Tuesday 10/31/17 Happy Halloween

I hope everyone enjoyed their day off yesterday and are rested and ready to tackle Benchmarks which begin tomorrow. The Science Benchmark is Friday. Please study everything you learned this quarter to date including all vocabulary words. Play Kahoot Ecology and Water quality reviews in the previous post if you did not do so already.

Bring your charged Chromebook to school tomorrow ready to test.

Below is your Vocabulary for the week of 10/31  please study this before Friday. Boom Bag cards due Friday 11/3. Please do your very best on your benchmark, I know all of you are capable of scoring above a 70%. You got this.

 

Abiotic factor – a nonliving part of an ecosystem Biotic factor – a living part of an ecosystem. Limiting factor – an abiotic or biotic factor that controls the number of individuals within a population. Carrying capacity – the maximum number of organisms that an ecosystem can support with its resources. Habitat – the place where an organism lives and obtains food, shelter, and protection. Niche – the job or role of an organism in its environment. Species – a group of organisms that share most characteristics and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Population – a group of organisms of the same species living in the same place. Community – all the populations of organisms in an ecosystem

 

Kahoot Ecology Vocabulary Benchmark Preview 10/29/17

Play a game of Kahoot to preview upcoming vocabulary. These will be on the benchmark.

Kahoot Ecology Vocabulary Benchmark Preview

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Water Quality and Stewardship Kahoot

Happy Friday and Long Weekend!

Hi there, sorry I haven’t posted in a few days, we have been very busy with ocean stations. Today in class students finished up their station’s booklets on ocean zones and we began our lesson today reading and analyzing the article Ocean Zones and Marine Food Webs.

Students are to complete page 17 1nd 18 in their INB. See picture below.  I gleaned this idea from Mrs. Marcia Barton, I really liked it and it is perfect for what we are learning in class. For the PDF click here: INB PG 17 and 18 Oceans

The article should be attached to page 17 along the side for easy reference. A copy of the article can be found here: Ocean Zones overview courtesy of Mrs. Barton

Students were given an extra credit opportunity for the second nine weeks and these are due to me when they walk in the door on  Wednesday, November 1st.  Please upload to Seesaw before turning them into me. See below for the PDF and an example of the work.

 

Link to pdf of extra credit

Second link

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday 10/24/17 Estuaries

Today we started with our essential question we answered on Seesaw and then reviewed what we learned about estuaries from the previous lesson. Most of my classes did a great job and I can tell they did the assignment. A few sat like bumps on a log at the bottom of an estuary and this can not happen.

Please make sure students are reviewing material nightly as I love pop quizzes and will give them daily as needed to hold students accountable for their learning. THe following assignment will go on pg 15 and 16 as pictured. Due on seesaw by Thursday 3:00pm, Make plans to have it done prior t due date to upload at school. Please do not tell me on Thursday evening or Wednesday that Seesaw isn’t working at home. Get it done sooner than later and turned in.

Pg 15 and 16 inb notes on estuaries all info is EOG content from unpacking!

Ex: 

attach the article to page five as shown below:

 

 

MONDAY MANIA 10/23/17 POSTED TUESDAY 10/24/17

Today students were introduced to this week’s vocabulary from the Test Tuesday article: “All About Estuaries.” Each student was provided a copy of this last week as we skimmed and scanned the article for our Vocabulary Word Splash creatures. (see Friday’s post)

Students were asked to read this over the weekend just to get acquainted with the material before today’s lesson.  Today students began with their academic improvement retest from standard 8.E.1.1 in the hopes of pulling up their scores after I retaught the material they did poorly on. Anyone who scored below a 70% was given the opportunity to retest on the material with a signed parent contract and completion of the study guide prior to yesterday’s retest. 

I am working on grading these as quickly as possible. 

Below is the vocabulary from today’s lesson. Some students got the words and definitions down at least for their Boombag flash cards, those testing had them for HW but we will play BoomBag tomorrow so get them done.

 

10/23/17

Sorry guys, I had to post this today versus last night as when I left school I had a soccer game for my son in Wayne Co. and when I got back, I realized the loaner computer I have while mine is being worked on…….wouldn’t turn on. (Yes I had the charger, lol)  No worries though we will get the flashcards done and there were only five words so shouldn’t take long, they are still on the board as well.

Finishing Up Friday

 

 

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For the most part, we spent Friday finishing up our vocabulary word splash. Students did an awesome job with these I was quite impressed. We used the word splash to introduce new vocabulary related to the estuary. Students pulled the vocabulary from the reading article we will be reading in class Monday.  Students had to make the word splash in the shape of an aquatic organism that resides in the estuary. See above for some awesome student work. My wall looks great with my estuary and ocean zones mural. The retest is Monday as stated in the class all week thanks.

 

 

 

On Monday we will retest those who made below a 70 percent on standard 8E1.1 .

10/16/17 Moving Mountains Monday

 

Hi guys, phew! We have been steadily working to get our projects finished up this week. All projects need to be finalized by end of class Wednesday. Many are right on target and have been in class daily to complete the tasks given. Several have missed school with no excuse or have checked out repeatedly.  We are in week three and I really can’t extend dates any longer. Students have been given two weeks of class time to do the project in class.  I am moving on on Thursday with Estuaries as I need to have you guys ready for that first benchmark.  

All students are to turn in their cartoon today by the end of class. I did allow a few to finish up at home if they were not done with just the cartoon. Now,  having said that, If a student does not return the assignment tomorrow when they walk in the door, it will be a zero for a test grade as I have warned the students about taking these out of the classroom.

If they leave before the end of day parents, I need these prior to checking out. These are meant to help the students not hurt them and we are getting close to the end of the quarter. 

Students have a reading assignment due tomorrow. The assignment is on Seesaw and it is to be done on your own paper and submitted to me in class tomorrow. NO GOOGLE DOC and NO SEESAW. Sometimes I need to see your writing and as this was last week’s writing Wednesday assignment; I need to go ahead and collect in class to grade for your writing skills. 

Also, tomorrow, if you took your cartoon home to color, I need it! NO EXTENSIONS.

Your pamphlet on the Environment is due by end of class tomorrow. (part 5)

Your entire project folder as well as your part 4 due by end of class Wednesday 10/18/17. 

 

Writing Wednesday HW Pushed to this week as kids have been really working hard.

Read the article and answer the questions in the article on your own paper turn it in in class on 10/17/17.

10/11/17 Happy Hump Day

 

We are almost there guys, hang tight! I just walked in the door from a meeting and I know many of you did as well as I saw many of you leaving practice. I am not going to post the Writing Wednesday article for homework tonight just look back at last night’s post and read the HW from last night if you did not do it and answer the questions and follow directions for submission. Remember Seesaw works at the school for uploading the assignment. Get it done before the date due and upload at school prior to when it is due.  Last night’s assignment is past due but I want you to do it and turn it in no later than Monday of next week. Tommorrow I will put today’s assignment up and just ask you complete it by Monday as well. Keep in mind, I assign assignments and give deadlines to meet objectives we are covering in class or will cover very soon thereafter.

Have a great night and see you tomorrow!

 

10/10/17 Tuesday

Hi guys, sorry to post a little late but I was making parent phone calls before it was too late to call.  Today in class we continued our project on NC River Basins. Students should be about on their cartoon assignment at this point. They have been working hard! They have researched the Neuse River Basin, and have determined they live in the Neuse River Basin. Students are now researching aquatic organisms that are native to the Neuse.

For homework, I have asked students to read the following article about water shortage. Please complete the questions on a google doc and submit to Seesaw no later than class time tomorrow. Those without a Chromebook, submit your work on paper at the beginning of class tomorrow.

For the entire article, click below.

Text Tuesday Water Shortage HW

Water Shortage Questions

 

Watch the WRAL HOG FARM DEBATE be prepared to argue a side

Environmental factors of hog farms

 

10/9/17 Monday Madness…Lots Of Info Here to Go Over, Bare With Me!

Parents, your student should have brought their progress reports home today!

Please,  sign them and return for a grade in my class by tomorrow. Also, I would like to ask each of you to please come out for our parent tech night on Thursday evening, Students received an informational sheet to bring home to you last week, it is blue. If you did not see this please ask your child to give this to you. We will be going over different Chromebook applications for parents to use to help keep them informed on their students progress in the classroom.

Some of the things we will be presenting are Seesaw, Google Classroom, Remind, Parent Portal to check grades, and perhaps a quick game of Kahoot to show parents a game that your students love to play for assessment and review of content material. This will be a very informative meeting.

Tomorrow is picture day, please dress accordingly, these will go in the yearbook. If you wish to purchase your child’s pictures please send money and the envelope they received last week in homeroom with your child in the morning.

Now a HUGE SHOUT OUT to the following students for their achievements on their CFA on the structure of water and the special properties of water.

90 and above                  80-89                                       70-79

Isabel Twiss                    Madison Butts                       Taylor Sullivan

Sydney Mitchell             Kendra Dumond                   Lindsey Vaughn

Samuel Denney               Letzy Rodriguez                   Kevin Sandoval

                                             Kaya Jones                            Catherine Cranford                                                                                                                                 Emily Smith

Anyone who scored below a 70 will be given a grade improvement contract and will be expected to get their parents to sign and return the contract no later than Wednesday 10-11-17. Students will have to complete the study guide before I will allow them to schedule a retest date and time. Please, parents, read the contract over with your child and return. It is my goal to ensure every child’s success and in order to do that, I need the support of my parents on this!

Be on the lookout tomorrow for this form.