Hay, Science Is Super Exciting!

SCIENCE
This week we began with a laboratory investigation on protist. We observed protist and protist cysts (hard shells protist use to hibernate during times that conditions are too harsh to survive) in samples of hay infusion. Hay infusion is the process of taking hay and placing it in water at room temperature for 7-14 days. The cysts that protist use to protect themselves break apart and the protist can emerge to carry out all life processes. Please ask your child how the cysts ended up in the hay! This was also an amazing opportunity for your child to master their microscope skills. It takes a lot of practice and skill to be able to locate and observe these microorganisms. Your children were able to locate a variety of protist, protist cysts, bacteria, algae and hay pieces. I am so proud of each one of them!

The rest of the week was dedicated to preparing for Student Lead Conferences. We chose two lab investigations for each unit to analyze our strengths and weaknesses. The outline that we are using to prepare for SLC's is in our math/science binder. Please feel free to review this with your child. I am thrilled with the reflections on their work. We will continue to analyze our laboratory investigations, set goals and conference together next week.

MATH
This week we continued with our preparations for the upcoming Student Led Conferences by analyzing and correcting past mistakes, selecting work samples, preparing materials, and meeting with Mrs. V for specific feedback on our progress in math this year. We also began our next unit of study, Data, Statistics, and Graphing, by reviewing key vocabulary terms for Central Measures of Tendency: range, mean, median, and mode. To appeal to all modes of learning (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), we learned a song and dance to assist us with retrieving this information out of our long term memories. (Click here to view excerpts performed by some very brave souls: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4 ). We also blended art with this content by using one of my favorite activities for vocabulary development called Concrete Spellings. In Concrete Spellings, students spell words using letters that form shapes to express the words’ meanings. (For examples, see slideshow above). After everyone had attempted their own drawings, we then circulated throughout the room observing each others’ ideas. This sparked a lot of great conversation amongst the kids, thereby adding to the auditory component of this lesson. Now that we’ve set the stage for learning by building some background information, let the data collecting begin!

We want to take this opportunity to welcome Ms. Lynn Curley to the 7th grade team! Although we will miss Ms. Veronica immensely, we are very excited about everyone's new roles!

Best wishes to all!

Water World of Life and the Hug of Death

SCIENCE
This week was really amazing!!! I want to begin with sharing with you the success of your child's progress on the science assessment of Cell Me About It, an assessment of cells and cell processes. Your children knocked my socks off with their hard work in and out of the classroom last week to prepare for this assessment. The purpose of this test was to expose your child to methods of preparing for an assessment. We talked about studying in short amounts of time on a daily basis, making flash cards, rereading the material, creating outlines/notes and studying in small groups. The assessments were phenomenal! Many of these concepts were very abstract and your children did exceedingly well! Please take time this weekend to review the assessment with your child. Please allow them to share with you the strategies that they used to acquire such a high level of knowledge!

Wednesday we explored the Kingdom Protista. We had an opportunity to observe plant-like and animal-like protist under a microscope. We observed volvox, paramecium, amoeba, and euglena. We were able to determine if they were plant-like or animal-like from the color of the organism. The plant-like protist have chloroplast and had a green color. We also noticed all the different ways protist can propel themselves through the water with flagellum, pseudopodia and cilia. I loved observing your children's reaction as we watched an euglena rush through the drop of water. They were also surprised at how slowly the amoeba moved. it was a wonderful time in the science classroom! We will continue protist with a lab on hay infusion next week.

To continue studying the diversity of the microscopic world we observed hydra and daphnia on Thursday. These organisms are from the Animal Kingdom are are complex with organs and organ systems. Please ask about this lab investigation! I have heard from several students that this was the "best lab yet". We were able to see the daphina's heart beating! We were able to observe the hydra's tentacles with their stinging cells attack the daphnia in a predator and prey relationship. This was definitely a WOW lab investigation! Thank you so much for allowing me this opportunity to work with such engaging and exciting people. Your children bring me so much pleasure with their constant enthusiasm!!!

We finished the week with a film on biology hosted by Bill Nye. This film talked about all the fascinating work that scientist have accomplished in biology. We were able to connect our lab investigations with many great scientist and their studies of cells and cell processes.
I wish you a wonderful weekend and I can not wait to see everyone again on Tuesday!

MATH
As stated in the previous post, I have temporarily suspended new instruction while I use this time to conference, reteach, and extend previously-learned concepts in math class. I am focusing not only on mathematical skills and objectives, but also on behaviors such as class participation and study skills as I sit and talk with each student, one-on-one. While this process is very time-consuming, I find it to be incredibly meaningful, and therefore, well worth the time. As I meet with each student, other students are working collaboratively on correcting mistakes on past exams and preparing for the math and science portions of their upcoming Student Led Conference. As I reflect back to last year’s SLC, I am profoundly struck by the students’ growth. Certainly they have matured academically, being able to handle much more sophisticated types of mathematical applications, but I’m also so pleased with their intrinsic drive to work independently to best of their ability. Observations such as these warm a teacher’s heart!

Recently, I read an article in the Charlotte Observer entitled, “How To Nail the College Interview.” While these students still have a few years before they need to start thinking about things such as these, I couldn’t help but think about what a marvelous system we have intact for students at CSD. Of all the schools in which I have taught, these students are by far more articulate than most others. I truly believe this is because of the highly interactive way in which the teachers approach instruction at our school. Students are encouraged to learn by doing. Then they are encouraged to talk and write about what they are learning. These critical thinking and language skills are embedded into every aspect of the curriculum, resulting in young people who are not only knowledgeable of content areas, but who are becoming adept in the “art” of conversation. SLC’s are yet another wonderful opportunity for students to prepare for future occurrences in meaningful, “real-life” ways. So as Barbara Christian used to say, “prepare to be bedazzled” by your child!

A Quick Note About Homework….
I am far more concerned with the process of solving problems than the particular answer, itself. In the case of this week’s homework, can they use corresponding sides of similar figures to set up proportions in order to solve for the unknown? I completely understand how frustrating it is that errors occur so frequently on the answer keys, and for that, I am offering my most sincere apology. Even with computer-generated sheets AND the assistance of an amazing parent volunteer, it seems that mistakes are inevitable. However, I have decided that this is not altogether a bad thing. Kids tend to catch these mistakes all of the time, which tells me that they are thinking critically about what they are doing. I will continue to strive for perfection with this, but realistically speaking, there are probably going to be mistakes on future answer keys. So if things seem way off to you as a student or a parent, the key is probably wrong. First, retrace your steps and make sure you have used the correct process. Then retrace your calculations to make sure they are correct. I know this can become tedious, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with picking up a calculator to help you do this. I ask for the homework to be calculator inactive so that students will keep their calculation skills sharp, but when dealing with a tricky problem for which you cannot seem to locate an error of your own, by all means, use the calculator to double check the work. If we keep in mind the following: homework is simply a means of practicing previously-learned material and keeping calculations skills sharp, then we can use our best judgment at home when problems arise. In my eyes, it’s about the “thinking”; not about the “answer.” Thanks for all you do! I appreciate it more than words could ever say! If you’re at a loss for how to help with homework, click here for some suggestions….

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
~Martin Luther King~