Phases of the Moon

Sandy Vontroba - 8th Grade Science

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Description:    Using the scientific method as the format for the inquiry based platform of learning, students investigate phases of the Moon, tides, planet orbits, seasons and gravity. They determining how each of the topics are interrelated as a whole. Using a hands-on format students apply the concepts to multi-tiered level of assessment.  At the end of the unit, students complete a webquest to review concepts.

Tavern

8^th grade social studies

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Simulation:  On December 24th, 1783,on his way back to Mount Vernon,  George Washington stopped at Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia to give his horse, Nelson, a rest. A spontaneous victory party ensued. Team White students recreated the event. Live music added to the authenticity of the celebration

Propaganda Video

Chuck Dubil - 8th grade Language Arts

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Description:  The propaganda commercials were part of our propaganda unit. Students were first given nine common propaganda techniques. They were then required to apply these techniques in an original commercial. The commercial could be a parody of an existing product or a made-up one. First, students divided themselves up into groups and brainstormed commercial ideas. They then had to fill out a storyboard before filming could begin. Students had access to a digital camera for 15-20 minutes to film their commercial. They then had 4 days in the library to work on computers with Movie Maker to edit their commercials and turn in their final projects. Finally, these commercials where viewed by the entire team. An award ceremony wrapped-up the unit.

Thank You Video to the Troops

Chuck Dubil - 8th grade Language Arts

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As a connecting process to a class activity, movies were made for the troops and put online

Red Team play “Fires at Valley Forge”

Brad Behrendt - 8th grade History

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Fires at Valley Forge is a Red Team play about three boys who try to deliver a shawl to one of their fathers, a soldier at that Continental Army camp in Pennsylvania. They also bring a message of exhortation, of staying the course, and mean to deliver it directly to General Washington. After some cajoling and negotiating with a gruff, but lovable camp guard and a minor officer, they are granted an audience with Washington. Their message delivered and appreciated, they sleep among the soldiers that night, confident that they did their part for the Patriot cause.  The play is performed live in-front of the rest of the team at the High School's performance arts center.

1960’s Project

Sandy Sopko - 7th grade Language Arts

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Students chose a 1960's topic from a list prepared by the teacher and librarian.  The librarian prepared a Pathfinder which listed Internet sites and online subscription resources for each topic, as well as print sources.  Final product was a speech where student explained the importance of their topic as it related to the 1960's.  This was a culminating activity after reading The Outsiders.

Spanish Country Vacation

Luda Grossman - 8th grade Spanish

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Middle school Spanish students form families with a Mother, Dad, brother and sister.  The families then visit a Spanish speaking country via Internet links.  Each family member has specific interests that determine what places of interest he/she visits.  After visiting the country, the “family” puts together a scrapbook of their travels with photos and annotations

Following the Trail of Lewis and Clark station activity

Sally Fetko and Greg Henderson

8th grade History     Website / e-mail

Lewis and Clark activity has approximately 25 stations that students rotate through to learn different things about the expedition.  Each student has  map of the trail  that he/she marks when a station is completed.  There are stations using the Internet, books, and videos.  This is a differentiated activity as students with learning disabilities are directed to stations where they can succeed.  Students read primary source documents and answer comprehension questions, and map their progress along a map of the trail, using little green stickers. They learn all kinds  of arcane tidbits and gain insight into the details of the expedition.

 Kids  and teachers LOVE this activity because it is both high-level thinking and concrete, hands-on  learning

Civil War Database Exercise

Greg Henderson - 8th grade History

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Project description:  The aim of this project is for students to complete a mini-research project on the Civil War.  All students choose a topic from 2 of the 3 categories - People, Place, and Thing.  After writing the report in Microsoft Word, they copy and paste the information into a database, which will be put online and will be searchable. 

The information from the database is then compiled by Mr. Thonnings into a DVD video that is displayed during the Civil War Ball.

Terra Nova

Sally Fetko -8th grade Social Studies

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Terra Nova (“new land” in Latin) is a year-long simulation I have been using for about 10 years. My goal originally was to get kids to interact more with the material and make history seem “real” by making it personal.

I have a giant bulletin board map where all the action is shown. The board is updated very frequently. Most kids look there first thing we they enter the room.

Here’s the general idea:  In the first week of school, I tell kids they all live on the island of Britannia. They are serfs. Eventually through a variety of small incentives, there emerges a noble, the Royal Advisor to the Queen (which is me, of course), and a couple of mariners. We have a fun procedure involving Currents and Winds (role-played by kids, of course). Each class sends out explorers to claim new land for Britannia. (during this time I am teaching about Queen Elizabeth and the Age of Exploration.)

Each class becomes a colony of Britannia. Each colony has different climate, geography, and resources. The kids choose settlements and build towns, farms, and businesses. Each student creates an imaginary character and an imaginary family with a spouse and lots of kids. They learn about geography, architecture, gender roles, social class, economics, etc. We have a market day periodically, at which the kids sell their products and make investments and other choices. They are paid according to which social class they are in(a combination of grade point and economics).

As we approach the American Revolution, I increase their taxes and increase oppression. Eventually they are goaded into revolting against their evil Queen, who doesn’t let them go without a fight. The students must fight by answering questions about the real Revolutionary War, using note cards loaded with info as their “muskets”.

After we study the Constitution, we set up a separate national government in each class. We hold elections for President and Vice President. the President appoints a cabinet and a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I role-play the House of Representatives; the class is the Senate. I teach them parliamentary procedure and how to write bills, which are then passed into law.

Junior Solar Sprint Project

Pat McMorrow - 6th grade science

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6th grade students design, build a prototype, and race model solar vehicles on a 20 meter track.  The math - science intensive project take around two to three weeks and is started shortly after testing is done in late April, early May.  Idea generation, problem solving, gear ratio calculation, solar voltaic basics form the basis of the project.

Pumpkin Drop

Mary Pat Kahler and Judy McMasters - 8th grade Science

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The Pumpkin drop lab is a fun way to teach students how to calculate speed and acceleration due to gravity while integrating several other academic disciplines.  The students select an historical figure or a Scientist that they have an interest in researching and learning more about.  They prepare a short oral presentation that highlights the contributions their historical figure/Scientist has made to society and they share this information in class.  The students’ pumpkins are decorated and dress to look like their historical figure/scientist.  As a class we go outside and drop the pumpkins from various heights ( 1 meter, 3 meters, , 5 meters and 7 meters high using the lift).  The students time how long it takes the pumpkin to drop from the various heights.  Once the time is attained we can calculate speed (distance/time); the change in speed (acceleration) and the average of all the accelerations due to gravity.  The students’ calculations are often very close to the actual acceleration due to gravity here on Earth (9.8 m/s/s). 

Product Design

Sandy Vontroba - 8th Grade Science

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The product development technology unit was formatted so that  each period of students had a specific product to invent.  The focus is technology. Within the each class were four or five teams: Inventors, Packaging design, nutritionists (when applicable), marketing (cost analysis/advertising), and Focus group analysis. Students were given up to three constraints and a general format to follow for the seven days.  Assessment was the level of completion of their goals.

We Didn’t start the fire-Updated

Debbie Schrembeck -7th grade Language Arts

Website / e-mail    A research activity for  her seventh grade students, language arts teacher Debbie Schrembeck uses the Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” as a  template for students who then  research the 1990’s to the current year using the broad topics of world events, disasters,  technology ,and pop culture.   Students then create their own updated version of the song using information from their research.  Students use a Pathfinder created by the librarian with links to Internet sites for their topics as well as print sources available in the library.  Final product is a taping of the updated song.

American Revolution Virtual Tour

Sally Fetko and Greg Henderson

8th grade History

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American Revolution Virtual Tour takes students on a chronological tour of places where events took place that led up to the revolution.  Students click on the numbered sites on different maps where they read ,and then answer questions about that site.

Daily Link Library

Kurt Thonnings - Technology Resource Teacher

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A list of web sites I've found helpful to teachers.  Searchable by year and subject.