Post date: Dec 06, 2010 12:7:48 AM
Dear All,
I hope that your weekend is going well and that you've been able to get into the season. Our family certainly is... lights are on the tree, cider is simmering all day, and we're almost out of firewood -- already.
Recap of the Week:
English:
The establishment of new book groups went well, as did their first meetings on Tuesday. It seems to be working very well to have students choose the books and I'm so very lucky to have a group of book-club parents that are perfect for the job. I'm very happy that the book exchange spreadsheet did its job and the trading of books went efficiently. It was great to see students and parents offer up their own books to others for loan. To those who purchased their own books or even bought some for others I'd like to express my appreciation.
On Thursday I had the students analyze some persuasive writing by Robert MacNeil or Martin Luther King and answer some questions provided by the literature textbook. This should help them in their next persuasive writing project. The best arguments are those that are clearly expressed, supported by evidence, and well written.
On Friday, the Hunger Games essays were turned in (hopefully). If you count vacation and weekends, this was a 17 day writing project with much pre-planning, editing, group feedback, and guided practice, so my hopes and expectations are quite high on this one!
Science:
After a few little hands-on activities and demonstrations I'm hoping that the principles of pressure, flight, and buoyancy made a bit more sense. The test that the students took on Friday had 3 parts (multiple choice, fill-in, and short answer) and I'll get at least the m.c. corrected by Monday. Some students didn't finish both of the other two sections and can continue them on Monday.
I've perused many of the student's sites and haven't seen much evidence of the science experiments being done and "published" completely. I think that is something I need to address in class a bit in order to bring this project to a close.
Coming Up Next Week:
There a few things that I want to set in motion next week. The first is some analysis of various writing styles, and the second is to have the student start to work on some speaking tasks. The art of good oratory is crucial and I'm hoping to have the students feel comfortable as they experiment with various speaking styles and build their overall presentation skills. My 8th daughter's english class is doing mock job interviews this month and although it is a bit of a challenge for some, they value the results and benefit from the experience. Of course, I'll let you know how the idea and assignments progress.
The next science topic is "work, energy, and machines" and I think that there will be some great experiments to do and contraptions to build. DCS just received a grant from PG&E to purchase energy usage equipment and create some great curriculum around energy production, transmission, and conservation, so the timing is perfect.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and be sure to write to me if you have any suggestions, comments, or questions. I appreciate every day with you/your student and will continue to honor it by doing my best work.
Chris Heumann
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