Kindergarten Life Cycle Lessons

I am a proud teacher today!  The sand dollar science class taught science to all of the kindergarteners at Charlotte Ave. School.  It was great!  They were incredible teachers!  This was their second time going to Charlotte Ave to teach science.  This time was a little bit different because they created, planned, prepared and executed their own lessons!  Each student also wrote a children's book about an animal's life cycle to read to the kindergarten students.  

The lab activities included:

1. Egg Dissection- to learn about the life cycle of a chicken and the parts of an egg
2. Chrysalis Simulation- students were partially wrapped in toilet paper to experience the chrysalis stage of the butterfly
3. Milkweed Bug Observation- observed live milkweed bugs in every stage of their lifecycle
4. Clay Frogs & Tadpoles- students molded clay into each stage of the frog's life cycle and observed live tadpoles
5. Pollination Simulation- students used pipe cleaner butterflies and kool-aid to simulate pollination, part of a flowering plant's life cycle
6. Lima Bean Dissection-  to learn the parts of the seed, used dissecting microscopes

Weekly Update #22

I think we've had enough snow days!

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Claire D. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Students please don't forget to get your progress report goal sheets and envelopes signed if you haven't yet done so.

Don't forget, Monday is President's Day!  Enjoy the day off, kids!

Class Updates

Social Studies: This week in Social Studies we finished our unit on Classical Civilizations. This was a rather lengthy unit as we discovered many of the influences that the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans have on our world. Before we move into the Middle Ages, the students will be completing their first Performance Task for me this upcoming week. Remember: Think about all the ways that Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have influenced our world today!

Science:  Who is Gregor Mendel and what was he famous for?  The father of Genetics will be introduced next week along with his pea experiments.  Students will simulate one of his pea experiments to discover the basics of genetics- just like Gregor Mendel did!  Students should be reviewing their notes each night and bringing their questions to class.

Literacy: Atlas Obscura presentations were almost completed this week.  A select few will be shown on Tuesday!  The kids really did a fantastic job with this project!  This weekend, all students should be working on their reflection paragraphs.  Remember, it's three separate paragraphs - one for each of the three questions! Reflections are due on Tuesday, in class.   Next week will be another short week, but it will be jam packed!  We'll attack Unit 9 of the Latin root unit, and examine some very interesting political cartoons.  

English: Wow! We finally got into the swing of things this week with our new book after all those snow days! Classes are just beginning The Giver, written by Lois Lowry.  Classes are five chapters into the novel, and the excitement is just beginning!  Students reviewed contextual vocabulary words this week and we'll continue our reading and discussions next week before break.  Students can expect to read chapters 6-10 and learn new skills associated with these chapters!

Math: We are continuing on with proportionality this week.  At the end of last week we finally got around to graphing proportions and will continue throughout the week.  Don't forget your Go Figure is due on Friday, February 24th.  It's all about graphing proportions and unit rate, be sure to label and organize your information!

School Updates

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community

Weekly Update #21

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Nolan R. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Congratulations to all members of the cast and production of Mulan Jr, our PMS Drama Club play that was performed this weekend.  The production was magnificent in every way, and we salute all who worked so hard to make it a success!  

Progress Reports go home this week.

Book orders are due this Friday! If you want your own copy of The Giver, let Mrs. McGuire know! Scholastic offers a $9 deal for a book and a movie poster. Perfect time to order one :)

Class Updates

Social Studies: Students spent the entire week working on their in-class research projects. This was a very unique project as the students were able to create their own rubric, choosing from standards in our curriculum, and then create a project that aligned with their rubric. On Friday, the students graded their own projects and had to provide reasoning. To say that I am very impressed is an understatement—the projects came out great! And oh, Tom Brady is officially the greatest of all time!

Science:  At the beginning of the week we will be looking at how organisms develop.  Students will research the mosquito life cycle to answer an ecological problem.  At the end of the week we will begin our genetics unit.  Students will start to look at acquired versus inherited traits.

Literacy: Students completed their Atlas Obscura projects, and have submitted them to the Google Classroom!  We'll begin viewing the presentations Tuesday! And don't forget, the final draft of the Make a Difference paragraph should be attached to the Google Classroom assignment by Tuesday evening.  Latin Unit 8 mastery test is scheduled for Friday, February 10th!  Everyone should be studying their flashcards and using Quizlet!

English: Students finished their performance tasks last week on the Chrome Books and submitted them via Google Classroom. Well done! This week we are beginning a new reading unit! In addition to pre-reading activities, students will be learning new contextual vocabulary words while reading the first few chapters of The Giver. Year after year, this book proves to be a fan favorite among our students!

Math: We have moved onto proportions.  Next week we will have a quiz, make sure to be looking over the notes, packet, and problems to study.  This month's Go Figure has been passed out, it's due February 24th.

School Updates

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community

Weekly Update #20

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations  to Claire D. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Congratulations to the Badger students who were involved in crafting this beautiful sign for our school!  Ava C., Brian C., Matt C., Kira H., and Grace M.  They collaborated with our Art teachers as well as other seventh graders from the Grizzly Team.  Fine work, ladies and gentlemen!  

More good news!  Congratulations to our two super spellers in the annual PMS Spelling Bee: Maddie M. and Julie S.  

Class Updates

Social Studies: It was a busy week in Social Studies as the students learned what everyday life was like for the ancient Romans. On Friday the students started their in-class research project and will continue working on it this upcoming week. Keep up the good work!

Science:  We finished our Homeostasis Unit with a test today.  Very few students completed the study guide for bonus points on the test.  Students have handouts from Lights for Learning to share with their families this weekend.  A presenter from Lights for Learning spoke to all 7th grade science classes on Monday about energy conservation.  Next week we will start a new unit on how organisms grow, develop and reproduce.

Literacy: Successful Peaceful Protests in history were the topic of discussion and writing this week in Literacy.  Kids were astounded with the power that kids wielded in the 1960's!  The Atlas Obscura project is due on Monday at the close of class which will take place in the library, allowing kids who lack technology at home to record their narrations, and submit to the assignment in their Google Class.  Back to Latin roots next week - Unit 8 here we come!

English: We wrapped up another exciting grammar unit this week in English, focusing on run-on sentences and differentiating types of sentences!  Next week students will have the opportunity to complete their performance tasks they began earlier this month.  We will have access to the Chromebooks here in school, but students can also access them from home using Google Drive if they choose to.  Students, make sure you review the rubric before submitting them!  The final performance task will be due Friday, February 3rd.

Math: 

School Updates

Grades Close: Grades have closed for Progress Reports.  They will be sent home on February 7th.  Be sure to check the portal regularly and make sure to always do your best!

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community

Weekly Update #19

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Courtney M. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Class Updates

Social Studies: One of the biggest topics of discussion this week in Social Studies was the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii. This week we will continue learning about Roman culture and ultimately how their culture has many influences on our current world.

Science:  This week we will be wrapping up our unit on homeostasis.  Students have a 4 page study guide to help them with the studying process this week.  If they complete it and turn it in before the test, they will earn 5 bonus points on the test.  The test is on Friday.  They should be studying a little bit each night this week.  Good Luck!

Literacy: Wow!  What a week in Literacy! We spent lots of time in the Library with Mrs. Sand learning about fake news, and how to spot it!  Students also learned how to become better researchers!  SweetSearch is now their go-to search engine, and they learned how to use CiteThisForMe to create Bibliographies.  They'll practice these skills to produce their Atlas Obscura slide shows!  Latin unit 7 is complete, too!  The week ahead will feature how kids can make a difference.  Friday, we watched a documentary film about Selma, and the march for voting rights. Monday, we'll watch a docmentary about the Children's March in Birmingham, and write about what they learned.  Busy, busy busy!  Kids, remember that grades close - so if you missed a test, plan to stay after school Monday!

English: This past week we turned our classroom into a writer's workshop for performance tasks!  Students spent the week editing and revising their performance tasks using a round robin style, which allowed for immediate feedback.  Due to I-Ready schedules, we will not be typing our final drafts until the week of January 30th.

Math: We have wrapped up our first week of inequalities. Be sure to study our test will be on Friday. Just a reminder the Go Figure is due Tuesday, January 31st.

School Updates

Grades Close: Grades are closing soon.  Be sure to check the portal regularly and make sure to always do your best!

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community

Weekly Update #18

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Dantia B. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Class Updates

Social Studies: This past week in Social Studies, students learned how the Roman Republic transitioned into an Empire under the rule of Augustus. We investigated Augustus even further to determine what kind of leader he truly was. We will continue our journey next week as we discuss Roman ideas and inventions along with discovering what happened to the city of Pompeii. Have a great long weekend!

Science:  We finished looking at diffusion examples this week.  We recreated the "skittles experiment" as pictured above.  Diffusion really does happen!  Next week we will get to our osmosis observations and labs.  We'll have a test the following week so students should expect a study guide soon.  The should look over their science notes every night to prepare!  It's not too early to start studying.

Literacy: We'll finish Latin Unit 7 this week with the test on Wednesday, and dive into a new project called Atlas Obscura!  

English: This past week students prepared for their upcoming performance task.  Through the use of tools of character development, students will prove that the main character has changed significantly by comparing and contrasting the character from the beginning to the end.  Students wrote each paragraph throughout the week and focused on providing solid evidence and examples.  Next week, students will begin typing their final drafts on the Chrome Books, which will then be printed, scored, and placed in district writing folders.  Don't forget to work on your last body paragraph and counter-arguments over the weekend!

Math: We are done with equations! Check your grades, everything has been updated as of Friday. Be ready to start inequalities this week.  Just a reminder the Go Figure is due Tuesday, January 31st.

School Updates

Martin Luther King Day: There will be no school on Monday, January 16, 2017 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community!

Weekly Update #17

Happy New Year from The Badgers!

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Tyler A. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Winter i-Ready: i-Ready testing will be January 12 and 13th.  Make sure to come to school rested!

Class Updates

Social Studies: As we came back from vacation, we did a lot of review in social studies. We reviewed all the material that we covered in regards to the Roman Republic. There will be an assessment on the Roman Republic this Monday. Following the assessment, we will continue to discover why the Roman Republic failed and ultimately turned into the Roman Empire.

Science:  In science this week we had a lot of fun.  Ask your student why they played with bubbles in class!  (It's a great model of a cell membrane!)  We discovered the definition of diffusion by observing four different examples of diffusion.  Next week we will discover the process of osmosis through several lab activities.

Literacy: We will spend time in the library next week learning how to distinguish "Fake News" from authentic news. Additionally students will be introduced to search engines that will lead them to much more reliable research! 

English: This week we began a new unit on persuasive writing!  Together we discussed where we see persuasion and how we use persuasive writing.  Students also learned the proper writing format we'll be following for persuasive writing.  Next week students will be assigned their next performance task which includes a six-paragraph essay.

Math: We survived our first week back! This week we will be wrapping up our Equations chapter. Be studying all your materials for chapter 3, test this week.  Our next Go Figure went out last week. Be sure to be working throughout the month.

School Updates

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community!