3rd Grade - 10/20/09 - Learning How to Use Microsoft Word

Hi 3rd Graders!,
We are going to practice Copy and Paste, today, as well as formatting text with Bold, Italics, and Underline. Please copy (Ctrl + C) and Paste (Ctrl + V) the poem that you find at http://www.poetry4kids.com/poem-485.html into Microsoft Word. From there I will tell you what to do.

California Streaming

Let's check out some of the tools available from California Streaming.

To access California Streaming you need to log in at:
http://www.californiastreaming.org
On the left side, enter your user name (school email address) and password. You can check the remember me box, and you won't have to enter your information next time.

You can browse by Subjects, Content Standard, or Grade Level.
I have found Subjects to be the easiest and quickest way to find what you are interested in.

When you choose a topic, for example Ancient Civilizations (under Social Studies) you are given the option to specify by grade. Once you select your grade level, the results are shown in categories. First are the Digital Video results, next are Podcast results, Resources, and finally an Image library.

One very cool feature of this website is that students can record audio (for example book reviews, tutorials, radio shows, or plays) and post them for members of California Streaming (students and teachers) to listen to and review. This gives them an authentic audience for their work, and can motivate students to put in extra effort on assignments (knowing that they will be listened to, or viewed by others).

Here are some student published podcasts:
http://www.californiastreaming.org/podcasts/podcastDetail.aspx?pmpObjectId=8115

Teacher Links

K-5 Computer Lab Activities
http://faculty.usiouxfalls.edu/arpeterson/computer_lab.htm

K-6 Standards Based Activitieshttp://www.elcerritowire.com/learn/index.htm>
K-8 Skill Builders - Interactive Lesson Ideashttp://www.internet4classrooms.com/grade_level_help.htm
2nd Grade Skill Buildershttp://www.pwcs.edu/Marshall/2nd%20Grade%20Resources.htm
Language Arts:
Apples4theteacher.com

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/langarts.html
Dositey.com

http://www.dositey.com/langk2.htm
Beginning Reading Skills

4th Grade - 9/15/09 - Tour the USA

Check out this panoramic view of Yosemite National Park.
http://maps.panedia.com/?pano=100275&mt=s

Zoom out, and look for another destination!

9/8/09 - 7th Grade - Heat Transfer

Here are a couple of interactive websites on heat transfer:

See if you can make the heat in the beakers equal in 5 minutes, using one of the materials (glass, aluminum, copper, or steel). Which one works the fastest? What does this mean?

http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=388

Try this experiment, to heat up the water, using different metals:
http://www.chem.iastate.edu/group/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/flashfiles/thermochem/heat_metal.swf

What is more important? - Is it the mass of the metal, or the material you chose?


If you have come up with some questions, after these activities, do a little research on heat energy:

http://www.physics4kids.com/files/thermo_intro.html

6th Grade Summer School - Tour of Japan

Let's take a virtual tour of Japan. Choose one of these sites, and explore:

Panoramic Tours: http://blog.panedia.com/tag/japan-virtual-tour/

Tokyo: http://www.us-japan.org/edomatsu/

Travel Guide (try learning some japanese phrases):http://milvetstravel.net/tokyo.html

Photo Tour: http://www.artisandevelopers.com/web/tokyo/

360 Cities: http://www.360cities.net/area/japan

Or use google earth.

Report back with what you find.

7th Grade Summer School - Fractions

Let's watch this tutorial on fractions, then you can try it yourself:
http://www.nutshellmath.com/textbooks_glossary_demos/demos_content/prealg_operations_with_fractions.html

If you ever want to watch another tutorial like this one, you can find them here:
http://www.algebra.com/tutors/lessons-by-tutor.mpl?tutor=nutshellmath


Next, please try one of these websites with a partner. Take turns and see who does better.

http://www.learningplanet.com/sam/ff/index.asp

http://www.quia.com/cm/102047.html?AP_rand=91316619

7th Grade Summerschool - Area & Perimeter

In this webquest, you and a partner will be working with a landscaping company to restore a house. You will be painting the outside, putting down new grass, putting up a fence, and filling the pool with water.
http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/geggie/delmain/webquests/purplecomicsans/intro.html

When you are finished, try this game:
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/AreaExplorer/?version=1.6.0_11&browser=Mozilla&vendor=Sun_Microsystems_Inc.

7/7/09 - Junior High Summer School Math - Division

Let's get warmed up with a division game:

http://www.kidsnumbers.com/long-division.php


Ok, now you're ready for a multiplication and division game that you can play with a partner:

http://www.quia.com/cb/147595.html

Now, let's get back to order of operations. This website will help explain PEMDAS, and give us some practice using it: http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol7/order_operations.html


Then, try to uncover the hidden picture using the order of operations to solve problems:
http://www.dositey.com/2008/addsub/Mystery11.htm#s

And blast the answers to these exponent questions:
http://www.mathdork.com/games/asteroidsexp3/asteroidsexp3.html

Or keep the aliens from landing by clicking on the correct answer:
http://www.ezschool.com/Games/Exponents.html

6/2/09 - 6th Grade - Decomposers

Mrs. Sheffie left us a link to Access Kids Corner. We are going to read up on decomposers, and see how they fit into the food web. Lets read through this page together, and when we're ready we can test our knowledge with a game.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/decomposers.htm

5/21/09 - Weather - 5th Grade -

Today we are going to look at weather.

Let's start with this activity about weather patterns:

http://www.edheads.org/activities/weather/index.htm


Once we have some knowledge about weather let's check out this activity:http://www.scholastic.com/kids/weather/

We can also check out the Weather Channel for Kids Website:
http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/

With this activity we will try to cover the 2nd national standard listed below:
National Science Standards
Investigation and Experimentation
Earth Sciences
Grade 5:
1. Water moves in the air from one place to another in the form of clouds or fog, which are tiny droplets of water or ice, and falls to the Earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow.
2. How to use weather maps and weather forecasts to predict local weather, and that prediction depends on many changing variables.

5/18/09 - 6th Grade Plate Tectonics

Today we are going to explore plate tectonics (the cause of earthquakes and volcanoes).

Vocab:
Ridge -
Plate -
Convection -
Ring of Fire -
Pangea -

Slide 1 of this presentation explains plate movement as convection:http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/people/seth/107/t9conclude.htm

This interactive activity explains plate tectonics: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/#

Sites:

http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html

5/12/09 - 6th Grade - Heat Transfer

Here are a couple of interactive websites on heat transfer:

See if you can make the heat in the beakers equal in 5 minutes, using one of the materials (glass, aluminum, copper, or steel). Which one works the fastest? What does this mean?

http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=388

Try this experiment, to heat up the water, using different metals:
http://www.chem.iastate.edu/group/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/flashfiles/thermochem/heat_metal.swf

What is more important? - Is it the mass of the metal, or the material you chose?


If you have come up with some questions, after these activities, do a little research on heat energy:

http://www.physics4kids.com/files/thermo_intro.html

K-8 Typing Practice

Here are some internet based typing programs. Some allow you to enter text that students will practice typing. This is an excellent opportunity to integrate a lesson into typing practice. You could choose spelling or vocabulary words for students to type, and as they practice typing they will also be practicing their spelling or vocab. Or, you could fill the text box with a paragraph from their study-guide for a test, and your students can study (by rehearsing and becoming familiar with facts and information) while they type. Many also indicate which hand they should be using (with a hand outline at the top right or left), and tell students how to type a letter if they make a mistake.

This site from BBC has lessons that teach correct keyboarding for beginners through advanced students, and is dance themed (*a hipster sheep teaches you how to type, and encourages you as you go):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

The following practice programs allow you to enter text:
http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/games/chameleon.php?key=EN_regular

http://freeonlinetypinggames.com/typing-tests/speed-test/

4/24/09 - 8th Grade - Earth Day

Today we are going to talk about why it is important to take care of the earth. And, if taking care of the earth is so important, what can we do to reduce the pollution that damages our planet?

First, let's talk about greenhouse gasses and global warming. Global warming is one of the most significant causes of environmental change that humans contribute to. Gasses released by factories, cars, raising herds of animals, and running power plants.

This site has information about the effects of greenhouse gasses, and the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/greenhouse/Chapter1.htm

Every consumer product that we buy has a cost on the environment. As consumers, it is our job to choose the products that have the least negative impact on the environment. Let's talk about the cost of buying a product.

Acquiring Raw Materials --> Producing the Product --> Shipping --> Transportation to the Store --> Energy Consumption of the Product

Choose one of these articles, read it, and write a response on your teacher's blog.

Where does most pollution come from?
Livestock 18% (abc news)http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/Story?id=2723201

Top causes of greenhouse gas emission: read page 7 and 8 for top CO2 emissions.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/ExecutiveSummary.pdf

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes.html

What contributes to pollution? (read about air pollution, and take the quiz)
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/kids/kidsQuizAir.cfmhttp://www.pca.state.mn.us/kids/kidsQuizAir.cfm

http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm

What are some ideas on alternatives to global warming? What can we do to reduce our impact on the environment?

4/23/09 -5th grade- Earth Day

Today we are going to talk about why it is important to take care of the earth. And, if taking care of the earth is so important, what can we do to reduce the pollution that damages our planet?

Where does most pollution come from?
Livestock 18% (abc news)http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/Story?id=2723201

Top causes of greenhouse gas emission: read page 7 and 8 for top CO2 emissions.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/ExecutiveSummary.pdf

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes.html

What contributes to pollution? (read about air pollution, and take the quiz)
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/kids/kidsQuizAir.cfmhttp://www.pca.state.mn.us/kids/kidsQuizAir.cfm

http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm

4th Grade - 4/6/09 - Our Solar System

These sites will help introduce you to our solar system. As we research the planets, write down two questions that you have about space, planets, stars, etc.

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/our_solar_system/planets.html&cdp=/windows3.html&frp=/windows3.html&edu=mid

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/science/space-sci/exploration/voyager-sci.html

More Links:
http://www.cdaschools.org/students/fourth_grade_science.htm

Student Survey

Please take this brief survey, as a class during your technology time:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=sBD2_2fN8fnjBIc_2fwxjJRZcg_3d_3d

8th Grade - Career Interests

Check out this website for information about careers. Choose the category, then the title, and you will find a complete occupation profile, with job descriptions, wages, employment statistics, and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities requirements:

http://www.careerinfonet.org/Occupations/select_occupation.aspx?next=occ_rep&level=&optstatus=111111111&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=&stfips=&jobfam=

Online Learning:
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/campus-degrees/degree-by-location.php

Bureau of Labor Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/

3/23/09 - 4th Grade - Word 2007

This nursery rhyme is out of order, follow the directions below to fix it!

The itsy bitsy spider
And dried up all the rain
Went up the water spout
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout, again
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun

To begin with, we will have to highlight the entire nursery rhyme, then hold down the ctrl button, and hit the c button. Next, open Microsoft Word 2007, open a new document, then hold the ctrl button and hit the v button.

Ok, now we have the text in our Microsoft Word document. Let's get to work.

First, let's underline the word spider. Every time you get to the word spider, highlight the word or right click, and click on the underline icon (u).

Second, please make the word itsy bold. Highlight the word, or right click, and click on the bold icon (b).

Third, italicize the word spout. Each time you get to the word spout, highlight the word or right click, and click on the italics (i) icon.

Finally, using cut (ctrl x) and paste (ctrl v), you can put the sentences back in order.

(hint: another way is to highlight the sentence you want to move, then hold the left mouse button down, drag it to where you want it to go, and let go. Give it a try!)

3-17-09 - 3rd Grade - Word Processing

Today we are going to continue with our lesson on Word Processing. Last week we worked on a nursery rhyme. We made some words bold, and we made some words italics, and we underlined some words. Today we are going to continue with the itsy bisty spider. When you finish, please copy the five little pigs, paste it into your word document, and we will use copy and paste to re-arrange it.

All the way home.
This little pig had none.
This little pig stayed home.
This little pig went to the market.
This little pig had roast beef.
This little pig cried "Wee, wee, wee, wee!"

3-12-09 - 5th Grade - Women's History Month Part 2

We are going to continue searching for information about famous women, and equal rights.
This page is from the Smithsonian Institution's exhibit in the National portrait gallery of famous women. If you are interested in finding a famous American woman's portrait and biography, click here: http://www.npg.si.edu/cexh/woot/index.htm

This page has questions and links to find information about equal rights:http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751533&ESP=Teachers/ib/20090309/awa/sa_womens_history_1_5_CyberHunt_txt1///salp/tout_txtl////

Here is a link to Encyclopedia Britannica's profiles on 300 women who changed the world:http://search.eb.com/women

Check out this magazine about women's history month, produced by 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students:http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/DE/st_proj/NobelWomen%20(2).pdf

Finally, here is a page about the Seneca falls convention:http://www.npg.si.edu/col/seneca/senfalls1.htm

3/10/09 - 6th Grade - Owl Pellet Dissection

Today we are going to learn a little bit about owls, to prepare you for your owl pellet dissection. As a group, we will learn about how owls hunt, how they digest their food, and we can even dissect a virtual owl pellet on the Kidwings website:
http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/#

At the end of the class period, if there is time, we will watch this video on how Snow Owls hunt in the winter using sonar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yps7pgq1TAk

5th Grade - 3/5/09 - Great Women in History

Iternational Women's Day will be celebrated on Sunday. To celebrate the accomplishments of women and recognize their equality, we are going to learn about some women who have made major contributions to the world.

http://www.greatwomen.org/news.php?action=view&id=65

http://www.lkwdpl.org/WIHOHIO/figures.htm

3-3-09 - 3rd Grade - Animal Research / The Oregon Trail

Animal Project
Please visit this site to find information about your animal:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/a-to-z

If you need more information, try:
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/Animal-Bytes/index.htm


Today, you are going to learn about the men and women of the frontier who traveled the Oregon trail.
Go to: http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html
When the game starts, press 2 and then press enter, to read about the journey. When you get finished with a page, press the space bar to go on to the next one.
After you read about the Oregon Trail, press 1 and then press enter, to begin the game.
Follow the instructions to choose your player (banker, carpenter, or farmer), enter the names of the people in your party, buy supplies, and enjoy the Oregon Trail!

3/3/09 - 8th Grade - Alternative Energy

Let's Brainstorm the types of energy that are available.
What is the source of each type of energy?
Is the source renewable (we can grow, or gather more) or non-renewable (once it is all gathered, we cannot make more)?

There may be a few sources of energy that you didn't know about:
http://www.re-energy.ca/pdf/renewable-energy-basics-bg.pdf

http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/renewables.html

http://www.epatric.com/classes/sbc/alt-energy/

7th and 8th Grade - Child Labor

Child labor is a problem that affects young people like you, in places all over the world, including the US. When children are forced to work, they often miss out on the chance to live a normal life, and do the things that we take for granted (go to school, spend time with their friends and family, etc.). Please read the story of Basilio, a child who worked in a mine in Bolivia.

Read about Basilio on this website:

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/devilsminer/

When you are finished, please answer the Questions on your teacher's blog.

2/19/09 - 5th Grade - The Ride of Paul Revere

Today we are going to talk about the Paul Revere, and the ride he took on the night of April 18, 1775 to warn the patriots that the British were coming. Let's start by getting to know a little about our colonial celebrity: http://www.kidsandhistory.com/paulvm/h2_hist.html

So, Paul Revere was a member of two secret societies that wanted to change the government of the colonies. When they wanted to meet, or exchange information, they could not just call each other up on the phone, this was the 1770's (the fist phone conversation wouldn't take place for 100 years! - March 10th, 1876). They had to send letters that were carried by messengers like Paul Revere. Let's read about the message that Paul Revere carried to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British soldiers were coming to arrest them.

The most famous version of Paul Revere's ride was recorded in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." But, Paul Revere's diary tells a different story than the famous poem. As we read the poem together, please fill in the details on your worksheet. Then we will read Paul Revere's diary, and compare and contrast the two.

Longfellow's Poem
http://www.kidsandhistory.com/paulvm/h1_midride/ridepages_nosound/ridefset.html

The Real Ride:
http://www.kidsandhistory.com/paulvm/h2_real.html

Paul Revere's depiction of the Boston Massacre:
http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2007/03/20/513012/BloodyMassacre.jpg

Paul Revere's complete account of the ride:
http://www.americanrevolution.org/revere.html

Technology Planning

Teachers,
Here are some technology planning sites that I have been looking at:
http://www2.msstate.edu/~lsa1/nctp/Guidebook.pdf
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te300.htm
We are going to start discussing plans for developing a technology planning group, at the staff meeting this afternoon, and these sites may be a good starting point.

2-11-09 - 3rd Grade - The Oregon Trail

Today, you are going to learn about the men and women of the frontier who traveled the Oregon trail.
Go to: http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html
When the game starts, press 2 and then press enter, to read about the journey. When you get finished with a page, press the space bar to go on to the next one.
After you read about the Oregon Trail, press 1 and then press enter, to begin the game.
Follow the instructions to choose your player (banker, carpenter, or farmer), enter the names of the people in your party, buy supplies, and enjoy the Oregon Trail!

2/10/09 - 5th Grade - SPACE!

You guys asked a lot of great questions about outer space. I did some research, and found web sites that will hopefully give you some answers.

Space has fascinated humans since the beginning of recorded history! The origins of astronomy (the scientific study of celestial objects) date back to ancient Mesopotamia (5000 to 5500 years ago!). Many of the questions that you have asked are still unanswered. If you are interested in Space, consider studying Physics in High School and College. Here are some of your questions, and some of the answers I have come up with.

How long does it take (the space shuttle) to orbit the earth?
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/webcasts/shuttle/sts113/processing-qa_prt.htm

How big is space?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/universe/howbig.html

Why can't we breathe in outer space?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space

Why is there zero gravity in space?
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal109/NEWHTF/HTF611.HTM
http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312074/zg.htm

How long does it take to get to outer space?

How long can a star stay alive?
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/astronomy/a/how_long_does_a_star_last_in_outer_space

How long can we stay in space?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1DD1630F93AA15751C1A961948260

Do they eat special food in space?
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacefood/index.html

How far away is the moon?
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/moondist.shtml

How do asteroids form?
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=221

How are black holes formed?
http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/
http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html

Keep asking good questions, and seeking truthful answers!

2/10/09 - 6th Grade - African American Scientists and Inventors

The following web pages tell the stories of some of the most famous African American Scientists and inventors.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmscientists1.html
https://webfiles.uci.edu/mcbrown/display/faces.html
Scholastic Top Ten:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/

Webquest:http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/jhhs/jhhslmc/Black%20History%20Webquest/default.htm

1/30/08 - 7th Grade Exploring Immigration

Click on the blue tab that says 'meet the new americans', on the independent lens site: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/newamericans.html. Choose one of the stories, and read the introduction and one of the episode articles.

How did reading the story affect you? What do you think would be the most difficult part of moving to a new country? How could the US help people who are coming to this country for the first time? And, what advice would you give to someone who was new to this country?

When you are finished, click on the red tab to explore the art, music, food, and language that immigrants carry with them, and click on the yellow tab to take the immigration quiz.

Information Literacy

Start on this page: http://education.nmsu.edu/faculty/ci/milevy/medialiteracy.html. We are going to read through the "What is media literacy?" section together, then choose a topic to research for the period.

1-16-08 8th Grade Immigration/Refugee Assignment

Immigration:
Please look at the following site:http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/index.html
Choose one of the "new Americans" stories, and read the introduction, and one of the three episode summaries.
Write 1 paragraph about how reading the story affected you, and what you think the most difficult part about being an immigrant in a foreign country would be.
When you are done, feel free to explore the cultural riches section (about the Art, Music, Food, and Language that immigrants bring to the US), or take the quiz.

Refugees:
Please look at the following site:http://www.isabelperez.com/webquest/taller/l2/word/inmigration.htm
Research a group of Refugees by following one or more of the links.
Write 1 paragraph about how reading about this group affected you, and what you think the most difficult part about being a refugee in a foreign country would be.
When you are done, feel free to explore the rest of the site, or take a quiz.

5th Grade Martin Luther King Jr. Websearch

Scavenger hunt
http://tstrong.com/Martin.htm

webquest
http://w4.nkcsd.k12.mo.us/~kcofer/MLK_webquest/process.html

explore
http://www.cumbavac.org/martin_luther_king.htm

audio/video
http://www.mlkonline.net/

1/8/09 - 8th Grade Harlem Renaissance

Go to the Harlem Renaissance webquest: http://www.primarysourcelearning.org/teach/lq/012/index.htm. Read the introduction, and then click on the investigation tab. Follow the links to take a tour of Harlem, listen to some of the music that was made during the Harlem Renaissance, or learn more about the literature that came out of the Harlem Renaissance. And answer the questions about the topic you chose, that are shown on the graphic organizer.