Hello, Paideia families!
2 quick updates:
1) This week (in both 7th & 8th grades) we are beginning an assignment called, “Thirty Things I Believe.” It’s pretty much what it sounds like—students will create a list of 30 personal beliefs that they hold at this time in their lives. Over the past few years I have noticed a pattern at this point in the school year, when we’re halfway through the year and we all have a bit of a case of the winter doldrums: Everyone gets low on energy, and is unusually down or negative! I have also found that this little project seems to help restore our sense of purpose and positivity. This assignment was inspired by the following story, from NPR a few years back: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99478226 . I really encourage you to listen to it, because the little boy’s voice is so darn cute :) I also encourage you to develop your own list of beliefs, to share and compare with your child’s.
2) Legislative Draft Project:
Here is roughly where your child should be at in this process:
*Should know the 3 states on her/his Legislative Team
*Should have found and printed off at least 6 articles and/or bills relating to environmental issues in her/his 3 states (students have had 2 class periods this quarter in which to complete this)
Next steps (have not been assigned yet):
*Find final 3 articles or bills (or some combination of the two)
*Begin written analyses of the issues reported in their news articles, and/or addressed in the action plans of the bills they have found
Hope that helps! Please get in touch with me with questions, concerns, or suggestions/comments.
Thanks!
Leah Hood
Monday, February 7, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
This Week in Social Studies-- 1/24-1/28
Hello, Paideia families!
This week in Social Studies we continued to read in our historic fiction novels (The Truth About Sparrows in 7th grade; Animal Farm in 8th), and to complete reading packets for each chapter; reading packets include Pre-Reading, During Reading, and Post-Reading activities. The novels supplement what we are studying in U.S. and world History. We also have the audiobook versions of both novels, which allows for some nice variation and choices for students; some days students read independently, some days they are allowed to read in small groups of their choosing, and some days we will read aloud all together as an entire class.
We also took a pretest over countries and capital cities in Southeast Asia & the Pacific; both 7th and 8th grades will be tested next Friday over 14 countries in that region. Students have been given a study guide, and next week we'll do another round of "Geography Choreography", which seemed to be a big hit last week!
Before heading to Orchestra Hall (which was a great experience!) on Thursday, 7th graders got to read from the latest issue of Upfront magazine; as a whole class, we read an article about child-brides in Afghanistan, and compared the rigid (and often cruel, in the eyes of most Americans) expectations in that country to the significantly more liberal Islamic culture for women in Tunisia; we listened to a short NPR clip about women and women's rights in Tunisia. This is the first year I have had a subscription to Upfront magazine, and I have been really, really pleased at how the kids have responded to it.
In 7th grade we are learning about the Women's Suffrage Movement in the United States; we are comparing and contrasting four different secondary sources on the subject, as well as watching a PBS documentary for about 15 minutes per day, until we finish it.
In 8th grade we are doing the same thing, only for The Russian Revolution, as a part of our introduction to the Cold War.
We also edited return letters to our pen-pals in Thailand-- I will get those in the mail within the next few days.
If you are wondering about the Legislative Draft project, here is what you and your child can be working on: Find articles that have to do with the environment IN THOSE 3 STATES, from local news sources in the three states your child drafted. Example: An article from The Des Moines Register about wind farms in Northeast Iowa.
If you want to keep up with Social Studies homework assignments and due dates, please refer to my class Twitter account: MsHoodsHoodlums@twitter.com
I have also taken to posting homework assignments on this blog, in the right-hand column, under the "About Me" section; unfortunatley, I can't change the header from "About Me" to "Homework", but please know that it is posted here for you and your child, as well.
Please let me know if you are interested in any supplementary reading or study materials, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or general feedback!
Hope you have fun at the all-school dance tonight!
Take care,
Leah Hood
P.S. Re-registration forms for next year should be coming home today with your child!! Please return those to the Office ASAP! Thank you!
This week in Social Studies we continued to read in our historic fiction novels (The Truth About Sparrows in 7th grade; Animal Farm in 8th), and to complete reading packets for each chapter; reading packets include Pre-Reading, During Reading, and Post-Reading activities. The novels supplement what we are studying in U.S. and world History. We also have the audiobook versions of both novels, which allows for some nice variation and choices for students; some days students read independently, some days they are allowed to read in small groups of their choosing, and some days we will read aloud all together as an entire class.
We also took a pretest over countries and capital cities in Southeast Asia & the Pacific; both 7th and 8th grades will be tested next Friday over 14 countries in that region. Students have been given a study guide, and next week we'll do another round of "Geography Choreography", which seemed to be a big hit last week!
Before heading to Orchestra Hall (which was a great experience!) on Thursday, 7th graders got to read from the latest issue of Upfront magazine; as a whole class, we read an article about child-brides in Afghanistan, and compared the rigid (and often cruel, in the eyes of most Americans) expectations in that country to the significantly more liberal Islamic culture for women in Tunisia; we listened to a short NPR clip about women and women's rights in Tunisia. This is the first year I have had a subscription to Upfront magazine, and I have been really, really pleased at how the kids have responded to it.
In 7th grade we are learning about the Women's Suffrage Movement in the United States; we are comparing and contrasting four different secondary sources on the subject, as well as watching a PBS documentary for about 15 minutes per day, until we finish it.
In 8th grade we are doing the same thing, only for The Russian Revolution, as a part of our introduction to the Cold War.
We also edited return letters to our pen-pals in Thailand-- I will get those in the mail within the next few days.
If you are wondering about the Legislative Draft project, here is what you and your child can be working on: Find articles that have to do with the environment IN THOSE 3 STATES, from local news sources in the three states your child drafted. Example: An article from The Des Moines Register about wind farms in Northeast Iowa.
If you want to keep up with Social Studies homework assignments and due dates, please refer to my class Twitter account: MsHoodsHoodlums@twitter.com
I have also taken to posting homework assignments on this blog, in the right-hand column, under the "About Me" section; unfortunatley, I can't change the header from "About Me" to "Homework", but please know that it is posted here for you and your child, as well.
Please let me know if you are interested in any supplementary reading or study materials, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or general feedback!
Hope you have fun at the all-school dance tonight!
Take care,
Leah Hood
P.S. Re-registration forms for next year should be coming home today with your child!! Please return those to the Office ASAP! Thank you!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
This Week In Social Studies
Hello, all!
This week in Social Studies we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by reading a chapter in our textbook about his life, listening to his "I Have A Dream" speech in its entirety while following along with a text version (students underlined the most powerful parts of the speech), and by considering the questions: "What is 'equality'?" "How far have we come since the days of MLK Jr.?" "What work still needs to be done?"
We also wrote back to our pen-pals from Thailand! The students were very excited about this. I told the kids that they are welcome to communicate with their pen-pals outside of school as often as their parents/guardians allow; we will, however, sometimes be requiring students to write to their pen-pals in class. We will use this as an opportunity to practice the drafting and editing process in a way that is (hopefully!) less dry and more authentic.
We also began reading our novels and completing reading packets, which include Pre-Reading, During Reading, and Post-Reading activities on a chapter by chapter basis.
On Friday, students will be quizzed over some countries in central and northern Asia. Please do not forget about the following online study tools for geography:
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/
http://www.ilike2learn.com/
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Take care,
Leah Hood
This week in Social Studies we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by reading a chapter in our textbook about his life, listening to his "I Have A Dream" speech in its entirety while following along with a text version (students underlined the most powerful parts of the speech), and by considering the questions: "What is 'equality'?" "How far have we come since the days of MLK Jr.?" "What work still needs to be done?"
We also wrote back to our pen-pals from Thailand! The students were very excited about this. I told the kids that they are welcome to communicate with their pen-pals outside of school as often as their parents/guardians allow; we will, however, sometimes be requiring students to write to their pen-pals in class. We will use this as an opportunity to practice the drafting and editing process in a way that is (hopefully!) less dry and more authentic.
We also began reading our novels and completing reading packets, which include Pre-Reading, During Reading, and Post-Reading activities on a chapter by chapter basis.
On Friday, students will be quizzed over some countries in central and northern Asia. Please do not forget about the following online study tools for geography:
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/
http://www.ilike2learn.com/
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Take care,
Leah Hood
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Welcome back for Third Quarter!
Happy New Year, everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed your break and all the associated festivities. I had a great time visiting family in Fargo and Iowa, and spending three nights in Lutsen with friends for the new year.
We are moving forward in both 7th and 8th grade Social Studies this quarter, putting old studies behind us and looking into other ideas and time periods.
In 7th grade this quarter, we will begin by studying "The Roaring 20s", the post-WW1 era of celebratory rebellion, including the Women's Suffrage Movement, the Labor Movement, the Harlem Renaissance-- tempered, of course, by the Temperance Movement. We will read the novel, The Truth About Sparrows. This book is of the historic fiction genre, and presents the experiences of American farm families in the Dust Bowl and Great Depression through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl, Sadie. This will, of course, serve as a lens through which to view our units on the Dust Bowl, Great Depression, and New Deal.
In 8th grade this quarter, we will study the Cold War, focusing on Mao's China, the Soviet Union, and McCarthyism in the United States. Alongside these units we will be reading George Orwell's classic, Animal Farm (a Core Knowledge novel), as well as the Nobel Prize winning One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. We will explore the philosophies of Marx and Smith, and debate the merits and drawbacks of Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, Democracy, and Totalitarianism.
In both grade levels we will continue with our Legislative Draft project, map quizzes, and our pen-pals from Thailand.
I really enjoy teaching the units on the slate for Q3!
See you back at school on Thursday!
--Leah Hood
P.S. Homework assignments are posted at MsHoodsHoodlums@twitter.com
I hope you all enjoyed your break and all the associated festivities. I had a great time visiting family in Fargo and Iowa, and spending three nights in Lutsen with friends for the new year.
We are moving forward in both 7th and 8th grade Social Studies this quarter, putting old studies behind us and looking into other ideas and time periods.
In 7th grade this quarter, we will begin by studying "The Roaring 20s", the post-WW1 era of celebratory rebellion, including the Women's Suffrage Movement, the Labor Movement, the Harlem Renaissance-- tempered, of course, by the Temperance Movement. We will read the novel, The Truth About Sparrows. This book is of the historic fiction genre, and presents the experiences of American farm families in the Dust Bowl and Great Depression through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl, Sadie. This will, of course, serve as a lens through which to view our units on the Dust Bowl, Great Depression, and New Deal.
In 8th grade this quarter, we will study the Cold War, focusing on Mao's China, the Soviet Union, and McCarthyism in the United States. Alongside these units we will be reading George Orwell's classic, Animal Farm (a Core Knowledge novel), as well as the Nobel Prize winning One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. We will explore the philosophies of Marx and Smith, and debate the merits and drawbacks of Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, Democracy, and Totalitarianism.
In both grade levels we will continue with our Legislative Draft project, map quizzes, and our pen-pals from Thailand.
I really enjoy teaching the units on the slate for Q3!
See you back at school on Thursday!
--Leah Hood
P.S. Homework assignments are posted at MsHoodsHoodlums@twitter.com
Monday, December 6, 2010
More Reading Lists!
If you copy and paste the link below, you'll find annotated bibliographic info for historic fiction for teens, organized by period of history:
http://www.skokie.lib.il.us/s_teens/tn_books/tn_booklists/histfict.asp
http://www.skokie.lib.il.us/s_teens/tn_books/tn_booklists/histfict.asp
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Supplementary Reading: Apartheid in South Africa
I took the following information directly off of a webpage operated by Boston University:
1. BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS All of these books are
available for loan from the Boston University African Outreach Program.
Elinor Sisulu, The Day Gogo Went to Vote.
Sheila Gordon, Waiting for Rain [winner of several children's book awards (ages 12 & up)
_________, Middle of Somewhere: A Story of South Africa (elem/middle)
Beverly Naidoo, Journey to Jo'burg A South African Storv [winner of several children's book awards]
_________, Chain of Fire, (ages 11 & up)
Hazel Rochman, ea., Somehow Tenderness Survives: Stories of Southern Africa [an ALA Best Book for Young Adults]
The Open School, Two Dogs and Freedom - drawings and observations about life in South Africa by black South African children
Mary Benson, Nelson Mandela: The Man and the Movement (advanced high school) [Mary Benson has also done a middle school level biography of Mandela]
Apartheid: Calibrations of Color (Icarus/Rosen Publishing Group). [winner of African Studies Assoc. award for children's book]short stories, plays, photos and personal essays by South Africans. [middle & high school]
Sarah Harris, Timeline: South Africa (Weighing Up the Evidence)
Gail Stewart, South Africa (Places in the News)
Hugh Lewin, The Day the Picture Came Alive [about the excitement of Nelson Mandela visiting children in a village soon after his release from prison]; [elementary school]
D. Stanley, Shaka: King of the Zulus
S. Harris, Timeline: South Africa. [middle school]
G. Stewart, South Africa: Places in the News. [middle school]
S. Otfinoski, Nelson Mandela [middle school]
Floyd Cooper, Mandela. [elementary school]
Rebecca Stefoff, Nelson Mandela A Voice Set Free
Jack Roberts, Nelson Mandela. [elementary school]
John Vail, Nelson and Winnie Mandela
N. Silver, No Tigers in Africa [a coming of age story about a white boy who is pushed to unlearn the prejudice he grew up withl; [middle school and higher]
M. Williams, The Genuine Half Moon Kid [a coming of age story about a white boy]; [middle school and higher]
Peter Lowis, South Africa: Free at Last ("Topics in the News" series)
In addition, the B.U. African Outreach Program has a series of short biographies, w/ photos, of key leaders in the anti-apartheid struggle. [grades 5-8]; [published in South Africa]
The following fine picture books take place in South Africa. They offer stories which vividly
depict the lives and culture of black South Africans.
Isadora, Over the Green Hills
_________, At the Crossroads
I. Mennen and N. Daly, Somewhere in Africa
N. Daly, Not So Fast Songololo
N. Daly, The Day of the Rainbow
C. Stock, Armien's Fishing Trip
H. Lewin, Jafta (series)
R. Schermbrucker and N. Daly, Charlie's House
J. Seed, Ntombi's Song
1. BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS All of these books are
available for loan from the Boston University African Outreach Program.
Elinor Sisulu, The Day Gogo Went to Vote.
Sheila Gordon, Waiting for Rain [winner of several children's book awards (ages 12 & up)
_________, Middle of Somewhere: A Story of South Africa (elem/middle)
Beverly Naidoo, Journey to Jo'burg A South African Storv [winner of several children's book awards]
_________, Chain of Fire, (ages 11 & up)
Hazel Rochman, ea., Somehow Tenderness Survives: Stories of Southern Africa [an ALA Best Book for Young Adults]
The Open School, Two Dogs and Freedom - drawings and observations about life in South Africa by black South African children
Mary Benson, Nelson Mandela: The Man and the Movement (advanced high school) [Mary Benson has also done a middle school level biography of Mandela]
Apartheid: Calibrations of Color (Icarus/Rosen Publishing Group). [winner of African Studies Assoc. award for children's book]short stories, plays, photos and personal essays by South Africans. [middle & high school]
Sarah Harris, Timeline: South Africa (Weighing Up the Evidence)
Gail Stewart, South Africa (Places in the News)
Hugh Lewin, The Day the Picture Came Alive [about the excitement of Nelson Mandela visiting children in a village soon after his release from prison]; [elementary school]
D. Stanley, Shaka: King of the Zulus
S. Harris, Timeline: South Africa. [middle school]
G. Stewart, South Africa: Places in the News. [middle school]
S. Otfinoski, Nelson Mandela [middle school]
Floyd Cooper, Mandela. [elementary school]
Rebecca Stefoff, Nelson Mandela A Voice Set Free
Jack Roberts, Nelson Mandela. [elementary school]
John Vail, Nelson and Winnie Mandela
N. Silver, No Tigers in Africa [a coming of age story about a white boy who is pushed to unlearn the prejudice he grew up withl; [middle school and higher]
M. Williams, The Genuine Half Moon Kid [a coming of age story about a white boy]; [middle school and higher]
Peter Lowis, South Africa: Free at Last ("Topics in the News" series)
In addition, the B.U. African Outreach Program has a series of short biographies, w/ photos, of key leaders in the anti-apartheid struggle. [grades 5-8]; [published in South Africa]
The following fine picture books take place in South Africa. They offer stories which vividly
depict the lives and culture of black South Africans.
Isadora, Over the Green Hills
_________, At the Crossroads
I. Mennen and N. Daly, Somewhere in Africa
N. Daly, Not So Fast Songololo
N. Daly, The Day of the Rainbow
C. Stock, Armien's Fishing Trip
H. Lewin, Jafta (series)
R. Schermbrucker and N. Daly, Charlie's House
J. Seed, Ntombi's Song
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Research-based Article Indicates Parental Involvement in Middle School Students' Academic Achievement
Check out the article below (in PDF form):
http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/RMLE/rmle_vol31_no10.pdf
http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/RMLE/rmle_vol31_no10.pdf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)