THE VIEW FROM LS!

IN TIME & ON A JOURNEY

ISSUE NO. 7

ISM GRADE 9 STRATEGY INSTRUCTIONQUARTER 2: WEEKS 15 & 16

What we Learned:
GEO:
Students nished preparing and took their mini-tests covering population. Some classes have begun preparing their 7 Billion project, a global initiative to educate others about the dangers of overpopulation. Students chose whether to work alone or with a group to design and produce a 60 second or less video for submission.

6 School Days & a Wake-Up

What were doing in SI:
In Strategy Instruction we have been focusing on exploring the keys to habit change. Students have been presented with the idea of a habit loop that involves: a cue, a routine and a reward. Historically, it has been both the cue and reward which researchers have focused on in the past, hoping to change human habits. But recently it has been realized that our cues are deeply embedded and instead replacing a routine often leads to more consistent and worthwhile change.

ENGLISH:
Students nally were able to share their Little Hero texts with their kindergarten buddy. They read the children their original story and gifted them with the bound copy. Students then began their preparation for a 2-3 minute speech in the style of a chosen character from Lord of the Flies. Students were assessed not only on the content and creativity, but also on the rhetorical devices used while presenting.

MATH:
Students made corrections to a recent test in preparation for the upcoming quiz. They also made progress with their Dream Town Map.

SCIENCE:
Students continue to look at energy and spent a few periods designing and building rockets which would be propelled by water. Each group decided which variables they would want to change: some chose the amount or type of liquid while others adjusted the angle of the rocket. Taken to the eld, students launched their rockets, measuring time aloft or distance covered.

Over the past three weeks students have embarked on the Object Project. The parameters for this culminating, end of semester challenge were designed by the students. They chose that something must be built (able to be held, heard or tasted), a reection about the process needed to be written (containing at least 3 paragraphs, each with a minimum of 5 sentences) and nally presented to their peers. Here students would need to establish a connection with the process of building their object to the skills explored and practiced in SI class along with a rationale for the choices they made with how they wanted to be graded. Some students chose not to have the item graded and in Powerschool, instead simply opting for feedback about their efforts and product. Each student chose one portion of the project to be uploaded to their ePortfolio upon their return from their iCare service site.

TIP, TOOL, TECHNIQUE FOR HOME TEST TAKING: Smart test-takers manage their time during the test: First, turn over the sheet and write all keywords, dates or formulas memorized for the test. Then she looks over the test quickly to see whats coming up. Next, she reads the directions carefully! See which questions are worth the same number of points, and answer the easier ones rst. test. Sometimes she might be able to ask the teacher for help.

UPCOMING JANUARY SI UNITS

+ NOTE TAKING: Often teachers expect students to take notes but dont reinforce the skills. So, we will discuss the importance of class notes and reading notes and try to share with students how they can buff the two into a brief review sheet. Forming these sheets, which involves synthesizing the material into as few key concepts as possible, is a great learning technique. Study buddies may also be helpful.

DATES & REMINDERS 9 Dec.: Final iCare Homeroom

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10 Dec. - 13 Dec.: HS iCare Trips 18 Dec.: Late Start - 8:30 a.m. 18 Dec.: Early Release - 12:00 p.m. 6 Jan.: Powerschool closes to Parents 20 Jan: Powerschool opens to Parents 22 Jan.: Report Cards distributed