Monday's homework is to read an article about oil spills in the Niger Delta in Nigeria. Please code the text and then write a 1-paragraph response on looseleaf paper. (Note that the document includes two versions of the article, designed for students who read at different levels. The more challenging, longer version is first, followed by the easier one.) You might want to look at the slideshow that accompanied the original New York Times article.

Individual students may have additional work to complete at home on their final lab reports if they do not get them finished in class.

 The final exam is approximately 35 questions taken from previous years' NYS Intermediate (5-8) Level Science exam. I chose the questions that relate to material we covered this year. Most are multiple choice. Topics that will definitely be covered are heat & temperature, energy transfers and types of energy, the electromagnetic spectrum, the water cycle, changes in state/phase (liquid-solid-gas), food webs/chains, reading a graph or data table, etc. 

Study by reviewing your notes from the year and completing all review activities in class and at home. Take it seriously but don't stay up all night or stress out. If you've done what you were supposed to do during the year, and you refresh your memory through the review activities, you should be fine.

If you do not have an opportunity in class to complete all the review activities, I strongly encourage you to finish them. This is the document listing Tuesday's and Wednesday's review activities in case you lost yours.

Keep working on your movie project! This might include extra research, working on the script, or thinking about costumes or set pieces.

 Thanks to everyone who brought in plastic bottles - the experiments have started, no more bottles needed!

(But you can make bottle ecosystems at home this summer, if you want...)

Monday: Do one of the four activities in the exam review packet.

Tuesday: Do another of the four activities in the exam review packet.

Wednesday-Thursday: Do another of the four activities in the exam review packet.

Friday: Final Exam! - No homework over this weekend.

Start brainstorming a list of ideas for your script of The Story of the Americas.

Information about the test:

The test will be a review of the year's work, however, you do not need to do any formal studying for the test. Instead, this test will be a chance to show your ability to read historical information and combine it with what you have learned over the year. For example, you will be asked to reflect on themes such as how society is structured into social pyramids and how geography affects a civilization.  The format will be multiple choice and short answer. It will take one class period.

What you need to do:

You will need to come prepared with something to write with.

Write a paragraph about your predictions about how the world was affected by the European Age of Exploration. (May be e-mailed) 

DON'T FORGET YOUR PERMISSION SLIPS!!! Field trip is Tuesday, June 8 (1a, 3a classes) and Wednesday, June 9 (1b, 3b classes). You will need comfortable outdoor gear, water, a bag lunch, and materials for art, science, and ELA. 

We still need 2-liter soda bottles!

This week, you will have only one homework assignment, a packet that you will receive on Monday and must turn in next Monday. The packet includes two articles about the Gulf Coast oil spill. Here is a sample schedule for completing this assignment:

• Monday - read the first article, code the text
• Tuesday - read the second article, code the text
• Wednesday - take a break
• Thursday - talk to adults & friends about the oil spill, look at websites, watch the news to learn more
• Friday/weekend - plan and then write your 3-paragraph response

Here is the assignment - Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response.

If you find a good article or website or video about the oil spill, please post it in the comments! 

Personally, these photos make me very sad.

Read article about Inca Empire. Text code article and complete "I notice" and "I wonder" statements.

Read article and fill out notes about Inca social structure.

We still need 2-liter soda bottles!!

We need about 15 more. I have moved the project so that we have more time to collect bottles - keep bringing them in, please... 

Tuesday: Adaptations to the Estuary assignment 

Wednesday: No homework.

Thursday: Invasive Species article for students who have Science 1B or 3B on Fridays; Predators & Prey assignment for students who have Science 1A or 3A on Fridays.

Friday: Finish the Predators-Prey Lab if not done in class

Projects on Aztec Civilization are due Tuesday, June 1st!

Read article about Aztec daily life, and write a postcard describing what you found out.

Read the article about the Aztec social structure, and fill out the note sheet.

Monday: Tree of Life handout

Tuesday: Kingdoms of Life handout

Wednesday: No homework (unless you need to finish in-class dichotomous key activity)

Thursday: Flashcards - make them & study them!

Friday: TBA

Complete Mayan project for Monday. Your choices are either to create a social structure graphic organizer, to write a journal about daily life, or to design a monument about Mayan achievements.

 For a science project on Thursday next week, we need at least 32 soda bottles. They should be the large (2-liter) size. Please rinse them and leave them open to dry overnight before bringing them in. The more bottles we get, the better our project will be! 

Finish the Mayan time line. This includes the illustration of one part of your person's life..

Read the article about Mayan daily life, and fill out the sheet.

Read article about Mayan class structure and fill out notes.

Monday, May 17th: Homework break for all who completed their projects on time! You deserve a day off!  If you owe any part of the project or are handing in any of the packets a second time to improve your grade, Tuesday is the last day.

Tuesday, May 18th:  Ask someone else in your family the question, "What makes something alive? How do you know when something is alive?" Write down their answer, and have them sign it. (Another way to ask this is, "What are the characteristics of all living things?")

Wednesday, May 19th: No homework.

Thursday, May 20th: Characteristics of Life article & questions - please be sure to code the text in addition to answering the questions.

Friday, May 21st: Do either the basic or challenge level cells assignment (article & questions - please code the text!) (Both are in the same document.)

What to study:

1. Map of the world

2. Article about Kennewick Man

3. "In the Beginning" article, plus Just the Facts sheet

4. Jigsaw notes about early Mesoamerica

For 1A, 1B and 2A: Complete use map of Mesoamerica to answer questions.

For 2B: Comlete article "In the Beginning" and finish questions.

Quiz on Monday on Early America (Will hand out more information on Friday about quiz)

For 1A, 1B and 2A: Complete use map of Mesoamerica to answer questions.

For 2B: Comlete article "In the Beginning" and finish questions.

Quiz on Monday on Early America (Will hand out more information on Friday about quiz)

Read "Old Mysteries and New Discoveries" and answer questions. Text code the article!

Complete the map assignment.

This year's World Festival of Science is coming up (June 2-6th), and there are many family-friendly events, including a free science wonderland in Washington Square Park, a performance of amazing feats of mental math by "mathemagician" Arthur Benjamin, and a demonstration of experiments related to absolute zero. Also, one of our students will be taking part in a free event about life in the International Space Station (Sunday, June 6th) - let's turn out to support her! 

Write a paragraph about what you found most interesting about our study of the Renaissance. What do you want to learn more about? (may be e-mailed)

Here is the plan for completing the climate projects:

Monday-Wednesday, May 3-5: In class, we studied factors that affect climate, specifically, latitude, elevation, ocean currents, and marine/continental.

For homework each night, we did part of the second research packet which you received on Monday. This packet is due next Monday in class and will be graded!

Thursday, May 6: In class, we will have a 35-min. work period. You can use this period for any of the following: (a) finish your research packet, (b) preview examples of blogs/books/podcasts to see what a good project will be like, (c) start planning your final project using the project assignment packet.

Homework is to finish the research packet and begin planning your final project.

Friday, May 7: In class, we will begin research packet #3, Climate Change. 

Homework is to finish planning the first two sections of your final project. That means that you should be almost done with the planning materials in your project assignment packet. You may also set up your blog on Weebly.com, practice using GarageBand, write a first draft of a blog post or a section of your broadcast, or begin making your book.

Mon.-Tues., May 10-11: In class, we will finish the climate change packet. This packet will be due Monday, May 16th, along with the final project.

Homework is to continue working on your final project. That might mean writing first drafts, drawing illustrations, practicing your broadcast, and so on. It will be different for each project.

Wed.-Fri., May 12-14: In class, you will have time to work on your final project. Homework is to continue this work. ... Read more