Science

Diversity of Living Things

The focus of this unit is living things ~ or organisms.

The four learning goals that students should know by the end of this unit are as follows:

Students will be able to:

1. Explain how multicellular organisms live in and get energy from a variety of environments.

2. Report why plants are a diverse group of organisms that live in many land environments. 

3. Describe the variety of body plans and adaptations that invertebrate animals have. 

4. Indicate why vertebrate animals live in most of Earth's environments.

The chapters we are covering in this unit are as follows:

Chapter 2: Introduction to Multicellular Organisms

Vocabulary words: sexual reproduction, meiosis, fertilization, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, autotroph, stimulus, hyphae, spore, lichen

Chapter 3: Plants

 Vocabulary words: vascular system, transpiration, embryo, germination, pollen, gymnosperm, angiosperm, flower, fruit

Chapter 4: Invertebrate Animals

Vocabulary words: invertebrate, sponge, sessile, larva, cnidarian, tentacle, mobile, mollusk, gill, lung, echinoderm, anthropod, exoskeleton, molting, insect, metamorphosis

Chapter 5: Vertebrate Animals

Vocabulary words: vertebrate, endoskeleton, scale, amphibian, reptile, ectotherm, endotherm, incubation, mammal, placenta, gestation 

Coming up in Science: 

• Ecology
• Population Control and Dynamics 
• Human Footprint

Social Studies

Welcome to the complex world of Social Studies!

We just ended out unit on Ancient India. Starting April 9th, 2012, we will begin studying Ancient China.

Year long goals in Social Studies:

LG: To be able to be to identify the location of the ancient civilizations       within the modern world.

LG: To be able to show understanding of how historical cultures shaped the world in which we live in.

LG: To be able to explain the major contributions of each ancient civilization studied.

LG: To be able to show a general understanding of historical events.

All lessons are designed to meet the above learning goals and students will be assessed on each. Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in different ways. Some assessments may be project based. 

Language Arts

What is the importance of the Language Class?

Students need to understand that the language process is integral to learning and developing skills in all fields of study, not just English. Language is not static or one-dimensional. Students need to know that language varies depending upon the audience (parents, peers, teachers). Language has structural rules, patterns, and conventions, and changes over time with continued use. It entails speaking, listening and writing. It requires the speaker, the listener and the writer to respond, interpret, assess and integrate. In today's information age, media and technology play important roles. Books, newspapers, radio and television, the Internet, CDs, DVDs and personal computers provide information.

Students need to understand that writing is hard work and requires patience and persistence. A well-written paper takes thought and preparation, and shouldn't be rushed. The steps in the writing process help produce a well-crafted, interesting paper. Explaining each step will help students write better papers in all their classes, not just in language arts.

4/09/12 Students will continue to work on a variety of skills by rotating between Mrs.Weisenbeck's (poetry), Mrs. Bulin's (persuasive writing), and Mrs. Pliska's classrooms (dialogue).

Learning Goals: