Welcome to 8 Gold Newsletter!

Year of the Golden Tiger!

Wishing You All A Happy and Healthy New Year!

Week Beginning Monday 8th February, 2010.

Mark your Diary

Wednesday 10th February – MS Principal Coffee

Thursday 11th Feb. – Students Half Day finish at 11.30 am

Friday 12th Feb – No School for Students

Monday 15th – Friday 19th – Chinese New Year Holiday

Thursday 25th February – MS Counselor Parent Coffee

Articles to read for the guest speaker on Monday Dec 14  SS-Reading-Related Assignment

Article 1

Article 2

Curriculum News

For more information on each of the core subjects, please refer to the teacher’s moodle or blog site. Use the links in this blog to access these sites.  For previous week’s information on curriculum posted on this blog, please scroll down.

Ruby Hundley

This week we finish the chemistry unit by looking at more balancing equations, one of the more enjoyable, important and (can be) frustrating components of chemistry.  We will also finish off the week with a practical test where students will individually demonstrate their ability to follow experimental instructions, work safely, manipulate common laboratory equipment as well as identify variables and draw up data tables and graphs.  A challenging exercise for our young scientists but one that is crucial to developing their experimental and data gathering skills in the laboratory.  Please do encourage your child to see me if they have any concerns with any part of their learning.

Michael Easton

In LA we are completing our study of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Lesson 13 in the Vocab workbook needs to be completed. At least 2 Booklogs for Q2 are due by Feb. 24-25. See my blog for daily details.

Hank Claassen

Students will be handed back their Systems of Equations and Inequalities unit test. With the short week we will introduce our next unit, exponents and exponential functions, by exploring exponent properties involving products and quotients. We will, of course, provide teacher-led lessons but will also employ two online Gizmos (Multiplying Exponential Expressions and Exponents and Power Rules) by Explore Learning where students further construct personal meaning to the properties thereby deepening their understanding. If you are so inclined please visit Explore Learning at http://www.explorelearning.com/ and/or go to my blog (http://teachers.saschina.org/hankclaassen/) for more information.

Linda Greer-Wegener

We will “wrap-up” the introductory unit of study on Forms of Government .  Of course, with the foundation students now have, it is really just the beginning.  All of the concepts and specific information will recur through the rest of this year, and in years to come.  In class this week, students  will
apply their knowledge to respond to a number of current events in various regions of the world from the point of view of leaders of different  forms of government.

Monday-Tuesday:  Quiz on Forms of Government
Thursday:  Test: Forms of Government

Week Beginning Monday 1st February

Michael Easton

In LA we are working in groups to memorize and act one scene of MND, which should be completed Wed., Feb. 3. Also Lesson 12 in the Vocab workbook should be finished by the end of the week. And at least one booklog should be turned in by Feb 1-2. See my blog for more daily details.

Hank Claassen

Having finished the systems of equations and inequalities unit, including returning the mid-unit quiz taken last week, we will do an in-class test review on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday we then have the unit test followed by an introduction of exponents and exponential functions, our next unit.

Ruby Hundley

This week students will demonstrate and present their research and observations pertaining to their own chemical reactions.  This will be the first time that our 8th gold scientists will be presenting scientific findings to their peers and I look forward to listening and learning from them.  Please see my moodle for more information.

Linda Greer – Wegener

Week Beginning Monday 1st February

Michael Easton

In LA we will finish MND, receive an assignment for groups of students to act out scenes from the play, and have a test over the play on Thurs/Friday. Booklog due dates for Q3: at least 1 Bookog by Feb 1-2, at least 2 by Feb 24-25, an at least 3 by Mar 16-17. See my blog and Moodle for more details.

Ruby Hundley

After a week of quizzes and tests, students this week will complete the last leg of this topic by investigating a chemical reaction.  Each team will perform and explore the products of their reactions.  They will write down their observations and if a gas is produced, they must discuss and design a way to collect and identify this gas.  The culmination of this project will involve presenting and demonstrating their findings to their class peers.  An exciting couple of classes are in store as students think their way through this Chemical Reactions Project.

Linda Greer-Wegener

Hank Claassen

On Tuesday and Wednesday we have a quiz covering the linear systems solution methods of graphing, substitution and elimination. The quiz will assess student understanding of solving problems when given a linear system as well as their ability to model and apply systems on real-world applications. We will introduce the so-called special cases in linear systems which involve no solution (parallel relationship) and infinitely many solutions (identical linear relationship), followed by the introduction of systems of inequalities, where solutions are an overlapping region of the two-dimensional coordinate plane.

Week Beginning Monday 18th January

Linda Greer-Wegener

Hank Claassan

We continue the unit on systems of equations and inequalities focusing on the three major solution strategies (graphing and the algebraic methods of substitution and elimination). Students will be solving authentic problems using systems of equations and we will also incorporate using the TI-84 Plus graphing calculator to check solutions and deepen understanding.

Michael Easton

In LA we are continuing our study of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, finishing Act 3, 4 and 5 of the play and examining Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter. See my blog and Moodle for more details and student resources.

Ruby Hundley

Last week, placing some of the new and crazy elements using key ideas such as Group Numbers and Period Numbers was not only an ideal way to apply these ideas but  it was so much fun as student teams competed and challenged each other on meaning and explanation.  In the words of Robert, one of our 8th grade scientist, ‘it was an excellent learning experience’. This week students will be sitting a mini quiz on these key ideas and a review of this quiz together with a question and answer session and a check of individual revision notes should prepare students for the upcoming End of Topic Test on the 20th and 21st January.  Please do encourage your child to speak with me at any time on any aspect of their learning.

Week Beginning Monday 11th January

Linda Greer-Wegener: Social Studies Jan 6-15

The first two weeks of Quarter 3, students are exploring Government:  its purpose; ideas on the origins of government, and most common forms of government in recent history.
Understanding of underlying values and beliefs will be emphasized.  Parents, I would like to call upon your help with this as students raise related questions at home, particularly with regard to governments of their “home” countries.  While by no means do I expect you will have “all the answers,” students are curious about their “own” governments, and will have questions.  This could be an excellent opportunity to be part of their learning process and together seek to know more and understand more deeply.  Personal anecdotes are always valuable in helping students develop their personal “his-tory” and “her-story.”

As always, please be in touch should you have any concerns.
Regards,
Linda Greer-Wegener

Hank Claassen

We are already in the full swing of mathematics learning after the Holiday break! Students have reviewed their Semester 1 cumulative tests, noting areas of strength and need for reinforcement. I was quite pleased with the overall “exam” results and look for students to continue having an excellent year. We will have a final cumulative semester test in May. Students have finished the inequalities unit and will have the unit test on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 12-13. Our next unit of study will be systems of equations and inequalities.

Michael Easton

In LA we are studying Shakespeare’s life and times and the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students will read/act out the entire play in the original text and examine essential themes, poetic devices and vocabulary of the writing. See my blog for daily details. Booklogs continue for Q3 with the goal again being 1200 pages and at least 3 independent books read. Happy New Year!

Ruby Hundley

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!  This week students will be looking at placing some newly discovered elements into the Periodic Table.  They will have to understand and be able to apply certain key ideas to help them place and justify their placement decisions.  The due date for this activity is the 12th and 13th January 2010.

Week Beginning 14th December 2009

Hank Claassen

This week we continue in the inequalities unit focusing on absolute value equations and inequalities where there are interesting relevant applications in the world of manufacturing. One of the cornerstones of product quality assurance is adherence to specifications and we will clearly link the abstract to the concrete here.

Linda Wegener

The last week of Q-2 will involve readings and discussions on governance:  rule by few and rule by many.  Linkages will be made to themes and specifics relative to the novel, The Giver and  Monday’s guest speaker on China’s Cultural Revolution.   A reading and related questions are posted (above) for completion prior to Monday’s speaker.

Students’ work related to the Heritage Project should now.be posted in their Newsletters; assessment scores are final, unless previously discussed with Ms. Greer-Wegener

Michael Easton

In LA we are performing our Giver oral presentations and working on a re-write of our Giver essays. See my blog for more details and have an excellent vacation.

Ruby Hundley

This week the students will be starting their chemistry topic.  They will discover that many of the ideas that we kick off with they will have come across in their early years at middle school. We will therefore be reinforcing these ideas of atomic structure and building upon them when discussing how electrons are arranged on energy levels and how the atoms are organised in the Periodic Table. They will be wowed by colour, fizzing and temperature changes as they carry out experiments and investigations, collecting gases and test their acidic or alkaline nature.

We will start with the differences between Physical and Chemical Changes. Don’t forget to download the worksheets for this topic to your Science folder. Scroll down and you’ll find them all attached at the bottom of this page.

Week Beginning Monday 7th December

Hank Claassen

Now that we are mid-unit in inequalities and students have submitted their Graphic Art Project we will focus our attention this week on the semester 1 cumulative test that will be held Friday, December 11 for all students. Students have been handed a review packet and know that answer keys are on my blog as are helpful study hints. Students are expected to demonstrate responsibility in completing the packet, checking accuracy against the keys on the blog and asking clarification questions in class. This type of proactive preparation will be essential in high school and it is one of the developmental goals in our administering semester tests in Grade 8. We have intentionally lightened the homework load during the Graphic Art Project and semester test preparation so students can do quality work. CALCULATORS: please remind your student that if they want to use one on the semester test they MUST bring their own calculator (a scientific or even basic four-function one will suffice, they do not need a graphing calculator).

Linda Greer-Wegener

In Social Studies, we will explore the concept of “economic reasoning.”  While this has a clear role in decision-making with “economic” ends, emphasis will be placed on students understanding of the value of this reasoning process in most of the choices they must make in their daily life.   Large group, small group, and individual practice with the reasoning process will occur.  Students will also read and analyze related articles from New York Times Upfront Magazines.   Interdisciplinary connections will be made as students use economic reasoning to consider the novel they are reading in Language Arts, “The Giver.”

Students should complete any needed revisions of the following “pieces” that should be inserted in their Heritage Newsletter:  Map of Family Moves; Family Tree; and “Lost & Found in China:  Reflections on the journey of a Third-Culture Kid. After this week, all related assessment will be final.

Michael Easton

In LA we will write an in-class essay over The Giver on Tues./Wed. and continue working on our Giver oral presentations, which will be Dec 14-15. See my blog for more details about daily work.

Ruby Hundley

This week students will be starting the Chemistry Topic.  We will be looking at the atomic theory, how the Periodic Table is organized, Chemical Reactions and Acids and Bases.  Students may well have heard of some of these ideas in 6th grade and so we will be reinforcing and building upwards from their 6th grade discussions.  This topic will prove to be an exciting one with a number of hands on activities and team investigations involving coke cola and alka seltzer salts to name just a few.

Week Beginning Monday 30th November

Hank Claassen

We will continue with our inequalities unit and students are to submit all their Graphic Art Project materials on Wednesday/Thursday. Instructions and helpful tips are posted on my blog. Students are finding that this project integrates artistic skills, using multiple laptop software applications and strong understanding of linear equations. We will also hand out semester review test packets and will discuss with students keys to success when taking cumulative assessments (exams). We give these cumulative assessments for two reasons: 1) to help solidify student understanding of key mathematics concepts and 2) provide “exam” experiences designed to help students in high school but with only test grade weighting. Additional information is on my blog. The semester 1 cumulative test for all Grade 8 students is Friday, December 11.

Linda Wegener

We continue working with “Economy.”  In class activity will include students’ small group skits illustrating different types of economy, incorporating related  concepts.  The latter part of the week is a lesson on “Economic Reasoning” and its application to everyone’s everyday life.

Vocabulary Assessment Monday & Tuesday

Students are responsible for final revisions of aspects of their Heritage Project assigned in Social Studies:    Map of Significant Moves in the Family; 2009 Version of their Family Tree; and “Lost and Found in China”:  Reflections from the Journal of a Third Culture Kid.

Michael Easton

In LA we’ll complete our Booktalks, finish reading The Giver, receive our oral presentation topics, and take a vocab/comprehension quiz over the novel. See my blog  for more daily details.

Ruby Hundley

Students this week will continue with their Advances in Human Genetics poster and be ready to present and submit on November 30th and December 1st.  Please note that Topic Test for this last segment of Genetics will be on the 7th and 8th December.

Week Beginning Monday 23rd November

Hank Claassen

We will have a writing linear equations test on Monday and Tuesday and we will begin the inequalities unit. Students will also start a Graphic Art Project which involves creating an artistic design composed of at least 30 lines, graphing all of the lines, naming major points in the coordinate plane, entering the points in Excel to create a computer image of the design and, finally, students will express the lines in both point-slope and slope-intercept form. Extensive use of laptops will be made on this project during in-class work time but students will also be required to complete some work at home. This project wonderfully ties together and enriches both algebraic and real-world understanding of this unit on linear equations.

Linda Wegener

In Social Studies students are involved in a mini-unit on Economy.  This week they will read, analyze, discuss, and respond in their notebooks to Scholastic Magazine articles on  examples of market and command economies, related benefits, challenges, and issues.   A  formative assessment activity follow. Last week, I noted that scores would not be posted until late in the week.  They should be accessible Monday afternoon. Please do check & be in touch with me should you have concerns.  Likewise, I will be in touch with parents of individual students with whom I have concerns.

Regards,

Linda GW.

Michael Easton

In LA we are continuing our Q2 Booktalks and working on vocab, themes, and study questions in The Giver. Booklog #2 is due Wed/Thurs.

Ruby Hundley

This week students will be looking at Genetic Techniques that have enabled people to produce organisms with desirable traits.    Selective breeding, cloning, and genetic engineering are three methods for developing organisms with desirable traits.  We will discuss each method and their importance in society.  The students will then research a plant or animal that has been ‘created’ by one of these methods.  Using the pages software on their Mac notebook, they will display their findings in the form of a poster directed towards a younger audience.  This is a fascinating topic and is sure to bring out some interesting and emotional comments from amongst our students.

Week Beginning Monday 16th November

Hank Claassen

We continue with our unit on linear equations and focus now on plotting and analyzing statistical relationships. The TI84 Plus graphing calculator and Mac Grapher will be used extensively to determine lines of best fit using tables, stat plotting and linear regression analysis, and we will explore real-life data using High Jump world records data for both men and women. Interesting reflection questions are asked in this activity which serve to deepen student understanding. Later in the week we will do unit test review.

Semester Test note—In Algebra I we give cumulative semester tests designed to prepare students for high school exams. The two main goals are building exam preparation skills and concreting mathematics concepts learned to date. The cumulative test is based on chapter/unit test reviews and answer keys that are posted on my blog. We encourage students to begin the review process early. The first semester cumulative test for all Grade 8 students is Friday, December 11.

Linda Wegener

It was truly a pleasure to meet with all those parents who were able to attend conferences last week.  I felt the time gave me the opportunity to know both you and your children–my students–much better.  I thank you for that and trust that you feel the same with regard to their teacher (me!).  Most of all, I hope you have a clear sense that we are “partners” in this process.

Students have basically completed their Heritage related research, analysis and have used some of their data to develop at least three different  “pieces” that are being integrated to the newsletter being published through their language arts class.  I’m really pleased with the results and believe you will be, as well.  This week, then  we will  wrap up assessment related to “The Terminal” movie and focus on the “Economy” dimension of our “Dude, Where’s My Culture?” (extended) unit. In-class and at-home work will include using selected articles (Dude Binder and other to respond to questions on a guided reading sheet and  answer essential questions about Economy. When access to the Power School portal is possible later in the week, you may view indications of your son/daughter’s  completed assignments to date this quarter, as well as 1 or 2 assessment scores. As always, please do not hesitate to be in touch with me by phone or e-mail should you have any questions or concerns.

Ruby Hundley

Students this week will be reviewing key ideas from the Essential Question Sheets in preparation for the topic test on the 18th and 19th of November.  All the ideas to be understood for this test can be found on the Essential Questions Sheet for DNA and Cell Division.  Please encourage your child to come and see me on any aspect of their learning. 

Michael Easton

In LA we are beginning our study of the novel The Giver by examining vocabulary, answering study questions, and discussing the themes/characters of the novels. Also, we will begin our Book Speeches. For 5 consecutive classes, 4 students will perform a 1.5- 3 min. speech over a book they have read in Q1 or Q2.

Week Beginning Monday 9th November

Hank Claassen

On Monday and Tuesday students have the unit test on Graphing Linear Equations and Functions. We will continue with our unit on writing linear equations by studying the third major form, point-slope form. Students will then do mixed review to synthesize the three forms (standard, slope-intercept and point-slope) and study properties of parallel and perpendicular lines. They will be using TI 84-Plus graphing calculators and Mac Grapher to model real-world applications and deepen their understanding.

Linda Wegener

Ruby Hundley

Students this week will continue to design and create their textbook.  They will use their understanding of the key ideas to help them decide how best to teach it using the tech as a medium for the Genetics Textbook.

Please note the due dates and the topic test date have been changed.  For more information please check my moodle page.

Michael Easton

In LA we will continue to share one piece of writing from the Heritage Project and post the project to the S Drive at school. Other elements of the project will be completed is Social Studies and a final version will be created soon. We will also have a vocab. quiz from Lessons # 6-10, discuss the speeches that will be performed based on independent reading, and introduce the novel The GIver if time permits.

Week Beginning Monday 2nd November

Hank Claassen

We are studying how to write equations for straight line graphs in slope intercept form given the slope and y-intercept, two points on a graph in function form, as ordered pairs or the graph. Students will then use the point slope form of the equation to draw graphs and write equations for parallel and perpendicular lines. Students have received back two quizzes recently and need to be reviewing these in preparation for a test on chapter 4.

Ruby Hundley

Students this week will continue to share their knowledge of DNA and cell cycle concepts with their teammates.  They will also be brainstorming ideas on how to best depict, describe or display their knowledge in their online textbook.   The Genetics Textbook is an exciting and unique activity that integrates technology and science and that requires the student to understand each concept fully before being able to teach someone else using this tech medium.

Please note that there will be a Quiz on this work on 16th and 17h November.

Linda Wegener

This week students will:  complete an assessment of their ability to apply understanding of culture and related issues using the movie, The Terminal. They will also complete a “personal response” to something learned, or a new understanding related to the interviews they recently completed as part of the Heritage Project.  In addition, using information gathered during the interview process, students will develop an online “family tree” and map documenting significant moves made by members of the generations they have researched.  We look forward to viewing the results of the Language Arts-Social Studies collaboration.

Michael Easton

In LA we’ll review Lesson #6-10 in the Vocab workbook. Booklog #1 for Qtr 2 is due Nov 4-5 or sooner. We are also taking all the components of the Heritage Project and compiling them together into one multi-media document. Out Tech staff is assisting students with this process, and the results should be wonderful, a project that could perhaps remain in you family for generations.

Week Beginning Monday 26th October

Hank Claassen

Students will receive back their quiz on graphing using tables and the standard form method early in the week. They will now graph and write equations for straight lines using the slope intercept method. Students will have a quiz on graphing equations and direct variation on Tuesday Oct 27 (day 1) and Wednesday Oct 28 (day 2).

Linda Wegener

Ruby Hundley

Students this week continue to look at the DNA molecule, focusing on its role as a carrier of genetic information and its component bases and the two types of cell division with an emphasis on what happens to the number of chromosomes in a cell and why this needs to happen.  Students are using a variety of online resources listed in the Essential Questions worksheet and CD-ROMs to assist with their understanding of ideas.  They are currently sharing their ideas and notes with their teammates  with a view to producing a Genetics Textbook using any one of their apple software.  If you wish to have a look at what they are doing, do speak with your child and have them share their textbook experience with you.

Michael Easton

Next week in LA the final drafts of the Heritage Project collage and the Mac Tools poem project are due. We will also start putting together the entire Heritage Project in a digital form. For the Vocab. workbook, Lesson #10 is due. We will have a test over the vocab words in Lessons 6-10 in about two weeks.

Week Beginning Monday 19th October 2009

Hank Claassen

We will continue with our unit on Graphing Linear Equations and Functions. This week SAS is using an outstanding Apple Consultant, Michael Garcia, to help utilize our new MacBooks to deepen student understanding of concepts. He will be conducting teacher sessions and working in our classrooms as well! His focus in our class will be on rate of change/slope where we will be investigating the human nose (using the Mac camera, Pages, Grapher, Garage Band and ITunes) as well as flying a paper space shuttle model. We will then move into the second major form of linear equations, the slope-intercept form, direct variation and function notation. There will be a quiz on Wednesday and Thursday, October 21 and 22, covering sections 4.1-4.4.

Ruby Hundley

Students this week will be starting their Genetics Topic in which they will look at the make-up of the DNA molecule, the gene and the relevance of mitosis and meiosis to the inheritance of characteristics and cell repair and growth.  Students will be given the Essential Questions on this topic and information on a variety of resources from textbook, online addresses and CD-ROMs to use in assisting them in their understanding of these concepts.

I would like to draw your attention to a science assessment held on Tuesday and Wednesday 20th and 21st October. Please do encourage your child to come and see me with any concerns they may have with ideas discussed in class.

Finally, students on Thursday 22nd October will have the pleasure of having Mr Bruce Payne, lead them.  Bruce Payne is an Apple Professional Development Certified Trainer Curriculum Development, Science and Math Specialist, Apple Computers who continues to lead the MS and HS teachers in workshops this week.

Linda Wegener

Many thanks to all parents for their support, and patience with the Three Generations Interview process undertaken by all grade 8 students.  While I realize the investment of time and energy to complete the interviews, several years of experience with it, including twice with my own middle school children (now university students), I am convinced the long-term benefits of related learning are valuable. Students may groan, moan, forget directions, lose directions, and wait much later than they should to initiate the process.  However, once completed, details from the interviews provide “fodder” for animated exchanges and conversations with classmates.  They also become stories and help students make personal connections with themes, concepts, and topics throughout the year.  Again, thank you.

This week students will use selected excerpts from the interviews and create spreadsheets to analyze for continuity and change over time within specific aspects of the family’s cultural experience.  They will also apply the skill of synthesizing information, drawing up summaries of the selected aspects.  Finally, they will try to identify or make inferences relative to why change has occurred, what influences were involved–or on the contrary, what factors might have influenced continuity within the family culture. These activities will be assessed. Should you have questions or concerns, including difficulties completing the interview process, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours in learning for life,

Michael Easton

In LA we are turning in the rough drafts of three poems Mon & Tues, and final drafts Wed & Thurs. We are also working on the Collage for the Heritage Project, and Lesson 9 in the vocab workbook.

Week Beginning Monday 12th October

Hank Claassen

We will continue with our unit on Graphing Linear Equations and Functions. The initial focus is on graphing linear functions, understanding domain and range, graphing using x- and y- intercepts and introducing the first major linear equation form, the standard form. Students will draw insights into real-world applications through various word problems. This unit is replete with integration of technology including the TI 84-Plus graphing calculator, Excel/Chart Wizard to work with tables of values and graphing/analyzing the relationships, and SmartBoard lesson plans to deepen student understanding.

Ruby Hundley

This week students will be considering symbiotic relationships.  Please refer to my moodle for further information and to download the ‘Essential Questions’ worksheet for the second part of the Ecology unit.  Please note that there are relevant websites on this worksheet for you to use.

Linda Wegener

Michael Easton

In LA we’ll be working on a re-write of Essay #3 for the Heritage Project. We’ll also begin our new poetry unit where students will write 3 poems (or more) to include in their Heritage Project. We’ll also finish up the Collage assnt (which is on my Moodle course in case they want to get a head start over the Oct. Break). Students may also retake the Vocab quiz on Tues Oct 13, or Wed Oct 14.

Week Beginning Monday 28th September

Hank Claassen

For the three-day week students will take a pre-test to identify initial strengths as we begin our unit on Graphing Linear Equations and Functions. We are also planning to make extensive in-class use of student MacBooks to investigate key linear relationships using MacGrapher, Excel, Geometer’s Sketchpad and the TI graphing calculator.

Ruby Hundley

Students have now completed their first self-generated investigation and are in the midst of writing up their complete lab reports.  They have two handouts that are useful in guiding them in their writing, the Self Directed Lab Report and the Marking Rubric both of which were discussed in class.  The electronic version of the lab report is due on September 28th and 29th for peer – editing.  The hard copy is due in on Wednesday 30th September.

Linda Wegener

This very short week,  we are looking at “Beliefs, religious practice, and Values.”  Preparation work is self-guided, with debriefing in class. Reviewing and “going deeper” with these themes should help prepare students for their “Three-Generation Interviews” process, which should be carried out over the next 10 days.  Documented interviews are due by Oct 14 and 15 (in class).   The Interview Questions template can be accessed at   Googledocs.com .  They are also accessible using Mr. Claassen’s blog, as I am unable to attach them here, for an unknown reason.  I will try to work out a solution to this before Weds. Sept 30.

Michael Easton

In LA students will turn in a typed 1st draft of essay #3 for the Heritage Project on Mon/Tues. The final draft will be due Wed when we have all-cores. We will also have a Vocab quiz over our 1st 50 vocab words Mon/Tues. Students will also receive the Collage assnt for the Heritage Project so they can work on it over the Break if they wish, but it is not due until about a week after we return.

Week Beginning Monday 21st September.

Hank Claassen

Students will be handed back their solving equations quiz which covered both given algebraic equations as well as word problems where students determine algebraic models in order to reach a solution. The next part of our unit covers transforming literal equations. This is a particularly useful skill that will be applied in the physics portion of science later in the year as well as on frequent occasions in both physics and chemistry in high school. Students will also do test review for the unit test which will be on Thursday and Friday, September 24 and 25.

Ruby Hundley

Students this week will perform an ecological investigation of their choosing where they will apply the ideas discussed thus far.  They will then write a lab report and peer edit each other’s work using the detailed marking rubric.  Important dates to keep in mind are as follows:

•    Be ready to brainstorm ideas for an investigation – September 21st & 22nd •    Perform the investigation – September 23rd & 24th •    Bring to class, written investigation to be peer-edited – September 25th & 28th •    Submit written Lab Report – September 29th & 30th.

Linda Greer-Wegener    Social Studies

“Dude, Where’s My Culture” continues…students learning about their “invisible culture,” or the values, beliefs, assumptions, and shared memory that are the foundation of our cultures and major influences on our collective and individual identities and actions. This week’s activity focuses on cultural and personal values and morality (code of behavior), including understanding the meaning of congruent behavior and personal integrity. Students will apply related skills and concepts to their own life. They may be asking questions at home, so be ready!

Monday (21) and Tuesday (22) students complete an in-class assessment on

• concepts and related terms introduced to date
• Students should review their notebook and “Dude..” Unit Overview to prepare for this

Michael Easton

In LA we will be working on a 2nd re-write of our 2nd essay, especially gramar, usage and mechanics. We will also begin our 3rd and final essay of the Heritage Project and continue to look at the 6 Traits to improve our writing. Students also need to complete Lesson 5 in the Vocab workbook; we will be having a fun competition, Red vs Gold, w/ these vocab words. The following week we’ll have a test over these 50 words. Booklog #2 is due by Sept 24 or 25.

Week Beginning Monday 14th September

Hank Claassen

We will have a quiz on Monday/Tuesday covering solving equations. The next part of the unit covers using ratios, proportions, the cross-product property and problems involving percentages. Teachers will be in meetings on Thursday/Friday to prepare for the upcoming 1:1 MacBook laptop rollout to students. Substitutes have been arranged to cover our classes in fine fashion.

Ruby Hundley

What makes a type of plant and animal live in a certain part of the world?  Are there definite parts of the world that are different in temperature and rainfall?  What are these areas known as and where are they in the world? An exciting week where we look at the six major biomes of the world, explore the factors that determines a particular type of biome, consider the species of plants and kinds of animals living in that biome and finally identify the locations of all six major biomes. A number of students will have visited some or all of these biomes and will be able to describe to the class their own images of these environments.  Please note that next week will be a busy week of quizzes and topic tests.  Please visit my moodle page for more details.

Michael Easton

In LA students should complete Lesson 4 in the Vocab. workbook and review Lessons 1-3 words. Booktalks have begun, with each student getting their turn at some point in the quarter. We are continuing to work on narrative and expository essay writing and trying to strengthen the 6 Traits of writing. Essay #2 is due Mon/Tues. Students should enroll in my Moodle course if they have not yet, and parents can access the site from our team blog and enter Moodle as “guest.”

Week Beginning Monday 7th September, 2009

Hank Claassen

Students will be handed back their Unit 1 summative assessment on Monday and Tuesday which covered the subject content thus far, primarily review material. We will then move into solving multi-step equations and solving with variables on both sides of an equation. A key skill that will be incorporated into this unit is discerning relevant information from an application in the form of a word problem, determining the best problem solving approach, identifying the appropriate variable, setting up the representative equality and then reaching a solution.

Ruby Hundley

This week, we will continue to plot and analyze population graphs and consider predator prey relationships and how they affect population sizes.  We will also consider the 6 major biomes, their differences and their location in our world as well as what exactly determines a biome in a particular area.  The ecology investigation that students generate themselves is scheduled to start on Monday 21st September.  Please also note the date of the first summative assessment is 16th September for classes C1 and D1 and 17th September for classes C2 and D2.  For further information on the week’s work and homework, please click on the link for my moodle site here on this blog.  Finally, I hope you will join us all at Open House this week and I look forward to meeting you and talking with you.

Michael Easton

In LA students have taken have the vocab workbook home and should complete Lesson 3 and review Lesson 1 & 2 words. They can keep the workbooks at home for now. Our first Booklogs should have been turned in last week. Booktalks start this week and each student has signed up for a time to his/her Booktalk. We will also be starting our second paper for the Heritage Project and turning in a re-write of the first one. My 8 Gold LA Moodle site will be up and running shortly.

Week Beginning Monday 31st August

Curriculum News

Hank Claassen

We completed our full-year Pre-Assessment and have shown the results to students. I will be discussing geometry enrichment opportunities with those students who demonstrated readiness now and will look for enrichment opportunities for other students as we conduct unit pre-assessments throughout the year. This week we will hand back the quiz on review material (order of operations, mathematical expressions and absolute value) and will move into solving one- and two-step equations. We will have a unit 1 test on Thursday/Friday, September 3 and 4. We are off to a great start in Grade 8 Algebra I and I hope to see you at Open House this Thursday night, September 3!

Ruby Hundley

In Science we will be reviewing and building upon the Scientific Method.  Students will review ideas studied in 7^th grade and will discuss and apply new ideas such as a fair test, manipulated variables and evaluating procedures and errors.  They will perform an investigation of their choosing where they will apply these ideas and use measuring skills to gather data to support their purposes.

I look forward to meeting you all at the Open House, to meeting your son/ daughter and to a fantastic year of exploring Science together!

Linda Greer-Wegener

The first full week of school, students have thought, discussed, and written about perception, basic human needs, and the emergence of culture as a response to basic human needs.  Your son/daughter should already have spoken with you about these ideas.  If they haven’t, then be sure to ask!

This week (8/31-9/4) we continue an overview of the origins and meaning of “Culture,”

focusing on “invisible culture,” or the values, beliefs, assumptions, and shared memory that are the foundation of our cultures and major influences on our collective and individual identities and actions.

A formative assessment (quiz) will follow.

I am enjoying each one of my 8 Gold students and look forward to seeing you this up-coming Thursday at our orientation night!  Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Michael Easton

It has been great getting to know the students in 8 Gold! In LA we have reviewed expectations and started working on our Qtr 1 project, the Heritage Project. So far we have begun four types of work: 1. Reading House on Mango St and identifying writing devices in the literature. 2) Studying our Vocab workbooks, which will soon by used at home. 3) Discussing our independent reading program (the 1st booklog is due by Sept 3/4. And 4) Writing our 1st paper, which is due Sept 1/2.