Week of June 2, 2008
This is our last full week of school. Final exams will be on the last two half days of the year (June 11th and 12th).

Monday, June 2nd - Friday, June 6th (excluding Tuesday, June 3rd)
Students will create a final project, which will include the things they have explored and learned about sustainable systems and sustainable building. The approach will be to create a pro or con building green presentation that will also demonstrate their answer to: "Why is the world different because you are in it?" The project options are to create: 1) A rap, song, or poem 2) A Ad Commercial or 3) A Power Point Slide presentation.
This project is due by the end of the day on Friday, June 6th! Presentations will be on Monday and Tuesday (June 9th and 10th).

Tuesday, June 3rd
There will be a field trip to the Lansing Imax Theatre.
Students who are not going on the trip will read an article related to the movie and complete a page of Lancer notes. The assignment is due at the end of class, no exceptions!

Week of May 27, 2008

I hope that you all had a peaceful and safe weekend. This week we will be finishing up our Literary essay unit. ALL Literary essays are due in their final form no later than the end of the day Friday, May 31! Extra credit will be given for typed essays. Be sure to have someone else proofread your final typed copy.

Monday, May 27th NO SCHOOL
Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 28th
1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Regreen(ing)
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objectives: To explore ways to go green.
3. Students will continue and complete their flipbooks on “Ways to Go Green!”
Homework~ Research, read, and bring in any articles and/or pictures related to sustainable systems.

Wednesday, May 29th – Friday, May 31st
1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Transitions, Revising, and Editing
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objective: To implement the writing process to complete a final draft of the literary essay.
3. Students will go to the computer lab and continue in the writing process: drafting, revising, peer-editing, and typing a final draft of the Literary essay.
4. Students will complete a Self-Reflection each day to determine where they are in the process.
Homework~ Continue the Literary essay writing process.

Week of May 19, 2008

Monday, May 19th
We are having a Spring Fling during 7th hour. Tier 1 students will participate in a number of outdoor games, such as, Steal the bacon, Egg on the spoon, & Three legged Race.

1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Author’s Craft
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objectives: To analyze an author’s craft and write about it.
3. Writers are going to complete an entry expressing their opinions about the way one of the short story authors crafted their story.
4. Self-reflection

Tuesday, May 20th
1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Sustainable Consumption
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objectives: To evaluate their current green status and explore ways to go green. 3. Students will complete:
a. Online Quiz: How Green Are You? http://www.globalgang.org/Quizzes/greenquiz.aspx b. Interactive Web Pages: Ways to “Go Green” http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/specials/articles/0,28285,1607171,00.html 11
(Write down the nine ways to go green according to this site.)
Tips for “Going Green” http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/games/white/0,28416,107748,00.html
(Choose and write down your top 6 out of 11 most important going green tips.)
4. Homework~ Research, read, and bring in any articles and/or pictures related to sustainable systems.

Wednesday, May 21st
1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Sustainability
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objective: To explore and make meaning of “Sustainable Systems.”
3. Students will interpret and respond to written prompts while viewing video clips and web pages. (Take notes on: Sustainable Systems, Sustainability, Goals of Sustainability, Consequences, What you can do, Food Sustainability, and Sustainable Communities.)
a. They will be shown the following: What Is Sustainability? http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=244513#videoid=96968
b. Students will share their responses with their table group. One person from each table will report out to the class.
4. Homework~ Research, read, and bring in any articles and/or pictures related to sustainable systems.

Thursday, May 22nd
There will be an 8th grade KVCC Visit today for the first 35 students who sign up and pay 100 tickets to go on this trip.

1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Sustainable Community
b. Define in own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objective: To explore and make meaning of “Going Green”
3. Students will view a video clip and webpage.
a. What Does Going Green Mean To You? http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=244513#videoid=96665
b. Sustainable Systems (list-webpage) http://css.snre.umich.edu/index.php
4. Then, read about ways to go green: http://ecologue.com/ShowArticle/10-Eco-Ideas-for-Your-Home.
5. Lastly, students will write a letter or create a magazine ad either encouraging or discouraging the “Go Green” campaign.
5. Homework~ Research, read, and bring in any articles and/or pictures related to sustainable systems.

Friday, May 23rd
1. Vocabulary Building Quiz
a. We will go to the library and return, renew, and checkout books. Each student needs to checkout one related to biotechnology/sustainable systems in addition to one of their own choosing.
2. Writers are going to continue the Literary Essay unit focusing specifically on any writing (using their rubric) they have missing at this point.
3. Then, students will read silently for the rest of the hour.
4. Self-reflection

Week of May 12, 2008

This past Friday in the library, we researched, defined, and provided examples for the terms: Biotechnology and Sustainable Systems. Our class structures are going to change a bit for the rest of the month, on Mondays and Fridays, we will continue with our literary essay unit. However, Tuesday thru Thursday we will be focusing on our Biotechnology theme of “Sustainable Systems.” We are going to specifically explore and make meaning out of Sustainable Housing/Architecture. This will help us to ultimately construct a response to our big essential question: Why is the world different because you are in it?


Monday, May 12th
1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Term: Literary Essay
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objectives: To reflect on previous writing and write mini-stories.
3. Writers are going to complete a checklist in order to reflect on the writing that has been done so far and complete any missing writing assignments for homework.
4. Then, write two to three mini-stories for their Literary Essay.
5. Self-reflection



Tuesday, May 13th-Thursday, May 15th
1. Vocabulary Building Exercise:
a. Key Terms: Biotechnology, Sustainable Systems, "Go Green"
b. Define in your own words
c. Draw a picture &/or provide an example
2. Objectives: To access prior knowledge, explore and make meaning of “biotechnology.”
3. Students will complete a pre-reflection on the following items:
a. What is biotechnology?
b. What are sustainable systems?
c. What are some examples of sustainable systems?
d. How would you say your decisions affect yourself? Your community? The world?
4. Students will begin to explore and make meaning of biotechnology.
5. They will read a cartoon on biotechnology.
6. They will create posters that portray what biotechnology means to them personally.
7. Homework~ Research, read, and bring in any articles and/or pictures related to biotechnology or sustainable systems.



Friday, May 16th

1. Vocabulary Building Quiz:
a. Students will use two of this weeks “Key Terms” in a sentence and draw a picture &/or provide an example of them.
2. Writers are going to continue the Literary Essay unit focusing specifically on making lists of evidence to support their topic sentences.
3. Self-reflection

Week of May 5, 2008

Monday, May 5th and Tuesday, May 6th
Writers will continue with the literary essay unit. We will focus on writing and evaluating thesis statements. Then, writers will plan/frame their essays using an outline handout.

Wednesday, May 7th
Attention: The Reading Race Program will be held today in the cafeteria at 1:45 pm. Medal Winners will be recognized at that time. Family, please come and celebrate with your excellent medal winner achiever(s)!!!

1. Bell Work~ How can you tell what a person might be like when you meet them? Have you ever been wrong about your first impression of someone? Explain.
2. Read and complete “Make the Connection,” workbook page 2.
3. Read along with the audio version of “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara.
a. Workbook pages 4-13.
b. CD #1, track #2
4. Students need to complete workbook pages 14 & 15 before the end of class.
5. Collect and turn into the clear turn in tray the workbook pages.
a. No one is to take these pages home!!! I want to see the amount of work that everyone has done in class.

Thursday, May 8th
We will begin our final round of AIMS reading testing today. Students not testing will
continue working on and complete the “Raymond’s Run” workbook pages 2-15.

Friday, May 9th
We are going to continue the AIMS reading testing in the library today. While students are not being tested they will return, renew, and check out books related to food consumption, disposal, and waste, along with one additional book of choice. Once their books have been checked out they will begin reading them. They will also answer the 5Ws in order to provide a summary of their reading.

Week of April 28, 2008

Monday, April 28th
1. We will be going to the library today, since the library was closed last Friday.
2. Students will return, renew, and check out books.
3. Then, take an Accelerated Reader test on the book they have recently finished.
4. Students will read silently for the remainder of the class.


Tuesday, April 29th
Bell work~ Word puzzle & What is a thesis statement?
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~ “Finding and Testing a Thesis Statement”
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time
3. Partner Sharing
4. Wrap up
Homework~ Crafting These Quickly Using a Template

Wednesday, April 30th
Bell work~ Word puzzle & What is a seed idea?
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~ “Framing Essays”
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time
3. Partner Sharing
4. Wrap up

Thursday, May 1st
Bell work
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~ “Using Stories as Evidence”
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time
3. Partner Sharing
4. Wrap up

Friday, May 2nd ½ Day (A.M. only for students)
1. Today is the end of the fifth marking period.
2. We will be playing “Guess the Fib” in order to review the short stories that we have been studying this marking period.