Welcome to N of N

First...we will cap off our Washington State Map project with a test covering the items the students were required to place on their group map. Students have been encouraged to use spare blank templates that I provided to study. Hopefully they have heeded my advice...but the 5 hours of map construction help a whole lot as well :) Secondly....Night of the Notables is upon us! Students will have library and computer time to finalize their choice of a notable. They will receive a packet on Monday detailing the project in it's entirety. I have 2 days each week scheduled for research, question answering, paper writing and prezi production. Should be a grand adventure! PS. I have suggested students use a biography for their notable as their 3rd quarter choice book. This is just a suggestion :)

This week: History....Map construction. Map template and region chart due Monday. TEST over the entire map on Friday. English...A personal narrative essay is due Friday. The prompt is below: Harper Lee was the voice of her generation. If you were the voice of your generation, what would be your most important message? This needs to be 1 page typed. Normal margins. Size 11 or 12. Proofed and edited. Encourage your student to read their essay out loud so they can hear glitches. Finally, Night of the Notables research time is upon us. We will review the research process on Friday. We are using the district recommended method. You can find this on the district web site. A week from Monday, we will be in the lab and library to select our notables and then we will be off and running with research, prezi production, forms, essays, presentations and finally our Night on 3/26.

Movie and a Map

Trying to make up for lost time....well, not entirely lost, just allocated away from my classroom (2 field trips and a snow day) English - finishing up To Kill a Mockingbird - final questions will be checked off tomorrow and work will continue on their Plot Trees. We will also be watching the movie, followed by an in-class writing activity. We tried out a new discussion format today called the Socratic Seminar --- ask you student about it. I think it went well....but it will take getting used to. They are VERY trained to raise hands and answer questions - they know how to look at me when they respond...this method requires them to have a book group type conversation and my only role is to ask the leading questions. I think it encourages more critical/analytical thinking on their part - and encourages them to look at body language, take turns, listen and include all voices. History - we have our groups set for the Washington State Map project. I choose the groups because I believe they grow a bit more socially/emotionally when they do not always work with the same group of friends. Each student has a packet - they will create templates and then map construction occurs in class starting Thursday or Friday. We will take about 3 days to get through this project. There will be a TEST on the map that is pretty challenging - please encourage them to study at home! 3rd q. choice books should be underway as soon as we finish TKM (in other words, this week) --- same format - ask your student to touch base with me if they need ideas :)

Winter MAPS testing is behind us. If your student was absent, they will be scheduled in for a makeup during our regular school day.

Students should be through chapter 21 including the odd or even questions (depending upon their roster # for class)

This week we will move closer to finishing To Kill a Mockingbird.

Also, Thursday is out field trip to the WSU archives and the Anthropology museum. We will be leaving school by 9AM at the latest and returning by lunch time. If your student has not yet turned in their permission slip, please encourage them to do so.