Hello, All!!!
Well, we made it to the weekend! The students took the vocabulary quiz over atoms today. Included in the quiz was an atom they had to label. I put some extra credit at the end where they had to build an atom that was given to them from the periodic table. Many students did very well with that. I wanted to give you a heads up for next week.....
The kids are going to use their atom vocabulary terms to write a song on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, they will be performing those songs. My student teacher had let them hear the atom song that uses the Addams Family tune and the kids loved it!!! I had let the kids hear a few other songs about atoms, too, using up-beat and peppy songs. I thought the kids would get a kick out of doing that.
On Wednesday, they will reviewing for their test over atoms. The test will be on Thursday and Friday. The test is going to take two days because I am going to be using a different format than they are used to. I was telling Mr. Lloyd about this computer tool I found that was so cool and so much fun to use! I wanted to use it for a test, instead of typical paper and pencil test. It is called glogster. This is a program that lets students create posters. My student teacher will have written up everything that she would have asked the students on a test and we will just have them put all that information into a poster. The first day will be showing the kids how to use the program and getting started. The second day will be more where the putting of the information will take place. If we need to, I will let them use Monday to finish up. Mr. Lloyd was very excited about it and wants to come up and take a look, when we get started with it next week. I am very excited about it, too, and hope that the students enjoy taking a 'test' this way.
Have a super great weekend and I will talk to you again next week.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Wednesday, November 28
Hello!
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. The kids came back and said that the break went by way too fast! ha! ha! Of course I reminded them that Christmas break was coming up in three weeks and three days. Sorry about that. We are still working with atoms this week. My student teacher is having them review the parts of the atom and how to build the elements from the periodic table. On Friday, there will be a quiz over the 12 vocabulary words and the parts of the atom. There will also be an extra credit part, where the students will be given an element from the periodic table and put into a model the correct number of protons, neutrons, and electrons. They will use the information given from the periodic table to figure out these numbers. I worked on this with them yesterday, because Miss McFarland was ill and left early.
Next week, we will be wrapping up atoms. The students will be writing a song with the vocabulary words and the test will be at the end of the week. Miss McFarland will be reviewing with them everything they need for the test. She will tell them, next week, what they need to study from, so they can study at home. I will give you more on that next week. Well, that is about it for this week. Until next week.........
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. The kids came back and said that the break went by way too fast! ha! ha! Of course I reminded them that Christmas break was coming up in three weeks and three days. Sorry about that. We are still working with atoms this week. My student teacher is having them review the parts of the atom and how to build the elements from the periodic table. On Friday, there will be a quiz over the 12 vocabulary words and the parts of the atom. There will also be an extra credit part, where the students will be given an element from the periodic table and put into a model the correct number of protons, neutrons, and electrons. They will use the information given from the periodic table to figure out these numbers. I worked on this with them yesterday, because Miss McFarland was ill and left early.
Next week, we will be wrapping up atoms. The students will be writing a song with the vocabulary words and the test will be at the end of the week. Miss McFarland will be reviewing with them everything they need for the test. She will tell them, next week, what they need to study from, so they can study at home. I will give you more on that next week. Well, that is about it for this week. Until next week.........
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, November 20
Hello, Everyone!!!
It is Thanksgiving week and the kids are really wired! It is hard to keep them focused, but I think we have found a way to do it. Ms. McFarland, my student teacher, had them creating a model of the atom yesterday and today, we are in the computer lab. The students have vocabulary terms on atoms and notes they have taken on atoms that they need to be going over every evening. This is not information they can cram for in one evening and understand it for the test. They have handouts with information, too, that they need to be reviewing. They have looked at the orbits around the nucleus of the atom, what is in the nucleus, how to find how many protons and neutrons are in the nucleus and how many electrons are on each orbit around the nucleus. The formula to find that number of electrons on each orbit is 2 (n - squared), where n represents the number of the orbit you are working with. The students have worked with the atomic number and atomic mass, too. These numbers help in finding the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons are in the elements. They will be picking up with the computer activity from today on Monday, when we return from Thanksgiving break. I will let you know next week what my student teacher has planned. I hope everyone has a great and safe Thanksgiving!
It is Thanksgiving week and the kids are really wired! It is hard to keep them focused, but I think we have found a way to do it. Ms. McFarland, my student teacher, had them creating a model of the atom yesterday and today, we are in the computer lab. The students have vocabulary terms on atoms and notes they have taken on atoms that they need to be going over every evening. This is not information they can cram for in one evening and understand it for the test. They have handouts with information, too, that they need to be reviewing. They have looked at the orbits around the nucleus of the atom, what is in the nucleus, how to find how many protons and neutrons are in the nucleus and how many electrons are on each orbit around the nucleus. The formula to find that number of electrons on each orbit is 2 (n - squared), where n represents the number of the orbit you are working with. The students have worked with the atomic number and atomic mass, too. These numbers help in finding the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons are in the elements. They will be picking up with the computer activity from today on Monday, when we return from Thanksgiving break. I will let you know next week what my student teacher has planned. I hope everyone has a great and safe Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Friday, November 9
Wow! What a week we have had!!! We were not sure if our student teacher was going to be able to start on Monday or not, so our lesson plans were questionable. Well, we found out that she had some family issues going on and would not be starting until next Monday, so I had to come up with something for the students to work on for the week. I decided to have them complete a project on different forms of energy. I gave each group a different energy form and had them complete 4 parts. They had to tell me what their energy form is, how it is created (where it comes from), give me 3 examples, and then go through the energy transformations (changes) of those examples. We put the information on photo story. It is a computer tool that uses images and allows students to record their information, instead of standing in front of the class and telling them. There is music that can be put to the images as well, if the students choose to put it in.
I was hoping to have these projects completed by the end of the week, so that we could show them, but we have had some computer issues and will not have them all finished. Here is what I am going to do. I have saved as many as I can to my flash drive. The rest of them are saved to the student's name. I am going to wait until my student teacher has completed her time here and then show the stories. I don't think it will be a problem. I really hated it that the computers have been such a pain this week for the kids. They kept freezing up and not letting them get onto sites and this keeps them from completing the assignment. When this happens, I have to make adjusts to my time schedule. Things happen and we have to work with them.
My student teacher will be starting next week and she will be teaching them about atoms. She will be going over the vocabulary with them and giving them the basic notes they will need first, just like I do. We have found some activities for the kids to complete, as well. I will let you know next week more about what we are doing. Have a great weekend!!!!
I was hoping to have these projects completed by the end of the week, so that we could show them, but we have had some computer issues and will not have them all finished. Here is what I am going to do. I have saved as many as I can to my flash drive. The rest of them are saved to the student's name. I am going to wait until my student teacher has completed her time here and then show the stories. I don't think it will be a problem. I really hated it that the computers have been such a pain this week for the kids. They kept freezing up and not letting them get onto sites and this keeps them from completing the assignment. When this happens, I have to make adjusts to my time schedule. Things happen and we have to work with them.
My student teacher will be starting next week and she will be teaching them about atoms. She will be going over the vocabulary with them and giving them the basic notes they will need first, just like I do. We have found some activities for the kids to complete, as well. I will let you know next week more about what we are doing. Have a great weekend!!!!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 29
Good morning, all!
Today we started potential and kinetic energy. We are taking notes from the board and will look at some examples over the next few days. There are three (3) vocabulary words that go with this topic. They are energy, potential energy, and kinetic energy. We wrote them down today and their definitions. We, also, discussed what they mean. We are not going to be using the word 'stored' when talking about potential energy anymore because the state does not want us to. They say it is misleading. We will be referring to an objects position as potential energy. I have a short quiz scheduled for Friday, since we are going to be working on energy projects. The projects will be interrupted on Monday, however; for my student teacher to begin her part. She is going to teach them about atoms. Atoms are part of our standards, too, so we are not getting away from what the state wants us to know. I will be picking up with the energy projects, when her time with us is complete. We will review the information before we continue with the projects. The quiz Friday will have the vocabulary words and questions from the notes we take in class. If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a super week!!!
Today we started potential and kinetic energy. We are taking notes from the board and will look at some examples over the next few days. There are three (3) vocabulary words that go with this topic. They are energy, potential energy, and kinetic energy. We wrote them down today and their definitions. We, also, discussed what they mean. We are not going to be using the word 'stored' when talking about potential energy anymore because the state does not want us to. They say it is misleading. We will be referring to an objects position as potential energy. I have a short quiz scheduled for Friday, since we are going to be working on energy projects. The projects will be interrupted on Monday, however; for my student teacher to begin her part. She is going to teach them about atoms. Atoms are part of our standards, too, so we are not getting away from what the state wants us to know. I will be picking up with the energy projects, when her time with us is complete. We will review the information before we continue with the projects. The quiz Friday will have the vocabulary words and questions from the notes we take in class. If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a super week!!!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Hello!
This week we are looking at soils. I put some notes on the board for the students to copy and we discussed them as they were copying them. They were, also, given a packet of information on soil formation, soil types, and living soil. We discussed soil formation and they highlighted or underlined the parts that were needed, then we discussed the living soil and underlined and highlighted parts of it, too. I still have one more packet to give them. This packet is basically the same information, just written in another way. We will go over and discuss it, too. I have two activities for the students to complete. The first one will be turned in to me and the second one will be LAB #1 and kept in their folders. I have a test over soil scheduled for Friday, but if we need more time, we will take it on Monday. The students will need to study their notes, and both packets of information I give them for the test. The state standards for soil are soil formation, the horizons and characteristics of those horizons, so that is what they will be tested over. If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a great week!
This week we are looking at soils. I put some notes on the board for the students to copy and we discussed them as they were copying them. They were, also, given a packet of information on soil formation, soil types, and living soil. We discussed soil formation and they highlighted or underlined the parts that were needed, then we discussed the living soil and underlined and highlighted parts of it, too. I still have one more packet to give them. This packet is basically the same information, just written in another way. We will go over and discuss it, too. I have two activities for the students to complete. The first one will be turned in to me and the second one will be LAB #1 and kept in their folders. I have a test over soil scheduled for Friday, but if we need more time, we will take it on Monday. The students will need to study their notes, and both packets of information I give them for the test. The state standards for soil are soil formation, the horizons and characteristics of those horizons, so that is what they will be tested over. If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a great week!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Wednesday, October 17
Hello, Everyone!!!
Well, we survived our trip to Bob Evans Farm Festival and did not loose one student! The kids talked about what a great time they had there. This is always an awesome trip for them. I know I have a good time hearing about all the activities they participated in and all the food they ate!!! I finally got all the tests from last week graded and in the computer, but I am still working on the projects. I will have to take those home in order to get those finished. Each student was graded on their part only, so I am grading 110+ individual projects.
Oh, we have a student teacher in our room for the next eight (8) weeks. Her name is Kelsey McFarland. She is very excited to be here after spending her first eight (8) weeks at Northwest in 8th grade language arts. She will start taking over the during next week.
We are going to begin our look at soil tomorrow - Thursday. There is nothing in our one textbook and only one page in the other, and it does not say very much. So, I had to go to the internet to find everything I needed for the students. I got the standard from the state and found the information I needed. Some things I will be able to give the students copies of and the rest they will have to copy from the board. I found one activity that they can do, as well. We will be working on soil the rest of this week and into next week.
Grade cards will be out next Thurday with conferences next Thursday evening from 4-7 pm. It is so hard to believe that our first quarter is already over! Well, have a great weekend and I will talk to you next week!!
Well, we survived our trip to Bob Evans Farm Festival and did not loose one student! The kids talked about what a great time they had there. This is always an awesome trip for them. I know I have a good time hearing about all the activities they participated in and all the food they ate!!! I finally got all the tests from last week graded and in the computer, but I am still working on the projects. I will have to take those home in order to get those finished. Each student was graded on their part only, so I am grading 110+ individual projects.
Oh, we have a student teacher in our room for the next eight (8) weeks. Her name is Kelsey McFarland. She is very excited to be here after spending her first eight (8) weeks at Northwest in 8th grade language arts. She will start taking over the during next week.
We are going to begin our look at soil tomorrow - Thursday. There is nothing in our one textbook and only one page in the other, and it does not say very much. So, I had to go to the internet to find everything I needed for the students. I got the standard from the state and found the information I needed. Some things I will be able to give the students copies of and the rest they will have to copy from the board. I found one activity that they can do, as well. We will be working on soil the rest of this week and into next week.
Grade cards will be out next Thurday with conferences next Thursday evening from 4-7 pm. It is so hard to believe that our first quarter is already over! Well, have a great weekend and I will talk to you next week!!
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