9/30

HW due Tuesday:

1. Bring "Just Right Choice Fiction" novel into class for silent reading on Tuesday.

2. Finish the Zoo Tunnel Field Study Assignment that we worked on in class this morning. This is due at the start of class tomorrow.

A reminder that our first round of updated grades have been shared and posted in the classroom. These are NOT your final grades for the term, but do provide a snapshot of where you are at now that we are midway through Term 1. These will be shared with your families at the end of the week. 

NewsELA

NewsELA:

Click on the following link to join the class: https://newsela.com/quickjoin/#/FX5GRB

Friday - Easy CBM

Friday AM - Core Class:

Students should be silently and independently engaged during the Easy CBM testing process in the morning.

1. Take Easy CBM vocabulary and comprehension tests. Click here for the link: https://pps-or.easycbm.com/

2. Michael's teacher name is mjansa.

3. When done with the test you can work on your Zoo Tunnel Field Study Assignment Essential Question or continue with the Geologic Time Online Exploration activity from Thursday: 

THE WORKSHEET:
Geologic Time Exploration

THE LINK:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/index.html

9/26

HW due Friday:

1. Zoo Tunnel Field Study Assignment - ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS ONLY (we will work on the EQ in school on Friday)... There are only 3 questions. All 3 are graded on completion only. This should take no more than 20 minutes.

If you were absent today, you can spend 10 minutes with the Geologic Time Exploration activity below:

THE WORKSHEET:
Geologic Time Exploration

THE LINK:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/index.html

9/25

HW due Thursday:

1. Remind your families that tomorrow is Back to School Night from 6:00 - 7:45. Families should meet in my room at 6:00.

2. Tomorrow we are going to the Zoo Tunnel to connect our learning on geologic time to our own local history. Come prepared for a field study, which should include warmth as we will be in the cold tunnel for up to 45 minutes. You should also come with 3 facts about the zoo tunnel written down. Here are some helpful links related to the Zoo Tunnel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Park_station_(TriMet)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_Tunnel
https://trimet.org/pdfs/history/railfactsheet-westside.pdf

3. If you didn't finish your Who Am I?! - Personal Poem in class this morning or this afternoon. Please finish it and share it with me before 8:30 tomorrow.

EXTRA CREDIT: 

What is one awesome part of the Zoo Tunnel exhibit that this person talks about on their Zoo Tunnel blog:
https://maxfaqs.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/the-robertson-tunnel/

9/24

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONAH AND LOGAN!!!!!!!

HW due Wednesday:

1. Choice Fiction Novel Assignment #1 (A reminder that this is a 10 point assignment and you can skip the "pacing" part on the back-side. We will do that part together in class tomorrow).

2. Tomorrow is the class group photo. We will be taking our picture at 12:45.

Families are welcome to issue payment for a photo from tomorrow using the following SchoolPay link(s) or by bringing cash or check to the school office.  The best part ~ ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT SUNNYSIDE'S GO FUND!

Goofy Photo:  https://www.schoolpay.com/link/2019-Goofy

Formal Photo:  https://www.schoolpay.com/link/2019-Class-Photo

***Tomorrow is the first Students of Color Affinity Group gathering at 8:45 in Monica's room.***

We will be headed to the Zoo Tunnel to learn about Geologic Time on Thursday. Also, a reminder that Thursday is Back to School Night from 6:00 - 7:45

Those of you who are still wanting to practice your "First Thoughts" from class on Monday can check out the OK GO - This Too Shall Pass video here. 

9/23

Enjoy birthday living Caleb!!!

HW due Tuesday:

1. Have your "Just Right Choice Fiction" novel in class tomorrow.

2. Mt Tabor Field Study Assignment - Complete the EQ and all AQs (we worked on this all day Friday in core class)

***If you were absent from that field study you can read about Mt. Tabor (The Story of Mt. Tabor - One Theory ) and begin working on your Make-Up Field Study Assignment. Check in with me at lunch or after school to set a reasonable due date***

A reminder that Wednesday is our class photo day in the afternoon and that Thursday is Back to School Night for your families from 6:00 - 7:45

9/20

I hope everyone had a meaningful, empowering, and powerful Friday. I'm excited for us to come back together as a community to hear about our experiences.

Those who were in core class had an opportunity to work on our Mt. Tabor Field Study Assignment. We will not be working on this in class on Monday. This assignment will be due Tuesday morning. 

A reminder that all students should be reading 20-30 minutes daily. This weekend your reading time should focus on your "Just Right Choice Fiction Novel" that we officially started reading on Thursday.

9/19

HW due Friday:

1. Create a geology vocabulary card using one of the vocabulary stickers you had on your forehead during our field study today. The vocabulary card should include the word, an image, and a definition of that word in your own words (Don't just copy/paste a definition off the internet. Spend enough time reading about your word that you think you could explain what it means in your own words). If you weren't on the field study or forget what geology stickies you had on your forehead you could pick from any of the following words: geology, plate tectonics, continental drift, layers of the earth, or Mt. St. Helens.

9/18

HW due Thursday:

1. In preparation for our field study tomorrow take 10 minutes to read the Mt. Tabor Geology handout and complete the three "To-Do" questions on the back of the handout. This is a 5 point assignment that is graded on completion.

2. Come to class tomorrow with your "just right choice fiction" book (a reminder that this should be a book you have never read before and that you think you can finish within 1 month). If you are having a hard time finding something, consider our book talks in class today or anything from this list: Books Middle Schoolers Should Read

9/17

Thank you for your patience with the late blog update. Every Tuesday I have meetings right after school until 5:00.

HW due Wednesday:

1. Writing Territories - In class today we came up with 10-15 specific writing territories that we have in our life. Stories that we carry that have shaped us, small and big. For homework pick one of the writing territories from your list and write about it for 14 minutes. If you finish early and don't know what else to write, pick another territory and keep writing. What you bring into class should reflect 14 minutes of engaged writing.

A reminder that tomorrow is individual picture day. We will be taking photos from 10:30 - 10:55. Next week on Wednesday, September 25th we will be taking our class photo.

HW due Thursday:

1. Have your "Just Right Choice Fiction" novel in class (a reminder that this should be a book you have never read before and that you think you can finish within 1 month). If you are having a hard time finding something, consider our book talks in class today or anything from this list: Books MIddle Schoolers Should Read

9/16

Due Tuesday

1. Thursday @ School and Beyond Assignment we worked on all Friday afternoon will be due tomorrow morning at the beginning of class.

2. Read choice reading material for 20-30 minutes.Write down 2 connections you made while reading. Have these connections that you wrote down in class tomorrow morning. As a reference, here are our notes from our Reading Journal today about "Good Reader Strategies", including "Making Connections." A reminder that you should have reading material in class every Tuesday and Thursday.

Good Readers Make Connections (while reading)

• Text – to – Self → a connection you make between what you are reading and your own personal life
• Text – to – World → a connection you make between what you are reading and the greater world you live in
• Text – to – text → a connection you make between what you are reading and any other book, magazine, article, song, movie

Good Readers Build Background Knowledge

• ALWAYS start reading by building background knowledge (it takes 1 minute!)
• Stop and think about what you last read
• Re-read… beginnings of past chapters, last paragraph, etc…

9-13 - Weekend Updates

Weekend HW:

READ DAILY for 20-30 minutes. 

The Thursday @ School and Beyond Assignment we worked on all Friday afternoon will be due on Tuesday.

Be thinking about what book you want to read for your "Just Right Choice Fiction Novel Unit." 

A few reminders about the expectations. The book should be a "Just Right Fit" and something that you could finish reading within 1 month. It should be within the very wide genre of fiction. You should never have read it before.

I am expecting students to have their book in their hands by this Thursday, September 19th. If you have any issues with that date due to library holds or something else, self-advocate and communicate with me ahead of time and we can set up an alternate time for you. If you are having a hard time finding a book that fits well for you, check out this book list: Books Middle Schoolers Should Read

7th Grade Spanish Class - Cultural Exploration RESOURCES

Culture Exploration Worksheet - Fall 2019 - 7th Grade Spanish

General Info + Facts

https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Spanish_language

https://baselang.com/blog/travel/spanish-speaking-countries/

Culture

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/uslatinocultures

https://www.spanishplayground.net/category/culture/

https://www.fatherly.com/play/best-spanish-culture-kids-movies/

https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2015/12/south-americas-top-5-most-inspiring-cultural-festivals/

https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/7-festivals-of-latin-america/

Landmarks + Natural Wonders

http://carrolltonspanish.weebly.com/7-wonders-of-the-spanish-speaking-world.html

https://www.bestlibrary.org/vis/2011/06/unesco-world-heritages-sites-in-spanish-speaking-countries.html

People

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/influential-latinos-world_n_5052118

https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/latinx-actors

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/nba-playoffs-latino-spanish-players-watch-n747311

9/12

Thanks for a great day of flexibility, engagement, reading and read-aloud, park hanging, 4 Agreements, Dirt!, and I Am art life!!!!

HW due Friday:

1. Complete the Assignment Questions (not the EQ) from our Thursday, 9/12 @ School and Beyond Itinerary 

I would also encourage you to share the Michael's Class Homework Expectations with someone in your family and one thing you took away from my "talk" about homework this morning.

9/11

HW due Thursday:

***A reminder that our field study was cancelled last night due to the new farm that Mudbone Grown Unity Farm is establishing out in Corbett (where we were planning to visit) still is working on finalizing their space and is not 100% safe and ready to host students. We will go out there in the spring. Sorry for the late notice, I only just learned myself last night.***

1. Quote I Stand For - Come to class with a quote (it could be from you, a family member, someone that you consider to be a role model, a book or movie, or anything else) that represents something you value or stand for. These quotes will live on our wall, along with all the other quotes from past students.

2. Bring choice silent reading material to class for our Thursday reading time. A reminder that we will be starting our "Just Right Choice Fiction" reading unit next week. Be thinking about what "Just Right" fiction book that you have never read before might be a good fit for you.

Here is a list of great books for you to consider if you don't know where to start:
Books Middle Schoolers Should Read

9/10

HW due Wednesday:

1. Finish the Important Moments in My Reading History worksheet we spent time working on this morning and afternoon.

2. If you didn't finish and turn in your Making Sense of Life writing activity today, it is due tomorrow morning.

***A reminder that we are going to the Belmont Library tomorrow. You are welcome to check out books there after our visit with Juliet if you have a library card. You can also set one up while at the library with permission from an adult in your life and if you know your address.

9/9

HW due Tuesday:
1. Have choice reading material in class for silent reading

2. We spent Friday afternoon and this morning discussing and working on our Moda Center Field Study Assignment. Many of you finished or came close to finishing in class today. This is due tomorrow. If you are typing your responses digitally and need help printing it, you should send it to me at mjansa@pps.net before 8:30 AM tomorrow. A reminder to use the Field Study Assignment Rubric (and examples on the 2nd page) as your guide while working on this assignment.

3. Spend 9 minutes continuing your work from class this afternoon on the Making Sense of Life writing activity. I do not expect you to finish this, but do want you to extend this work for 9 minutes outside of class today. We will finish these tomorrow. Feel free to use any of the current event links below for extra support.

Making Sense of Life - Rubric and Example

Making Sense of Life - Current Event Links

NewsELA

https://newsela.com/

Summer 2019 News Quiz

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/learning/summer-2019-news-quiz-june-1-aug-28.html

Protests Converge in Portland

https://www.wweek.com/news/2019/08/17/proud-boys-wander-lost-through-portland-as-police-allow-wild-goose-chase-by-antifascists/

Fifa World Cup 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/football/womens-world-cup-2019

Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws by 2020

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/09/627220348/starbucks-goodbye-plastic-straws

https://teenkidsnews.com/

9/6

Weekend Homework --- READ DAILY FOR 20-30 MINUTES!!!!!!!

See you all Monday morning!

9/5

HW due Friday:

1. Complete the Moda Center Fountain Field Study ASSIGNMENT Questions (we will save the Essential Question for tomorrow in class... A reminder that the assignment questions are graded for completion. The ESSENTIAL question, which we will save for tomorrow when we will work on it in class, is what is graded with a rubric where more evidence, detail, and effort is expected). Tonight's homework should take anywhere between 5-20 minutes. 

9/4

HW due Thursday:

1. Field Study - Moda Center Fountain

a. Come prepared with a lunch (from home or the cafeteria in the morning), water bottle, clothes that can get wet if you choose to go in the fountain (and maybe a towel of some sort if you think you might get super wet), and a positive attitude.

b. Complete the Field Study - Pre Trip Homework (a reminder that this only graded for completion. You can put as much or as little effort into this. You can do it by hand or on a computer. The idea is to simply reinforce field study expectations and to get ourselves in the habit of daily homework, except for weekends)

c. Have choice silent reading material with you in class tomorrow morning (and every Thursday)

d. Extra Credit --- write a description of the Moda Center Fountain based off this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLiWNGihBtI

9/3

HW due Wednesday: 

Perspective Card
...Create a 1/2 of paper with the word Perspective on it from your perspective. Meaning, write that word however you want on the card. The only requirement is that the word Perspective is somewhere on the card. You can do whatever; write, draw, paint, use technology, or anything else so long as the word is on the paper.

For Example:



HW due Thursday: 

Field study to Moda Center Fountain... We currently have no adults volunteered to help us out on this trip. We need at least one to be able to go. Can anyone in your family join us? Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f44afa82fa0fd0-michaels5