Sunday, October 31, 2010

Math Problem Solving: Logic Puzzles



This week we are going to be doing some math work. First we will start with logic puzzles from the Puzzle Baron Presents Logic Puzzles site.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

100,000 Visits!





The blog officially had its 100,000 visitor yesterday. I would like to thank everyone that has visited and left a comment. When I started this blog almost four years ago I thought it might be a fun thing to use with my class. Since then it has become the most important tool I have ever used. I am amazed at the support I have received through the years from so many great people!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Halloween Games

Here are a couple sites you might enjoying visiting for Halloween. The first site is online pumpkin carving. What kind of face does your pumpkin need? The second site is Zap-A-Ghost. How many ghosts can you click on? The last site is Hidden Spirits. Can you lead a scientific investigation to debunk a haunted hotel?

Online Pumpkin Carving


Zap-a-Ghost

Hidden Spirits

Ben and Jerry's Halloween Fun

Transylmania 2

Here is a Scariest Places on Earth Show you may enjoy watching.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Comments4Kids:Commenting Bombing All Week Long!



Since this is a short week, we are going to spend it commenting on blogs. First we are going to look at the Does Commenting Make a Difference? post. Then view Mr. Wood's post on 5 Smart Ways to Get Comments4Kids on Your Blog. Then we are going to pick some posts to comment on here. There are 84 blogs that are wanting comments! let's see how many we can leave a comment on.

I want you to make a link list of the posts you comment on. Put them on a blog post on the 8th grade groups. Hyperlink the list to the actual post.


Does Commenting Make a Difference?
5 Smart Ways to Get Comments4Kids on Your Blog.
Comments4Kids Blogs



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Create a Comic Strip: Peace


This month's word is peace.We are going to create a comic strip using the Marvel Create Your Own Comic.You will need to create a strip with the theme of peace. It needs to be no more than two pages. The best one will be printed and distributed to the school!

****Follow these directions to post on the 8th Grade Group****

1) Download the comic. It will be in a pdf.
2) Open the pdf, then copy the image.
3) Open paint and paste the image.
4) Save the image as a jpeg.
5) Upload to the 8th Grade Group as a blog post.

Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Our school had a breast cancer awareness day where students were encouraged to wear pink. There was a fundraiser and our principal, Mr. Nichols, agreed to wear pink if enough money was raised. Do you think we raised enough?

Monday, October 18, 2010

Student Survey for Character Education

Students, you need to take this survey. It should only take three minutes to do.

CLICK HERE

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Weather Cycle Animations Using Pivot Stickfigure Animator

animated ricky

We are going to use Pivot Stickfigure Animator to create a video of the water cycle. The software should be installed on your compter. If it is not, see me.

BBC has a video of the water cycle. Watch the video to get an idea about how you will create your water cycle.

Label the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, and run off

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Explorer Reflection

Today I want you to write a blog post reflecting what you have learned from your research and presentation. Below is the required information for you to include in the post.
  1. What you learned from creating the PowerPoint.
  2. What you learned from creating the essay.
  3. What you learned from giving your presentation.

Rebelling To Revolution


Pick two of the events below to include in your journal writing. 

Lord Dunmore's Proclomation
Battle of Bunker (Breeds) Hill
Capture of  Fort Ticonderoga
Knox Expedition
Siege of Boston

Friday, October 08, 2010

Poptropica

"Poptropica is a massively multiplayer online game and virtual world, targeted at children ages 6 to 15, where players can travel, play games, compete in head-to-head competition, and communicate safely with each other. There is a role-playing component as players are encouraged to finish "island missions" and get medallions."
Wikipedia.com

As we are missing a large percentage of our students today and it has been a couple weeks since I have given you a mental health day, enjoy!

Friday, October 01, 2010

Boston, Bloody Boston


We are looking at journaling or diary writing. The first entries need to be about activities that took place in and around Boston. Make sure you understand the difference between a journal and a diary. Here is a very interesting post about the difference. Do we want to create a hand written journal/diary? Think about it and we can discuss it on Monday.

Yesterday we watched and talked about the Boston Massacre where British soldiers fired on British colonists. (Remember we were still a part of Great Britain?) This would make a great first person account especially if it was followed up by accounts of the trial.

Boston Tea Party took place in December of 1773 as a protest to import taxes. You should definitely read about Sam Adams (John Adams cousin) role in the protest. Perhaps a quick sketch using paint would be a good addition to the entry.

The Intolerable Acts were a series of acts that came from Parliment in 1774. The Boston Port Act was one act that came as a direct result of the Boston Tea Party. If you choose to write about this you will probably want to record your reactions to them. It is an easy thing to see negatively, but you may decide to take a "loyalist" approach and try to defend them.

We didn't get to see much of the Battles of Lexington and Concord but we did talk a little about Paul Revere. Perhaps you would like to write about his "midnight ride".

Eric Langhorst alerted me to this animated timeline of Lexington and Concord.

If you are reading the end of this post, please point out to your classmates that this does not have to be finished today. Take the time to read the information. Look at some of the citations at the bottom of the Wikipedia articles and follow them to read what they have to say. Discuss what you are reading with each other. I would prefer you spend the whole class period reading and thinking, not writing.