Weekly Update 1/22-26

IMPORTANT REMIDNERS/EVENTS:

Upcoming school holiday is Monday, January 21, 2008—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. No school.

The Pin Oak PTO is asking for help in putting together gift baskets for Family Game Night beginning in February. Each cluster is responsible for one basket. These will be made possible by donations from students and parents. Our cluster’s theme is MUSIC. We think it might be easiest to collect one dollar from each student and purchase items for the basket at one time.

Stanford Testing is complete. The testing ran smoothly, and we are proud of our students’ efforts.

Events around the district that may be of interest to parents and students:

Partnership for Kids Invites…
Parents + Houston lndependent School District + West Region + Bellaire Feeder Pattern + Community
Pershing Middle School Library
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
January 24, 2008

We have things planned for you!
The West Region Parent Education Program Manager will discuss plans for a Parent University and what that means for you and your family. In addition, visit our health booth to get information about health care and low-cost insurance.

6:30 – 7:00 Welcome & General Session
7:00 – 7:30 Break-Out Session I
7:30 – 8:00 Break-Out Session II

Lamar High School Freshmen Round-Up:
All 8th graders attending Lamar High School Fall 2008 are invited to attend Lamar High School’s annual Freshman Round Up Part II: Spotlighting Campus Life, Athletics, Fine Arts,
Clubs & Organizations Tuesday, January 29, 20086:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. @ Lamar Auditorium

English:

During testing, the students read a story from our literature book called, “The Lady or the Tiger?” After the reading students were to argue both sides of the central question: Did she send her lover to the tiger or the lady? Their conclusion should be based on textual evidence. They were given a discussion web worksheet to organize their findings. Students should find 3 reasons to support each side, and 2-3 pieces of textual evidence to support each reason. This graphic organizer is a pre-writing activity for an essay assigned at the end of the week. After gathering all the evidence for both sides, students should make individual decisions about which side to support. I want the students to write more than one draft and really produce a quality paper. Some of this will be done at home, some at school. Due date is TBA. This activity is a great introduction into our next in-class reading, the play, 12 Angry Men.

FYI: (a repeat from last week, but please be aware of dates)
Independent Books/Projects: Our new unit is over biographies/autobiographies/memoirs. Students received a list of books on the first day back and have already given me their choices (and should have already had you sign their parent approval form as well, so this information shouldn’t be new). Parent approval forms are due Thursday/Friday 1/10-11. Book Checks (students bring their books to school to receive a grade) are January 23-24. This time, we will have 2 literature circle discussion groups: 1st (half the book should be read at this point) on Feb. 9 and the 2nd (book should be completely read) on Feb. 23. PROJECTS are due March 28-29 (this is AFTER TAKS and SPRING BREAK) and will be presented in class.


History:
With shortened classes this week and testing every morning, the history students have been working on the GeoBee questions. They are labeling maps relating to the questions so this is helping them not only for U. S. History, but also for geography next year. We will finish the preliminary rounds this week and, possibly, the finals. The winner of the school GeoBee will take a written test to determine if he/she advances to the State GeoBee.

Several students submitted their Constitution projects early for extra credit. The rest are due this Friday, January 18. I hope to have these graded and returned next week. Please encourage your students to keep the project for use in high school history and government classes as well as for review for their standardized tests in high school.

Next week, the students all will be taking their test over the Constitution and Bill of Rights and continuing with the next unit on the new republic which covers the period of 1789 to 1825. In addition, we will be using some TAKS review for “warmup”.

All students should have a spiral notebook to use for this class. Please obtain this for them over the weekend if they do not have one. All class notes must be in this spiral and returned work should be taped in it in the order we covered the material. The students all have a folder in file cases for returned work, but some are not checking their folders.

Extra Credit: I have an on-going extra credit assignment for any of the students who wish to avail themselves of it. If a student goes on a trip any place out of town, he/she may keep a journal of the trip with a map showing where traveled, visit something educational such as a special park or museum, write about what the student learned, take some pictures, and make it all into a booklet. Include the distance traveled, what was different about that location from here, and anything interesting that the student experienced or observed. A student may also do this for Houston by visiting museums or special events at the museums. For instance, the Lucy exhibit is still here. Several have attended that, make a little booklet with the ticket and brochure as well as a write up of what they learned. I have suggested they play tourist here and visit some of the unique museums and sites we have here. If you have any questions about this assignment, please send me an e-mail. Again, it is not required; it is extra credit.

Science:
All ClassesThe next two weeks will be a powerhouse of introductory physics.
We will be doing experiments that range from rolling marbles across a table to measure speed and acceleration, and running the stairs to calculate work and power, to mouse trap car racing where all the previous mathematical and conceptual ideas come together in a culminating event.

This is a very important unit for all students, for the Pre/AP and Science 8 students it may be the most detailed exposure they will get in physics until 11th grade and for the IPC students it will be the foundation for the rest of this semester.

This coming week 1/21-1/25 will focus mathematical applications of conceptual physics and the following week 1/28-2/1 will be using the mouse trap cars (see project requirements bellow) to apply the mathematical formulas under experimental conditions.
Many of the objectives covered will inter-relate and be repeated throughout the next two weeks.

TLW:
1. Distinguish and calculate between speed and velocity
2. Calculate acceleration and apply under experimental conditions
3. Define force mathematically and describe its relationship to motion
4. Compare and contrast the three types of friction
5. predict the results of balanced and unbalanced forces in experiments
6. Describe and apply Newton’s three laws to examples of motion
7. Relate the force of gravity to free fall, projectile motion and orbital motion
8. explain the relationships between gravitational force, mass, and distance and mass to weight
9. Define and apply work in terms of force and distance
10. Describe power as work over time
11. Demonstrate mastery of all the mathematical formulas and units of measurement relating to speed, acceleration, force, work and power

MOUSE TRAP CAR PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
1. Car must travel a minimum of three meters
2. Car must be powered by mouse trap(s)
3. Original designs preferred and rewarded but not required, students may use kits
4. Cars are due 1/28 and 1/29 ready to be tested. No Class Time for Construction

GRADING REQUIRMENTS
1. Aesthetics, students should decorate, paint or generally make their car their own (1 grade)
2. Car rolls under mouse trap power for at least 3 meters (1 grade)
3. Car is complete and ready to conduct experiments on the day it is due (1 grade)
4. Student will complete experiments with their car about speed, acceleration, force, work, and power (5 grades)
5. Each experiment must have a complete data table, graph of results and conclusion demonstrating understanding of problem.
6. Extra credit for original designs and constructions (1 grade)

I would encourage students to attempt to design and construct an original car but will allow students to construct kits (a good place to find kits are Hobby Lobby or any model store)

Math:
Algebra 1: We will steadily work through Chapter 6 of the main textbook. Students will learn how to solve and graph inequalities.

Pre-Algebra: Students are learning about percents and percent word problems. Students will learn how to estimate percents and will apply the percent equation. Students will learn to find and use the percent of increase and the percent of decrease in real world situations.

Foreign Language Department BLOG: See link below

http://pomsfl.wordpress.com