8th Grade Projects Update

Wow, I just realized I haven't posted in the blog for basically a month, I am so sorry! I will get back into doing this consistently!

We just finished up studying Genetics, and I am finishing up entering the grades for these. Students learned about how traits are passed on from one generation to the next, how traits can be co-dominant or incompletely dominant, how some genes are passed on through either the X or the Y chromosomes, and how genetic mutations can happen. Their projects were their Interactive Notebooks that they kept throughout the unit and a poster that they worked on with a partner that showed how DNA, genes, chromosomes, nuclei, and cells all connect.

Now we are studying evolution, specifically natural selection, and how that has led to the great variety that exists in species.

I will be working to keep up with putting grades in the computer so that you have a better idea of where your child's grade stands. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this!

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach your students. Thanks for having great kids!

November 14 - 17

Math:

6th grade: We have been working on ratios, rates, and percentages. A test will be given today, Monday, November 21. They can enjoy their thanksgiving holiday without much math stress! We will have a cumulative review game on Tuesday to go over what we have learned so far this year.

7th grade: The 7th graders are also studying ratios, rates and percentages. The chapter started off as an easy review, but the material is becoming more and more difficult each day. Several students are ahead of schedule, so keep up the great work so you can spend extra time on the more challenging sections. We will also have a cumulative review day on Tuesday.

8th grade: The 8th graders are studying systems of equations. We are excited about a systems of equations project we are currently working on. I especially want to encourage and focus on work time during class. It is easy to get distracted and unfocused, and a lot of time is being wasted during class time. This last week was better than ever before, and I want to keep up the improvement! Thanks you guys! We will also be doing a cumulative review on Tuesday.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Projects Update: Weeks 10 and 11

Hello all!

I am so sorry that I haven't posted for a few weeks. I am now full time, and last week was my first week teaching 4th grade Projects in the afternoon, so life has been a bit hectic.

Last week (week 10) the students finished working on their endangered species presentations, presented their plans to their classmates, took an exam, and had an informal debate about whether or not it is important to save endangered species. The students did well on their presentations and exam, and it was really fascinating and a lot of fun to have them debate (especially since they had to have evidence to support their view).

This week we started learning about genetics. So far we are just talking about the basics, but I have enjoyed watching the light-bulbs go on for your students as they realize how much our genes influence who we are. We will continue learning about genetics for the next few weeks.

I will do my best to keep up weekly with the blog so that you know what your students are doing! As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about your student and/or what we are learning in class, please feel free to ask! I hope you have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Ms. Williams

Projects Week 8 and 9

Howdy ho!

I just wanted to post a quick update. Today students were placed into groups for their Endangered Species Project, which will be their final project for our Ecosystems Unit. As I explained before, students will work in teams of 3 to research an endangered species and create a plan for how to bring it back from the brink while sustainably managing natural resources. There has already been some interesting discussion and debate, as not everybody in class agrees on the importance of endangered species. If we have time, we may hold a debate in order for students to support their opinions with evidence and stretch their persuasive muscles!

We will be having a vocabulary quiz next Thursday (unless plans change), for which students have been preparing using Quizlet. The final project and test won't happen until after Fall Break.

As always, please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns. I hope you have a great week!

Math: September 26-29

6th Grade - 
The 6th graders are working hard to learn how to add and subtract integers. Next week we will discuss multiplying and dividing integers and we will have a chapter test on on Thursday!

7th Grade -
The 7th grade will study hard over the weekend as well as on Monday to prepare for their chapter test on Tuesday. The test will cover expressions (specifically simplifying expressions, factoring expressions, combining like terms, distributive property, equivalent expressions). Make sure to study your quizzes from the chapter to prepare or the test!

8th Grade -
The 8th grade has been studying inequalities. They did a great job on compound inequalities in class today (Thursday). Next week we will learn to solve and graph absolute value inequalities,  and have a  chapter test on Wednesday.

We will begin a Quarter 1 project for each grade on Monday. We will use the last 20 minutes of every class for approximately 2 weeks to work on a math project specific to each grade. Bring your creative minds!

Projects Recap of Week 6 and Looking Forward to Week 7

Hello all!

Last week we finished the Body Systems unit with an assessment. We also did a mini-unit exploring how photosynthesis contributes to the flow of energy and cycling of matter. We used energy pyramids to help us access this concept. At the end of the week, students wrote a paragraph to explain this concept.

This week, we are starting a new unit on Ecosystems which we will continue until the end of the quarter. In this unit, we will be exploring how biotic and abiotic (ask your students what these mean, they should be able to tell you!) factors interact in an ecosystem to maintain homeostasis (a fancy word for balance or harmony). Students will ultimately work in a group to research an endangered species and present a plan of action for how to save that species in a way that is sustainable.* Students will take on the role of zoologist, ecologist, or conservationist. I think this is a great project that will be extremely informative for both me and the students, and I hope for you as well!

Also, I updated Infinite Campus with the students' Body Systems Assessment grade as well as their Peer Assessment grade for that same project. I will be grading their projects this week, and I will let you know when those grades are completed and entered into the computer.

Thank you for the support you provide your students! They are a joy to teach!










*For any parents concerned about this project, I want to reassure you that I am of the opinion that the land is meant to be stewarded and its resources used and taken care of. So, when I teach students about conservation, it will be from the perspective that it is the job of humanity to be responsible with natural resources so that we can both benefit from the land and also protect it and those other species native to it. I know "conservation" is a hot button topic, but it is important for students to learn about the importance of caring for our world, hence the "sustainable" methods for saving their species of choice. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns!

Week 5 - Finishing up Body Systems

Hello all!

I just wanted to post a quick update of what the end of the Body Systems Unit is looking like. This week the students have been working with their groups on their Body System Poster. They finished those today, and they look great! I will make it a point to take pictures and post them hopefully on here.

Tomorrow students will take a vocabulary quiz on the major body systems. They've been studying these terms on Quizlet, so they should be prepared and I'm sure they will knock the quiz out of the park. After the quiz (which we will grade in class so that students can know their score right away), students will present their poster and teach the class about their group's body system. Each group has devised a notetaker for their classmates, which students should study over the weekend to prepare for the test on Monday. The students have been studying for this test, and I am confident that they will do well!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email me, and I will get back to you within 48 hours at the very most, usually within the same day if not the same hour. I am so enjoying your students, and I am so grateful for your support! Have a great rest of your week!

-Ms. Williams

Projects: Week 4 and Week 5

Hello everybody! I hope you had an awesome Labor Day Weekend! I know I did!

I wanted to give you an update on what we are doing this week and next week in Projects. As I stated in my last post, this new unit is about the six primary body systems (muscular, circulatory, excretory, nervous, respiratory, and digestive).

Last week the students learned about all of the systems and did some independent research. At the end of the week, their groups (which I assigned this time, since they got to choose last time) chose what system they would focus on.

This week, the groups conducted their own research on the system they chose. Their task is to create a life-sized poster that depicts and explains the function of the major organs of their system as well as two diseases or disorders that impact that system. They will be teaching their system to the class (more details regarding the expectations for their "lesson" to come, depending on the time we have). At this point we are planning on having the posters due 9/14, next Wednesday, but that is dependent on how quickly the students are working. If they are working diligently and need more time, then I am willing to be flexible. However, if they are wasting class time, then I will make the 14th a hard due date. The test will follow either on the 15th or the following Monday.

I have finished grading their Cell Final Projects and am sending the rubrics home for you to sign. My reason for doing this is I want you to see exactly why your student scored as high or low as they did. For those boxes with a score but no written feedback, ask your student what we discussed in our conference with their group. Overall I was very pleased with the projects! I am confident that the projects will get better and better as the year goes on.

Finally, I just wanted to let parents know that I updated student grades to include their Cell Final Project, their Peer Evaluations for that project, and their Cells Final Test scores. If you have any questions regarding grades, please let me know via email.

Thank you for all you do to support your student! I hope you have a great week!

-Ms. Williams

Projects: Looking Back at Week 2 and Forward to Week 3

Hello everybody! I just wanted to give you a quick update about what we have been and will be up to in Projects.

So last week (8/22-8/25) students worked in groups to create a 3D model of a structure or system that they then related to different parts of a cell. They started work on their models on Monday and completed them Thursday. Your students did some great work! I will take some pictures to post on here for you to see each project. Students also had a vocabulary quiz based on the Quizlet that they had been studying.

This week in Projects, students will be finishing up with our unit on cells and begin our unit on body systems. Today students got to do a Gallery Walk and see what other groups in other classes did for their projects. They also evaluated the participation of their peers and their own performance, as well as reflecting on the process, product, and assignment. Tomorrow, students will be taking their final exam for cells. They should make sure that they are familiar with the different parts of a cell and what they do, and they need to know the differences between plant and animal cells.

Then Wednesday and Thursday we will begin studying body systems. We will be studying the 6 major body systems (digestive, circulatory, nervous, respiratory, excretory, muscular). We will continue learning about these systems next week.

I will update the blog by next Tuesday to let you know how this week went and give you a preview for the following week. Have a great Labor Day Weekend!!

-Ms. Williams

Math: August 22- August 25

We've really dived into the material this week, and I was able to start evaluating and understanding the level of each student and each grade as a whole. We've taken our first couple of quizzes, and we're learning to get the testing jitters out of the way. The students are grasping the concepts well, but sometimes it's just easy to make those "silly mistakes" that throw off our entire answer. So we're going to focus and double check all of our work going forward.

6th grade: This past week we reviewed adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing fractions and decimals. We'll spend a few more days reviewing this coming week, and prepare for a chapter test on Wednesday. This test will cover adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. 

7th grade: This past week we reviewed finding the Least Common Multiple and square/cube roots. The entire class prepared well and felt confident for their upcoming test. Due to student council elections, the chapter test was postponed from Thursday to Monday (tomorrow). They understand the material well, and I think they will do great!

8th grade: We've had a slow start to eighth grade. We're a little chatty and distract each other from getting our work done, but we're starting to see the importance of focusing in class and understanding the lessons. With this new classroom set up, there is a lot of personal responsibility to learn the material. Towards the end of last week, the students really buckled down and did a great job. This last week we reviewed Real Numbers and the Distributive Property. This upcoming week we will learn graphing on a coordinate plane and prepare for a chapter test on Wednesday!

Math: August 15- August 18

The first week of school has flown by! We've set up all of our Usernames and passwords, and we're getting familiar with our new math class structure of "flipping the classroom." We're ready to start off this next week strong and learn some great math. 

6th grade: This week we reviewed adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, and we began to learn about fractions. We began a quiz, and will continue it on Monday. 

7th grade: This week we learned about prime factorization and the greatest common factor. We had a quiz, that students did very well on, and will prepare for a chapter test this coming week.

8th grade: This week we reviewed the order of operations and learned about number sets, including the set of real numbers. We had a quiz in class and will have two more this upcoming week. So be prepared! 

Great First Week in Projects!

Hello parents and students!

This first week of Projects was fantastic! We learned about how cells are the building blocks of life, about how animal and plant cells are different, and we learned about the functions of different organelles in a cell. Students created a cell model using a water bottle, which they will be excited to show you at Back to School Night. Students also created an analogy between how a cell functions and how a school functions.

Next week, students will be working on their Final Product for our Structures and Process of Cells Unit in teams of four. For their Product, students will create a 3D model of a system or structure (such as a school) and they will relate the parts of that system or structure to the parts of a plant or animal cell. The Products will be completed by Thursday the 25th, when students will do a Gallery Walk to showcase their Final Product.

Also on Thursday students will also take a Vocabulary Test on terms that they will have studied on Quizlet. For more tactile students it would be a good idea to create flashcards on notecards that they can physically manipulate.

The final test for cells will be Monday the 29th so that students can know their results from the Vocabulary Test and review those terms, which will also be on the final test.

Please let me know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns by emailing me at iwilliams@oasisacademyfallon.us. I am so excited to learn and grow with your students this year!

Welcome!

Welcome to a new school year! 

My name is Mrs. Weed, and I am excited to teach the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math classes. I will be sharing this blog with Ms. Williams, who will be teaching the 8th grade projects and homeroom class, so keep an eye out for posts and updates from us both!

I am excited to meet each of you on Back to School night to explain in detail the structure of our math classes this upcoming year. I created a new tab containing a basic syllabus that will give a brief overview of our plans for the year. We will review it on Thursday and discuss any questions you may have. 

I love to learn, and I love math! I am grateful to spend this year with your son/daughter, and I'm confident we'll challenge our minds and learn lots!