Monthly Archives: February 2018

LA Block 2 Update — Week of 2/26

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This is the Block 2 LA Blog.  If you are looking for 8th grade seminar blog, click here.

We’ve had a great start to our third trimester LA class.  In class, we are reading Because of Mr. Terupt, mapping out characters, and identifying important quotes.  This week, we’ll start a writing project on designing a perfect school as well as looking at some non-fiction writing as well.
 
Upcoming due dates:  
  • Every night:  students should be reading.  They are welcome to listen to books on tape, but it is ideal if they are trying to track with text in hand.  Thirty minutes a night is ideal.
  • Tuesday:  Letter to me due.  A few students didn’t finish this last week and need to still send this in.
Thank you for all your support!  -JF

Co-op Update — Weeks of 2/26 and 3/5

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A few notes for Co-op:
  1. Eighth graders should have their school’s form ready-to-go with signatures for HS Registration by Friday, March 2nd.  Most will be registering that morning.
  2. Students should make sure they have the following in their portfolios.
    • At least five things in their personal section.
    • February goal reflection complete.
    • Contributions to CHOICE reflection in Portfolio by March 16th.
    • Service hours either complete or a plan for doing so.  Once these are complete, students can write their service reflection (description is in link above.)
  3. Students have an ADI on March 2nd.  They should check with their integrated teacher as to what to bring.
Have a fantastic week!  -JF

Fast Food Nation Update — Week of 2/26/18

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HI Fast Food Nation Fanatics,
Upcoming due dates:
  • Thursday:  “Strong” drafts due by 9pm.
  • Friday:  ADI #2:  Students should bring a snack (a light lunch will be provided), writing utensil, a clipboard, and warm clothing.
  • Friday, March 9th:  Final draft of LTP due.
Our ADI is a triple-stop food extravaganza to learn about the various pipelines through which we get our food.  We’ll be visiting Hammond’s Candy, McDonald’s, and lastly the Kitchen.  For a full blow-by-blow of our day, click here.
At this point, students should be using their outline and should have completed the following sections of their LTP:
  • Cover page
  • Introduction
  • History Section
  • Economic Section
  • Bibliography
We’ll be focusing on the social piece, conclusion, and infographic pieces this week during class.  And — if time allows — we’ll also start writing scripts for our ancient civilization newscasts.
Have a fantastic week!  -JF

8th Grade Seminar Update — Week of 2/26/18

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Hi Excellent Eighth Graders (and families!)

  • On March 8th, all 8th graders are going to see The Great Leap at the Denver Center for Performing Arts.  We also have the incredibly exciting opportunity to host one of the actors for a pre-show workshop this coming Thursday during class.  Here’s a brief overview of the plot. 
When an American college basketball team travels to Beijing for an exhibition game in 1989, the drama on the court goes deeper than the strain between their countries. For two men with a past and one teen with a future, it’s a chance to stake their moment in history and claim personal victories off the scoreboard.
  • We began To Kill A Mockingbird on Friday.  We are going to start slow.  TKAM is a rich text and there’s a lot to digest.  I have also asked students to NOT read ahead to help both with annotations and book group discussions.  As a result, students will probably need a novel on the side to meet the CHOICE reading requirement.   I’ll be recommending books in class (and students are always welcome to email me) — but here’s also a padlet of book recommendations.  We’ll be conducting our first book group discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • There’s a myriad of ways to read TKAM.  Some students are reading it independently.  Others are joining us for “read-aloud” during class.  I also have audio links here.  Students are welcome to listen to the story so long as they simultaneously track with a book in hand.
  • Also fyi…. there are a number of students who may need a resupply of writing pens/pencils.  Please check with your student.
Upcoming Due Dates:
  • Tuesday:  Chapters 1 and 2 in TKAM with importance annotations.
  • Wednesday:  Check-in #1 Due by 8am
  • Monday, March 5th:  Chapters 3 and 4 in TKAM with question annotations.
  • Thursday, March 8th:  Bring Sack Lunch to The Great Leap.
Have a great week!  -Josh Feiger

LA Update — Week of 2/20/18

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(This is NOT the 8th Grade Seminar Blog.  Click here to access that blog.)
I’m thrilled for the opportunity to be your student’s LA teacher for 3rd trimester.  Our class will be a 6th grade only LA class with a focus on guided reading.  I’m super excited that our class is only nine students and I’m looking forward to both lots of great conversations and giving students a lot of individualized attention.
Unfortunately, I’m missing our very first day of class (2/20) because I have a school accountability committee meeting.  The good news is that Cindy Matthews is going to be able to cover for me for this first day.  She’ll be sharing this letter that outlines our first assignments and provides a bit of context about the class.
Later in the week, we are going to have a day of dating — as we’ll be “speed-dating” books.   We’ll also start to read the wonderful book, Because of Mr. Terupt.  On Friday, students have an “email letter” due to me.  (See task description in link above)
Have a wonderful weekend! -JF

Fast Food Nation Update — Week of 2/20/18

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We’ve been continuing to work on our outlines of our LTP.  Students have locked down their thesis statements and we’ll begin the actual writing process next week.  A few helpful links just in case…
1) Link to outline template.
2) Link to Thesis Statement Padlet.
Students have also begun their Ancient Civilization Newscast project.  They have made group agreements, chosen a civilization to study, and have begun research.  We’ll hopefully make some good headway on that project this week.
We will also continue to read aloud / discuss chapter excerpts from both Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
There are no “official” due dates this week.  However, it is expected that by the end of Thursday’s class, students should have a draft of their title page, bibliography (easy bib), introduction and history segments of their LTP.
There will also likely be a due date on Ancient Civilization research.  Still to be announced.
Thank you for all your support!  -JF

8th Grade Seminar Update — Week of 2/20/18

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Hi Everyone,

I’m super excited to start 8th grade seminar on Tuesday.  Here’s what to expect:
Tuesday:  We’ll be having a conversation cafe about prejudice, stereotypes, assumptions, and the beginning of class.
Wednesday:  We’ll be reading a chapter from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, exploring the IAT Test, and learning about what (if any) biases we bring to our perspective.
Thursday:  We’ll be talking about Jim Crow and introducing a small poetry activity to learn about some of the big themes of To Kill A Mockingbird.
Friday:  We’ll begin reading To Kill A Mockingbird in class.  Students will have the option to read independently, as a group, or using an audio copy.  We’ll be focused on important passages.
Upcoming due dates: 
Tuesday, February 27th (that’s the following week):
Important passages (as modeled in class) brought to class.
Chapters 1 and 2 complete in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Wednesday, February 28th: Check-in due via email by 8:30am
Students are expected to bring the following to class:
  • Writing pen(cil)
  • Composition Notebook.  (Students can use their existing LA notebook if they have one.  All notebooks are welcome to be stored in my class)
  • To Kill A Mockingbird book.  (I’ll hand these out in class on Friday)
  • Choice Novel
Have a fantastic long weekend!  -JF

Fast Food Nation Update — Week of 2/12/18

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We will commence work on our LTP outline in Social Studies this week.  We’ll also be learning how to write a thesis statement while continuing our ongoing geography work.
I’m still looking for one more volunteer for each of our two remaining ADIs.   I have one opening for March 2nd and one opening for April 6th.  The field trips should be really fun and informative — let me know if you can join us.
Here are a few “dinner table” conversation starters with your student about class.
1) What’s your LTP topic?  What have you learned so far about the history, the economics, and the social impact of your topic?
2) What is the Huexotzinco Codex?  How does that work mathematically?
3) What are Cornell notes?  How do you create them?
4) How are you doing on the Geography or Stock Market Challenge?
5) What’s the Observatory of Economic Complexity?  What does it show us?
Upcoming due dates:
Monday:  Cornell notes due.  (Five pages — 8th Grade, Four pages — 7th Grade, Three pages — 6th Grade)
Tuesday:  North American import/export partner maps due.
Wednesday:  Thesis Statement due on padlet (hopefully sooner)
Thursday:  Outline due at end of class.  (This may slip a day depending on class)
Have a great week!  -JF

Co-op Update — Weeks of 2/12/18 and 2/20/18

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Yet another light news update for Co-op.  Please note that trimester two ends on Thursday, February 15th.  This would be a great time to make sure any missing assignments (particularly LA/math) get turned in before the end of the Trimester.  Students will be sharing their 2nd Trimester rubrics with parents on February 26th.
Our last two councils have been on “words that hurt / words that heal” and “random acts of kindness.”  This is also the time of year where students seem to get particularly stressed with all sorts of various deadlines so we are addressing that as well.
Have a fantastic week!  -Josh Feiger

LA Update — Week of 2/12/18

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Our final class together in our current configuration is on Thursday, February 15th.  Starting Tuesday, February 20th, LA classes will shift for third trimester.  If students aren’t clear yet where (if anywhere) they are going for 3rd trimester, just have them ask me in class and I’ll let them know.
In the meanwhile, there is lots to do as we complete our personal video book review project.  We’ll be having a film festival on Wednesday and Thursday to watch all the videos and to get some good book recommendations going forward.  Here is the padlet where all the videos will be featured in case you want a few good book recommendations yourself!   (It’s empty now, but will be populated by Wednesday.)
By now, students should have finished their recording, edited their video, and inserted their credits.  We’ll be walking through the publishing process on Monday.  (Students may have some catch up work to do over this weekend.)
Upcoming due dates:
Tuesday:   PVBR Rubric complete.
PVBR published to padlet.
Trimester Rubric submitted in Google Classroom. (By end of class)
Wednesday at Noon:  Last chance to turn in any work from 2nd trimester.  Unfortunately, I can’t offer any extensions after this time.
Thank you so much for all your support.  I’ve so enjoyed these past two trimesters with your student.
Best,  -JF