Pakbaz’s Passport to the World

Grades for Monday’s political and physical map tests have been posted!!

Most everyone did really well!!! Proud of you!

Today, students continued working on their Canadian Think-Tac-Toe activity. I looked over their rough drafts, gave feedback to improve, and answered questions. We also reviewed the requirements on the checklists/rubrics and students focused on making sure their research section was completed!!

Continue gathering information and working on your project over the weekend. Final version should be completed by Tuesday!  I’ll critique it in class and let minor changes be made as long as time permits. Don’t forget to refer to  your checklist and rubric!

The standards/EQ paragraph may be written in class on Tuesday if everthing else is completed.

This first activity will be due in its final stage by Tuesday.

A big “thank you” goes out to all the parents I conferenced with this week. It was wonderful to see your pride in and concern for your child. Thanks so much for your support in helping them be the best that they can be as we work together to help prepare them for their future!

Today, students continued working on their Canadian Think-Tac-Toe activity. They will continue to have access to laptops through tomorrow!!

Continue gathering information and working on your project tonight. Have it in rough draft form by end of class tomorrow!! Don’t forget to refer to  your checklist and rubric!

This first activity will be due in its final stage by Tuesday.

Attention:  McClure students & your families

You are invited to join us in celebrating Cultural Arts Night!

When:  Thursday Feb. 11, 2010 @ 7:00 PM

Where:  McClure Middle School

We need all families, students or groups of students who would like to present their country of origin, somewhere you have traveled to or a culture that you have studied to be a part of this great night!

 You can be as creative as you want to be!

Cultural Arts Night will include:

• Table presentations with information about your country, artifacts, power

     point presentations, a skit, native dance, native sport, food samples or

     anything about your country that you would enjoy sharing with everyone

• Community outreach opportunities to support Must Ministries 
• Interactive learning stations
• Entertainment with our band & orchestra
• Student art on display
• An international fashion show
• An international food contest & an international chocolate contest.

(We need donations of international food & international chocolate.)

We will be collecting donations of peanut butter & jelly for Must Ministries!

We want you to be a part of this fun night

brought to you by your PTSA!

Please contact us: Patty Reinhardt @ reinrpar@comcast.net, 770-421-1782 (H), 678-640-5718 (C) &

Deanna Slone @ Deannaslone@msn.com, 678-290-8574 (H), 678-429-8144 (C)

Students finished their Cornell Notes on the 7 regions of Canada today, then they began working on their Think-Tac-Toe activity. We will have laptops in the classroom through Friday!!

Continue gathering information and working on your project each evening this week. Have it in rough draft form by end of class on Friday!!

We continued viewing the video stream of  the 7 geographic regions of Canada. Students wrote Cornell Notes.

Students also worked on their Think-Tac-Toe activities today. They had an opportunity to ask questions, work with their groups, and review rubrics & checklists.

Homework is to go through the websites listed on my BLOG and copy/paste or handwrite the websites, which will be helpful in your completing your first activity. Also, begin taking notes in the areas we discussed in class today.

I am excited about meeting with parents this evening for student conferences. Please check your day and time. Thanks!

Students completed their political and physical map test today. I hope to have these graded and posted by Wednesday.

The students I am conferencing with this week filled out a reflection of how they feel that they are doing this year in sixth grade. They also gave feedback as to what kind of help their teachers and parents/guardians can give them to help them be even more successful. I’ll share these at conference time.

Homework is to continue to gather info for your first Think-Tac-Toe activity. Remember to check out the websites on my BLOG. Also, refer to your checklists and rubrics as you gather your info. Try to have your idea ready for tomorrow if you have chosen to do the free choice activity.

Several students who have chosen the game board activity  are wanting to go ahead and start working on it, so I gave out the brainstorming sheet and rubric to this activity today. I’ll go over these more in depth tomorrow.

Students have chosen their tasks on their Canadian Think-Tac-Toe boards. We started on the first one today as students checked out various websites. I have posted many of the website links on my BLOG for easy access. Students also received their checklist and rubric for this project.

Upcoming events are the 2010 Census and the Winter Olympics( :
I have added website links for these on my BLOG.

Homework is to study for Monday’s political and physical features map tests.

Students worked on political and physical map skills today. We shared strategies to help prepare for Monday’s political and physical map tests. Study!!

I introduced students to their new project: Canadian Think-Tac-Toe. I gave an introduction to each one and showed how checklists and rubrics would be used to help them complete their 3 tasks. Homework is to read over each task and choose 3 to complete. Begin a list of supplies and resources which will help you complete these activities. More info will come home as students make their final choice of which tasks they will complete.

Tomorrow we are in the Media Center on computers doing research for this project. Come to the classroom first so you can fill out your agenda and ”OK” your 3 choices with me.

Our political and physical map tests have been moved to Monday.

Students took a pop quiz on the provinces, territories, and capitals today. We checked them in class. Several students did not miss any, so they are exempt from taking the political map test on Monday. They will need to take the physical map portion. I’ll post their 100 when I post grades for Monday’s test.

Several others failed the quiz! We discussed how the political map had been assigned the day they came back from their winter break and was homework to study on Sheppard Software daily. Students kept today’s quiz and map so they know what they need to study before Monday’s test.

I will not be posting these grades on Pinnacle as a quiz grade, but I did post them as a homework (10% weight) grade (studying for political map test homework) so that students and parents can see what the grade would have been if I took the grade at the 40% weight of a quiz. I will use these quizzes to give students feedback on what and how they need to study. Also to stress how important it is for students to break more challenging tests and assignments into smaller increments. Students who did well, shared how studying for 10-15 minutes nightly helped them be successful on the quiz!!

We also highlighted all the physical features that will be on Monday’s physical features test. Students have these to study, along with the maps on Sheppard’s Software and Ilike2learn.

Homework is to study your maps!!!