Tuesday December 13, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We continued our conversation about solving inequalities using multiplication and division.   Students reviewed the rules associated with solving these inequalities, before spending about 35 minutes of class time working on the 3.5 worksheet.  For the last 20 minutes of class, Mr. Olsen introduced section 3.6 to the students, on solving multi-step inequalities.  We reviewed the rules for adding and subtracting and multiplying and dividing when working with inequalities.  Students then practiced several examples before running out of time. 


Assignments:   Students should be completing the 3.5 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review Homework #24 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, we reviewed all of the different data displays introduced throughout chapter 3.  We talked about each display and why you might use that display when graphing a data set.  Next, we continued our talk about choosing appropriate data displays when given a data set and asked to display the data in a graph.  After a conversation on biased and unbiased questions, Mr. Olsen assigned the 3.6 worksheet for the students. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 3.6 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review Homework #24 is due on Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students continued working with the "How well do I know these vocabulary words?" activity.  We had a discussion about physical and chemical changes of matter and how to classify matter into mixtures, compounds, or pure substances.  Students were then given about 20 minutes of class time to complete the reading assignment from yesterday.  Students finished reading the chapter 1 section 1 reading and answered the review questions at the end.

Assignments:   None. 

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due.

Monday December 12, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We continued our conversation about solving inequalities using multiplication and division.    Students reviewed the properties of multiplication and division, and solving inequalities.  And Mr. Olsen led students through a few example problems before assigning a few problems for them to complete for homework.

Assignments:   Students have been assigned to have their parents/guardians sign their progress reports and bring them back by Tuesday December 13th.   Students were assigned problems #1-17 odds only, to be due on Tuesday morning.  Review Homework #24 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, we reviewed all of the different data displays introduced throughout chapter 3.  We talked about each display and why you might use that display when graphing a data set.  Next, we began talking about choosing appropriate data displays when given a data set and asked to display the data in a graph. 

Assignments:   Students have been assigned to have their parents/guardians sign their progress reports and bring them back by Tuesday December 13th.   Review Homework #24 is due on Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students participated in a "How well do I know these vocabulary words?"  activity.  Students were handed a worksheet and asked to classify 14 vocabulary words into categories based on their level of understanding of the term.  Students then read section one of chapter one and answered several questions based on their readings. 

Assignments:   Students have been assigned to have their parents/guardians sign their progress reports and bring them back by Tuesday December 13th.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due.

Friday December 9, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We began talking about solving inequalities using multiplication and division.    Students were introduced to the properties of multiplication and division, and solving inequalities.  And Mr. Olsen led students through a few example problems before we ran out of time.

Assignments:   Students have been assigned to have their parents/guardians sign their progress reports and bring them back by Tuesday December 13th. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students took the second quiz of chapter 3.  The test for chapter 3 is scheduled for either next Wednesday or Thursday. 

Assignments:   Students have been assigned to have their parents/guardians sign their progress reports and bring them back by Tuesday December 13th.

Science:  Today in science, students participated in a water chemistry lab.  Students were asked to bring in water samples from around their homes to test here at school.  Students were testing the water samples for dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature of at least three different samples.  Students filled in a worksheet as they worked and were asked to make comparisons between at least two or three different samples.   

Assignments:  Students have been assigned to have their parents/guardians sign their progress reports and bring them back by Tuesday December 13th.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due.

Thursday December 8, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We continued our talk about solving inequalities using addition and subtraction.  Students were given several example problems that they had to complete and show Mr. Olsen before beginning work on their homework assignment, which is the 3.4 worksheet.  It is due Friday morning. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 3.4 worksheet if they did not complete it during the class time provided.  Review Homework #23 is due Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We continued talking about intervals, tally marks and the frequency something may occur.   Next, students were given the class period to complete the 3.5 worksheet on histograms.  Students were given about 45 minutes of class time to complete the assignment, and they had to hand it in before they left class, whether it was finished or not. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #23 is due Friday. 

Science:  Today in science, students welcomed a guest speaker, Erik Norberg, who works for the DEC and the Juneau Watershed Partnership.  Mr. Norberg brought in a presentation on the three major stream types located around the Juneau area, brown water streams, clear water streams, and glacial streams.  Erik talked a bit about the major biological components of all bodies of water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon, and the water chemistry for each stream.  We then participated in a lab activity, designed to have groups of students testing water samples from each of the three stream types talked about, and measuring the dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity of each sample.  

Assignments:  None. 

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due.

Wednesday December 7, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We continued our talk about solving inequalities using addition and subtraction.  Students were introduced to what an inequality really is, and then practiced plotting an inequality on a number line.  Then we worked on solving an inequality in equation form, and graphing the result on a number line.

Assignments:   Review Homework #23 is due Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We continued talking about intervals, tally marks and the frequency something may occur.   Next, Mr. Olsen put a challenge problem on the board, and asked students to complete a frequency table, a histogram and a box and whisker plot of a data set.  Students were asked to compare the data displays and to answer some questions pertaining to the displays. 

Assignments:    Students should be completing the assigned problem from class today and is due on Thursday morning.  Review Homework #23 is due Friday. 

Science:  Today in science, students welcomed a guest speaker, Erik Norberg, who works for the DEC and the Juneau Watershed Partnership.  Mr. Norberg brought in a presentation on the three major stream types located around the Juneau area, brown water streams, clear water streams, and glacial streams.  Erik talked a bit about the major biological components of all bodies of water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon, and the water chemistry for each stream.  We then participated in a lab activity, designed to have groups of students testing water samples from each of the three stream types talked about, and measuring the dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity of each sample.  

Assignments:  None. 

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due.

Tuesday December 6, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We continued working with equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign.  This seems to be a sticking point with many students and so we are spending extra time working together to gain a better understanding of the material.  During the last fifteen minutes of class, Mr. Olsen introduced the next subject to the students, on solving inequalities using addition and subtraction. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #22 is due Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We continued talking about intervals, tally marks and the frequency something may occur.   Next, Mr. Olsen led students through a couple of example problems, before challenging students to complete one problem on their own. 

Assignments:    Review Homework #22 is due Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students are learning about matter, mass, and volume of objects.  We continued our conversations concerning atoms, and their subatomic particles, protons, neutrons and electrons.  Today we were discussing what happens when two atoms combine together, and form chemical bonds.  Students completed a worksheet demonstrating their understanding of these concepts and turned it in before leaving class as their exit ticket. 

Assignments:  Students should be completing the worksheet started in class if they did not finish in the class time provided.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due.

Monday December 5, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.   We graded the quizzes we took last Friday before jumping back into chapter 3 and continuing to work with solving equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign.  After looking at the answers to the 3.3 worksheet, students were assigned 8 more problems to complete for class on Tuesday.  

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 8 problems assigned in class if they did not complete them in the fifteen minutes of class time provided to them.  Review Homework #22 is due Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We graded the quiz students took in class on Friday, before jumping into histograms and talking about the working parts needed to produce a histogram.  We talked about intervals, tally marks and the frequency something may occur. 

Assignments:    Review Homework #22 is due Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students began learning about matter, mass, and volume of objects.  We also began the conversation on the atomic structure of an atom.  Students were introduced to the subatomic particles that make up an atom, the protons, electrons and neutrons.  Students learned about what the atomic number of an element of the periodic table is and how to find it, as well as the signs of neutrons, and electrons.  At the end of class, students were asked to compete part 2 of the worksheet we were working on in class.

Assignments:  None.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Wednesday November 30, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We graded the 3.2 worksheet that was homework before transitioning into section 3.3 and solving equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign.  Mr. Olsen led students through the rules associated with solving these equations and proceeded to lead students through several example problems. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #21 is due Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  Next, we graded the 3.3 worksheet before beginning our talk about box and whisker plots.  Mr. Olsen introduced the key vocabulary words students will need to understand to work with these plots, and led students through several working examples to end class. 

Assignments:    Review Homework #21 is due Friday. 

Science:  Today in science, students completed the Think, Write, Pair-Share activity that was begun yesterday.  We then watched a film on Making Stuff Cleaner.  Students were handed a notetaking guide to fill out throughout the film and along the way, Mr. Olsen would stop the film and lead the groups in conversations about certain concepts and topics.

Assignments:  None.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Tuesday November 29, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We reviewed the process for solving two step equations as well as solving equations using the distributive property.  Mr. Olsen led students through a few example problems, before assigning the 3.2 worksheet and giving students 35 minutes of class time to complete the assignment. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 3.2 worksheet if they did not finish in the time allotted in class.  Review Homework #20 is due Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  Next, we continued talking about stem and leaf plots.  We defined what a stem and leaf plot and practiced a few example problems.  Mr. Olsen then assigned the 3.3 worksheet and gave students 35 minutes of class time to complete the assignment. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 3.3 worksheet for Wednesday if they did not complete the assignment in the class time allotted.  Review Homework #20 is due Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students participated in a Think, Write, Pair-Share activity.  Students were introduced to an article, and asked to preview the reading and answer some questions before actually reading the article.  Next, students were asked to share their thoughts with their elbow partner, and to check and see if any of their ideas jived with their partners.  Students then read the article and answered some guiding questions along the way.

Assignments:  None.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Monday November 28, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We quickly reviewed the process of solving two step equations, and completed a few example problems to solidify understanding, before moving into section two on solving equations while using the distributive property. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #20 is due Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3.  We began by reviewing the mean, median, mode and range of data sets and the process used in finding those pieces.  We then reviewed the reasons for using bar and double bar graphs and line graphs.  Next we transitioned into stem and leaf plots.  We defined what a stem and leaf plot is as well as practicing a few example problems.

Assignments:   Review Homework #20 is due Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students continued talking about the importance of learning vocabulary.  As we transition into the chemistry unit, it is important to introduce the students to the new vocabulary they will encounter, and we are working on some scientific root words, including prefixes and suffixes, that the students will come across throughout the unit.  Today students began class with a pop quiz, reviewing the vocabulary words students have learned the past two weeks in class.  We then graded the vocabulary test taken last Wednesday.  Next students grabbed a text book and selected five words from the glossary that included a prefix, suffix or root word we have just learned throughout our vocabulary lessons. 

Assignments:  None.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Tuesday November 22, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students continued working in their groups on the poster project. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #19 is due Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3 and continued the conversation on bar and line graphs.  After Mr. Olsen led students through a few example problems, students were assigned the 3.2 worksheet and given 45 minutes of class time to complete the assignment. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 3.2 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review Homework #19 is due Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students continued talking about the importance of learning vocabulary.  As we transition into the chemistry unit, it is important to introduce the students to the new vocabulary they will encounter, and we are working on some scientific root words, including prefixes and suffixes, that the students will come across throughout the unit.  Today students continued learning their assigned vocabulary words through a review activity that Mr. Olsen has put together.  Wednesday will be a test on these vocab words. 

Assignments:  Students should be reviewing their flashcards for the assigned vocabulary words.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Monday November 21, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students began on a group poster project.  Students were split into four different groups and assigned sections from chapters 1 and 2, and asked to take the key concepts, vocabulary and examples of problems to build a poster to hang in the classroom to help students remember key concepts. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #19 is due Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped back into chapter 3 and began talking about bar graphs.  Mr. Olsen led students through a few examples of how to draw a bar graph based on the data presented.  By the end of class, we developed a detailed procedure list of how to build a bar graph. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #19 is due Wednesday. 

Science:  Today in science, students continued talking about the importance of learning vocabulary.  As we transition into the chemistry unit, it is important to introduce the students to the new vocabulary they will encounter, and we are working on some scientific root words, including prefixes and suffixes, that the students will come across throughout the unit.  Today students continued learning their assigned vocabulary words through a review activity that Mr. Olsen has put together.  Wednesday will be a test on these vocab words. 

Assignments:  Students should be reviewing their flashcards for the assigned vocabulary words.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Thursday November 17, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students graded the 3.1 worksheet they completed for homework.  At this point, we realized as a group that we needed more time to work on the concept of solving two step equations.  Thus, students were assigned about 15 more problems to practice these skills. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #18 is due Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students jumped into chapter 3 and continued the conversation regarding the mean, median, mode and range of a data set.  Today activity had students using an almanac to look up the presidents of the U.S., and their age at election.  Once they have their data set, students will calculate the mean, median, mode and range for the presidents ages. 

Assignments:   Review Homework #18 is due Friday. 

Science:  Today in science, students continued talking about the importance of learning vocabulary.  As we transition into the chemistry unit, it is important to introduce the students to the new vocabulary they will encounter, and we are working on some scientific root words, including prefixes and suffixes, that the students will come across throughout the unit.  Today students began making flashcards to help them learn the key vocabulary terms that Mr. Olsen has selected for them to learn moving forward. 

Assignments:  Students should be completing their flashcards for the assigned vocabulary words.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Tuesday November 15, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students were handed back their chapter 2 tests and given about 20 minutes of class time to begin working on their corrections.  Students will have until Thursday to complete their test corrections and will hand them back to Mr. Olsen at the beginning of class on Thursday.  We then transitioned back into the text book and began talking about chapter 3 and solving two step equations.  Mr. Olsen led students through several examples, while reminding them that they need to isolate the variable before solving the equation. 
 
Assignments:   The chapter 2 test corrections will be due Thursday.
 
7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students were handed back their chapter 2 tests and given about 30 minutes of class time to begin working on their test corrections.   We then transitioned back into the text book and began talking about chapter 3 and finding the mean, median and mode of a data set.  Mr. Olsen introduced the vocabulary definitions of mean, median and mode, before leading students through a couple of examples.  

Assignments:   The chapter 2 test corrections will be due Thursday.

Science:  Today in science, students completed a self and group evaluation concerning the Salmon Unit Presentation Project.  We then transitioned into some chemistry vocabulary.  We began talking about prefixes and suffixes and root words, and how most all scientific words and derived from Greek or Latin roots and combined to create new words. 

Assignments:  Students should be completing the science vocabulary worksheet we began in class if they did not complete it in the class time provided.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Wednesday November 9, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, students participated in a group chapter 2 review activity.  The chapter 2 test will be tomorrow!
 
Assignments:   The chapter 2 test is Thursday.
 
7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Next, students participated in a group chapter 2 review activity.  The chapter 2 test will be tomorrow!  

Assignments:   The chapter 2 test is Thursday.

Science:  Today in science, students celebrated the end of our Salmon Unit, with sharing the rest of the group presentations the students have been working on in class for the past two weeks. 

Assignments:  Students can be wrapping up their portion of their group project.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Monday November 7, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, we transitioned back into chapter 2 and section 7 on solving equations involving decimal operations.  Mr. Olsen led students through several example problems, and reminded students of continuing to use the rules associated with adding and subtracting, and multiplying and dividing integers.  Students were then asked to complete the 2.7 worksheet in their classroom workbook, odds only for Tuesday.

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 2.7 worksheet, odds only for Tuesday, if they did not complete the assignment in the class time provided.   Review Homework #17 is due on Wednesday. 
 
7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then transitioned into chapter 2 and continued working with the metric system.  We reviewed the basic units of measurement for capacity, length and mass.  After practicing on several example problems, Mr. Olsen put up three exit problems, where students had to complete all three problems and have Mr. Olsen check them in order to leave class. 

Assignments:   None. 

Science:  Today in science, students celebrated the end of our Salmon Unit, with sharing what they learned throughout the project as well as sharing the smoked salmon they prepared throughout the project. 

Assignments:  Students can be wrapping up their portion of their group project.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Thursday November 3, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, we transitioned back into chapter 2 and section 6 on solving equations using multiplication and division.  We reviewed the rules for solving equations using addition and subtraction, and related them to the rules for solving equations using mult. and division.  We then practiced several examples before Mr. Olsen assigned the section 2.6 worksheet and gave students 35 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments:  Students should complete the 2.6 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #16 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then transitioned into chapter 2 and continued working with the metric system.  We reviewed the basic units of measurement for capacity, length and mass.  After practicing on several example problems, Mr. Olsen assigned students to complete the 2.6 worksheet in class.  After 25 minutes of class time, students had completed the assignment and we proceeded to grade the worksheet before students were dismissed. 

Assignments:   Review homework #16 is due on Friday.

Science:  Today in science, students began class with a written Do Now.  Students then broke back into their groups with Mr. White's students.    Once all students were in their groups, each group was handed a work permit, where each group member made specific plans for the class period in order to contribute to the overall groups project.  Group projects are due on Friday of this week.  Today was the final day of class time to work on their projects.

Assignments:  Students can be wrapping up their portion of their group project.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Wednesday November 2, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, we transitioned back into chapter 2 and section 6 on solving equations using multiplication and division.  We reviewed the rules for solving equations using addition and subtraction, and related them to the rules for solving equations using mult. and division.  We then practiced several examples before Mr. Olsen assigned some homework problems from the textbook, p. 93 # 1-23 odds. 

Assignments:  Students should complete the problems assigned from the textbook page 93 and problems #1-23 odds.  Review homework #16 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then transitioned into chapter 2 and continued working with the metric system.  We reviewed the basic units of measurement for capacity, length and mass.  We talked about examples of items we would encounter in our everyday lives that we would need to measure and which unit of measurement we would use to measure it.  Then we practiced several problems and attempted to gain an understanding of reasonable answers. 

Assignments:   Review homework #16 is due on Friday.

Science:  Today in science, students began class with a written Do Now.  Students then broke back into their groups with Mr. White's students.    Once all students were in their groups, each group was handed a work permit, where each group member made specific plans for the class period in order to contribute to the overall groups project.  Group projects are due on Friday of this week.  Thursday is the final day of class time to work on their projects.

Assignments:  Students can be continuing their research on their assigned topic for their group project.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Monday October 31, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, we played decimal jeopardy!  Students were handed a erasable whiteboard and a dry erase marker, and Mr. Olsen presented several different problems for students to complete in a timed activity. 

Assignments:  Review homework #15 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then completed a packet of halloween related activities related to decimal operations. 

Assignments:   Review homework #15 is due on Wednesday.

Science:  Today in science, students began class with a written Do Now.  Students were then reminded of behavior expectations when a substitute is present, as Mr. Olsen will be absent on Tuesday for IRIS training.  Students then broke back into their groups with Mr. White's students.    Once all students were in their groups, each group was handed a work permit, where each group member made specific plans for the class period in order to contribute to the overall groups project. 

Assignments:  Students can be continuing their research on their assigned topic for their group project.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Thursday October 27, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Next, we jumped back into chapter 2 and continued working with section 5 on solving equations using addition and subtraction.  Mr. Olsen led students through several important vocabulary terms and many, upon many examples problems.  Students then worked on several problems from the math book, before being handed the 2.5 worksheet and asked to complete the odds only for Friday. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 2.5 worksheet (odds only) for Friday if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #14 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then graded the 2.5 worksheet as a class.  Next, wejumped back into chapter 2 and began the conversation on the metric system of measurement.  Mr. Olsen led students through several vocabulary words and definitions, before having students measure several items in the classroom for practice using a metric ruler. 

Assignments:   Review homework #14 is due on Friday.

Science:  Today in science, students began class with a reflection on their upcoming presentation project.  We then graded the quizzes we took yesterday as a class.  Students were then placed in groups within our classroom, and then they met up with the students from Mr. White's classroom who will fill out their groups for the upcoming project.  Once all students were in their groups, each group was handed a work permit, where each group member was assigned a specific topic to work on for the next few days in class to contribute to the overall groups project. 

Assignments:  None.

FYI:  Parents!  Starting on Monday (10/31, the first day of the second quarter), teachers in the Aurora house will no longer accept late work from our students.  Students will get credit for the work they do, when it is due. 

Wednesday October 26, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then graded the 2.4 worksheet in class.  Next, we jumped back into chapter 2 and started working with section 5 on solving equations using addition and subtraction.  Mr. Olsen led students through several important vocabulary terms and many, upon many examples problems. 

Assignments:   Review homework #14 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then jumped back into chapter 2 and continued the conversation on scientific notation, standard form and product form.  Mr. Olsen led students through several example problems and moved around the room offering assistance to students who needed help.  Students were then handed the 2.5 worksheet and given 28 minutes of class time to complete the assignment. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 2.5 worksheet on scientific notation for Thursday if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #14 is due on Friday.

Science:  Today in science, Mr. Olsen's students are back in Mr. Olsen's room!  We began class with a written reflection on the past three weeks, including what they have learned in each classroom, what part was their favorite, and which part was the most difficult for them.  We then transitioned into a post assessment on the salmon unit.  Students were given a quiz, where they were to label the internal and external parts of a salmon.  Next, students were introduced to the Salmon Unit Presentation Project.  Students were handed a directional worksheet, describing in detail, what is to be expected of them throughout the project, as well as a rubric detailing how, and what they will be graded.

Assignments:  None.

Tuesday October 25, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then graded the quiz we took on Friday in class.  Next, we  transitioned back into chapter 2.   We jumped back into chapter 2, section 4 on solving variable equations.   Mr. Olsen led students through a couple different important vocabulary words, such as equation, solving an equation and solution.  Students worked on various example problems before Mr. Olsen handed out the 2.4 worksheet. 

Assignments:   Students should be completing the 2.4 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #13 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then jumped back into chapter 2 and began the conversation on scientific notation, standard form and product form.  Mr. Olsen led students through several example problems and moved around the room offering assistance to students who needed help. 

Assignments:   Review homework #13 is due on Wednesday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Ms. Pasteris this week, and will be learning about the preservation and preparation of salmon using cultural means.   In Mr. Olsen's classroom today, Mr. White's students shared the information they researched on their assigned physical stream parameter yesterday with their classmates today. 

Assignments:  None.

Monday October 24, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then graded the quiz we took on Friday in class.  Next, we  transitioned back into chapter 2.  Today we were reviewing the distributive property and combining like terms.  We then jumped into chapter 2, section 4 on solving variable equations.   Mr. Olsen led students through a couple different important vocabulary words, such as equation, solving an equation and solution. 

Assignments:   Review homework #13 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then graded the quizzes we took on Friday as a class.  Next, we jumped back into chapter 2 section 4 on dividing decimals. 

Assignments:  Students should be completing the 2.4 worksheet on dividing decimals if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #13 is due on Wednesday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Ms. Pasteris this week, and will be learning about the preservation and preparation of salmon using cultural means.   In Mr. Olsen's classroom today, Mr. White's students went to the computer lab and worked with a partner in researching an assigned physical stream parameter.  Students were looking to define the parameter, find the importance of the parameter to a salmon, and find three fun facts about the assigned parameter.  Students will be expected to stand up in front of the class tomorrow (Tuesday) and share their new found knowledge.

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the assigned physical parameter that they spent time researching in class today in science class.

Thursday October 20, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned back into chapter 2.  Today we were reviewing the distributive property and combining like terms.  We then jumped back into chapter 2, section 3 on simplifying variable expressions.   Mr. Olsen led students through a couple different important vocabulary words, such as coefficients and constants.  Mr. Olsen then passed out the 2.3 worksheet and provided students with 35 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.   


Assignments:  Students should be finishing up the 2.3 worksheet on simplifying variable expressions if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #12 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then jumped back into chapter 2 section 4 on dividing decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through the important rules of multiplying decimals, before we moved into dividing decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through a couple example problems, before handing out the 2.4 worksheet on dividing decimals and Mr. Olsen assigned the odds only!

Assignments:  Students should be completing the 2.4 worksheet on dividing decimals if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #12 is due on Friday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Ms. Pasteris this week, and will be learning about the preservation and preparation of salmon using cultural means.   In Mr. Olsen's classroom this week, Mr. White's students were introduced to the Salmon Habitat and Water Quality Unit.  Students reviewed the nine physical stream parameters that they measured on Switzer Creek.  Tomorrow (Friday) Mr. White's class will be heading outside for the entire afternoon with guests from Alaska Department of Fish and Game.  A fishery biologist will be joining us to help further the knowledge of our students and water quality.

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the physical parameter that we talked about in class today in science class.

Wednesday October 19, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned back into chapter 2.  Today we were reviewing the distributive property and combining like terms.  Students took a quiz on Friday of last week, and they spent about 30 minutes of class time making corrections from their quizzes.  We then jumped back into chapter 2, section 3 on simplifying variable expressions.   Mr. Olsen led students through a couple different important vocabulary words, such as coefficients and constants.    

Assignments:  Students should be finishing up their quiz corrections if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #12 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then jumped back into chapter 2 section 3 on multiplying decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through the important rules of simply multiplying the decimals as you would whole numbers, and then counting the number of digits behind the decimal point in the original factors, as that will tell you how many digits need to be behind the decimal point in the product.   Students began class by practicing multiplying decimals for the first 25 minutes of class, before we moved into section 2.4 on dividing decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through a couple example problems, before we ran out of time. 

Assignments:  Review homework #12 is due on Friday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Ms. Pasteris this week, and will be learning about the preservation and preparation of salmon using cultural means.   In Mr. Olsen's classroom this week, Mr. White's students were introduced to the Salmon Habitat and Water Quality Unit.  Students were introduced to the nine physical stream parameters that they will be measuring on Switzer Creek later this week.  Tomorrow (Thursday) Ms. Villanueva's class will be heading outside for the entire afternoon with guests from Alaska Department of Fish and Game.  A fishery biologist will be joining us for each of the next two days to help further the knowledge of our students and water quality.

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the physical parameter that we talked about in class today in science class.

Thursday October 13, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned back into chapter 2.  Today we were talking about rates and unit analysis and how to convert from one unit to another.  Students practiced many conversions before we jumped into simplifying variable expression and section 2.3.  Mr. Olsen led students through a couple different important vocabulary words, such as coefficients and constants.    

Assignments:  Review homework #11 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then jumped back into chapter 2 section 3 on multiplying decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through the important rules of simply multiplying the decimals as you would whole numbers, and then counting the number of digits behind the decimal point in the original factors, as that will tell you how many digits need to be behind the decimal point in the product.  Students were then handed the section 2.3 worksheet and given 40 minutes of class time to complete the assignment. 

Assignments:  Students should complete the 2.3 worksheet for class on Friday.  Review homework #11 is due on Friday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Mr. White this week, and will be learning about the otilith bones in the salmon heads, in order to age them and search for copper wire tags that were inserted at the hatchery when they were reared.  In Mr. Olsen's classroom this week, Ms. Pasteris's students spent the day in the computer lab working with a partner defining their assigned physical stream parameter, as well as explaining the importance of said parameter to a salmon.  On Friday, student groups will stand up in front of the class and relay the information they researched to the rest of their classmates.

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the physical parameter that was assigned to them in class today in science class.

Tuesday October 11, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned back into chapter 2 section 2 and the distributive property.  Students were introduced to the distributive property last Friday, and we revisited the concept again today in class.  Mr. Olsen reviewed the rules that were introduced last week, and continued working with the students on example problems and the reasons for each step in the process.   Students were then handed the 2.2 worksheet and given 37 minutes of class time to complete the assignment for Wednesday.  

Assignments:  Students should complete the 2.2 worksheet on the distributive property for class on Wednesday.  Review homework #10 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then jumped back into chapter 2 section 2 on adding and subtracting decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through the important rules of lining up the decimal points and filling in zeros in order to make sure that both or all numbers involved in the problems have the same number of digits according to place value.  Students were then handed the section 2.2 worksheet and given 45 minutes of class time to complete the assignment. 

Assignments:  Students should complete the 2.2 worksheet for class on Wednesday.  Review homework #10 is due on Wednesday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Mr. White this week, and will be learning about the otilith bones in the salmon heads, in order to age them and search for copper wire tags that were inserted at the hatchery when they were reared.  In Mr. Olsen's classroom this week, Ms. Pasteris's students are working on learning about habitat and the water quality parameters associated with salmon rearing and spawning.  Today Ms. Collins students were taken outside by guests from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game sportfish division, who took students out to Switzer Creek and measured eight identifiable stream parameters as well as why these parameters are important to the salmon.  Students from Ms. Pasteris's  home base should be prepared to spend the entire afternoon outside on Wednesday. 

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the physical parameters we are looking at here in science class. 

Monday October 10, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned back into chapter 2 section 2 and the distributive property.  Students were introduced to the distributive property last Friday, and we revisited the concept today in class.  Mr. Olsen reviewed the rules that were introduced last week, and continued working with the students on example problems and the reasons for each step in the process. 

Assignments:  Review homework #10 is due on Wednesday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We began class by grading the 2.1 worksheet before we  jumped into chapter 2 section 2 on adding and subtracting decimals.  Mr. Olsen led students through the important rules of lining up the decimal points and filling in zeros in order to make sure that both or all numbers involved in the problems have the same number of digits according to place value. 

Assignments:  Review homework #10 is due on Wednesday.

Science:  This week in science students are beginning the rotation we have planned for our students here in the Aurora House.  Mr. Olsen's students are with Mr. White this week, and will be learning about the otilith bones in the salmon heads, in order to age them and search for copper wire tags that were inserted at the hatchery when they were reared.  In Mr. Olsen's classroom this week, Ms. Pasteris's students are working on learning about habitat and the water quality parameters associated with salmon rearing and spawning.  Today students were introduced to Mr. Olsen and given a rundown on what to expect over the course of the week.  Tuesday and Wednesday of this week will include guests from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game sportfish division, who will take students out to Switzer Creek and measure eight identifiable stream parameters as well as why these parameters are important to the salmon.  Students from Ms. Collins homebase should be prepared to spend the entire afternoon outside on Tuesday. 

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the physical parameters we are looking at here in science class.  

Thursday October 6, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned back into chapter 2 section 1 on the properties of addition and multiplication.   Mr. Olsen led a review of the properties introduced yesterday in class, before leading students through several example problems.  Once students demonstrated to Mr. Olsen that they were picking up the material and could complete several examples, the section 2.1 worksheet and were given about 35 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.  Students were also reminded that tomorrow (Friday) is the last day that Mr. Olsen will accept late work from chapter one.

Assignments:  Students should be completing the section 2.1 worksheet for Friday if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review homework #9 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  Mr. Olsen then passed back the chapter one tests and explained to students that they could receive up to half of the points they missed on the test by making their corrections on a separate piece of paper and turning it into the bin by Friday morning.  Students were then given the rest of the hour to work on and hopefully complete their test corrections with Mr. Olsen present to provide assistance and help where needed.  Students were also reminded that tomorrow (Friday) is the last day that Mr. Olsen will accept late work from chapter one.

Assignments:  Students are to complete their chapter one test corrections by tomorrow (Friday) if they want credit for their test scores.   Review homework #9 is due on Friday.

Science:  Today in science students began class with a reflection on the activities they participated in earlier this week with the Fish and Game folks.  We then broke into pairs and went to the computer lab in order for students to research an assigned physical stream parameter we measured during our field experiences, and find the definition of the parameter and related it back to the importance of salmon rearing and spawning habitat.  They will present their findings to their classmates tomorrow in class. 

Assignments:  Students can be spending some time furthering their knowledge of the physical parameters we are looking at here in science class.  

Wednesday October 5, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  We then transitioned into chapter 2 section 1 on the properties of addition and multiplication.   Students wrote the properties and the definitions of how to apply them to an equation in their notebooks, before Mr. Olsen led students through several examples and helping students determine which property is being used. 

Assignments:  Review homework #9 is due on Friday. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters.  We then worked on a Cracking the Code decimal worksheet so Mr. Olsen could get a feel on where students are when working with decimals.  Mr. Olsen then introduced section one of chapter two, on comparing, ordering and rounding decimals.  After going over the new vocabulary words associated with this new section, Mr. Olsen led students through several example problems before running out of time.   

Assignments:  Review homework #9 is due on Friday.

Science:  Today in science students had some visitors from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sportfish division.  Jeff Williams and Kercia Schroeder led students through the different physical parameters of streams that they measure when looking at salmon spawning and rearing habitat.  We spent the first fifteen minutes in the classroom for introductions and a brief rundown of what we were going to be doing while out on Switzer Creek.  We then spent about 1.5 hours out on the creek in two different locations taking measurements and filling in our data sheets. 

Assignments:  None. 

Tuesday October 4, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students took a hike on the trail behind the school and visited the birdhouses they built as seventh graders last year.  We wanted to take the time to revisit the project and help the students make the connections to last years math curriculum.  When we got back to the classroom, Mr. Olsen handed back the chapter one tests, and gave students the last fifteen minutes of class time to work on their test corrections for credit.   

Assignments:  Students are to finish up the test corrections from the chapter one test by Wednesday if they want some credit for their grade. 

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students took the chapter one test.  

Assignments:  None. 
 
Science:  Today in science students had some visitors from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sportfish division.  Jeff Williams and Kercia Schroeder led students through the different physical parameters of streams that they measure when looking at salmon spawning and rearing habitat.  We spent the first fifteen minutes in the classroom for introductions and a brief rundown of what we were going to be doing while out on Switzer Creek.  We then spent about 1.5 hours out on the creek in two different locations taking measurements and filling in our data sheets. 

Assignments: Students will be blocking tomorrow in science with Mr. Olsen's class having a two hour science block on Wednesday.  Students will have a guest speaker from ADF&G sportfish division here to discuss the important parameters of salmon spawning habitat along Switzer Creek.  Thus, students should be prepared to be outside all afternoon on Wednesday, including waterproof footwear and a rain coat. 

Monday October 3, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students took the chapter 1 test. 

Assignments:  Students are to finish up the calculated coloring worksheet handed out after the chapter 1 test taken in class today.

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with their flashmasters.  Students then transitioned back into our review activity we started last Wednesday.  Students were grouped in to pods of four, and each group was responsible for covering one section from chapter one.  Each group then build a poster and reviewed with the class the important vocabulary and key concepts of their assigned section with their classmates, including an example problem or two for review for our chapter 1 test on Tuesday. 

Assignments:  Students are be reviewing for their chapter 1 test on Tuesday.
 
Science:  Today in science students reviewed last week's activities in science to begin class.  Students then took a basic quiz covering the internal and external parts of the salmon.  Mr. Olsen then informed students that we will be blocking science and social studies the next two days.  We began talking about the importance of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and turbidity to water quality and making the connection to salmon spawning.  Students will be spending the next two afternoons observing and measuring several key parameters of water quality on Switzer Creek. 

Assignments: Students will be blocking the next two days in science with Mr. Sheufelt's class having a two hour science block with Mr. Olsen on Tuesday.  Students will have a guest speaker from ADF&G habitat division here to discuss the important parameters of salmon spawning habitat along Switzer Creek.  Thus, students should be prepared to be outside all afternoon tomorrow and Wednesday, including waterproof footwear and a rain coat. 

Tuesday September 27, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Students then transitioned back into the coordinate plane.  We reviewed the key vocabulary introduced yesterday and worked on several examples together, before students were handed the section 1.8 worksheet.  Students were given about 40 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments:  Students are to complete the section 1.8 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review Homework #8 is due on Wednesday.  

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with their flashmasters.  Students then transitioned back into using a problem solving plan when working with word problems.  We reviewed the steps involved in the plan, before practicing on several example word problems.  Mr. Olsen then passed out the section 1.7 worksheet and gave students about 40 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.   

Assignments:  Students are to complete the 1.7 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided.  Review Homework #8 is due on Wednesday.
 
Science:  Today in science students were on a block schedule with Mr. Sheufelt's class down in the commons of the school participating in a salmon cleaning and filleting activity with ties to the cultural values of Southeast Alaska.  Mr. Olsen's students took a field trip to DIPAC and were given a tour of the hatchery and well as valuable information about how and why salmon return to their natal streams to reproduce. 

Assignments:  Students were reminded to bring in any permission slips that haven't been returned yet, tomorrow.  Also, students were reminded that some of them will be cleaning salmon on Wednesday and that they should be prepared to get messy and slimy while dealing with the cleaning portion of the day.  

Monday September 26, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with the problem of the day.  Students were then introduced to the coordinate plane and several vocabulary words.  Students began talking about the origin, ordered pairs, the x-axis and y-axis and quadrants.  Mr. Olsen led students through naming several examples of ordered pairs.  

Assignments:  Review Homework #8 is due on Wednesday.  

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with their flashmasters.  Students then began learning about developing a problem solving plan for dealing with word problems.  Mr. Olsen led students through a few example word problems and modeling how to figure out the question being asked as well as how to develop a strategy to apply to the question. 

Assignments:  Review Homework #8 is due on Wednesday.
 
Science:  Today in science students were introduced to our next unit on salmon.  On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, students will be cleaning and filleting salmon here at school and they will also be taking a field trip to DIPAC to begin learning about the life cycle and cultural importance of the salmon to our region.  Today in class we learned about the anatomy of the salmon through a virtual dissection.  Students filled in a worksheet during this virtual dissection. 

Assignments:  Students were reminded to bring in any permission slips that haven't been returned yet, tomorrow.  Also, students were reminded that some of them will be cleaning salmon on Tuesday and that they should be prepared to get messy and slimy while dealing with the cleaning portion of the day.  

Thursday September 22, 2011

8th Grade Math:  Today in math students took the MAPS math test.  

Assignments:  Review Homework #7 is due on Friday.  

7th Grade Math:  Today in math students began class with their flashmasters. Students then took the MAPS math test.  

Assignments:  Review Homework #7 is due on Friday.
 
Science:  Today in science students began designing their dry ice experiments. In their groups, students began by developing the question they would like an answer to. Next, students developed a materials list, and began designing their experiments and creating a detailed procedures list. Students are to have a detailed procedures list signed off by Mr. Olsen before they can begin their experiments in class tomorrow.  

Assignments:  Students were asked to continue designing their experiments for tomorrow lab.

Monday September 19, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we moved into subtracting integers. Mr. Olsen reminded students of the importance of the rules for signs introduced last section, and that they will continue to use those rules throughout the school year. The rule for subtracting integers was introduced to the students before several example problems were worked out by the kids. Mr. Olsen then passed out the 1.6 worksheet for students to practice these new skills.

Assignments: Complete the 1.6 worksheet for Tuesday if they did not finish in the class time provided. Review Homework #6 is due on Wednesday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with their flashmasters. We then graded the section 1.5 worksheet students completed on Friday in class before we transitioned into section 1.6 on calculating the perimeter and area of rectangles and squares. Mr. Olsen introduced the formulas to the students and led students through an example of finding the perimeter and area.

Assignments: Review Homework #6 is due on Wednesday.

Science: Today in science students participated in a group lab where students learned about systematic observations, variables within an experiment, and predictions. Students were handed a cup with dish soap in it, and also given two cups of water, one hot and one cold. Students then added some dry ice to the soap cup and proceeded to systematically add drops of cold and hot water and observed the reactions during the experiment.

Assignments: Students were asked to begin thinking about a variable they would like to measure during tomorrows lab.

Thursday September 15, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we moved back into adding integers. Mr. Olsen began class by reviewing the important rules concerning similar and different signs when adding integers, and provided students with several examples to demonstrate their new found knowledge. Students were then handed the 1.5 worksheet and given 30 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments: Complete the 1.5 worksheet for Friday if they did not finish in the class time provided. Review Homework #5 is due on Friday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class about 35 minutes late due to school pictures. But once we got going, Mr. Olsen went back into section 1.5, more specifically on the distance formula. Mr. Olsen led students through several examples and moved around the room as students solved the equations.

Assignments: Review Homework #5 is due on Friday.

Science: Today in science students participated in a group lab where students learned about systematic observations, variables within an experiment, and predictions. Students were handed a cup with dish soap in it, and also given two cups of water, one hot and one cold. Students then added some dry ice to the soap cup and proceeded to systematically add drops of cold and hot water and observed the reactions during the experiment.

Assignments: None.

Wednesday September 14, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we graded the section 1.4 worksheet as a class. We then transitioned into section 1.5 and began learning about adding integers. Mr. Olsen introduced three important rules for dealing with common and different signs when adding integers, before offering students several example problems to practice these new skills.

Assignments: Review Homework #5 is due on Friday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. We then graded the section 1.4 worksheet as a class. Next, we transitioned into section 1.5 on solving equations using mental math. Mr. Olsen also introduced the distance formula to the students and offered students several example problems to practice these new skills.

Assignments: Review Homework #5 is due on Friday.

Science: Today in science students participated in a group lab where students conducted three different experiments involving dry ice, hot and cold water, a film canister and a balloon, and a plastic ziploc baggie with a piece of dry ice sealed in it. Students began class by developing data sheets in their science notebooks, before being handed the materials to conduct these experiments. Students took detailed observations throughout each experiment, including drawing pictures of each step of the experiment.

Assignments: None.

Tuesday September 13, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we transitioned into integers. Mr. Olsen led students through several definitions, including absolute value and opposites, and helped students through several example problems. The section 1.4 worksheet was handed out and students were given about 25 minutes of class time to complete the assignment with Mr. Olsen available to help students as needed.

Assignments: Complete the section 1.4 worksheet if they did not finish in the class time provided. Review Homework #4 is due on Wednesday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. We then moved into the order of operations. We reviewed what the students already know about the order of operations, before Mr. Olsen handed out the section 1.4 worksheet and gave students 25 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments: Students are to complete the section 1.4 worksheet if they did not finish in the time provided in class. Review Homework #4 is due on Wednesday.

Science: Today in science students participated in a group discussion concerning the molecular movements of atoms when energy (heat) is applied to a solid. We were referring to the lab students conducted in class last Friday, where we put "wet" ice and dry ice in a stainless steel pan and applied heat to it. The concept Mr. Olsen was hoping for students to pick up on has to do with the fact that molecules move faster when energy is applied.

Assignments: None.

Thursday September 8, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we transitioned into the order of operations. We reviewed what the students already know about the order of operations, before Mr. Olsen introduced a few example problems and challenged students solve them.

Assignments: Review Homework #3 is due on Friday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. We then moved back into powers and exponents and reviewed the rules introduced yesterday, before we practiced some examples together. Students were then handed the section 1.3 worksheet and given 25 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments: Students are to complete the section 1.3 worksheet if they did not finish in the time provided in class. Review Homework #3 is due on Friday.

Science: Today in science students continued making observations in a lab setting. Today's activity had students observing two separate substances and drawing two pictures of what they see, and listing ten written observations for each substance. To wrap up the lesson, students were to then compare and contrast the two substances, with ten similarities and ten differences.

Assignments: None.

Wednesday September 7, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we graded the section 1.2 worksheet as a class. We then jumped back into the text and Mr. Olsen introduced a problem solving plan to the students. This problem solving plan gives students a strategy when working with word problems.

Assignments: Review Homework #3 is due on Friday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. We then graded the section 1.2 worksheet as a class before Mr. Olsen introduced section 1.3 from the text book on powers and exponents.

Assignments: Review Homework #3 is due on Friday.

Science: Today in science students continued making observations in a lab setting. Today's activity had students writing descriptive paragraphs about an object in hopes that somebody at their table group could guess the object being described.

Assignments: Students are to write a descriptive paragraph that is 7-10 sentences in length, about an object of their choice to share in class tomorrow.

Tuesday September 6, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we jumped back into the text book and continued talking about powers and exponents. After a bit of review, students were handed a worksheet and given 30 minutes of class time to complete it.

Assignments: Section 1.2 worksheet is due Wednesday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. We then jumped back into section 1.2 from the text book and continued talking about variables and expressions. After a bit of review, students were handed the 1.2 worksheet and given about 30 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments: Section 1.2 worksheet is due Wednesday.

Science: Today in science students were introduced to the concept of observation within a science experiment. Today students observed raisins in a glass of clear soda. Students began by making a hypothesis of what they thought was going to happen, before actually participating in the experiment. Students were to write as many observations as possible in the time frame given.

Assignments: None.

Thursday September 1, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before we graded the 1.1 worksheet as class. We then transitioned into section 1.2 on powers and exponents. Mr. Olsen then led students through some instruction and example problems.

Assignments: Review Homework #2 will be due on Friday.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. We then graded the 1.1 worksheet as a class before transitioning into section 1.2 on evaluating variable expressions. Students were introduced to the concepts of variables and expressions, and did several example problems as a class.

Assignments: Review Homework #2 will be due on Friday.

Science: Today in science students had the entire class period to put together their scientific summer posters. Students combined their research and visual aides that they found on the internet and and began building their final projects.

Assignments: Students can be finishing up their scientific summer projects if they did not finish in the class time provided.

Wednesday August 31, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before transitioning back into section 1.1 on expressions and variables. Mr. Olsen led students through a few examples before handing out the 1.1 worksheet and giving students 25 minutes of class time to work on the assignment.

Assignments: Review Homework #2 will be due on Friday. Section 1.1 worksheet is due on Thursday if students did not finish in the class time provided.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. Students then transitioned back into section 1.1 in the text. After Mr. Olsen led students through a few example problems, students were handed the 1.1 worksheet and given 20 minutes of class time to complete the assignment.

Assignments: Review Homework #2 will be due on Friday. Section 1.1 worksheet is due on Thursday if students did not finish in the class time provided.

Science: Today in science students continued focusing on the questions they developed in class concerning the topic or activity they chose for their Scientific Summer project they are working on. We spent about 45 minutes in the computer lab this afternoon for students to finish up their research and begin typing up their paragraphs for their posters.

Assignments: Students can be writing up their paragraphs needed for the Scientific Summer posters they will be putting together in class tomorrow.

Tuesday August 30, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before transitioning into the introduction to chapter 1 in the pre-algebra textbook. Students were introduced to expressions and variables, and developed a place value table in their math notebooks for them to reference throughout the school year.

Assignments: Review Homework #1 will be due on Wednesday August 31.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. Students then transitioned into the introduction to chapter 1 of the Course 2 math textbook. Students were introduced to patterns and how to recognize and describe in words the patterns they encounter.

Assignments: Review Homework #1 will be due on Wednesday August 31.

Science: Today in science students continued focusing on the questions they developed in class yesterday concerning the topic or activity they chose for their Scientific Summer project they are working on. We spent about the first 15-20 minutes of class working on developing focused questions that they then spent the rest of class attempting to answer down in the computer lab.

Assignments: Students can be researching the questions they developed in class concerning their chosen activity for their summer.

Monday August 29, 2011

8th Grade Math: Today in math students began class with the problem of the day before transitioning into the introduction to Cornell notes and a brief history of math. Students were handed a few different handouts that they glued into their math notebooks for them to reference throughout the year.

Assignments: Review Homework #1 was handed out and it will be due on Wednesday August 31.

7th Grade Math: Today in math students began class by using their flashmasters. Students then transitioned into the introduction to Cornell notes and a brief history of math. Students were handed a few different handouts that they glued into their math notebooks for them to reference throughout the year.

Assignments: Review Homework #1 was handed out and it will be due on Wednesday August 31.

Science: Today in science students were introduced to their first project of the year, Scientific Summer. Students bubble mapped the activities they participated in this past summer and they then selected one that they want to relate to science. Throughout the week they will be researching how the activity they chose is related to science and they will then write two paragraphs detailing how that activity is science related and describe the actual activity itself. They will also need to include a visual aid in the end product, which is due this Friday at the beginning of class.

Assignments: Students can be researching the questions they developed in class concerning their chosen activity for their summer.