The Last Full Week of School!

Here we are at the last full week of school. It sure did go by quickly. Just a quick reminder that the projects are due on June 4th and they will be saved on Mrs. Washington's electronic file by the hour that your child has her class. Your child has all the parts that they need to do the science portion of the project and it should take them no more than 30 minutes to complete if they have been in class and complete their work for social studies (research) and in science. I can't wait to see them.

Here's the schedule:
Science
Monday, June 1
We will be completing our lesson on Greenhouse Gases and the Greenhouse effect at the beginning of class using a Mythbusters video. Then we will look into the connection between greenhouse gases and building green with a short video on a Green Home. There will be lots of class discussion today.

Tuesday, June 2
We will be watching a video on an architect who has been building green since the 1970's. He has lots of great information. There will be a handout to go along with this to help guide our understanding of the information he will be talking about.

Wednesday-Friday, June 3-5
We will be watching the Al Gore documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth". We will be looking at the science the Mr. Gore presents compared to what we have learned in class. Should we believe the theory? There will be a lot of class discussion throughout these three days.

Memorial Day Week so we have a short one. Also, students were given progress reports last week to share with you. We are going to back that up by sending progress reports home on Tuesday, May 26th also.

Just a reminder also that the team project is due June 4th. We will be discussing this week how they will be turned in. Students have all been told in Science class that all projects must be done on Microsoft Word and only an electric copy since the unit is on sustainability. Paper is obviously not sustainable. We are also in the process of packing our rooms for construction and they want teachers out right away to get in here so we will not be accepting any projects that are not electronic.

Last week, we worked on a comic book about carbon. We began the project on Wednesday and turned it in at the end of class on Friday. Please remind your child how important it is to turn their work in on time. We won't be able to keep grading work past the due dates, due to the end of the year work, 8th grade awards ceremony and dance, final exams and construction.

Here's the schedule:

Science
Tuesday, May 26
We will be using the next two days to create a foldable that will help us to understand the Spheres of the Earth and the movement of carbon dioxide through them. Tuesday is the day we will create the foldable. On Wednesday, we will be putting in any notes needed.

Wednesday, May 27
See Tuesday.

Thursday, May 28
We will be learning about Global Warming and its connection to carbon. We will be moving students around the room to physically re-enact how the greenhouse gases affect carbon and thus global warming. Students will draw a representation of how this occurs.

Friday, May 29
(Mrs. Kahler will be out today)
We will be working on an activity that goes along with global warming.

Well back to the magnet theme this week. I have given students the rubric that explains what GLCE's that are to be taught that will meet the state standards. All students received this on Friday. Extra copies will be put in the file cabinet for students to get as needed. All students already know that the project is due June 4th. We have explained that due to everything that is going on at the end of the year, there will not be an opportunity to turn in any projects late.

This week, we are going to be getting most of the science portion of Sustainable Systems unit. We will be talking about the different spheres of the earth, carbon, and climate change. Students will be keeping all the materials from class in their binder to use as their class resource.

Here's the schedule:

Science
Monday, May 18
Lesson on Climate Change. Students will be working on some key vocabulary and then reading an article on climate change. We will look at our posters on climate change and circle any information that we found in the article. We will also answer some questions about the article.

Tuesday, May 19
Today's lesson is on Carbon. Students will be gathering information on carbon from a united streaming video and putting it into a worksheet for their own information. This piece is very important for their project.

Wednesday, May 20
Today we will be going to the computer lab. We will be using a site from the Miami Science Museum. This site tells us about the atmosphere, the geosphere (lithosphere), the hydrosphere, and the biosphere. We will be creating a foldable while we are there to demonstrate our knowledge that will also help us with another of the GLCEs.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon_cycle_version2.html
Thursday, May 21
Salamander Points.

Here I am again writing up the lessons for the next two weeks and it seems like I just did this last week. The last 6 weeks always go so quickly. You all should have received the 5th period report cards by now. If you haven't, please contact the school office.
We are still continuing for two more weeks with Reproductive Health, but we have taken a few minutes at the beginning of class to talk about this marking period's project. ALL PROJECTS MUST BE DONE ELECTRONICALLY! We have all the equipment students need at school and we give after school time Tuesday through Thursday and often can find computers for students during their lunch time. This unit is on Sustainability and using paper is not sustainable, so we are going to practice what we have been learning and use a word document that students will store in Ms. Washington's file. Projects are due on June 4th during their social studies hour. We will not be able to accept late projects due to all the end of the year activities (moving class materials and furniture for construction, 8th Grade Awards Assembly and Dance, exams, report cards, etc.).

Here's the schedule for the next two weeks:
Monday, May 11th
Science
Lesson #14 "Abstinence, Drinking and Drugs". We will be viewing a video called, "The Choice Game". This video allows students to make choices throughout the video and then view the consequences to their choice. We will also be incorporating a class discussion throughout the hour along with the video.

Tuesday, May 12
Science
Lesson #15 "Safer Choices: Using Protection-Part 1". We will be discussing methods of protection. Then we will be clarifying Unsafe, Safer and the Safest Methods of protection. Students will be looking at condoms, vaginal spermicides and birth control pills.

Wednesday, May 13
Science
Lesson #16 "Safer Choices: Using Protection-Part 2". We will be describing the steps for the proper use of condoms and demonstrating this in class. Then we will be working on refusal skills for real life role play situations.

Thursday, May 14
Science
Lesson #17 "Knowing What you Can Do". Students will be discussing their views on when having sex is okay and the homework that they completed at home last week with their parent/guardian. Students will be working on role play situations about what they can do in different situations.

Friday, May 15
Science
Lesson #18 "Review". Students will be working in groups to make an ABC review poster for reproductive health.

Good Morning! Only 7 more weeks left! Wow! Lots of exclamation points used today. Let me get right down to the schedule.

Monday, April 27
Science
We will be continuing lesson #7. Students had Friday in class to work on their poster and today they will be presenting. Then they will finish the movie, "The Miracle of Life".

Tuesday, April 28
Science
Lesson #8 will illustrate the risk of having multiple sexual partners. We will look at some partner risk stories and rate each story on the risk of getting an STD.

Wednesday, April 29
Science
Lesson #9 is a continuation of lesson #8. We will continue to examine unsafe choices. We will begin by discussing the Then and Now homework from last week. Then we will have an activity that will help us to see how behaviors affect our HIV risk. At the end of the class, we will discuss dealing with a pregnancy.

Thursday, April 30
Science
Lesson #10 is on Adoption and Safe Delivery. We will be discussing adoption in MI and the statistics of a safe teen delivery in MI.

Friday, May 1st
Half Day and Staff vs. Students Basketball Game

Monday, May 4
Science
Lesson #11 Teens with HIV: A Reality. Students will view a video that presents personal experiences of young people who have HIV. Students will then complete a worksheet to personalize their risk.

Tuesday, May 5
Science
Lesson # 12 Practicing the Safest Choice. Students will practice using refusal skills for typical pressure lines, using clear verbal and nonverbal NO statements, alternative actions, and delay tactics. Some groups will perform their lines for the class. They will also practice saying NO, but keeping a relationship using a half-scripted role play. The worksheet helps them to personalize the advantages of not having sex and the use of refusal skills.

Wednesday, May 6
Science
Lesson #13 Abstinence, Drinking and Drugs. Students will view the video, "Everything You Need to Know about Drugs in 22 minutes". We will finish with a class discussion.

Thursday, May 7
Science
Lesson #14 Abstinence, Drinking and Drugs continued. Students will view the video "The Choice Game". Then their will be a class discussion.

Friday, May 8
Science
Lesson #15 Safer Choices: Using Protection- Part 1. Methods of protection from STD and/or pregnancy commonly used by teens are presented and discussed. A small group activity helps students differentiate between methods that offer little or no protection, those that protect from pregnancy only, and those that protect from HIV, other STD and pregnancy.

Welcome Back!

Here we go for the last few weeks of school. It went by very quickly. We are beginning Reproductive Health this week and so students will be earning credit in class by being present and participating. Participation comes in many forms-adding to a discussion, completing an assignment in class, actively listening, etc. There will not be any way to make up classroom activities for absences so students who are absent will be exempted from the activity. Please be sure that you are discussing with your child what the class topic was each day. Your family beliefs are an important part of this course for your child to know. One of the best places to discuss topics that may be uncomfortable to talk about is in the car. No one has to look at the other person, but everyone is a captive, listening audience-just make sure the cell phone is off.

Well, here is the schedule for the next 2 weeks:

Science
Monday, April 13
We will begin class by taking a few minutes to finalize the Science Binders for this week since I will begin collecting them to take a grade for them. Students were told about this often the week before Spring Break and told what day their class would be handing theirs in. Here's the schedule: Monday-1st hour, Tuesday-2nd hour, Wednesday-5th hour, Thursday-6th hour, and Friday-7th hour. The Binders will be worth about 68 points!

Next, we will introduce the idea of using Peer Leaders for different activities in Repo. Health. Students will nominate students to be Peer Leaders and the student can accept or decline. Then students will vote for anywhere from 4-6 Peer Leaders for the class, depending on the class size. I will take the ballots home with me and count the votes.

Then we will establish the class ground rules. They are posted in the room. We will work in a Kagan Structure "Mix Pair Share" and share why we think each ground rule is important to the class. We will then come back together as a class and discuss why we think each ground rule is important to the class.

We will quickly discuss the Anonymous Question Envelopes that are posted on the side bulletin board and how to use it.

Then I will introduce the Safer Choices paradigm.

Tuesday, April 14
Students will be viewing the video, "The Miracle of Life".

Wednesday, April 15
We will finish yesterday's video, if needed. Then we will begin our review of the male and female reproductive system. This is a review of material that has been presented to them since 5th grade reproductive health classes. Students will complete a Male and Female Reproductive System handout.

Thursday, April 16 (Mrs. Kahler is out, alternate lesson)
Students will be viewing a video on Peer Pressure from United Streaming. They will have an Anctipation Guide to go along with the video.

Friday, April 17
We will begin lesson #4 "Not Everybody's Having Sex!" Students will be moved into same gender teams for this activity. Students will have a recorder in their group and brainstorm: 1) All the reasons that young men or young women choose to have sex and 2) All the reasons young men and young women choose to not have sex. Then we will come back together as a class and list our ideas into four different categories: 1) Why young women choose to have sex, 2) Why young men choose to have sex, 3) Why young women choose not to have sex, and 4) Why young men choose not to have sex. Then we will compare and contrast the lists and identify reasons that are similar to both males and females. Next we will identify differences between the lists. We will discuss why knowing the pressure on a partner can help understand the choices they make.

Next we will review the reasons not to have sex. Students will then be asked to come up with their own two reasons not to have sex. Students will not be pushed to share their ideas, but if they would like to share, they may.

Homework: Students will take home a sheet, Then and Now. They are to interview a parent, guardian or other adult about dating, pressures to have sex, and reasons teens chose not to have sex when this adult was a teenager. Students will also brainstorm other questions they would like to ask this adult. I will not be collecting this sheet, just the signed portion at the bottom of the handout. This is personal information and it should stay as such.

Monday, April 20
Lesson #5 is "The Safest Choice:Deciding Not To Have Sex". We will be referring back to our butcher paper poster our class made in lesson #4.

We will then learn about the 4 parts of a clear NO statement. Then, the Peer Leaders will help with a class role play on an ineffective role play and an effective role play. Students will write down their observations for each role play. Then, we will look at another role play where the student writes the responses to a partner on a handout. They will use the 4 parts of a clear NO statement.

Tuesday, April 21 (Mrs. Kahler will be out, alternate lesson plans)
Students will be viewing "The 11th Hour" to focus on Earth Day which is tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 22 -Earth Day
Students will be working on lesson #6 "Saying NO to Having Sex". We will be reviewing giving clear NO statements. Then we will work on more ways to say NO using alternative actions and delay tactics. We will be using role plays again and observer checklists.

Thursday, April 23
Lesson #7 is on understanding STD and HIV. There is a review of both. Students will be given information on one STD or HIV and they will then create a poster to inform others about it. We will look at the information that is similar about the 6 STDs and then signs of them.

Friday, April 24
In lesson #8, students will complete an activity to illustrate the risk of having multiple sexual partners. Then we will look at some partner risk stories and rate each story on the risk of getting an STD..

Those of you who were able to make conferences, thank you so much for spending your time with us here at Milwood. This next week there is another half day on Friday for students. Teachers have Professional Development in the afternoon. Also next week on Tuesday is the Skating Party. The bus leaves at 4:30 and returns at 7:00.



This past week, we learned about Biodiversity and what it is. Students are talking about the connections between their core classes which is really good for learning. In class on Wednesday, students were introduced to the Science project for this marking period. They may begin researching and gathering information at any time.



On March 31st we are going on a trip to WMU through the Gear Up Program to see what learning is like at the university. Please be sure that you've filled out a permission slip in order for you child to attend. These were handed out at conferences, and I assume they will be handed out next week to all those who could not attend.



Here's the schedule:

Monday, March 23

Science

We will be finishing up our Lancer notes (foldable) today. Your child should take this home and practice talking to you about biodiversity with this. This will really help them to get a grasp on it.



Tuesday, March 24

Science

There has been a change in plans due to a shortage of time to work on the Biodiversity project. Reproductive Health will begin the day we return from Spring Break so we will be quickly getting through the big ideas for Biodiversity this week. Today, we will be viewing a video on the Zebra Mussel and completing a Cause and Effect Wheel from the video. This is one part of the project that students will need to complete for their project.

Wednesday, March 25

Science

Students will be given an organism card to use with their group. Together they will assist each other to complete their team Cause and Effect Wheel.

Link for Science Connections: http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=29
Thursday, March 26

Science

Students from 1st and 2nd hour will make observations of their Bio-balloons. They will complete their lab reports in class and turn in.

Students will independently work on their own Cause and Effect Wheel for their Invasive Species that they chose in their ELA class on Monday. They will have computers to help find the connections between organisms in their environment. Due Monday.

Friday, March 27th (1/2 day)

Science

Students will complete the same lab as the students did on Thursday last week. They will have very basic instruction on a Bio-Balloon Lab. Students will work together at their table to complete the Lab Report and then follow their procedures to complete their balloons. We will hang them in the hallway windows.