Dec. 14 - Is Race Real Activity

Use What is Race-The Power of an Illusion to help you answer the following questions.

Answer in bullets or complete sentences. Be prepared to discuss and defend your answers, and use specific references from the website.

1. What is race?
1. Click on all 10 links
2. Summarize the main points from this section

2. Sorting Activity
1. Try the activity. How did you do?
2. What conclusions can you draw from this activity?

3. Click on the Race Timeline
1. Click on “Explore the TimeLine
2. Read some of the events from each of the different timeframes from before 1787-2000.  
• Answer this  question:  How have ideas and understandings of race changed over time? How have different groups been affected by these changes?

4. Explore other sections of the site and answer the following questions
1. How have your understandings of race changed after navigating through this site? Explain what has changed and what has not changed.

Choose Your Own Identify - NY Times Article from Dec. 14, 2015 about a mom's dilemma in explaining his race to her son.

Career Exploration Unit - Starting Dec. 7

• Essential Question:
• How can understanding my personality traits help me to research careers that are suitable for me?

• Learning Targets:
• I will take the Myers-Briggs Personality test to determine  4 personality traits:
• Extrovert or Introvert  
• Sense or Intuit
• Thinker or Feeler
• Perceiving or Judging
• Task (Monday - Dec. 7):

Take the Myers-Briggs personality test:

Read what your 4-letter personality type is (ISTJ, for example

Read the description of your personality type

Write down any words that are new to you.

Determine their meaning using context clues or use dictionary.com to find their meaning

Write down characteristics and behaviors that are associated with this personality type
Do you agree with this assessment? Turn and talk with someone at your table. Explain your personality type and tell why you agree or disagree with this description of you.

• Task (Tuesday - Dec. 8):
• Read more about your personality type at these pages:          
• http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types
• http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes1.ht
• Some areas to investigate:  Communication Skills - how can you work with students of other personality types? Learning Styles - How can knowing your personality type help you to learn better? 
• Talk with you table partners about your personality type and ask them about theirs.
• 
  
• Choose one of the following assignments:
• Write a paragraph using the IVFT 4 Step Summary method to summarize the description of your personality type
  
• http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes1.htm
  
• Make sure you select your type OR
• Write an ACES paragraph answering the prompt: Do you agree or disagree with this  
  
  
  

  characterization?  Why? Give specific examples of your own behavior to prove your point. Remember to provide evidence from the text and from your own behaviors to as evidence to support your answer.

Forensic Anthropology ACES Essay - Due Friday, Dec. 4

To stay on track for completing the Forensic Anthropology Final Essay by Friday, we have established the following milestones.  

Any work not completed by the end of class each day is homework: 

Monday -      Introduction and Body Paragraph 1  

Tuesday -     Body Paragraphs 2 and 3/Conclusion  

Wednesday - Works Cited and Self-Editing 

Thursday - Peer Edit

Friday - Final Essay due end of day

Note: These two graphic organizers must be completed before starting the essay: 

Step/Case Graphic Organizer   

Forensic Anthropology Final Assessment Graphic Organizers (Steps 1, 2, 3) 

Forensic Anthropology Essay Notes

Upcoming Assignments

Individualized Reading Log Due Monday, Nov. 23

• Read 20 minutes daily.
• Design your own reading log on lined paper.
• The reading log needs to include 1 or 2 goals for improving your reading ability and 4 completed reading response activities.
• Examples of possible goals:
• Increase reading grade level.
• Read books of another genre
• Learn new words 
• Increase reading stamina - read for longer time periods without interruption
• Improve comprehension of reading
• Improve recognition of figurative language
• Examples of possible activities (you can use previous reading logs as example):
• Identify context clues in-text and determine the meanings of words while reading
• Make connections in reading
• Look for examples of figurative language in text. Identify the type of figurative language and explain why it is figurative and not literal.
• Summarize your reading today.
• Write the central idea of what you read today. 
• Talk with a parent or other adult about what you read today (adult must sign reading log).

Step/Case Graphic Organizer  (started in class on Friday) - due Tuesday beginning of class

Forensic Anthropology Final Assessment - due Friday, Dec. 4

• Final Assessment Graphic Organizer (included in Final Assessment document) - due at end of class on Tuesday

Update for this Week

I had a wonderful time on the Outer Banks trip this week! It was great seeing the students learning in a such a positive environment.  Thanks to the parents who helped out and thanks especially to Mr. Tyson and Ms. Caudill for all their planning to make the day go smoothly.  

Since we had two days without classes this week there was some homework from our Forensic Anthropology reader.  No Reading Log was assigned this week. This is a reminder of the homework expectations that should be completed by Monday:

• Read the entire text, "Identifying the Victim, and circle new vocabulary words.
• Complete the Line #'s and Context Clues columns of the vocabulary sheet.
• Read the entire text a second time and annotate using the AVID Marking Text strategy:

• Circle names, dates, places, statistics, and new vocabulary words
• Underline details that support central idea (recurring images, supporting details, significant moments, text features, author’s purpose)
• Write in the margins any questions or confusions, clarifications, connections to the other texts, or other responses to what you are reading.
• Complete the Central Idea chart, listing the central idea of each section, and then one central idea for the entire article.
• 6th and 7th Periods: Write an objective summary of the article.

On Monday, we will read the final text of the Forensic Anthropology unit, "Giving Faces to the Lost." Please email me if you have any questions.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Mid-Unit Quiz on Friday

On Friday, November 6, we will have a quiz on the topics we have been covering in class these past few weeks:  author's methods including text structures and text features, context clues, and central idea of non-fiction texts.

Please use the links on the side of this page for practice on these concepts.  We will be reviewing these concepts in class on Thursday and I will be available after school Thursday for anyone who needs more help.

Courageous Conversations

Some students approached me with concerns and questions about a passage in our text that they considered to be "racist." While it turned out to be a misunderstanding, I did feel that this was an opportunity to explore our understanding of race. 

My main intention was to give students an opportunity and a safe place to speak their thoughts.  Many students  shared their perceptions and personal experiences and brought up helpful insights and questions. One student pointed out that we all have different backgrounds and perceptions that shape our understanding of people; this is just human nature. Some of the conversations became emotional, and as one insightful student pointed out, "conversations about race are always emotional."   Important issues are not always easy to discuss.

We will continue to have conversations such as this as much as we can integrate them into the curriculum.  I hope all students do feel safe and comfortable talking about these issues because these conversations are important and necessary in order for us to learn and grow every day. 

Here are some resources that are helpful for children and adults in having conversations related to race:

What is Race?

Race Reconciled De-bunks Race

Talking to Children about Race

Talking about Race in the Classroom

WriteLike Assignment

Here is the WriteLike assignment that I gave out in class today:

WriteLike Assignment
Rubric
Forensic Anthropology Vocabulary Words (You may have more)
Citing Images (this is required if you use pictures)

Teacher-Made Example (Just an example - Do not copy this one)

Text Structures and Text Features

This week we talked about text structures and text features, which are authors' methods used in non-fiction texts when the author is trying to teach the reader something.  Here are some helpful presentations about text structures and text features. Try the practice exercises to make sure you understand what they are:

Text Structures

Text Features

In-Class Assignment for October 9

Here are the instructions and the links to the "Written in Bone" assignment:

Written in Bone website

Video

Watch the video and navigate through the site to answer the following questions. Use the page names in parentheses and hints as  starting points to help you find the answers. Answer these questions in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

1. What can forensic anthropologists learn by analyzing bones that we cannot learn from other kinds of historical sources?  (Skeleton Keys)

2. Many of the 17th-century graves unearthed in the Chesapeake reveal clues into how and why someone died. If a grave or coffin was clearly too small for the individual who was buried within, what might that reveal about the circumstances under which they had died?

Hint

What differences would you expect to find between the burials and bones of two men of the same age, one the wealthy governor of Jamestown and the other an indentured servant?

3. Forensic anthropologists closely examine the DNA evidence from bones and other artifacts to learn more about how people lived in the 17th century. What are the various methods and tools forensic anthropologists use to examine and collect information from bones?  (Video)

4. What does this exhibition reveal about the lives of Africans in the 17th-century Chesapeake? What are some of the ways forensic anthropologists determine the ancestry of the people whose bones they discover?

Hint

5. Life in the 17th-century Chesapeake was extremely difficult and mortality rates were very high. What are some of the insights we can draw about the challenges they faced from examining their bones?  (Unearthing the 17th Century Chesapeake: The First Colonists, The First Fatalities, Harsh Realities, and Struggling to Survive)

6. How would a forensic anthropologist determine whether a skeleton was buried 400 years ago or four years ago?

Bone Biography: A “bone biography” tells the story of a person from the past by analyzing their bones and burial. It includes information about who they were, how they lived, and possibly reveals how they died.

Create a bone biography of one of the individuals explored in the exhibition (Forensic Case Files). Details to include, if possible are: Identity (Where was he/she from), Age, Gender, Cause of Death, and Occupation. If you can’t find all the details, they can make hypotheses based on the evidence found from the bones, or based on what they have learned through research or prior knowledge.

Copy of Instructions (in case you want to print a paper copy.)

ACES Essays Past Due

Please turn in your ACES Essay if you have not already done so. These were due last Wednesday.  Check your grades on PowerSchool and check your Google Classroom account to make sure your essay has been turned in. 

Also, Reading Logs were sent home today. They are to be completed and turned in next Monday, October 12.  Here's a copy in case you lost yours:

Reading Log - Fiction

Reading Log Fiction - modified version

More Forensic Anthropology Resources

I have enjoyed our discussions this week about Forensic Pathology. Here are some resources that you might enjoy viewing:

3-D Digitizers in Forensics
Forensic Engineers Show How Plane Crashes are Investigated
TED Talk: A Forensic Pathologist Brings Closure for the Disappeared
Video - What Role do Anthropologists Play in Solving Crimes?

Flight MH370: forensic engineering expert on the significance of debris

Let me know if you come across other videos or articles that the class would enjoy. 

Update for Sept. 28 - Forensic Anthropology

             Today we are starting our Forensic Anthropology Unit. We will be close reading informational articles related to the field of forensic science and exploring author's techniques in these articles. 
Today we will watch a video and do an online simulation of forensic pathology in action.

Simulation Instructions

• Use your Reader/Writer's Notebook (Journal) to answer the questions in this activity. 
• Click on this link to begin the simulation: The Secret in the Cellar
• Stop on slide 14 and read "Can you date the site?"
• What date do you guess?
• Stop on slide 16 and discuss the activities with your partner. 
• Write down your guess for gender, age, and ancestry.
• Was your guess correct?
• At slide 21, write, in your own words, the definitions of perimortem, antemortem, and postmortem
• At the slide 24 activities, look at the pictures and browse through the captions (some difficult words here). 
• At slide 26, make your prediction.
• Read through to the end. How close was your prediction? 
• Now go to Google Classroom and complete the activity.

Helpful Links for Writing and Final Due Date for Essay

As you are finishing your rough drafts, please use the following links to help you with word choices and transitions:

Transitions
Powerful and Meaningful Words to Use as Alternatives to "Show"

Just to clarify dates: Final draft of your essay will be due on Wednesday, Sept. 30.  After today, we will not be working on it during class. If you need more time with the computer or help from me, please come early in the morning, right after school, or during PA.

Another helpful hint--your paragraph numbers should be at the end of the sentence that references the text in parenthesis, before the period.

For example:

Unlike Americans, Europeans detest air conditioning and refuse to use it because of its potential hazardous effects on the environment (par. 6).

If you are quoting the text, your citation should be after the quotation marks and before the period:

In Germany, for example, "a recent government website offered sweating citizens the advice of turning on a fan and only 2% of the homes are air-conditioned" (par. 8).

Please look at Purdue University's Online Writing Lab for more examples.

Vocab Test Next Wednesday

I had a great time at the picnic last night and enjoyed the food, company, and the music presented by Mr. Jones. Thanks to Catherine Duncan and our PTSA for a wonderful evening!

Tips for Studying for our Vocabulary Test

This is a reminder that we have a vocabulary test on Wednesday. Many students have asked how they should study for the test.  Here are some suggestions:

• Read all our notes from our vocabulary lessons in class. The words are posted on this blog, but your notes should also have additional information from our class discussions. 
• Review the Study Guide and review the vocabulary notes to see where we covered each of the concepts in the study guide. 
• Review all your words maps and make sure you know several synonyms, antonyms, and words that share the same word parts for each vocabulary word.
• You should know the word parts -- prefix, root, and suffix-- and be familiar with their meaning. Know how word endings change the part of speech of a word.

• For example, in the sentence 
• "Because most voters are apathetic, the city council is concerned about voter turnout on Election Day." 
• You should be able to answer the following questions:
• Which part of the sentence is the dependent clause?
• Which part of the sentence is the independent clause?
• What are the subjects and predicates of each clause?
• What part of speech is apathetic?
• Another example:
• In the sentence, "The sad student rebuked herself for her careless mistake on the math test. "
• What are the subject, predicate, and direct object of this sentence?
• Is the verb transitive or intransitive? 
• What is the part of speech of rebuked?
• What are the prepositions in this sentence? What are the prepositional phrases? 
• Please use the grammar links on my blog or the textbooks in our classroom if you need help or ask me questions if you don't understand something!

Fungi Extra Credit

Read the following article from the Daily Tar Heel:

Culture Shock: Surrounded by Norts and water bottles

Prompt:

Read this opinion statement from the Daily Tar Heel. How does this article connect to the air-conditioning article? Respond in an ACES paragraph.

A: Answer the prompt

C: Cite evidence and use parenthetical citations. (You can use more than one piece of evidence.)

E: How do these pieces of evidence prove your claim?

S: Summarize and conclude the paragraph

Only do this after you have finished your graphic organizer.

Update for Week Ending September 18

Parent Night Follow-up

Thanks to everyone who came to Parents' Night last night. I enjoyed meeting with all of you and speaking with those parents who came up to me after.  I'm sorry I didn't get to talk with more of you. We will be having an ELA Curriculum Night in October, and we will have more specific information about our ELA units this year.

One thing I spoke about is the importance of students keeping organized binders.  It is helpful for students to be able to find important papers in each class quickly.  Instructional time is lost if students are going through stacks of papers looking for their homework or for that article or graphic organizer that we are working on that day. Here's some suggestions for how to set up and maintain an organized binder if you need some help:

Binder Organization Tips

Student Support

I also wanted to let parents know that I am available to support students before school and after school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  Please encourage your child to take advantage of these times if they have questions or feel like they need extra help.

Weekly Update

This week in Language Arts we introduced the ACES format for planning an essay. If you haven't heard of it, ACES stands for:

A-Answer the Prompt
C-Cite Evidence
E-Explain/Elaborate
S-Summarize

Students are using the ACES organizing strategy to plan their analytical essays on an informational text that we read last week.  Writing ability varies from student to student, so we have made several different templates available:

Basic ACES Organizer for Essays
Analytical Prompt - Standard ACES Format 
Analytical Prompt - Support Version
Analytical Prompt - Advanced Version

I have assigned these templates to students based on my observations of individual needs. However, if you feel you need more support or more of a challenge, please feel free to use a different template.

Here is an example of a completed essay to give you a preview of what you are going to do next:

Example of ACES Essay on Central Idea

As always, please contact me if you have questions.

Update for the Week of September 9

What a crazy week it's been so far. I am so proud of our 8th-graders for their behavior during our unexpected dismissal yesterday.  The students' positive attitude and behavior made a difficult situation easier to handle.

This week we are continuing to work on analyzing informational text to find and prove the central idea. The students are reading an article about changing attitudes toward air conditioning in Europe and completing a graphic organizer to help them determine and defend the central idea.

Grade Level

Below grade level

Advanced

This work is being done in small groups in class.  We will be working on ACES essays about this article next week.  

We will complete our vocabulary for Unit 1 this week and will have an assessment late next week.   Students should be completing Word Maps (Remember to add in Word Families.) at home for each word that we cover.  Please check the Fungi Team Homework Page for ELA daily homework assignments. 

Students should also be reading a book of their own choice for 20 minutes every night (5 nights per week).  If they come across our vocabulary words, they should write down the sentence, book name, and page number to share with the class.  

Also, a few things to remember: 

• Bring a book to read in ELA every day
• Bring a notebook or a folder with lined paper for journal writing by Sept. 18. This will be left in the classroom. 
• I am available to help those who need it on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school till 3:45 or mornings at 7:50. 

Please feel free to call (919-929-7161, ext. 51701) or email me if you have any questions.  

Thanks!

Back in the Swing!

The work is starting to kick up this week, and I think many of our Fungi students are feeling it.  Please let us know if your child is feeling stressed or is not able to keep up with the work.

We started with our vocabulary instruction on Monday.  I have explained to the students that they will learn forty new words this quarter.  So far his week we have learned abhor and apathy. Homework on Monday was to complete a word map for each word.  Some students, who scored 90% or greater on the vocabulary pre-assessment, have been given an alternate set of words.  We will complete ten words over the next two weeks and then will have a quiz.
Here's the list of all words for Unit 1, if you would like a preview:

Vocabulary Unit 1

Word Map  (Don't forget to add in the Word Families under the Picture box.  Write three examples of other words using the same prefix, root, or suffix.)

Today, Tuesday, we completed our close reading of "Hey Mom, I'm Home!" with a discussion of Central Idea.  Students completed a graphic organizer asking them to write the central idea based on evidence.  Here is a summary of the work that was done in all classes:

Central Idea Graphic Organizer

We also read the article about the "Kennewic Man," in preparation for a Fish Bowl Seminar Discussion with Ms. Martin.   We did not get a lot of time in class to read the article twice, so students might need to review it this evening before completing their homework.

Kennewic Man
Discussion Questions

Please remember that I'm available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7:50 and Tues/Thurs afternoons from 3:15-3:45 for students who need extra help.  Please feel free to call or email me if you have questions.

Welcome Back!

I am excited to be starting a new school year. This has been a great week so far and I am enjoying getting to know my students.  On Monday, the first day of school, I gave the students a letter about me and asked them to write a letter about themselves to me.  The students were enthusiastic and cooperative as they wrote the letters and it has been interesting for me to read them.  In addition to learning more about their background, interests, and learning styles, I'm gaining an understanding of their writing ability.  This will help me to design writing lessons.

We also did a pre-assessment in vocabulary this week and are working on an NY Times Upfront article about student debt.  Students had homework assignment of completing questions related to this article on Thursday.  The homework is due on Friday and we will have a class discussion about key issues in the article on Friday.

Here is a copy of my parent letter that outlines the curriculum and expectations for this year:

Motta ELA 2015 Parent Letter

Students should detach the bottom of the 2nd page after getting a parent signature and return to me by Friday.

Thank you for your support and please contact me at hmotta@chccs.k12.nc.us if you have any questions.

Vocabulary Pre-Test

Missing Biography Books

Fungi Students and Parents,

We have been going over inventory in the book room and we noticed that there are many books from our  biography unit that have not been returned.  We are missing six copies of I Am Malala, which is hard-cover and very expensive to replace. These books have a label that say "Property of Gifted Education" on the inside cover.  We are also missing many copies of The Blind Side and several adventure titles by Jon Krakauer, and a variety of other selections.  Paperback books that belong to the book room are easily identified--they have a blue label on the back of the book.

If you come across these books we would truly appreciate it if you would drop them off at the Culbreth front office, and let them know they are to be returned to the book room.

Thanks so much for your cooperation and please have a wonderful summer!

Mrs. Mottta

Final Grades Posted and Have a Great Summer!

Final grades for language arts are posted in PowerSchool. I have finished scoring the Social Justice Research Papers and the Biography Essays. Unless you received a perfect score (40/40 for the research paper and 50/50 for the essay) you should have an email from me with a rubric shared with you. Please read this rubric for my comments and explanation of your grade.  I have also put comments in your papers, so you should also check those for my feedback or if you have questions.  I have enjoyed reading your papers and I am impressed at the growth demonstrated by so many of you.

It has been a pleasure working with you and being your teacher for this short time.  I have learned a great deal from you and I hope most of you feel like you have grown in your reading and writing abilities. I wish you all the best in high school and in your future.

Have a wonderful summer!

Tuesday, June 9

We are so close to the end of the school year!  While I am looking forward to finishing the year and a relaxing summer, I want you to know how much of a learning and growing this experience has been for me this year. I have enjoyed working with all of you and watching you grow in your learning.  I wish you all the best for success in high school and in the future.

Today we have a few end-of-year details that we need to do:

• Climate Assessment - Help us improve our school climate. See Ms. Grinnel's blog for more info. 
• Check grades, get feedback on our research papers. 
• Take home contents of work folder. Look them over. Think about how much you have grown this year and what you still need to work on. 
• Library books - check with me to see if you are missing anything. You will not receive promotion certificates or report cards if you have missing books.
• When you are done with all of this you can check out the following websites for some fun language arts games: 
• Grammar Games
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Madlibs
• IXL - practice on language arts skills. Practice capitalization and sentence structure
• Middle School Vocabulary Games
• High School Vocabulary Games
• More Grammar Games

8th Grade Commencement Speech Contest

8th grade Commencement Speech: 

If you would like to enter a contest to read a speech at the 8th grade Commencement Ceremony, please read the following:

Prepare a commencement speech in order to share your experience, values, and advice with your graduating class. What life lessons have you learned during your journey at Culbreth? What important, fun, or special memories stand out to you? What will you miss the most? The least?


Here is a cool NPR story about successful commencement speeches: 

Anatomy of a Great Commencement Speech

Speeches should be submitted to Ms. Motta by Wednesday, June 3.

In the Home Stretch

We are finally nearing the Home Stretch! You have been working so hard on your papers and you are ready to turn them in.  I have been so impressed with much of the work that I have been seeing as I read the rough drafts.  Please use the Final Draft assignment in Google Classroom to turn in your final draft.  These are due today, Wednesday, May 27, by 3:30 pm.

I have been reading your biography essays and sending you comments and feedback through email.  I also have been enjoying reading your writing on these essays.  You have shown me that you know your characters.

Today we will be spending some time practicing for the language arts EOG that is next Tuesday, June 2.  We will do some work in class and then you will have a practice assignment for homework.

Click this link to go to the released EOG test from last year:

EOG Practice

Start on page 20 with the short story "A Poetic City." (Page numbers are on the bottom of the test page.) Answer questions 32-48 on looseleaf paper. Just write the letter choice.

Do not just guess or write random answers. Use the skills you've learned in class to pick the best answer. See Ms. Motta when you are finished so you can review the answers.

EOG Test Taking Tips:
1. Look for what the question is asking you: meaning, tone, explanation, analysis, emphasis, connection, impact, etc.

2. Look for the connotation of the words in the questions (positive/negative). Determine whether your answer will most likely have a positive or negative connotation.

3. Look at the connotation of the words in the answers. If you don't know a word's meaning, remember that words with positive connotations usually have soft sounds, while words with negative connotations have hard sounds. (That's not always 100% true, but if you're in a bind, try it.)
Look at the different parts of the word. What do you know about the word based on its prefix, suffix, or root? Does it sound like other words you know?

4. Eliminate distractor words (words or phrases that are exactly the same at the beginning of your answer choices.)
Ex: If these were your answer choices, you'd cross through "They are" and just look at the main answer word.
A. They are happy.
B. They are sad.
C. They are stinky.
D. They are bad.

5. Look for words that stand out to you in the passage and indicate their connotations.

6. Find evidence from the text that might support your answer.

7. Eliminate answer choices that don't match the connotation of the question.

These tips may help you on the EOG, especially if you have problems with reading stamina and have a hard time with the long passages.

Update Week of May 12

This week we continue working on our Social Justice Research project. We are taking notes from sources and planning our essays.  The following assignments and instructions are in Google Classroom:

Note-taking - due Tuesday, May 12
Thesis - due Wednesday, May 13
Essay Map - due Thursday, May 14.

Next week students will begin working on their rough drafts.

We also started Unit 4 vocabulary words today.

Unit 4 Vocabulary Words

Word Maps due Monday, May 18

Test will be on Tuesday, May 19

Investigative Project-Social Justice

Social Justice Project

Good Luck!



The Social Studies and English Language Arts departments in 8th grade are collaborating on a  research project on social justice issues. This project will allow students to choose a topic and investigate past, present, and future issues in depth.  In addition to growing students' reading and writing skills and content knowledge, we are hoping to build an awareness and empathy for issues that impact society.  These skills will help them as they prepare to move on to high school.

Students are bringing home an assignment sheet and a prompt which gives more information on the project details and key milestones. Parents should read and sign the assignment sheet and talk with their child about which of the four prompts he or she will choose and why that issue is meaningful.  

Project Introduction

Research Project Parent Letter

Research Project Topics

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Writing Research Questions

The first milestone for students will be to write their questions to help guide them in their investigation. The students have been assigned a template in Google Classroom to complete.

 Here are some additional links for students who need more support or further clarification: 

Writing Research Questions

YouTube Video on Writing Research Questions

Research Question Worksheet -  this format offers some helpful guidelines for students who are struggling with coming up with good research questions. 

Selection and Evaluation of Sources

The following Livebinder site can help you to choose your sources wisely.  Please look at the following videos and corresponding handouts:

Evaluating Relevance
Evaluating Purpose
Evaluating Accuracy

We are excited about this project and the opportunities it offers our students.  Please feel free to contact me if you need more information.

Reading Activity

Happy Day!


Choose the appropriate NewsELA article for your reading level:

Baltimore Riots - support version

Baltimore Riots - advanced version

Baltimore Riots - grade level 

Then read this article for one person's point of view about the riots: 

NY Times Baltimore op-ed "In Baltimore, We're All Freddie Grey"

Answer the following questions on a sheet of paper, and be prepared to discuss: 

1. What are the reasons for the rioting in Baltimore? Consider all the factors.
2. Are the riots justified?
3. What solutions can you come up with for the unrest in Baltimore.