeous, but it highlights the spirals building based on the golden ratio.

      Monday, January 11, 2010

      Monday, January 11, 2010

      General Announcements:
      • You must have an independent reading book every day. If you are getting close to the end of one, have the next one at school and ready to go.
      Math:
      • 7th Grade:
        • Due Tue., 1/12: Read introdution to Inv. 2 on p. 19. Then complete Application #1 on p. 21 (handout copied from book) according to directions. Estimate means to use a strategy that is visible to the reader and can result in a very accurate count. Use the string handed out today to help you.
      • 8th Grade:
        • Due Tue., 1/12: Erase any stray pencil marks in Moving Straight Ahead so that it is ready to be used again and bring the book to return in class.
      Social Studies:
      • Due Tue., 1/12: Read pgs. 95-99 in handout from class today and underline or highlight important or interesting parts of the reading.
      Science:
      • Due Wed., 1/13: Review notes and today's preassessment as preparation for Wednesday postassessment.
      Language Arts:
      • Due Wed., 1/13: Complete Grammar Sheet 3 (about Subject and Object pronouns). Read the information at the top of the page carefully.
      • Due Tue., 1/12 (Group 1 only): Bring in items to share with elders at Overlook and materials for making cards.
          Materials Needed (borrow if necessary):
          • colored pencils
          • scissors
          • glue or glue stick
          Item Suggestions:
          • Photos of your family (a few or a small album)
          • Photos of a hobby of yours (e.g. sports team, animals, music, travel, art)
          • Items associated with a hobby (e.g. ball, puck, musical instrument (acoustic only), art or craft piece)
      Spanish:
      • 7th Grade: Nada
      • 8th Grade: Reread Ch. 10 in Piratas
        Moment of Zen:
        Secret Faces are everywhere. Several Flickr groups are dedicated to catching everyday objects in the act of looking like faces.