Tuesday September 28th

8th Grade Math: Today in math students finished the Challenge Activity (Mr. Olsen's Bike Ride).  We then began working in chapter 2 of the textbook.  Section 2.1 introduced commutative and associative properties of multiplication and addition.
Homework:  Review #6 is due Tomorrow

7th Grade Math: In 7th grade math students graded section 2.2 practice.  We then transitioned to section 2.3, which covers the rules for multiplying with decimals.  Students worked for twenty minutes on section 2.3 practice.
Homework:

• Finish Section 2.3 Practice (odds)
• Review Homework #6 is due Tomorrow (Two problems completed from 9, 13, or #15)

7th/8th Grade Science: Today in science students turned in their Organize It Projects. We then went over the scoring guide for the dry ice experiment display.  Students spent the remainder of the hour in the library working on the introduction section to their write ups.
Homework: none

Monday September 27th

8th Grade Math: Today in math 8th graders continued working on the Challenge Math Activity that was started on Friday (Mr. Olsen's Bike Ride).
Homework:

•  Finish Set I, Set II, and Set III of Mr. Olsen's Bike Ride Challenge Math Activity
• Review #6 is due Wednesday

7th Grade Math: In 7th grade math students worked with FlashMasters for the warm up.  We then went into section 2.2, which covers how to add and subtract with decimals.  Students had about twenty minutes of class time to work on section 2.2 practice. 
Homework:

• Finish Section 2.2 Practice (evens)
• Review Homework #6 is due Wednesday (Two problems completed from 9, 13, or #15)

7th/8th Grade Science: Today we did not have science as there was an early release day.  In place of science and social studies students completed a activity to learn and practice formatting features in Microsoft Word.
Homework: Organize It activity for Elements of Design is due tomorrow at the start of class.

Thursday September 23rd

8th Grade Math: Today in math 8th graders completed a warm up problem and then finished the stations activity that we started in yesterday's class.
Homework: Review #5 is due tomorrow


7th Grade Math: In 7th grade math students received their graded chapter 1 tests and we went over how to calculate a percent (to find their letter grade on the test).  We then went over the test answering any questions.  The class then reviewed how to write a decimals value in words.  Students completed the odd numbered problems from 2.1 Practice (comparing, ordering, and rounding decimals).
Homework:  Review #5 is due tomorrow


7th/8th Grade Science: Today in science students learned about the elements of design that we will focus on when we complete projects that present information to an audience.  The class watched a power point presentation and discussed how Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity can be used to make the visual organization and presentation of material more effective. 
Homework: none

Wednesday September 22nd

8th Grade Math: Today in math 8th graders went over their chapter test from yesterday.  We then transitioned to a "stations activity" to review absolute value. 
Homework: Review #5 is due Friday

7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders completed a challenging warm up problem and then organized their math interactive notebooks.  Once they were completed with these activities we began working in Chapter 2. Section 2.1 covers comparing, ordering, and rounding decimals.  We will finish working in this section tomorrow. 
Homework:  Review #5 is due Friday

7th/8th Grade Science: Today in science students made an extra copy of their data from the block period dry ice labs earlier this week.  Students then finished the "Organize It" activity where they create a visual to present information about a topic using provided images (football, hockey, flight, music, movies)
Homework: finish "Organize It" display if not completed in class

Tuesday September 21st

8th Grade Math: Today in math 8th graders completed the test over chapter 1.  Test have been graded and scores are updated on PowerSchool. 
Homework: none


7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders completed the test over chapter 1.
Homework:  none

7th/8th Grade Science: In Science Mr. Kovach's homeroom had a two hour block period to complete their culminating dry ice lab.
Homework: none

Monday September 20th

8th Grade Math: Today in math students completed the chapter practice test in the textbook.  We posted the answers around the room so students could check their work and plan which sections they will need to focus on in their studying tonight. 
Homework: Study for Chapter 1 test

7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders finished their note card practice problems.  They then began the chapter one practice test from the textbook.  At the end of class students were shown how to use the online resource for the textbook classzone.com.  A slip of paper was sent home with the web address for the chapter 1 practice test.
Homework:  Study for chapter one test


7th/8th Grade Science: In science Ms Smith's homeroom students had a two hour block period to work on their dry ice labs.  Tomorrow my homeroom students will need to bring any lab materials they are needing for the dry ice lab. 
Homework: KOVACH's homeroom finish "Planning Our Investigation" sheet if not turned in at end of class on Friday

Thursday September 16th

8th Grade Math: Today in math we reviewed integer rules for adding and subtracting.  Students then completed a quick make-up quiz over add and subtracting integers.  Students then finished their 1.7 practice assignment which focuses on multiplying and dividing integers.  Once they were done we graded the work in class and announced that there will be a test over chapter 1 on Tuesday of next week.
Homework: none


7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders worked on a group problem solving activity with Mr. Jones' students.  We then went outside to enjoy the sun and continue problem solving strategies with a packet of puzzlers.
Homework:  none


7th/8th Grade Science: In science students worked with their partners on their dry ice experimental plan.  Students were told that they must get their plan initialed by the instructor before they could move forward into the next phase of the planning process. 
Homework: finish "Planning Our Investigation" if not turned in at end of class

Tuesday September 14th

8th Grade Math: In math students finished the subtracting integers assignment that we began yesterday.  Once we were finished we graded it and completed a short "Pop Quiz" over adding and subtracting integers.  We then transitioned into taking notes on multiplying and dividing integers.
Homework: Review #4 is due tomorrow (Wednesday 9/15)

7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders continued working with Mr. Jones' class practicing problem solving strategies for math word problems. 
Homework:  Review #4 is due Tomorrow (Wednesday 9/15)


7th/8th Grade Science: In science students completed a practice activity for tomorrow's quiz over dry ice and properties of matter.  We then watched a short clip from a Myth Busters episode to see how they use scientific method on their show.  Students started to complete a worksheet to identify the variables and procedures followed by the Myth Busters team. 
Homework: Study for quiz tomorrow!

Monday September 13th

8th Grade Math: In math 8th graders focused on learning and practicing subtracting integers.  Mr. Campbell (school assistant principal) came in to do a guest-lesson on his method for subtracting integers known as "Wick-Wack".  The main point presented in both Mr. Campbell's lesson and the textbook is that when subtracting integers students must re-write the problem so that all subtraction operations are re-written to "add the opposite".  Another way to think of this is to move to the left on the number line when subtracting a positive number and move to the right on the number line when subtracting a negative number (just like adding a positive number).
Homework:

• Review #4 is due Wednesday 9/15
• Section 1.6 Practice 1-9 all 10-18 evens (due tomorrow)

7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders finished the area/perimeter activity that we started on Friday of last week.  We then discussed various strategies and approaches to solving word problems in math.  Today students focused in on the strategies of eliminating non-useful information from the problem and making tables to organize needed information. 
Homework:  Review #4 is due Wednesday 9/15


7th/8th Grade Science: Today students did not have science as we blocked Social Studies/Science to discuss a team building process for Kovac's and Smith's homerooms.  In particular we discussed what kind of community building activity we might want to pursue for this year.   Students discussed and shared their ideas and we developed a brainstorm list on the board. 
Homework: none 

Thursday September 9th

8th Grade Math: Today students had a shortened class due to "school picture day".  With the remaining time in class they worked on a  brain busting integers suduko puzzle made by Mr. Jones. Homework: Review #3 is due tomorrow


7th Grade Math: In math 7th graders graded their homework (section 1.6 practice).  We then joined classes with Mr. Jones to work through a series of measurements & calculations to practice area and perimeter of rectangles.
Homework:  Review #3 is due tomorrow


7th/8th Grade Science: Today in science students were checked off for completing their homework and then we completed a series of demonstrations to learn more about the properties of dry ice.  At the end of class students shared their ideas for experiments with dry ice.  We then continued a classroom discussion on ways to make their study questions better for an experiment completed in a middle school classroom setting.
Homework: none 

Wednesday September 8th

8th Grade Math: In math 8th graders graded their homework from section 1.4 Practice.  The class was then introduced to section 1.5 which reviews rules for adding integers.  Students are to finish assigned problems for homework and will then finish the back side of the assignment in class tomorrow.
Homework:

• Complete Section 1.5 Practice #2, 4, & 10-22 evens
• Review #3 is due Friday

7th Grade Math: Today in 7th grade math students graded section 1.5 practice.  We then reviewed the definitions of area and perimeter and practiced calculating the area and perimeter of rectangles and squares.  Students should have finished most of 1.6 practice in class.
Homework:

• Complete Section 1.6 Practice (all)
• Review #3 is due Friday

7th/8th Grade Science:  In science we spent a good deal of time reviewing the details of yesterday's lab (identifying the independent and dependent variables, how to write a hypothesis statement, collecting quantifiable data, and organizing data in a data table).  We then discussed what information goes into the conclusion section of a scientific report.  Students spent the remainder of class writing the conclusion to yesterday's lab, (while considering the labs relevance to topics we've studied relating to properties of matter).
Homework: Write 1-2 questions relating to dry ice that could be answered by completing a scientific experiment.
EXAMPLE:  Does dry ice in vinegar sublimate faster than dry ice in water? 

Tuesday September 7th

8th Grade Math: Today in class students completed a quiz over sections 1.1 - 1.3.  Once the quiz was completed students were introduced to section 1.4 which covers comparing and ordering integers. 
Homework: Finish 1.4 practice (evens)


7th Grade Math: Today in 7th grade math students completed a quiz over sections 1.1 - 1.4.  The class then worked on notes in their interactive journals for section 1.5 which introduces solving equations with mental math. 
Homework: Complete Section 1.5 Practice (evens)


7th/8th Grade Science:  Today in science we reviewed what a variable is and how they can affect the outcome of an experiment.  We then introduced and defined the terms independent variable and dependent variable. Students learned how to identify these variables and use them in an If/Then format for a hypothesis statement.  We concluded class by completing the same lab as Friday, but with major revisions to make the results more scientifically valid. 
Homework: none

Thursday September 2nd

8th Grade Math: In math students were checked off as to whether they finished their homework last night.  The class then finished section 1.3 Practice.  We then handed out students "Late Homework Passes" for the first quarter.  Grades were posted and students organized their binders.  We concluded class by starting a review activity for order of operations.
Homework:

• Finish 1/2 of the order of operations cards that were split between groups of two
• Review #2 is due Friday

7th Grade Math: Today in 7th grade math finished section 1.3 practice.  The class then received their "late homework passes" for first quarter.  Grades were posted on the wall and students were given time to organize/file returned work and check their grades.  The second half of class students were introduced to order of operations in section 1.4 of the textbook.
Homework: Review Homework #2 is due Friday


7th/8th Grade Science:  Today in science students read content relating to phase changes of matter from the textbooks.  They took notes and were allowed to use the notes during an inter-class competition/game with Mr. Jones' class relating to material we have learned or discussed so far this school year. 
Homework: none

Wednesday September 1st

8th Grade Math: In math 8th graders corrected section 1.2 Practice from yesterday's class.  Students then began work in section 1.3 which reviews order of operations.  We discussed the acronym Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (Parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division, addition/subtraction) as a tool for remembering order of operations.  We also discussed adding grouping symbols to division problems with a fraction bar. 
Homework:

• Finish section 1.3 Practice (#1-15 odds)
• Review #2 is due Friday

7th Grade Math: Today in 7th grade math students completed a word problem warm up and then transitioned to grading their classwork from yesterday (section 1.2 Practice).  The class was then introduced to section 1.3 which covers Powers and Exponents. 
Homework:

• Finish section 1.3 Practice (#2-20 evens)
• Review Homework #2 is due Friday

7th/8th Grade Science:  Today in science students finished writing the directions for a classmate to re-create a drawing of various geometric shapes.  Once the directions were finished the class exchanged papers and students attempted to follow the written directions (procedures) of one of their peers. 
Homework: none