Smith Academy Middle School - Recently Updated Pages

Smith Academy Middle School Home

MrWall — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:25:27 CDT

This year, the Smith Academy teachers will be updating the daily homework on the Smith Academy School web page. You can follow this link to the new website: http://www.hatfieldpublicschools.net/smith-academy/middle-school/daily-homework-assignments

All of our important announcements will also be posted on the new Smith Academy web page.

Genetics

LeaderEm — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:27:59 CDT

More Practice:

Basic Problems:
The Cells Project Tutorial: http://www.cellsproject.org/examples/sc/page23.html
Practice Quiz: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078617340/student_view0/chapter5/math_practice.html
Drag & Drop Genetics http://www.zerobio.com/drag_gr11/mono.htm

Advanced Problem Set: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/human_bio/problem_sets/human_genetics/human_genetics.html

LIFE SCIENCE: GENETICS PROBLEMS

SITE 1: Utah State Integrated Science Core Curriculum
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/CURR/Science/sciber00/7th/genetics/sciber/punnett.htm
Directions:

Page 1 is a detailed explanation of how to set up and solve Punnett Squares. Review this information as needed, then answer the five questions at the bottom of the page.
Click “Next” at the bottom of the page and solve the five practice problems.
Bring in your written work solving all 10 problems.

SITE 2: Arthro, Limited: http://www.athro.com/evo/gen/punexam.html
Directions:

Visit the site and use the drop down menus to test your understanding of Punnett Squares and probability.
Note that the site uses lower case letters instead of the prime symbol for the problems with incomplete dominance.
If you’re feeling up to a challenge, try the dihybrid crosses.
As evidence of your work, print ONE page with your answers.

SITE 3: EDC weblabs http://www2.edc.org/weblabs/Punnett/punnettsquares.html
Directions:

Visit this site and follow the directions as you breed chickens and lemmings.
Print or describe the results of your best lemming cross (for the combined long tail and the albino trait) and write a brief explanation of how the parents’ genotypes contributed to the outcome.

SITE 4: Genetics Practice Problems http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/geneprob.htm
Directions:

Complete the monohybrid cross, the test cross, and the incomplete dominance problems.
Print only those pages showing these problems with your answers filled in.
If you’re feeling up to a challenge, continue through the other problems – they get quite tricky!

MORE GENETICS PRACTICE: http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001476.shtml
Directions:

Choose any sites that look appropriate for your level.
Print 1 page of work from each site.

ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING STUFF: Cloning, blood types, much more...
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

NOTE: SOME OF THESE SITES INCLUDE HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL PROBLEMS THAT ARE PRETTY COMPLEX. IF YOU WANT TO TRY THEM, GO FOR IT! HOWEVER, FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE ASSIGNED.

Principles of Student Assessment

LeaderEm — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:53:02 CDT

Smith Academy Middle School
Academic Policies 2008-2009

At the heart of all our actions and decisions is the goal of helping each student learn to their full potential. This is reflected in our instruction, assessment, and classroom policies.

INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT
Below is a description of the types of assignments that students will encounter in their core middle school classes (English, Math, Social Studies, and Science), and how we will assess and report student performance.
One important distinction we make as teachers is between formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are those that we use to see how students are doing and adjust our instruction accordingly. Summative assessments are those we use at the end of a unit to determine how well a student understands the material. This year, we intend to collect and report information about students’ achievement on formative and summative assessments separately, so that we – and you – will have a clear picture what students know and can do, as well as whether their effort at home and in class is effective.

Formative Assessments
Daily homework assignments are carefully designed to help students learn and practice the knowledge and skills of our middle school curriculum. Often class activities involve correcting and/or using homework. Homework provides teachers with important information about how well students understand the material, where they’re having trouble, and how much effort they are putting into learning. For all of these reasons, it is imperative that students complete daily homework assignments regularly and on time. We will collect and report data about how much of the assigned homework each student has completed, as well as the quality of the homework. This information will be reported separately from a student’s term grade, which will reflect their level of mastery of the curriculum standards we have taught.
Other formative assessments we use include informal observations of classwork and students’ participation in class and group discussions. We also use check quizzes to make sure students are where we expect them to be at a certain point in our unit. These assessments will provide important information about students’ effort and whether or not instructional activities and assignments have been effective for them. Again, this information will not be included in a student’s term grade, as it reflects progress during a unit rather than mastery at the culmination of the unit.

Summative Assessments
Quizzes, tests, and exams that show students’ understanding at the end of a unit or a part of a unit will be used to assess how well students have mastered the learning standards taught. Projects, such as writing, presentations, posters, and labs are also important summative assessments. Our learning objectives include not only the content standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, but also skills such as presentation skills, writing across the curriculum, data analysis, and research. For both content standards and skills, we will clearly define our expectations for students and teach them how to achieve them. Term grades will reflect our determination of how well students met those expectations on summative assessments during the marking period.

SCHOOL & CLASSROOM CLIMATE
To create a positive environment in the middle school, we emphasize four guiding principles:
1) Be respectful
2) Be prepared
3) Work hard to learn
4) Take responsibility
We strive to model these principles at all times and teach students how to do the same. We honor those students who best exemplify these four principles each month as “Students of the Month.”

Science

LeaderEm — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:04:58 CDT

Online Graph Program
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/

Mastery Learning with Ms. Case

Follow these instructions for each question you did not answer correctly:

Write the correct and complete answer (show all work if appropriate).
Explain what was missing from and/or wrong about your original answer.

EARTH SCIENCE INFORMATION & LINKS

Earth Science animations of all kinds are listed alphabetically at http://geography.cst.cmich.edu/Franc1M/Animations/animation_list_posted.htm

ATMOSPHERE LINKS

Information about heat, temperature, and heat transfer: http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/light_lessons/thermal/index.html

Heat Transfer: Radiation, Conduction, Convection: http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/SCE304/SCE304.swf

Windows to the Universe Website (astronomy and meteorology): http://www.windows.ucar.edu/

National Weather Service Jetstream: Online School for Weather (Awesome!) Atmosphere pages: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmos/atmos_intro.htm

Exploring Earth: Variations in Temperature Activity: http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1706/es1706page01.cfm

Why is the sky dark at night? (Not an answer to Nat's question, but interesting nonetheless): http://www.arachnoid.com/sky/index.html

ASTRONOMY LINKS

Star Webquest
http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2003/starlife.html
Do task 1 only, not necessarily on construction paper.

Solar System Links
Windows to the Universe (click on Our Solar System): http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
Exploratorium Observatory: http://www.exploratorium.edu/observatory/index.html
Nine Planets (yes, they know there are only 8): http://www.nineplanets.org/

Earth - Sun - Moon
Your favorite website (the one just above) has great animations for these topics. Also, more can be found at http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072482621/student_view0/interactives.html#

CLASSWORK 3/6 (PARTS A & B LISTED BELOW ARE THE LESSON PLAN FOR A & B BLOCK FRIDAY)

A) Finish Solar System Information Hunt as needed
Search the internet to complete these tasks. Type your answers in a word document or e-mail (to ecase@hatfieldps.net) and copy the URLs of your sources after each answer.

List the planets in order from closest to the Sun to furthest.
List the planets from smallest to biggest.
List the number of moons each planet has.
Find the warmest and coolest planets.
Make a table of day and year length on each planet.
Where is the asteroid belt?
What are three factors that affect the surface temperature of a planet?
Where in the solar system, besides on Earth, are there active volcanoes?
Where in the solar system, besides on Earth, is there water?
What is the best picture or animation you found in your search?
What is the best website you found?

B) History and Kepler's Laws

Find three websites that explain the history of humankind's understanding of the Solar System. These explanations should include at least some of the historical figures from your book (Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, etc,)
In an e-mail or a Word document, write one paragraph in your own words that summarizes what you learned and lists the URLS of the websites you found. Also tell me which site was the best in your opinion.
Find explanations, diagrams, and/or animations of Kepler's Laws. In an e-mail or a Word document, summarize Kepler's Laws in your own words (and in plain English). Include the URLs of sites you used and which one(s) were best.

Topographic Maps
Mt. Union College Geology Department
http://raider.muc.edu/~mcnaugma/Topographic%20Maps/topomapindexpage.htm#Menu

Advanced Earthquake Quiz
Study basic information from previous quiz and book, review Virtual Earthquake Lab (below), and visit this tutorial: http://www.uky.edu/AS/Geology/howell/goodies/elearning/module06swf.swf

Virtual Volcanoes: In-class assignment Friday 12/5 (B block)
Visit each of the sites listed below and carefully read the information about volcanoes. Then, use the interactive tools to perform your own experiments to investigate the effects of silica content and/or gas pressure on volcanic eruptions. Create a data table like the one below in document saved to your network folder to record your results.

Silica content	Gas pressure	Volcanic eruption (describe and/or name)	Type of volcano

When you have completed several experiments (try to find all the major types of volcanic eruptions and volcanoes), write a brief summary of the effects of silica and gas pressure (explain each one separately) on volcanic eruptions. Save your data table and your explanation in your network folder.

Virtual volcano sites:
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/interactive/interactive.html
http://www.alaskamuseum.org/features/volcano/

Virtual Earthquake Lab
http://www.sciencecourseware.com/eec/Earthquake/
Complete S & P Lag Time Tutorial first
Complete Latitude and Longitude Tutorial as needed.
Under Main Activities, complete both Travel Time and Epicenter and Magnitude.
Class Code (needed to submit results once completed) = 1272910

Greenhouse Effect Information (just FYI, related to A block quiz question): http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm

Earth's Layers
The radio show I mentioned in class, where they talked about Earth's magnetic field and other topics related to our current unit is WAMC's Vox Pop, Science Forum from 10/23. You can hear the podcast at: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/.jukebox?action=viewPodcast&podcastId=299. (10/24's show is an interesting comparison of McCain and Obama's differences in policy. Neither has an opinion about when Earth's magnetic field will flip next, but both pledge to help Joe the plumber in the event that the magnetic field flipping hurts his business.)

Earth Layers Information:http://www.ig.uit.no/webgeology/english/earthsinterior.html

Earth Layers Quiz: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com:8100/legacy/college/skinner/0471152285/drag_dropacts/ch01/fig_1_13_fixed_size.htm

Geologic Time: Useful websites
University of California Museum of Paleontology: Tour of Geologic Time
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/geologictime.php

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Geologic Time: The Story of a Changing Earth
http://paleobiology.si.edu/geotime/main/index.html

Paleomap project (Christopher R. Scotese)
http://www.scotese.com/Default.htm

United States Geologic Survey: Our Changing Continent (John S. Schlee)
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/continents/

Relative Dating
Animations and explanations of relative dating & stratigraphy: http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es2903/es2903page01.cfm?chapter_no=investigation

Relative Dating Exercises
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/historical_lab/reldat_exercises.html
http://www.athro.com/geo/seframe.html

Useful Evolution Sites:
Lines of Evidence: The Science of Evolution website (University of California Berkeley)
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/index.shtml

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/similarity_hs_01

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/lines_01

LIFE SCIENCE INFORMATION & LINKS

General Biology Animations
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/biology.html
Check out Mitosis and Meiosis tutorials, for a preview of our genetics unit, try Independent Assortment of Alleles

Meiosis
Mitosis v. Meiosis: Animation and Explanation: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/baby/divide.html

Mitosis

The Cell Cycle and Mitosis Tutorial: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/Cell_Bio/tutorials/cell_cycle/main.html
Read each page carefully; use the next button to move ahead.
The Cell Cycle information is pretty advanced -- you only need to understand the basic stages, not each protein involved.
When you get to the mitosis page, at the end, view the animation.
Only problems 6, 8, 10, and 11 are about information you should know. #7 may be useful to know, too. You can do the others if you're interested or planning to go for an advanced mastery level.
On the last page ("The End"), follow the link to Online Onion Root Tips (http://www.biology.arizona.edu/Cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/cell_cycle.html), and work through this activity, again carefully reading the information on each page and using the next button to move on.
Complete the assignment, including copying the data table and collecting data about the cells you will see in each phase of mitosis.

DNA
DNA replication game
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/dna_double_helix/

DNA replication and protein synthesis animations
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/#

DNA and Genetics Information
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

DNA Interactive
http://www.dnai.org/a/index.html

The Meselson and Stahl Experiment (in detail)
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/meselson.html

Diffusion and Osmosis Sites

Biology Corner: http://www.biologycorner.com/bio1/diffusion.html
An animation similar to the open response question we looked at in class: http://zoology.okstate.edu/zoo_lrc/biol1114/tutorials/Flash/Osmosis_Animation.htm
Passive and Active Transport Tutorial: http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/biology/Biology1111/animations/transport1.html

Photosynthesis and Respiration Sites
http://www.nclark.net/PhotoRespiration (see list of links and choose what you need to review)

Photosynthesis:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/photosynthesis.html

Advanced:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/biology/green_plants_intro.shtml
http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz2199831930210.html

Super-Advanced:
http://www.johnkyrk.com/index.html

In-class Cell Review, Tuesday 1/20
Quiz: http://www.bcscience.com/bc8/pgs/quiz_section1.2.htm
Note: Ignore number 6 on this quiz, about the aphids and the leaf. The rest of the questions are right on target.

Another Quiz: http://www.glencoe.com/qe/science.php?qi=258
Note: A few questions about about topics we didn't cover, or didn't cover in detail, but questions about cell types, parts, functions, and tissues/organs are on target.

Label cell parts: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/bc/bc_marieb_ehap_8/activities/chapter3/Act3A.html
Note: Cytosol means cytoplasm. Centrioles are parts we didn't study (yet). Rough endoplasmic reticulum is ER that has ribosomes on it.

More cell parts to label: http://www.tvdsb.on.ca/westmin/science/sbi3a1/Cells/cellquiz.htm
Note: Turgor pressure is water pressure that presses against the cell wall and keeps plant cells from wilting. The nucleolus is a special structure within the nucleus that makes ribosomes. You don't need to know these terms for an "A" on the test Wed., but they'll help with this website.

Advanced (If you're going for the A+ mastery): Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, and Virus tutorial.
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/pev/main.html

Advanced cell parts labels (you won't need to know all these parts, even for the A+, but if you want an extra challenge, go for it): http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objid=AP11403

Good CELL websites:
Cells Alive!
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/3dcell.htm

National Science Foundation: A Tour of the Cell
http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/biology/interactive.jsp

University of Utah Genetics Science Learning Center: Inside a Cell
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/

ECOLOGY RESOURCES
Interaction Information and Online Quiz (a great review for your Ch. 2 assessment)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/environment/2_compete_or_die1.shtml

SYMBIOSIS WEBSITES:

The Microbe Zoo:http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/index.html. This site is not specifically about symbiosis, but it includes a number of symbioses: protists and bacteria that live in cows' guts, bacteria/human symbioses, protists that live in termites, plant/bacteria and plant/fungus symbioses, and more. There's something here for everyone, plus it's written for kids instead of professional scientists.

Bacteria/Animal Symbioses: http://web.uconn.edu/mcbstaff/graf/Sym.html. This is a university lab that studies symbioses between bacteria and animals. Some of the descriptions and language are somewhat technical.
Symbioses involving insects: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent591k/symbiosis.html#example
General info & examples: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/symbiosis.html
Coral (an animal/protist symbiosis): http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/
Lichens (a fungus/protist OR fungus/bacteria symbiosis): http://www.lichen.com/

CYCLES

Water: An interactive website from the United States Geological Survey:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mearth.html

EPA Kid’s site: Carbon Cycle
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon_cycle_version2.html

Nitrogen Cycle slide show and interactive website: www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/flash_mov/nitrogencycleintro.swf

WEBSITE FOR MORE CARBON CYCLE INFORMATION: http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/resources/lessons/carbon-cycle-demonstration/
Click on demonstration cards on the right for information about how carbon moves around the ecosystem.

Star Webquest

LeaderEm — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:47:28 CDT

Star Life Cycle Webquest: http://aspire.cosmic-ray.org/labs/star_life/starlife_main.html

Work your way through the pages of this website, carefully reading and studying the information here. Answer the questions below as you go.

Protostars
1. What is accretion?
2. What is meant by “equilibrium”?
3. What happens if a protostar reaches the critical temperature? What happens if it does not?

Main Sequence Stars
4. So, what is a star?
5. What do stars use for fuel?
6. How are heavier elements made?
7. Try the interactive lab. Print or summarize your results.
8. Which hypothesis is correct, and why?
1) The bigger a star is, the longer it will live.
2) The smaller a star is, the longer it will live.

Equilibrium
9. When does a star achieve equilibrium?
10. Do the equilibrium cycle interactive lab. Summarize your results in the table below (use increases, decreases, or stays the same to fill in what happens to pressure, gravity, and temperature):

STAGE	PRESSURE	GRAVITY	TEMPERATURE
1. Nuclear fusion
2. Out of fuel
3. Fusion stops
4. Core contracts
5. Nuclear fusion reinitiates

11. Take the practice quiz (true/false questions about equilibrium) and after carefully reading the information about what happens to a star after the main sequence stage, take Star Quiz part 1.

The Beginning of the End: Helium Burning
12. Do the helium burning interactive lab. Summarize your results in the table below (use increases, decreases, or stays the same to fill in what happens to pressure, gravity, and temperature):

STAGE	PRESSURE	GRAVITY	TEMPERATURE
1. Nuclear fusion
2. Out of fuel
3. Fusion stops
4. Core contracts
5. Outer layer blown off

13. Take the star quiz part 2
14. What is the name of the stage of most helium-burning stars, like the star Mira?

The End of a Star
15. What do low mass stars become at the end of their existence? Medium mass stars? Massive stars?
16. Do the carbon-burning interactive lab. Summarize your results in the table below (use increases, decreases, or stays the same to fill in what happens to pressure, gravity, and temperature):

STAGE	PRESSURE	GRAVITY	TEMPERATURE
1. Nuclear fusion
2. Out of fuel
3. Fusion stops
4. Core contracts
5. Supernova

17. Do the interactive lab that shows what happens to different sized stars at the end of their lives.
18. From the results of your lab, record the sequence of life cycle stages each type of star goes through:
small:
low:
medium:
massive:

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
19. What stage would you be in if you were a star?
20. Read the information, then try the interactive Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and check your work carefully.

Applications of the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
21. Do the interactive lab. At the end, click display written answers and copy and paste your work into your webquest, or print it and attach it.
22. Summarize the relationships among the brightness, size and temperature of a star.

Interactive Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
23. Complete the following chart:

Stage	Temperature	Luminosity

24. Do the interactive Hertzsprung Russell diagram with questions.

Life Science Ecology Project Nov-Dec 08

LeaderEm — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:53:28 CST

LIFE SCIENCE: ECOLOGY PROJECT

Steps 2-4 will be submitted online, in a research program called Noodle Tools. When all requirements have been met (see assessment checklists, below), submit your work by checking the box next to your Ecology Project in the My Lists view of Noodle Tools and clicking Share. The program asks for your name, in case I don't recognize you from your username. Then it asks for your class, which you must type in exactly as follows: Grade 7 Science.

Step 1: Choose a current environmental problem DUE: Wed. 11/19, in writing
Some problems you might choose: global warming, human population growth, acid rain, ozone depletion, deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, other?

Step 2: Identify the problem’s cause(s) and effect(s) DUE: Mon. 11/24, in Noodle Tools

Step 3: Relate the problem to six ecological concepts 3 DUE: Wed. 11/26, in Noodle Tools

3 more DUE: Wed 12/3, in Noodle Tools
Ecological Concepts:

biotic/abiotic factors
cycles (C, H2O, or N)
energy flow in ecosystems
producer/consumer/decomposer
food chains/webs
energy pyramid
biome
ecosystem
community
population
species
habitat
niche
predator/prey
competition
cooperation
symbiosis
limiting factor
carrying capacity
ecological succession

Example of a connection of global warming to ecological concepts:
Some migratory songbirds from Norway feed on caterpillars that hatch in the springtime, just after the birds return to Norway from their winter migration. Warmer temperatures have caused the caterpillars to hatch early, before the birds return. The birds’ niche has been affected by global warming. They are secondary consumers, but their main food source, the caterpillars, are not available to them. This will also affect higher levels of the food web, tertiary consumers like hawks and foxes.

Step 4: Answer the following questions. DUE: Thurs 12/4 (D), Friday 12/5 (C), in Noodle Tools
□ Describe three actions people can take to help solve this problem.
□ What do you think the best solution to this problem is?

Step 5: Create a Power Point presentation. DUE: Wed. 12/10, (USB or network folder)
□ Share your findings from steps 1-4.
□ NO timing or distracting animations allowed.
□ All slide designs, backgrounds, fonts, and art must be consistent, not distracting, and enhance communication.
□ Text on slides includes only main points; you fill in details verbally.
□ Spelling and grammar count.

ASSESSMENT CHECKLISTS

Step 1: Topic Choice _____ Completed on time _____ Not completed on time

Step 2: Causes & Effects
□ Information comes from at least two sources
□ Citations are entered in Works Cited list titled “Ecology Project”
□ Information related to causes and effects is on at least 2 Noodle Tools notecards
□ Notecard cluster is titled “Causes and Effects”
□ Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, and My Ideas are completed correctly in notecards and identify causes/effects of problem.
_____ Above & Beyond _____ On track _____ Almost there _____ Uh-oh

Step 3: Ecological Concepts (First Three)
□ Information comes from at least one new source
□ Citations are entered in Works Cited list titled “Ecology Project”
□ Notecard cluster is titled “Ecological Concepts”
□ Notecard title names the ecological concept you are connecting to your environmental problem (example: Water Cycle)
□ Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, and My Ideas are completed correctly in notecards and relate the problem to ecological concepts.
_____ Above & Beyond _____ On track _____ Almost there _____ Uh-oh

Step 3: Ecological Concepts (Second Three)
□ Citations (if new) are entered in Works Cited list titled “Ecology Project”
□ Notecard cluster is titled “Ecological Concepts”
□ Notecard title names the ecological concept you are connecting to your environmental problem (example: Water Cycle)
□ Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, and My Ideas are completed correctly in notecards and relate the problem to ecological concepts.
_____ Above & Beyond _____ On track _____ Almost there _____ Uh-oh

Step 4: Actions/Solutions
□ Citations (if new) are entered in Works Cited list titled “Ecology Project”
□ Notecard cluster is titled “Solutions”
□ Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, and My Ideas are completed correctly in notecards.
□ Notecards describe three actions people can take and identify what you think is the best solution.
_____ Above & Beyond _____ On track _____ Almost there _____ Uh-oh

Power Point Rubric
CONTENT

A+	Meets all criteria for a “A” and exceeds some, for example by demonstrating an advanced understanding of concepts, thoroughly revising work in response to feedback, interpreting sophisticated sources well, etc.
A	□ Answers all questions - causes/effects - relation to six ecological concepts - three actions people can take to help - your opinion: the best solution □ Answers to questions show a satisfactory understanding of material □ Answers are in your own words and use terms you can define and pronounce □ Some improvements have been made based on feedback in Noodle Tools.

B Meets most criteria for an A
C Shows progress in understanding material but does not meet most criteria
IE Insufficient evidence of progress

PRESENTATION

A+	Meets all criteria for a “B” and exceeds some, for example: presentation is very smooth and polished; slide design, layout and pictures enhance communication; verbal explanations really show you know your stuff.
A	□ NO timing or distracting animations. □ All slide designs, backgrounds, fonts, and art are consistent, not distracting, and enhance communication. □ Text on slides includes only main points; you fill in details verbally. □ Few, if any spelling and grammar errors. □ Speech is completely audible and fluent.

B Meets most criteria for an A
C Shows some understanding of the qualities of a good presentation, but does not meet most criteria
IE Insufficient evidence of progress

SOURCES

A	□ Works Cited list on last slide is entirely correct and complete □ 3 or more sources are used.
B	□ Works Cited list on last slide is almost entirely correct and complete □ At least 3 sources are used.

C Meets most criteria for a B IE Sources not cited adequately

Contacting Us

Ms.Trompke — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:59:32 CST

In order to contact any of the core middle school teachers, please email us at the following addresses:

Ms. Case (ecase@hatfieldps.net)
Mrs. Guiel (kguiel@hatfieldps.net)
Ms. Trompke is now Mrs. Gray (mgray@hatfieldps.net)
Mr. Wall (kwall@hatfieldps.net)

Rubrics

MrWall — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:50:50 CDT

Middle School Rubrics coming soon!

Links

LeaderEm — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:46:56 CDT

Massachusetts Department of Education
Curriculum Frameworks Standards can be found among program area selections, as well as MCAS information
http://www.doe.mass.edu/

Hatfield Public Schools
http://hatfieldpublicschools.net/

Smith Academy Library Blog
Lots of great information and resources for projects
http://salibrary.blogspot.com

Life Science textbook resources
Science Modules: Ecology
www.classzone.com

Writing in the Middle School

MrWall — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:01:35 CDT

Writing in the Middle School
Expectations for ALL work
· Heading: name, date, block
· Legible
· Reasonably neat
· Ready to hand in at beginning of class
Expectations for final-draft quality work (essays, projects, etc.)
· Ready to hand in at beginning of class (printed, stapled)
· No report covers
· Title page
o Title (centered)
o name, date, block
· Typed
o 12 pt, easy-to-read font
o 1.5 spaced
o 1” margins
o Indent new paragraphs
o Page numbers
o Name only on title page, not on any pages of paper
· No Unacceptable errors
o This list will grow each term, reflecting what you have learned in English class. Teachers in all core subject areas will deduct points for the following errors in writing mechanics:
Unacceptable errors: Grade 8
1. Homonyms

· its/it’s
· which/witch
· weather/whether
· there/their/they’re
· your/you’re
· to/two/too

2. No contraction errors: “could of” is incorrect (it’s “could have”)
3. No text message or informal spelling: u, 4, gonna, etc.
4. “A lot” is two words
5. Capitalization: beginning of sentences, proper nouns
6. Punctuation: end of sentences, commas
7. No magic trick phrasing: “In my paper, I am going to tell you…” “I hope you have enjoyed my paper.”

Unacceptable errors: Grade 7
1. Use complete sentences
2. Paragraph = Several sentences, all about the same main idea
3. Capitalization: beginning of sentences, proper nouns
4. Punctuation: end of sentences