Archive | February, 2015

Creating a Neighborhood Map

27 Feb
Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from Mumbai, India (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from Mumbai, India (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from from New York, New York, United States (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from from New York, New York, United States (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from Canada (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from Canada (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from Lahore, Pakistan (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn Facebook Page)

Out of Eden Learn student shares a detailed neighborhood map from Lahore, Pakistan (Image Source: Out of Eden Learn Facebook Page)

A neighborhood map by Out of Eden Learn student in Illinois, United States

A neighborhood map by Out of Eden Learn student in Illinois, United States

A student example from Mumbai, India (Image source: Out of Eden Learn blog).

A student example from Mumbai, India (Image source: Out of Eden Learn blog).

This week we launched Footstep #2 in our Out of Eden Learn project. Students learned what a milestone is and looked at some of Paul’s milestones during his journey. The first project for Footstep #2 is to create a neighborhood map and to write a story about your neighborhood or the area where you live. Directions for the project were shared in class and they are available on our Moodle page as well. The due dates and expectations, along with a rubric are in on the document in Moodle.

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Are You a Power Puncher?

24 Feb
Over 700 schools on Out of Eden Learn

Over 700 schools on Out of Eden Learn

Photo by Paul Salopek in Georgia (Image source from Out of Eden Walk Facebook Page)

Photo by Paul Salopek (Image source from Out of Eden Walk Facebook Page)

This week we will start Footstep 2. Before that, we will reflect on our writing and blog posts for Electronic Oasis. Are your reflections shallow or deep? What is a shallow or deep reflection anyway? Our goal is to help you to become a stronger reader and writer, one who makes deep reflections where you ‘power punch’ your way to really good insights.  Check out this map of all of the schools (700+) involved with the Out of Eden Learn project!

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Monday Morning Humor

23 Feb
Image source: Teachers with Sense of Humor (Facebook Page)

Image source: Teachers with Sense of Humor (Facebook Page)

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Egypt Fun Stuff – Songs, Horrible Histories, and Crash Course with John Green

19 Feb

Turn history into pop song satires with History Teachers, Horrible Histories, and enjoy Crash Course with John Green.

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The World Scholar’s Cup

18 Feb
Image source: Wikipedia World Scholar Cup page

Image source: Wikipedia World Scholar Cup page

If you are interested in learning more about the World Scholar’s Cup, click HERE. Mr. Phan sent all M.S. students a message and Google Document to sign-up. We noted that two 6th grade groups have signed up, so far. It looks pretty cool!

Our Year of Reading (So Far!)

17 Feb
Image source: MorgueFile

Image source: MorgueFile

Students this week will finish reflecting on our visit from author/illustrator, Lauren Stringer. Please remember to keep your 40 book challenge updated. It is expected that you are reading for a minimum of 20-30 minutes each night.  We always love to see book reviews on our book review blogs, and we encourage you to share your favorite book with each other.

Screenshot by Rob Martin

Screenshot by Rob Martin

Image source: Title Wave (Facebook page)

Image source: Title Wave (Facebook page)

 

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Writing a thesis sentence and/or claim

13 Feb

 

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Blood on Snow (Out of Eden)

13 Feb

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Paul Salopek’s most recent dispatch (blog post) appeared yesterday, Blood on Snow. I thought this post was a particularly good example of nice storytelling. Many of you have asked about the dangers that he and his group have faced on this journey. Read this dispatch and find out what happened to Paul.

Also, make sure you add your Electronic Oasis reflection to the Out of Eden Learn site (see the screenshot below) and copy and paste your answers to the Electronic Oasis post – due Sunday at 9:00pm – on the Linking to Thinking site. Footstep 1 is finished. Good job!

Remember to post your Electronic Oasis response to the Out of Eden site.

Remember to post your Electronic Oasis response to the Out of Eden site.

Visiting Author – Day # 2

11 Feb

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On Tuesday, Language Arts classes from blocks G and H worked with visiting author Lauren Stringer. We learned about the ‘drama’ of turning a page in a book, and she told students to look at themselves as directors making a movie. “You want a book to change as a scene in a movie,” she said. In addition to pagination, we learned illustration terms like ‘full bleed’ and how illustrators use the entire page or part of the page. We also learned about the ‘gutter,’ or the line going through the center of the book. “You don’t want anything going into the ‘gutter.’
Bring your poem and six page booklet to class this week, so we can continue to work on it. Also, the deadline for the Raptor Reader is Friday. Consider sharing a piece of writing from the first or second semester with a wider audience. What were your reflections on Book Week and our visiting author, Lauren Stringer.

 

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Visiting Author – Day #1

10 Feb
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Visiting Author, Lauren Stringer (Photo by Mrs. Hall)
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Photo by Mrs. Hall
Photo by Ms. Monica

Monday marked our first day of Book Week. Students in the B and D Block L.A. classes had a one hour session with our visiting author and illustrator, Lauren Stringer, and created poems, thumbnail sketches, and a storyboard for a simple booklet she called a ‘dummy book.” This is what she sends to her publisher in the beginning stages of the writing or illustration process. Students also learned about such things as pagination, or the process of dividing important content into pages.  All students also attended an assembly and had time to ask Ms. Stringer questions. G and H Block L.A. classes will work with our visiting author and illustrator today.

Please share a poem you wrote or take a photo of your work. You can share it in the comment section here and/or on your e-portfolio. 

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Pyramids Around the World

9 Feb

Pyramids are not only in Egypt! Check out some of the pyramids in these photos and take a look at some of the articles here. Also, watch the playlist of video clips below. If you have any good links, videos, or photos, please send them to Mr. Martin. Thanks!
Ancient Pyramids around the World (Smithsonian Magazine)
The World’s 15 Most Amazing Pyramids (Weather.com)
World Pyramids
Pyramids (British Museum) – try the challenge activity!

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Electronic Oasis

8 Feb

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“Water is gold in the Afar Triangle of Ethiopia. No surprise. It’s in one of the hottest deserts in the world. Walking for three days recently near the western scarp of the Rift Valley, guide Ahmed Alema Hessan and I found one smear of muddy rainwater to ease our camels’ thirst. But we stumbled across a new type of waterhole a day later—a coveted oasis of electrons, the village of Dalifagi.” – Out of Eden Walk, January 28, 2013 Dispatch
The ‘Sole Brothers’ dispatch was a practice reflection and introduction to Paul’s journey. Your final assignment for Footstep #1 is to respond to Paul’s dispatch entitled ‘Electronic Oasis’. Follow the directions on the Out of Eden (OOE) Learn site and remember to write your reflection to these questions below before adding them to the OOE site. Time will be given in class to work on this activity this week. Copy and paste your reflection in the comment section by Sunday. All comments will moderated and approved Sunday night at 9:00pm, Feb. 15th.
What caught your attention or interested you about Paul’s article? What questions or wonders do you now have?  
Here is a short video this gives you a picture of what Ethiopia looks like:

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Making Bookmarks!

6 Feb

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Make a book mark during lunch today. Next week is Book Week! Vote on the poll question.

 

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Book Week – Feb. 9 -13

5 Feb
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Yes, that’s Mr. Martin. Not my mask though!

 

Book Week is quickly approaching. Read the M.S. morning bulletin and find the link to the sign-up sheet for some fun lunch time activities next week.  Read more about author Lauren Stringer on this recent blog post in Linking to Thinking. This will be a fun week with great activities. Take full advantage of it and sign up as soon as possible. Spots are limited.

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Student Activities (Feb. 5 – 13): 
Make Your Own Bookmark (for MS, to promote first-ever Book Week in MS!). MS Lunch in the FAC, Thursday, February 5th and Friday, February 6th.
1) Theatre Arts: Readers’ Theater – Come bring out your inner actor as we act out short plays.
Where: CIC Ground Floor & When: Tuesday, February 10th, 12:30-12:55 (Limited to 20 participants)
2) The Visual Arts: Mural Creation – In this session, we will work together to create a mural illustrating a line of text from a famous story. Bring some creativity and collaboration skills as we work together to create an artistic vision.
Where: The BBT (across from the main office) & When: Wednesday, February 11th, 12:30-12:55  (Limited to 20 participants)
3) The Performing Arts: Creative Movement/Dance with Guest Artist Ruby Smith
Let’s move! This workshop, led by our visiting artist/dancer, Ruby Smith, will focus on creative response to literature through dance and movement. Please wear something comfortable for moving around.
When: Friday, February 13th, 12:30-12:55 & Where: CIC Ground Floor (Limited to 25 participants)

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Raptor Reader Deadline – Feb. 13th

5 Feb

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The Raptor Reader, AISC’s literary journal/blog, is calling for submissions. If you have a story, poem or writing piece you would like to share with the AISC community, please email it to the raptorreader@aisch.org by Friday, February 13th.  The Raptor Reader link: http://raptorreader.com/

See Mr. Martin, if you have questions. Thanks!

 

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All about Mummies

4 Feb
Watch this playlist we have created – All about Mummies – to learn more about mummification.  Each video is short, but they are all good and provide interesting facts and details about mummies.  Take a look at the British Museum’s link of Ancient Egypt and their link on mummification.

Image credit: History.com

Image credit: History.com

Here is a great infographic on mummies from History.com.

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More Infographics

2 Feb

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Here are a few more screenshots of infographics from Mrs. Hall and Ms. Jaya’s classrooms. To see the entire infographic, click on the links below. These particular infographics were among the best ones created for our last unit on Mesopotamia.

Alice and Vinay

Tejas and Rahul

Yewon, Rhea, and Aisyah

Miyu and Alice L.

Sunny, Rin and Taeyeon

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Celebrating Infographics

1 Feb

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We wanted to share some of the infographics or electronic posters ( made with Piktochart) students created at the end of our last unit. Many were very good! The images above are screenshots, so you cannot see the full image. Click on the links below to see the final products of some of them. These are a few from Mr. Martin and Ms. Jaya’s class. We appreciate the tech support from Ms. Laura Blair. More Piktocharts from Mrs. Hall and Ms. Jaya’s class will be posted in a separate blog post. All students should have added their Piktochart to their e-portfolio

Samara and Yu-Jin – the best of the best!

Alexandre and JuYang

Kennedy and Perrine

Soo Youn and Mutsumi 

Woosung and Sriya

Aaron and Aditya

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“Sole Brothers” – Out of Eden Learn

1 Feb
This week we launched our first “footstep” for the Out of Eden Learn Project (Project Zero @ Harvard University). Students watched two videos to learn more about Paul Salopek’s journey following the path of human migration. They learned about ‘slow journalism’ and his reasons for taking this trip. Paul began his journey in January 2013 in Ethiopia (see the map).  He is currently in Tbilisi, Georgia for the winter. Our first ‘footstep’ is a practice one and asked you to engage in Paul’s journey and to respond to these questions:
1) What caught your attention or interested you about Paul’s article (Sole Brothers)?
2) What questions or wonders do you now have (about this article or Paul’s journey)?
Copy and paste your answers to these questions from your Out of Eden Learn Document into a comment box and share your answers. Also, reflect on the beginning of Paul’s story:
“Footwear is a hallmark of modern identity. How best to glimpse an individual’s core values at the start of the 21st century? Look down at their feet—not into their eyes.”
3) What can you learn about someone, or their values from their footwear? (see photos of grade 6 footwear)?
Image credit: Photograph by John Stanmeyer-VII (Out of Eden Walk blog).

Image credit: Photograph by John Stanmeyer-VII (Out of Eden Walk blog).

Ethiopia, the starting place of Paul's journey.

Ethiopia, the starting place of Paul’s journey.

Paul is currently in the country of Georgia.

Paul is currently in the country of Georgia.

 

 

 

 

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