Hello and welcome to my new blog!
After a trimester of attempting to use our school website as well as mass emailing weekly updates, I've decided to try a new system. My hope is that this blog is a bit more user friendly for students and families (and me!). I will post weekly updates here which will show up on the main page. Off to the right you'll see links to a few pages divided by grade--this is where you'll find larger project handouts and rubrics for the different Social Studies classes. I'll also be adding a "helpful links and resources" section as the year progresses. For larger assignments and projects I will also post due date reminders here in the main section, but please continue to check your student's planner for day-to-day assignments and due dates. Now, on to the weekly update...
6th Grade
Students took a stab at writing a "free-write" paragraph for their River Project narratives; the idea of the "free-write" is to release yourself from all writer's block and inhibitions and just write (good, bad, neat, sloppy, proper or improper grammar, correct or incorrect spelling--doesn't matter, just write). Students were encouraged to keep their paragraphs for their stories if they liked them, but it was also okay discard the final result and to use the opportunity just to work through some writer's block and brainstorm. To give some inspiration for the "Problem and Solution" requirement of the project, we watched a short video about grassroots restoration of salmon habitat in the Pacific Northwest--including various factors that had caused the demise of the habitat (damming, logging, over-fishing, mining, pollutants, etc.). Please ask your student if they are up-to-date on their River Project. The current progress check expectation is that students have the following organizers half-way, if not fully, complete: River Choice and Fact Sheet, Timeline (ongoing), Natural History, Initial Inhabitants, and Early Settlers (see copies of these handout organizers under the 6th Grade Handouts link to the right).
7th/8th Grade
The week started off with a buzz as election day gave us quite a bit to discuss! Students really showed some growth in being able to discuss politics in a calm and (somewhat) objective manner. The ability to support one's point of view with facts and evidence in a calm manner and to listen and really hear others' points of view is valuable skill--one that we'll continue to practice with future Structured Academic Controversies. Thanks to our guest "judges" who came in and moderated and observed the students' S.A.C.s both this week and last (Ms. Hayes, Mrs. Meeuwsen, Ms. Ferris, and Sam)! After our final S.A.C.s were performed, we spent the rest of the week preparing for our Courthouse Field Trip next Wednesday.
Please be sure to sign and return your student's graded rubric for both their Issues-Based Poster and Structured Academic Controversy (all students should have rubrics to show you unless they were absent or have not turned in their project yet). Also, students are welcome to study and retake their We the People unit 1 quiz if they are not happy with their score.
*Reminder: Wednesday, November 14th the 7th/8th Grade will be going to tour various Multnomah County Courtrooms with the Classroom Law Project. We will be leaving at 8:30 AM sharp, please make sure your student is at school on time for the field trip. Background information about the Multnomah County Court system can be found here (scroll 3/4 down for videos and links).
Math
This week I introduced a new model for how our Math class will be structured next trimester. I've made some adjustments to how instruction will be delivered to best suit all skill levels in our class. I will have detailed information in a Math Syllabus for next trimester that will be distributed and emailed to my Math students and families beginning in Trimester 2. Stay tuned!
Thanks for checking out the new blog!
Best,
Mr. Radich
