Most Americans Use About 200-gallons-day Of Water.

Did your cherub?  Does your family?  That's what we calculated, today, as part of an ongoing project "Taking Account of Water."  I was punched as pleased to learn our Loyalsock family conserves water in our homes.  Tomorrow, we will take that data and turn it into a bar graph.

Got an afterschool meeting, today.

Have a great night, folks.

If I give an assignment, its only right I should expect it to be done

Rather uneventful day.  I asked two of my classes to distinguish between a valley glacier and a continental glacier as outlined in the the homework reading assignment from last night.  I had several teary-eyed munchkins asking for a retest, extra-credit, etc.  LOL! I did not grade that bellringer, but, it did serve as a fair warning that when I assign reading - it better be done.

I am so far behind in my teaching, this year.  I suppose because I had to cover things that should have been done at Schick.  Aw, its no big deal.  At least it gave me a chance to ensure they are learning this material.

Let's just say tomorrow we discuss frozen water and running and standing water.

Backpack Mail
My boss passed out backpack mail detailing a pilot after-school academic program.  I hope all parents take advantage of this program for their cherubs to strengthen math and reading skills.  You folks have a most excellent middle school.  We all bend over backwards to instill pride, skills, and diligence. 

Have a great night, folks.

Teaching two ways, becomes four-ways

Holy Cow!!!  First period went according to plan, but, we ended-up with a lockdown during second period that extended well into third period.  Improvisation was the key, as we took that extra time to delve deeper into our textbook readings and talk about the dangers of drinking water from those pipes that shoot out water near roadways.  Sure, they were once public oases that featured pure spring water, but now, PennDOT uses those areas to channel surface run-off.  Anyway, after lockdown, we a third period class that consisted of a dozen or so minutes.  Hardly time to teach.  Finally, fourth period features a different way to teach the material and was difficult because the cherubs were still in goofy-mode from the lockdown, although most of my kiddoes were back to normal halfway through class.

All-in-all, it woulda been a good day to have stayed at home.  Whew!!!  This is a terrific sixth grade, this year, so despite my panic-mode teaching, they fared pretty well.

No clue why we had a lockdown -  really don't care.

Have a great night, folks.

I Was-oh so-Clever; RRRRiiiigggghhhttt

Okay, so I took the textbook and I photo-copied chapter 3 for two of my classes - ya know, so they highlight key passages, color-in diagrams and illustrations, and, above all, add little notations.  Oh, yes, spent some time in the copy room to run-off 40+ copies.  Then, ran-off 100 copies of the vocabulary words from that chapter as additional reinforcement.  Gave the list and the packet to those two classes,  Yes, I, patted myself on the back for ingenuity.  RIGHT!  Learned later today, two pages in half the packets did not copy and were not in the packets.  The best laid plans, my friend, the best laid plans. . .

Have a great night, folks.

Working at a snail's pace

Each year, the water unit goes slower and slower.  This year it came to a standstill.  It will seem unfair to the kiddoes, but, I have to speed-up the pace and pray those kiddoes that get lost will come in for help before or after school, or during REACH.  It's not complicated, it's just I became an enabler and opted to go forward only as fast as the slowest student, permits.

Have a great night, folks.

You are now entering sixth grade - fasten your seatbelts, please

Today, we finished the Eureka video clips on molecules, heat and temperature, and expansion and contraction.  The videos are geared for a younger audience.  However, my cherubs prove to have very little, if any, exposure to molecular structure, necessary for my unit on water.

Still Using Bill Nye
I love using Bill Nye in my classroom as a teaching aid.  Previously, I used his show as a catalyst to teaching about rocks.  Now, I am using his show on water cycle in my REACH class as a catalyst to my sixth grade water unit.

Have a great night, folks.

Little Lumps

The munchkins, today, watched a series of mini-clips on molecules - little lumps, to get them prepared for sixth grade water unit.  for whatever reason, they were not exposed to molecular processes in baby school. These videos are kinda cool.  click on \the link http://www.ltsd.k12.pa.us/4979_3814173829/Blog/browse.asp?a=398&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=53109
 look for my Tuesday lesson.  and click on those links.  Totally, cool.

Taking Account
The weekend assignment requires the cherubs and their families to participate in a water survey.  Here is a link to that survey.  http://www.ltsd.k12.pa.us/497970223125916/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=53536

Have a great night, folks

Finished with Earth's Innerds

I completed the unit with a short video on the New Madrid earthquake of 1812, and a 20 minute overview video of volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. The cherubs were able to answer every question from the video, that I asked. "Day done learned."

Dance of the water molecule
Oh yeah, on Tuesday, we start the water cycle. The boys will be air particles, the girls will be water molecules, and one particular boy will be dust particle. We will then act out the processes of evaporation and condensation. We also go back into the textbook, and the munchkins will be given reading assignments from the book. WHAT?!? Mr. Z expects them to read for themselves? I pray, they will be able to handle the three or four-page reading assignments.

No school, Monday
Teachers become students on this in-service day. Have yet to be given an agenda of what we can expect. Ho boy, I hate these days. I got into this gig to teach the best way I know how and with a method that will inspire children to learn. Often, those latest and greatest new methods are simply a rehash of methods that were tried and failed, in the past.

Have a great weekend, folks.

The Human Tragedy

It pains me to teach about the earthquake in Haiti, knowing I must limit my remarks to the scientific phenomena - the quake, and side-step the human drama. It "ain't" my job or place, however, it is in the news because we are studying earthquakes, right now, in science.

I hope parents sit and watch the unfolding events with their children and speak frankly about the quake. Your kiddoes do know how to equate this magnitude quake with the 1989 San Francisco tremblor, and we also mention other significant quakes to affect the United States.

Science Quiz Today
I am "sorta" impressed and "sorta" distressed that my munchkins either found today's quiz easy, while a handful found it difficult and did poorly. If your child is having a difficult time with these powerpoints - on my website - please, fire off an email to me. We can play internet tag and get the student up to speed.

Neglected
I was so excited yesterday, to be able to blog, again, that I neglected to thank all my students that thought of my during the holidays with the "Christmas" gifts they presented. I enjoyed the fudge, biscotti, coffee, gift certificates, and yes, my Christmas Yoda bobble-head.

Have a great night, folks.

I AM BACK!!!!!!

Sorry for the long hiatus. Contractual issues, "ya" know.

Earthquakes
Currently, the sixth grade is engaged in learning about Earth's "innerds" interior. Oh yes, we doing the whole nine-yards, including seismology. So, yesterday, was a lesson on earthquakes. And, wouldn't you know it, a 7.0 quake devastates Haiti.
This unit is in the form of seven powerpoints I wrote several years ago. The link to those powerpoints is on my website.
After each powerpoint, students are given a five-question quiz pertaining solely to that powerpoint. We complete each powerpoint with accompanying worksheet, in class. Whatever I don't get done in class, is the student's responsibility to complete independently.

Edline
I strive to keep edline updated. However, understand that not all assessments are graded. I engage the children in inquiry discussions and in-class problem solving using learned materials. So, if you don't see an updated edline for upwards of a week or so, please bear that in mind.

REACH
I get 25 minutes with just a few kiddoes, each day, to review or enrich science materials. That is so difficult to do, and because of band and/or chorus do not have the luxury to get each munchkin. And, we rotate, each day, so I get one group every six days, and even then, its not all the same cherubs, due to band and/or chorus.

Social Studies
Civics in sixth grade, wow. I do Constitutional rights and amendments. Very low-key. So much so, I rarely assign homework and prefer daily, face-to-face learning with my students.

Contact Me
Got a question, concern, quip, query, comment, quandry? Fire me an email. Bear in mind, I am not the greatest at receiving criticism, however, don't let that stop you. I am a big boy and if you have any concerns or criticisms, please share them with me. If I don't know, I can't act on it.

Have a great night, folks.

Sorting rocks by diameter

Okay, so far, we separated a pile of rocks and sand into three equal piles, according to mass. One pile is labeled, "wind." Another, is "Mountain Stream," and the third, "Mass Movement."

Now then, starting with the wind pile. Students separated the pile according to diameter size and placed them in categories that include; boulder, cobble, pebble, gravel, very course sand, and course sand. The pile was weighed, the categories counted, and the sand weighed separately.

One rock was picked, weighed, an outline drawn, and it was painted with fingernail polish.

The pile and painted rock was placed in a plastic jar with a lid. A stopwatch was set for 3-minutes and the jar was shaken vigorously for three minutes. The painted rock is retrieved, weighed and outline drawn.

This process is repeated with mountain stream and mass movement.

Have a great night, folks.

Will be absent on Tuesday

Sorry, folks. I will not be in school on Tuesday. Family emergency. However, my sub will be showing a video in science, starting a packet on metrics in REACH, and starting a packet on learning to use maps, in social studies.

I will be at an area hospital, all day, doing school work on my 'puter, as I wait for a family member to undergo minor surgery. I will be checking my email, as always.

Have a great night, folks.

Edline is Updated

Better check your munchkins' grades in science. This, after hand-holding, fix-its, and downright chasing after the kids.

I handed back the leaf collection project/science notebook. Ask your cherub to see it.

Please do not ask for extra-credit work. Also, please do not ask me to adjust the project or notebook grade. I went over everything in class, gave classtime to do work, made certain students that were absent received work they missed the days they were out, and even conferenced with students over the work.

Final note: I had a blast at the Bloomsburg Fair with my son and his family.

Have a great night, folks.

Bar graphs

Wow, what a neat class. We learned the concepts of making and interpreting data tables and bar graphs. Let's see how the cherubs learned, today, There tables and graphs are due on Friday.

Have a great night, folks.

My current anchor is interpreting data

Tomorrow, we take those leaf projects and determine the most common trees in Loyalsock Twp. by surveying each class and tallying the top seven common trees, or something like that. We will then create a data table to show that survey and create a bar graph. All this ties into my current anchor of interpreting data. I was surprised to find that Mrs. Antonacci is currently working with data tables in her math classes. Cool.

Have a great night, folks.

Some Halp Wit 'Tyar Tree ID

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY/commontr/commontrees.pdf

First test tomorrow

Well, the first science test of the year is tomorrow. Today, I handed out and reviewed a study guide to prepare the cherubs for a 10-question, multiple-choice test on chapter 1 - soils.

I have thumbnail photos of each kiddo that I had laminated. Tomorrow, before the test, they will cut-out their photo and adhere it into their leaf project.

On Monday, the munchkins will need their completed leaf collection project. They will receive a 24-point project grade for the mounted leaves, and a 5-point test grade for their folder containing all the leaf project handouts. Parents, you will need to sign a paper verifying you checked that folder and all the items listed are included in the folder.

Also, on Monday, we begin our first experiment on soil.

Has this week really been as long as it feels?

Have a great night, folks.

When is the leaf project due?

look at my blog, look at my homework page, look at my daily agenda entries, look at the posters on the wall in my classroom, passed out the rubrics with the due date, passed out a page detailing what is required on that due date, along with a parent signature, and, of coursed, listen to the daily oral reminders by Mr. Z. I really should make an effort to communicate to these children. OKAY -- the leaf collection material are all due on Monday, Sept. 28, at the start of class.

Have a great night, folks.

In the 'puter lab

we introduced the leaf id key, today, in the computer lab. kiddoes are invited to work at home on the internet. however, we will be in the lab on Tuesday, and Wednesday.

The big news is the leaf collection project is due on Monday, Sept. 28.

Chapter 1 test on soils is this friday.

have a great night, folks. the shift key on my laptop is sticking and i am having difficulty with capital letters.

This Week's Game Plan

Okay, here it is:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we are in the computer lab with our leaves and data tables. Using the link on my website (http://www.oplin.org/tree/) we will find the common and scientific names of our leaves to complete the leaf booklet.

That pesky leaf booklet is due Monday, September 28, at the start of class. One letter grade penalty for each day late.

Also, we are completing Chapter 1 - soils and I plan to have a review on Thursday and the start of class on Friday, before handing out a 10-question multiple-choice quiz on Friday.

Starting on Monday, September 28, we begin an experiment with sand. Actually, there are a couple of sand experiments, before we move on to Chapter 2 - landforms.

Whew! Welcome to middle school. The paper chase - begins!!!

Have a great rest of the weekend, folks.