Monday, September 24, 2007

Today was sort of a catch-up day for us. Due to ISTEP testing last week, some of the classes were at different points. Everyone is on a level playing field now.

Please remember that on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we will be on an extended field trip to Bradford Woods. For those students not attending, we will have subs for the students and they will be left with assignments to complete. Some of the students have asked about not coming to school on the days we are gone. We have explained that those days will be counted as absences if they do not attend school. Please also remember that Thursday and Friday are early release days. Students will be dismissed at approximately 12:05.

For those students attending the trip, there are a couple of items we have addressed with students that I would like to reiterate.

1. The students should not bring electronic devices such as I-Pods, Gameboys, or cellphones. They may bring a camera, however, it will be the student's responsibility to keep it with them and take care of it.
   
2. All gear needs to be brought to school Wednesday morning. The buses are very crowded and there is not enough room for the extra stuff. The students know to bring their items to the science lab.
   
3. Likewise, everything needs to be picked up from school on Friday when we return. If there is a conflict and you can't get to school in time to pick up your students prior to dismissal, we will have him/her ride the bus home. We will bring any leftover gear into the building and you may pick it up later.
4. Any medication your child is bringing should not be packed in the luggage. Please put the bottles in a ziplock bag with a note listing the instructions. This should be given to one of the teachers when dropping off gear in the morning. (Students may keep inhalers with them.)
   

We will be returning at approximately 11:15-11:30 on Friday. You may pick up your son/daughter anytime from 11:15 -- dismissal time. We will have a sign-out sheet so we can keep track of the students coming and going. Also, as a safety precaution, students may not ride home with other parents unless we receive that request in writing. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact any of us.

Have a wonderful evening.

Friday, September 21, 2007

First of all, I must apologize for not getting this posted this week. We have been involved in ISTEP testing during in mornings, and I have had a conference to attend in the afternoons. Consequently, I was running out of here as soon as testing was complete. The students have definitely done a super job testing this week! It is a long process that sort of knocks everyone out-of-whack. However, I think having spirit week this week has helped keep the students from getting too out-of-sorts.

The only assignment the students have had to do is to work on their immigration/migration books. Originally, they were due today, but since I wasn't here for all classes to remind them, and some students have had to do make-up tests and other things, I gave those who were finished a few bonus points and those who were not finished until Monday to complete the book.

The assignment was to make a fact book about immigration/migration. The book was to include ten facts, which were to be written in complete sentences. The facts also needed to include some sort of illustration, which needed to be colored. The book was to be done neatly and needed to include a title and the name of the author. The books I have seen so far have looked great and I can tell the students are putting a lot of thought and effort into their work.

For those going, our Bradford Woods trip will be next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please remember your child needs to be dropped off with all of their gear and picked up at school. We will send a reminder home on Monday with the times and drop-off/pick-up locations. Your son/daughter should have brought home a gear list. If it has been misplaced you can access it at http://www.bradwoods.org/pdf/ercpre/Gearlist.pdf. If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to contact me or Mrs. Heshelman.

I hope everyone has a super weekend!

Friday, September 14, 2007

For the past couple of days we have been discussing reasons why people migrate. This migration affects different places in different ways (such as when the hurricane forced people to migrate to other states or when people actually go from country to country).

Two important sites in America for immigrants were Ellis Island on the east coast and Angel Island on the west coast. Both of these were locations for immigrants to register and enter the United States. To learn more about them, click on the links below:
http://www.ellisisland.com/
http://www.angelisland.org/immigr02.html

Remember that ISTEP will begin on Tuesday of next week. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

A growing population was the topic of today's lesson. Using pp. 60-63 in the textbook, we discussed reasons why the world's population is increasing and the problems that are caused by rapid population growth.

The following link will take you to the US Census Bureau International Database. You can pick a country and find out interesting demographic information.

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/summaries.html

Monday, September 10, 2007

We will be talking this week about human geography and studying why people migrate and the factors that determines where people go.

Today's lesson was about where people live and we discussed factors such as natural resources and geographic features that influence people's decisions to locate in a particular area. The reading was from pp. 55-59.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Happy Friday!!!

The deadline for turning in Bradford Woods information was today. We will be sending home information with the details you need in the next week or so. We need to update a few items because we are going earlier in the year than ever, and it will be much warmer than we are used to. (Our old gear list included hats, mittens, and warm jackets.)

Today we wrapped up our focus on maps and graphs. It was a good review for the students and will help them as we move along with our study of human geography. There is quite a lot of data presented in tables, maps, and graphs so the review will help them better understand the information.

This site is a great tool for students to use for creating different types of graphs.
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/classic/

Have a great weekend!!!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I believe Mrs. Heshelman extended the deadline for Bradford Woods until tomorrow. If your child is interested in going, please ensure they have brought home the permission slip to be signed by you. They must return this tomorrow in order to be added to the list of students attending.

Today in social studies we read and discussed pp. 48-49 about climate graphs. All students were to complete a climate graph on their own using information provided in the textbook about Charleston, South Carolina. Many students reversed the temperature (line) and precipitation (bar) parts of the graph. If this assignment was not completed in class, it is homework and due tomorrow.

We also had our first Reading Across the Curriculum Day today. During RAC, students are required to have some type of reading material that will be read during 7th period. (Each 7th period teacher is different, so you should check with your child to see what type of material they must have to read.) This is part of our curriculum and everyone participates, even teachers and staff members. Our next RAC Day is Monday, September 17.

http://home.barton.ac.uk/curriculum/sc_env/geography/documents/unit_4/climate_and_weather_GIP/HTMLpages/c_grphs.htm

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Today we worked on determining elevation using contour lines. The activity is similar to the one we did yesterday, only the map has contour lines to illustrate the different elevation levels.

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/symbols/elevation.html

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

I hope you all had a restful, relaxing Labor Day. I don't know about you, but my extra days off go by way too quickly!

This week we are discussing using graphs and special purpose maps -- maps that show elevation, topography, population distribution, etc. Today we looked at elevation and used a map that showed how color can illustrate elevation. Students had almost the entire period to work on the assignment, so your son/daughter may or may not have homework tonight.

Please remember that Bradford Woods permission slips and money are due tomorrow. It is essential that we get this information so we can give an accurate count to Bradford Woods so they can plan accordingly. It's a great trip that offers the students many opportunities.