Friday, October 7

Science: Today we began planning the "How Fast Am I?" lab, which is the inquiry lab for Unit #1. We will be collecting data for this lab next week Monday & Tuesday (3rd hour is invited to a pizza lunch on Monday so that they can complete data collection as this class does not meet Tuesday & Wednesday due to the MEAP). Lab planner is attached. Quizzes were also returned, quiz corrections are due on Monday.

Geometry: We spent a lot of time discussing the 2.5 homework and then started the quiz. We also discussed a comment made during the Tiger's game last night about pitches changing planes as an example to further deepend our understanding of planes. The quiz was assigned as homework. The chapter 2 test will be Monday, October 17.

Humanities: Students checked atlas work, reviewed 1.1 of the text, discussed current events and watched student news in class. No homework.

Language Arts: Students took a 3 minute Reading Assessment before taking their Vocabulary #3 Quiz. We then conducted our first Novel Classroom Discussion on The Giver chapters 1-5. Almost all students have taken their first AR quiz and are making progress on their second. Good job, keep up the great work! Homework: READ!

Pre-Algebra: We reviewed for our chapter one test on Monday.  STUDY.

Spanish I reminder: please remember to tell your parents that there will be a Chicago information meeting on Tuesday at 6 PM in the media center. A representative from Travel Adventures will be there to talk about the trip, answer questions, and explain how to register online.  Your first test is on Tuesday, October 11th. 2nd hour students: you will have your test on Thursday, October 13th next week because of the MEAP and Fun Run.

Algebra(Graham) Took our test. Some students did not finish. Those students will have 15 minutes to finish on Monday. If they need more than that, they need to come see me at lunch in the MYP computer lab.

Thursday, October 6

Final Plea for Fun Run donations!   Please turn in pledges of any amount! There will be prizes for the top fund raisers, including gift cards, a week of Slurpee's, pizza, lunch with teachers, assistant principal for the day, and principal for the day.  There will also be two special prizes (one for PYP and one for MYP - 4th hour class) for the classrooms that raise the most.  Those are $100 work of books for PYP and $100 of educational materials of the class' choice for MYP. Please help us make this fund-raising event great!

Science: Practiced analyzing graphs of motions with both distance vs. time graphs and speed vs. time graphs. No homework. Quizzes are graded and the grades are posted, quizzes will be returned tomorrow.

Geometry: Went over the 2.4 homework and finished the 2.5 notes. Students are getting their first tastes of proofs and may get frustrated. Frustration is ok! Frustration is good! Don't give up! 2.5 worksheet is homework. Chapter 2 quiz is tomorrow. 

Spanish I students must meet me tomorrow Friday by the art room, and we will go to the computer lab at Avery. The 1.1 chapter test has been moved to Tuesday, October 11th

Pre-Algebra: We worked on a review for chapter one.  The test is Monday.  We will review tomorrow.

Algebra: Test tomorrow!  Good luck!

Language Arts: Students turned in their Vocabulary Sentences....we will be having a full blown lesson set next week on Subjects and Predicates, these kids need a review!  We then adjourned to the Lab/Media Center to type our final drafts for our Science Fiction papers.....due tomorrow in this order: Rubric, 1st Draft (with Mark Up) Revision, Final Draft (illustrations will be completed during MEAP week). Also due tomorrow is The Giver Chapters 1-5 & journal ready for Class Discussion.

Wednesday, October 5

Science: Students completed a jigsaw for pages 32-34 & 46 in the notes packet. No homework. We will begin our next inquiry investigation next week "How Fast Am I?".

Geometry: Went over the 2.3 homework and completed the 2.4 notes. We also started the 2.5 notes. 2.4 worksheet is homework. Chapter 2 quiz on Friday.

Humanities: Students continued atlas work and shared current events in class. Homework is to complete the atlas worksheets if they were not finished in class.

Humanities: Students wrote sentences for Vocabulary List #3. They underlined their subject and boxed their predicate. The rest of the hour was "clean up" - Science Fiction stories were polished and ready for publishing tomorrow in the lab/Media Center. The Giver assignment was worked on - Chapters 1-5 read and write at least 5 events/characters/questions in Reader's Journal. Read AR book and/or take AR quizzes. I met with students that haven't taken at least 1 of the 3 books due for the marking period. We discussed a time line and made a "deal" as to when they would take the quiz.

Algebra (Graham) Review Day. I have attached a copy of the Unit 1/2 review. Page 1 (front and back) is expected to be completed for tomorrow.

Pre-Algebra: We finished talking about coordinate graphing.  Students should do all of worksheet 1.8 for homework.

Tuesday, October 4

Science: Took the first quiz of the year today! No homework. Lab corrections were passed back.

Geometry: 2.3 notes (Laws of Logic) were discussed in class. 2.3 worksheet is homework. 2.1-2.4 quiz is on Friday.

Language Arts: Students used at least 4 vocabulary words in one of the journal entries below - remembering to write at least 1/2 a page. Have you ever been lost? Explain what happened and how you felt then, and afterwards. What do you like most about living in your town? What do you like least? Explain. Topic of your choice. We then finished up our Peer Conferencing on our Science Fiction writing pieces so we would be ready to publish by Thursday. The Giver was distributed with Reader's Journals. Chapters 1-5 are due by Friday with 5 notes in the Chap 1-5 Section of the Reader Journal. Examples of what to write in journal: new characters and who they are, interesting events, confusing events, topics student wants to discuss during class discussion, anything that would be of interest, etc. We have about 75% of AR quiz #1 (of three) done, please be sure these are done soon. Next week: MEAP - Chapters 6-10 and coinciding vocabulary. Homework: Finish polishing Science Fiction piece. READ

Algebra (Graham) Homework is to finish the notes from section 9.1. I have attached the study guide for the Unit test which is this Friday.  I will hand it out for homework tomorrow.

Pre-Algebra: We started to talk about coordinate graphs.  We practiced plotting points on the white boards.  No homework.

Spanish I students must meet me by the art room this Friday to go to Avery to use their computer lab. First chapter test is this Monday.

Monday, October 3

Science: Today we went over the "Speed Worksheet" from last week and also investigated graphing time and distance data that we collected from a car on a track. We also began discussing how to calculate speed from the graph. We will also have our first science quiz tomorrrow, open note and homework worksheets.

Geometry: Today we began the first step in learning proofs by studying logic and conditional statements. 2.2 worksheet is homework, 2.1-2.4 quiz on Tuesday.

Language Arts: Students copied down Vocabulary List #3 and we discussed the definitions. Students were given time to either read their AR books or take an AR quiz during this time. We then completed any Peer Conferences and began our final revisions on the Science Fiction piece we have been writing. Thursday we will be going down to the Media Center/Innovation lab to type up our final copy. These pieces will be bound and available for review at Parent Teacher Conferences the end of this month. Rubric is attached. Tomorrow students will receive their first novel The Giver by Lois Lowry. We will be keeping Reader's Journals to keep topics of discussion notes. Homework: READ & work on Science Fiction Piece if needed.

Pre-Algebra: We talked about multiplying and dividing integers. Worksheet 1.7, evens.

Algebra (Hill):Today we worked with the Multiplicative Inverses Sec 2.6. Homework page 106 2-34 even

Algebra (Graham): Lesson 2.6, Homework: page 106 (4-52 multiples of 4). Test on Friday!!!

Humanities: Students worked on a KWL and used textbooks to find an interesting fact to report.  Homework is to complete the KWL sheet and "Scatagories" sheet for tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 28

Science: Practiced conversions in the metric system. Students came up with their own mnemonic device to help them. King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk is the example we worked off of. We then used our mnemonic devices to do some conversions in the metric system. We will have our first quiz on Tuesday, October 4. Quizzes are open note & homework, meaning students may use any of their notes or homework worksheets to help them on the quiz. Lab corrections are due on Monday, October 3.

Geometry: Went over the 2.1 notes (inductive reasoning, conjectures & counterexamples) and the Chapter 1 test in class. 2.1 worksheet is homework. 2.1-2.4 quiz will be Friday, October 7.

Algebra (Hill): Today we continued our discussion regarding the distributive property. Homework Section 2.5 Problems 4-40 Multiples of 4

Algebra(Graham) Worked on the distributive property. No homework!

Language Arts: Students have been writing and rewriting Science Fiction Stories all week. We held Peer Conferences with those that had their rewrite done for class. Next week will begin our first novel unit The Giver by Lois Lowry....I know many students have heard this book read as a read aloud, please encourage them to read the chapter sections and make notes in their reader's journals as there are many mature topics that I'm sure previous teachers didn't touch on (euthanasia, communism, etc). The first of three AR quizzes should have been taken by last Friday, I have been encouraging students to get this done while we didn't have a class novel unit....most didn't take my suggestion to get on AR quiz under their belt and we are almost halfway through the marking period. I did enter zeros for those that haven't taken one yet to light a fire under the students. These quizzes are not due until the end of the marking period, but there is slim to no chance for a student to take 3 of these quizzes in one week. Please speak to your student about this and the factor of time management. I have been trying to guide the students, many feel they can get it all done at the end and that worries me. Homework: Read, Finish any revisions needed for Science Fiction paper

Pre-Algebra: We worked on subtracting integers. Homework-worksheet 1.6, evens.

Spanish I: Flashcards on 1.2 (pg 69) are due by next Wednesday.

Humanities: Students finished values presentations and shared current events in class. No homework.

Tuesday, September 27

Science: Today we learned how to calculate velocity, distance and speed. After doing several practice problems in class the Speed Worksheet was assigned for homework. Lab Correction due date has been pushed back to Monday, October 3!

Geometry: Today we worked on the "Hexagon Train" problem solving task. Later in this unit we will analyze all the different ways possible to solve this problem. 2.1 notes are homework. The chapter 1 tests are graded, the class average was 89%, nice work for the first test of the year!

Pre-Algebra: We took a quiz on lesson 1.1 - 1.4.  Students worked on worksheet 1.5 all.  It is homework if they didn't finish.

Spanish I: Vocab quiz tomorrow (words on pg 47)

Algebra (Hill) Today we explored the distributive property in class. Home work finish the 1st page front and back of your 2.5 notes.

Humanities: Students shared values presentations in class. Current events due tomorrow.

Algebra (Graham): No homework!