Wednesday, December 16, 2009

General Announcements:

• Friday, Dec. 18: Field trip to Amherst College (Bassett Planetarium & Amherst Natural History Museum) still needs a few more drivers. We will leave Hilltown right after All-School (~9:30 a.m.) and be returning about 2:30 p.m.
• Copies of Eighth-Grade Project documents for phase one available for download here.
• All students 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 Thurs., 12/17:
    • Finish Math's Mate 2.2 begun in class today, with work for * problems shown on separate sheet of paper.
    • Bring colored pencils to class 12/17.
• 8th Grade:
  • Due Thurs., 12/17:
    • Finish Math's Mate 2.2 begun in class today, with work for * problems shown on separate sheet of paper.
    • Quiz on definition of "slope" as defined in glossary of CMP book

Social Studies:

• Due Thurs., 12/17: Write a story summary of either Horatius at the Bridge or The Decision of L. Junius Brutus. Illustrate it with a ½-page, colored pencil drawing.

Science:

• Due Thurs., 12/17: Read Physical Science, p. 311-317 and answer questions 1-8 on p. 320. Group 2 has the textbooks tonight (Wed.). Group 1 should ask about a copy of questions if not finished.

Language Arts:

• None assigned

Spanish:

• 7th Grade:
  • Due Thurs., 12/17: Finish your 8 drawings representing Ch. 4 in Pobre Ana

• 8th Grade:
  • Due Thurs., 12/17: Finish your drawing of two favorite scenes from Piratas

Moment of Zen: This picture, of a family from Bhutan, is part of a photo series of families from around the world and a week's food for them, from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio. Click the picture to see a number of other examples from around the world from Germany to Sudanese refugees in a camp in Chad, with a whole lot in between. It's interesting not just to see how much food and cost, but also what's included.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

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.
• Copies of Eighth-Grade Project documents for phase one available for download here.

Math:

• 7th Grade:
  • None assigned
• 8th Grade:
  • Due Wed., 12/16: Study the definition of "slope" in the glossary and be ready for a quiz on it on Thursday. I will type it and leave works out that you have to fill in.

Social Studies:

• Due Thurs., 12/17: Write a story summary of either Horatius at the Bridge or The Decision of L. Junius Brutus. Illustrate it with a ½-page, colored pencil drawing.

Science:

• Due Wed., 12/16: Write a 1-¶ reflection on what the Relative Planet Size activity showed you and what surprised you most in this activity.
• Due Thurs., 12/17: Read Physical Science, p. 311-317 and answer questions 1-8 on p. 320. Group 1 has the textbooks tonight (Tue.). Group 2 will have the textbooks tomorrow (Wed.) night.

Language Arts:

• Due Wed., 12/16: Bring independent reading book.

Spanish:

• 7th Grade:
  • Due Thurs., 12/17: Finish your drawing representing some part of Ch. 4 in Pobre Ana

• 8th Grade:
  • Due Thurs., 12/17: Finish your drawing of two favorite scenes from Piratas

Moment of Zen: The Bacon Cake Is a Lie... ...Or at least so claims Seattle-based home food-artist "Ms. Humble," who runs the food blog Not So Humble Pie, and has not only made "bacon cake" (which both contains and is styled to look like bacon) but also the edibles constructed in the pictures above (the sushi are actually cupcakes, and contain no actual fish). This biological anthropologist turned food artist also has a penchant for science-related food, her collection of which includes gingerbread scientists, cookie Drosophila melanogaster, chocolate atoms and a periodic table fashioned out of cookies. The whole thing is worth checking out, but I recommend her Gallery of Weird Food, containing some of her most adventurous creations, as a jumping off place.

Eighth Grade Project Documents

I know you are all keeping track of the information about eighth grade projects very carefully, but in case of shark attack, alien invasion or parents wanting a copy, here are digital copies of each: (unfortunately, these are not easy right-click/Ctrl-click->Save as downloads, you must follow the link and then download - I will see about getting .pdf versions of these on the school server soon) Added 12/15/09

• Assessment Rubric for Phase One
• Dec./Jan. Calendar with project deadlines
• Sample journal entries with scores

Added 1/20/10

• Assessment Rubric for Phase Two (with expectations)
• Assessment Rubric for Phase Two (Recording Form)

Added 1/22/10

• January Project Calendar
• February Project Calendar

Added 3/24/10

• Calendars for Phase 3 of Project (March-June)
• Thesis Proposal Guidelines

Monday, December 14, 2009

General Announcements:

• Ancient Greece Museum Exhibits are ready to go home if they have not already. They are in the 3rd floor classroom and hallway.
• 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 Tue., 12/15: Work for 20 min. in grade-level Math League.

Social Studies:

• None assigned

Science:

• Due Tue., 12/15: Answer Qs on worksheet about relative planet size. Exension p. 2; #1-3 + Extension on p. 3 (Answers on back, in complete sentences).

Language Arts:

• Due Tue., 12/15: In your LA journal, record a fact about Julius Caesar that you found interesting and a fact about William Shakespeare that you found interesting. Be certain to record the source of your facts in journal as well and using standard bibliography form (Use the style sheet given to you by John for the bibliography). Citation Format Guide with examples (.pdf)

Moment of Zen: Beyond Whining: The Complaints Choir The Finnish word valituskuoro, which translates as 'complaints choir' describes the sound of a number of people complaining all at once. This sparked the idea of an actual choir, singing complaints set to music, for Finnish artists Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen and Tellervo Kalleinen. Shortly thereafter, the Helsinki and Birmingham (UK) Complaints Choirs were born in 2005, in very short order. The Helsinki Complaints Choir—dozens of people, dressed in formal wear—sang in a concert hall about what flat-out annoyed them: everything from people talking on their cell phones too loud to losing to Sweden in hockey. The idea caught on, and there have since been a number of complaints choirs in cities all around the world. You can see a comprehensive list of complaints choirs - many with videos - by clicking the picture above or reading this article describing the development of the art.

Friday, December 11, 2009

General Announcements:

• Monday, Dec. 14: School will begin an hour later for a staff meeting. Doors will open at 9:15 and assembly will begin at 9:30.
• Ancient Greece projects are ready to take home.
• 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 Mon., 12/14: Work for 20 min. in grade-level Math League handed out today.

Social Studies:

• Due Mon., 12/14: Typed bibliography listing sources (formatted according to directions on handout) of information and images for your Ancient Greece Project.

Science:

• None assigned

Language Arts:

• Due Mon., 12/14: Write an entry in LA Journal of one page— well-developed ¶ or ¶s— reflecting on "My Experience In The Puppet Show." This should reflect on the writing and rehearsal process as well as the performance itself.

8th Grade Project:

• Due Mon., 12/14
  • Have a Project journal and 1" Project binder.
  • Have a general topic you think you would like to explore through an eighth-grade project.

Moment of Zen: I know you heard about Liu Bolin from John in Science class today, but I've also been wanting to post about him. Liu Bolin is an urban camouflage artist from China who specializes in how not to be seen. Liu spends up to 10 hours setting up for a single shot, blending in with everything from graffiti to policemen to collapsed homes. Both the statement about the Chinese government's repressive treatment of artists (they shut down Liu's studio in 2005) and the effect are breathtaking. Click the picture to see more photos of Liu's work.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

General Announcements:

• Wed., 12/9: Bring black performance wear to school and check it in with Grace before AM assembly. Then store in cubby. If these are still in your cubby from the last performance, you still need to check them in.
• Thurs., 12/10: Ancient Greece Museum Exhibits: 8:30-10:30 AM in 3rd Floor Classroom and Tech Lab (adjoining). Families welcome!
• Thurs., 12/10: The Il Teatro of the gods! 2:00 PM in the all school space.
• 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:

• Test this Wednesday, 12/9: Review past homestudy, text and notes to prepare for unit test.

Social Studies:

• Due Wed., 12/9: Final, edited, mounted text explaining your project (4 questions).
  • Title: 72 pt or larger
  • Section headings: 28 pt. bold
  • Body text: 22 pt, single spaced. Use page breaks for each new section.

Science:

• Due Thurs., 12/10: Sketch the Earth's phases as seen if standing on the moon.

Language Arts:

• Due Wed., 12/9:
  • Read for 20 minutes and complete a Reading Log entry.
  • Make sure lines for il Teatro sketch are memorized.

Spanish:

• 7th Grade:

• 8th Grade:

Moment of Zen: Who knows what this guy is up to? There is something remarkable about what he is, though, as a Nerpa or Baikal Seal. The nerpa, which lives in Siberia's Lake Baikal (Turk. "Rich Lake" — bai - rich; kal - lake), is one of only two species of seal to spend its entire life in freshwater, and the only one to be a distinct species (the others, found in Lake Saimaa, Finland, and Lake Ladoga, Russia are subspecies of Ringed Seals). It also has one of the longest seal lifespans at 50-56 years. No one is really sure how the seals ended up in the lake, hundreds of miles from any ocean or other species of seal. Russia also named a nuclear submarine Nerpa after the seal.

Monday, December 7, 2009

General Announcements:

• Tue., 12/8: Bring black performance wear to school and check it in with Grace before AM assembly. Then store in cubby. If these are still in your cubby from the last performance, you still need to check them in.
• Thurs., 12/10: Ancient Greece Museum Exhibits: 8:30-10:30 AM in 3rd Floor Classroom and Tech Lab (adjoining). Families welcome!
• Thurs., 12/10: The Il Teatro of the gods! 1:30 PM in the all school space.
• 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:

• Test this Wednesday, 12/9: Review past homestudy, text and notes to prepare for unit test.

Social Studies:

• Due Tue., 12/8: Project due. Consider orienting page horiztontally.
• Due Wed., 12/9: Final, edited, mounted text explaining your project (4 questions).
  • Title: 72 pt or larger
  • Section headings: 28 pt. bold
  • Body text: 22 pt, single spaced. Use page breaks for each new section.

Science:

• None assigned

Language Arts:

• Due Tue., 12/8:
  • Read for 20 minutes and complete a Reading Log entry.
  • Make sure lines for il Teatro sketch are memorized.

Spanish:

• 7th Grade:
  • Due Tue., 12/8: Make flashcards for the 10 given vocab words and study.

• 8th Grade:
  • Due Tue., 12/8:
    • Completed wordsearch
    • Completed Ch. 5 questions
    • 10 sentences about what you do on the weekend using the given 1st person plural (we) forms of verbs (ending in -mos)

Moment of Zen: Sure, we all know that the adjective to describe something catlike is feline (from the Latin word for cat, felis - almost the same as the Latin word for luck -felix - which is the possible source of the myths about the luck of cats), and that something doglike is canine (from the Latin canis), but did you ever wonder what adjective you might use to describe something armadillo-like? Or bat-like? Follow the link for an extensive (but by no means exhaustive) list of animal adjectives - almost all of which draw heavily from Latin or Greek roots.