Friday, February 27

Science: Students were provided supplies (wire and lights) for the "What is Safe" electricity project, and we practiced removing insulation and connecting wires so that students can begin working on their projects over the weekend. As a reminder, buzzers as NOT required for ANYONE'S project, students may WANT a buzzer, but they do not NEED one. Important dates:
Friday, March 6: Evidence of circuit due & Project work day
Tuesday, March 10: Project (paper) work day
Friday, March 13: Electricity Unit Test
Monday, March 16: Final Circuit & Paper Due

Geometry: Completed our study of the Unit Circle, homework was the Unit Circle Practice. Unit Circle & Special Right Triangles quiz on Monday. Unit 6 test is scheduled for Friday, March 13.

Humanities: Students were introduced to 10.3 of the text in class. Homework is to write a speech that discusses the Indian Removal Act. The speech should include the following information:

1. Explain the purpose of the Act-Why did Jackson/Congress pass it? What was the Act supposed to do?

2. Explain the terms (rules) of the Act-How was it supposed to work? Who moved where? Be specific.

3. What were the effects of the Act-On Native Americans? On U.S. citizens?

4. Was the Act good/bad? Why? Why not?

Algebra: homework: Zero Product and Factoring Packet (all) Have a great weekend!

Pre-Algebra: Today we completed a challenge activity dealing with squares, square roots and simplifying radicals. The challenge activity can be found on my website. No homework! Have a great weekend!

ELA - publishing day. Author's Craft Essays are to be turned in through Google Classroom by midnight Sunday, March 1.  Students should be halfway through a new independent reading novel. Finishing this novel by the end of next week. On March 6th we will be starting a Community Read novel (all three MYP ELA classes will be reading this book.). This novel will be read aloud in class leaving evenings open for reading another independent novel. Students need to continue reading every night wether we are reading a class novel or not. All books should be noted up with sticky notes, this strategy will help with the skill of deeper reading comprehension as students tackle tougher books.

Technology - students are finishing up the Investigate or research portion of their Family Budget project . The evidence of this work; printed pages showing website amount of expense came from, printed spreadsheet, and printed bibliography, is due on Monday, March 2nd. This will be placed in their folder to be handed in with the complete Design Folder. The next step in the Design Cycle is the Design/Plan step. This is Rough Draft and planning steps, don't forget the task list on the Design Folder Packet.

RR English: Reading logs are due Monday. 5 days with 5 responses.

RR Math: Homework packets are due 3/6/15.

Thursday, February 26

Science: Students submitted their event sketches for me to take a look at and provide feedback on and then we watched Bill Nye Electric Current. Tomorrow I will pass out holiday lights and wire so that students can start working on their projects over the weekend. Important dates:
Friday, March 6: Evidence of Circuit & Project Work Day
Tuesday, March 10: Project/Paper Work Day
Friday, March 13: Electricity Unit Test
Monday, March 16: Final Circuit and Paper Due

Geometry: Began investigating the unit circle. Special right triangles and unit circle quiz Monday, March 2.

RR English: Read daily. Logs are due Monday.

RR Math: Packets are due 3/6/15.

Pre-Algebra: Today we started 9.3. Students explored how the Pythagorean Theorem was developed and learned how to use this theorem. Homework: 9.3, 1-23 odd.

Humanities: Students reviewed 10.2 in class today. No homework. There is a chapter 10 essay exam next Tuesday.

Algebra: We talked about multiplying polynomials. Homework: finish the notes

Spanish: WHAT WE DID TODAY: I passed back the quizzes today. The class average was 17.5. We reviewed stem changing verbs 'tener' and 'venir,' and spent the remainder of the hour working on our 'Tres en rayos' projects. TAREA: 'Tres en rayos' projects are due tomorrow. The 'tener/venir' quiz has been postponed until Monday due to a Band event. 

Wednesday, February 25

Science: Discussed the event/sketch for the project which is due tomorrow.  Students will be provided with length of wire and lights tomorrow to use for their circuit if they wish. We then took notes on electrical safety devices and students shared their circuit breaker/fuse box pictures. Other dates for the project:
Friday, February 27-Thursday, March 5: Begin building circuit
Friday, March 6: Initial circuit completed (evidence required)- in class project work day.
Tuesday, March 10: Project work day (paper)
Monday, March 16: Final circuit and paper due for presentation.

Geometry: Completed the 6.1 notes on special right triangles. Homework is the 4.3 worksheet. Quiz on special right triangles and the unit circle (which we will investigate tomorrow and Friday) is Monday, March 2.

RR English: Read daily. Logs due Monday.

RR Math: Homework packets have been passed out due 3-6

Humanities: Students checked 10.1 and began to work on 10.2 in class. 10.2 section assessment is due tomorrow.

Algebra: We reviewed adding like terms, along with adding and subtracting polynomials. Homework: 9.1 (#14-26)

Tuesday, February 24

Announcement! Gabrielle Aiello has been named a local winner in the 46th annual America & Me Essay Contest, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. The essay topic was "My Personal Michigan Hero", she wrote about her father. She will receive an award certificate for the achievement and her name will be engraved on a plaque for permanent display at NIS.

Science: Students read and took notes on series and parallel circuits. Homework is the series and parallel worksheet. Event & sketch for What is Safe? project due Thursday. 

Geometry: Completed special right triangles- homework is the special right triangles handout. 

Humanities: Students finished reviewing chapter 9, and were introduced to 10.1 of the text in class. Homework is to complete an acrostic poem for "JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY." Poems are due tomorrow.

Canvasser: Reading Logs due Monday- read daily. Math: Homework packets will be passed out today or tomorrow.  

ELA - Drafting Day. Students checked in their rough drafts or wrote their rough drafts. They then had another student look over their first draft to be sure that their evidence proves the thesis and that tenses were correct. Tomorrow we will hold a Peer Review in a more official format. Homework: Revisions, Journal #3.23 & Read

Technology - Students created the spreadsheet to but used for their Family budget project. They then received the packet for the "Design Folder" with all directions in it. Investigation should be ready to be checked by Monday.

Algebra: Took our chapter 8 test. Homework: page one of section 9.1 homework

Spanish: WHAT WE DID TODAY:

We went over last nights homework (p. 104, ex. 1-3). We began working on p. 105 (ex. 4-6), which is due tomorrow. Some students had already finished the assignment, and were able to start on our project based review for Chapter 3, 'Tres en rayos.'

WHAT'S COMING UP:

due 2.25 p. 105, ex. 4-6

2.25 20 Point Quiz on er/ir verbs from chapter 3. Students should know definitions and how to conjugate the verbs.

2.27 10 point Quiz on verbs venir/tener

2.27 ''Tres en rayos' project due. Students will be given class time to complete these projects.  

Monday, February 23

Science: Quizzes were returned (1st & 2nd hour got theirs back before vacation), quiz corrections are due tomorrow. We then spent the remainder of the hour talking about the "What is safe?" project. 
Thursday, February 26- Event selected and idea sketched
Friday, March 6- Initial Circuit Built with Evidence
Monday, March 16- Final Circuit & Paper 

Science: Began Unit 6 with an investigation of special right triangles.

RR English: Logs are due today. Late logs will be due tomorrow for late points. New logs are passed out and are due on Monday 3.2.15.

RR Math: Math homework is due today. Late homework will be accepted for late points.

Pre-Algebra: Today students reviewed 9.1 - 9.2. The review guide is homework if it was not completed in class. This is available at http://norupstein.weebly.com/pre-algebra-notes-and-homework .

Humanities: Students reviewed chapter 9 in class today. No homework.

ELA - Reader's Workshop Day 12. - Students created their thesis statement for their Author's Craft Essay. Once their thesis was "sound" I gave the students one of two outlines to begin drafting their papers. Rough draft due tomorrow by the end of class. Paper due March 2nd at the beginning of class. Homework: Rough Draft & Journal #3.22 - READ!

Tech- Students had their "Lottery of Life" for their Family Budget project. Attached is the Design Brief that students are to do mold their project after. Tomorrow we will put together their spreadsheet so they can keep track of their expenses. Project due March 9th

Thursday, February 12

Norup International Students were AMAZING yesterday during our field trip to see Selma- we were extremely proud! We would like to thank everyone who helped to organize the trip, as well as the Berkley School District for supporting this opportunity.

Science: Took the Electricity Quiz, followed by a discussion of the movie Selma and a visible thinking exercise where students were asked to "Step Inside" the role of a character or object and to imagine themselves inside that point of view. Students were given the choice to "Step Inside" the following characters from the film: Annie Lee Cooper, James Reeb, Viola Gregg Liuzzo or the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Geometry: Took the Unit 5 test. No homework over break! 

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 23, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet is due Monday, February 23, 2015

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015 

Algebra: We are preparing for our Chapter 8 Test which will be the Tuesday we return from break (2/24).  Both reviews (Chapter 8 practice test & review stations) are due on Monday 2/23.

Pre-Algebra: We starting 9.2, simplifying radicals. The homework is 9.2, 1-6, 13-16, 20. http://norupstein.weebly.com/pre-algebra-notes-and-homework

ELA: Students reviewed their sticky notes regarding their reading of To Kill a Mockingbird. The goal was to find as many pieces of evidence showing Harper Lee's use of author's craft as possible. Students then contemplated what Harper Lee's goal for using each sticky noted author's craft move. When we return from break all students should have the book read and have an idea as to whether they will focus on one move or technique of author's craft or if they will focus on a goal. The students have charts from Day 5 of this Reader's Workshop that show the different techniques and goals.

Homework: Journal#3.23 and finish the book. Have a great Break!

Technology - Students worked on completing their Digital Footprint Quests 1-5. Remember to post a link to the blog for Quest 5 and comment on at least 2 other blogs posted in the Google Classroom.

Have a Great Break!

Wednesday, February 11

Field trip to see Selma 4th-7th hour

Humanities: Students finished presentations and shared current events in class. No homework. I will be out of the District the next two days. Students are expected to complete 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 section assessments in class Thursday and Friday. All chapter 9 work will be due when we return from break.

ELA - We had a reading day to catch up on To Kill a Mockingbird. Homework: Read through chapter 25 and Journal entry # 3.21 Technology: Students continued work on their Digital Footprint quests. All can be found on Google Classroom.

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 23, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet is due Monday, February 23, 2015

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015 

Tuesday, February 10

Science: 1st & 2nd hour watched "Cosmos- Electric Boy" about Michael Faraday. 5th-7th hour investigated series & parallel circuits in investigation 14-A. Electricity Quiz is Thursday.

Geometry: Went over the Unit 5 test review, test is Thursday.

Humanities: Students presented the last of our projects today in class. Homework is to complete a current event for tomorrow.

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 23, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet is due Monday, February 23, 2015

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015 

Pre-Algebra: Today we started looking at squares and square roots in the computer lab. There is no homework today.

Algebra: Finished the chapter with exponential decay. Assignment: Chess problem and radium problem. Due on Thursday. Test for Chapter 8 will be Tuesday, February 24

ELA - Students discussed the march of 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. I showed them a picture and they wrote in their notebooks what they See, then what they think, and what they wonder after viewing the image. Next I read them an article from History Channel and they came up with a color, a symbol, and an image that the article made them think of. It was a good lesson and I hope students got a lot from it. Homework: Read Chapter 25 and Journal #3.21

Technology: Students finished their Career Cruising surveys and then moved on to working on their Digital Footprint Quests.

Monday, February 9

Science: Took notes on Ohm's Law and watched a brief video related to Ohm's Law. Homework is the Ohm's Law Practice. 

Geometry: Began reviewing for Thursday's test, review is homework. 

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 23, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet is due Monday, February 23, 2015

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015

Pre-Algebra: Students finished the Quarterly. No homework.

Humanities: Students presented projects in class today. No homework.

ELA - RW Realistic Fiction Day 10 - Students looked at symbolism in general, we then looked at The Giver and the symbols used, we then looked at the symbolism used by Harper Lee. Students were reminded to always be looking for the Techniques of Author's Craft, the Signposts, etc when reading every book. This will help students to better understand the meaning of the novel, not just the plot line. Homework: Read through Chapter 23 and Journal entry #3.18

Technology - Students started their EDP (Educational Development Plan) in Career Cruising today. Mrs. Helms came in and worked with students. All of the Digital Footprint work should be done and submitted through Google Classroom by Friday.

Algebra: Started discussing exponential functions. Homework: finish notes!

Friday, February 6

Science: Investigated resistance of conductors & insulators and then used the concept of Ohm's Law to identify the resistance of "mystery" resistors. Electricity Quiz Thursday, February 12.

Geometry: Coordinate proofs. Homework is the 5.4-5.5 quiz. Unit 5 test Thursday, February 12.

Pre-Algebra: Today students took the Quarterly. No homework :)

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 9, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet is due Monday, February 23, 2015

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015 

Algebra: Today we did Brainteasers, made an entry in to our ISN books, practiced multiplying and dividing scientific notation, checked 2 nights of homework, answered questions and did sample problems. No homework!

Humanities: Students shared current events in class today. No homework.

ELA - Reader's Workshop Day 9 - Students used all they learned about author's craft in an On-Demand-Writing utilizing one of the offered sections from To Kill a Mockingbird. Homework: Read through Chapter 21

Technology: Students worked to complete up through Quest 4 on the Digital Footprint project. We will finish the Quests by next Friday.

Thursday, February 5

Permission slips for our field trip to see Selma are due tomorrow!

Science: Took notes on voltage, current and resistance. Homework is the 13.1 & 13.2 handout. Quiz Thursday, February 12.

Geometry: Investigated properties of special parallelograms (rectangle, rhombus & square). Homework is the Special Parallelogram handout. Unit 5 test on Thursday, February 12.

Pre-Algebra: Today we worked on a cumulative review, Chapters 1 - 4. Homework: No homework.

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 9, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet is due Monday, February 23, 2015

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015

Humanities: Students presented projects in class. Homework is to complete a current event for tomorrow.

ELA - Reader's Workshop Day 8 - Tough Questions, we revisited a Sign-Post from a previous unit, reminding students they should be Noticing and Noting signposts always and with every book (not just when Mrs. Kennedy gives them a chart). Homework: Read through at least Chapter 16 & Journal #3.15

Wednesday, February 4

Science: Electricity Webpage. After completing the first page visit some of these:

http://www.cleo.net.uk/consultants_resources/science/circuitWorld/circuitworld.html

http://www.learningcircuits.co.uk/flashmain.htm

http://www.hyperstaffs.info/science/work/physics/child/main.html

Geometry: Completed section 5.4- criteria for proving a quadrilateral is a parallelogram. Homework is the criteria for parallelograms handout. 

Pre-Algebra: Students finished and looked over their Chapter 4 tests. No homework.

Humanities: Students presented projects in class. Current events are due Friday.

Chinese: The class have an assignment and the due date is this Friday, Feb 6. Please check the class blog for detail.

RR English:

Read every evening

Reading log is due Monday, February 9, 2015

parents must sign reading logs

RR Math:

A section of math should be completed each night

Math packet was due today (February 4, 2015) - a new packet will be

to students on Friday

TEST: Monday, February 23, 2015

ELA - Welcome back! Hope reading continued over the long weekend. Today students continued with RW Day 7 - finding signposts of Contrasts and Contradictions. We are gathering evidence that will eventually be used in a paper on To Kill a Mockingbird and how Harper Lee used her craft to get her message across.

In case you haven't heard - publishers are taking the remainder of the original book Harper Lee wrote and molding it into a form of a sequel. The original book was set in the 1950s and was a grown up Scout flashing back on the summers in the 1930s - these flashbacks became To Kill a Mockingbird, the "new" book is the remainder of the story of Scout as she has grown. It will be interesting to see the woman she becomes! The book Go Set a Watchman will be released this summer, I already have my alerts on so I can get one of the first copies.

Also, To Kill a Mockingbird is on Kindle-ebooks now! If your child is an ebook reader it is very inexpensive on Amazon $3.99! Homework: Read through Chap 15 $ Journal # 3.13

Technology - Students presented their findings on their Tech Usage individually instead of in groups. We moved on to Quest 2 to stay on track.

Algebra: Welcome back. We talked about scientific notation today. Most students have seen it before. Homework: worksheet 8.4 (evens)