October+27th+-+October+31st

Week at a Glance
== This week we will be finishing up our science video (different for high school and middle school) and write a paragraph response. The paragraphs will be constructed using sentence-starters and turned in on Monday. On Tuesday we will be reviewing the vocabulary studied in class (weather or biology) and have a quiz on Thursday. High school students will be continuing their biology handouts while middle school students will begin learning about the jet stream and how topology affects weather patterns. On Friday, the high school classes will begin researching their zoology animals (specific to the biology section we are studying) while middle school classes will upload additional writing samples. ==

=Thursday, October 30th, 2008=

Middle School
===Today middle school students took a test on cloud types and cloud vocabulary. Unfortunately, until every student takes the test I can't upload it. However, this is the summary of the test: === === Observations: Students who were used to one-on-one paraprofessional support during test times in previous schools often requested help when it was unneeded. We are trying to teach more independence in their learning, but if help truly was needed it was provided (see modifications to cloud matching). It also goes without saying that the students who struggled to pay attention during our previous learning activities struggled to recall the information. ===
 * ===All questions on the test came from previous warm-ups, note-taking exercises, or cloud flashcards (with the exception of 4 cartoon images that showed either evaporation or condensation). ===
 * ===There were three separate word bank sections with numbers by the words. Students had to fill in the number of the correct word in the appropriate spaces below. ===
 * ===The last part of the test was identifying the various cloud types from images studied through flashcards. In some cases, modifications were made for students where I took the original large-sized images and laid them out on a table with the names of the cloud types on notecards. Students could place the notecard on top of the image if they couldn't remember the names of the clouds on their own. Students who didn't finish during class will be given extra time tomorrow. ===

High School
=== Today students were given a checklist of all the week's assignments in both writing and science class. Students used classtime to finish these up. The assignments for this week are: ===
 * ===Written Response to "The Wild: Sharks!" ===
 * ===Sentence Fragment worksheet ===
 * ==="Scary Experience" writing sample on their English page ===
 * ===Section II of their Ecology packet (questions 1-5 on page 703) ===
 * ===Pink Ecology vocabulary sheet ===
 * ===Make sure they have their three informational sites linked so we can begin research next week. ===
 * ===<span style="color: rgb(0, 5, 255)">Spelling packets ready for tomorrow. ===

=Tuesday, October 28th, 2008=

Middle School

 * 1) ===<span style="color: rgb(192, 61, 27)">Students reviewed cloud types in preparation for the test on Thursday ===
 * 2) ===<span style="color: rgb(192, 61, 27)">Students completed their cloud vocabulary word finds ===
 * 3) ===<span style="color: rgb(192, 61, 27)">If students had extra time, they did partner-spelling practice or continued working on their spelling packets. ===
 * 4) ===<span style="color: rgb(192, 61, 27)">Students had the option of checking out a set of cloud-matching flashcards to practice at home. They must be turned back in by Thursday. ===

High School

 * 1) ===<span style="color: rgb(25, 143, 49)">Students read (aloud with partners or silently) Section 2 of their Ecology packet (pages 696-703). ===
 * 2) ===<span style="color: rgb(25, 143, 49)">On a separate sheet of paper answer questions 1-5 on page 703. ===
 * 3) ===<span style="color: rgb(25, 143, 49)">Students then worked on their Ecology Vocabulary worksheet. ===