Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Continued, Notes with Holes

Due to my having to attend a day long meeting yesterday, we are a little behind in our work on Chapter 4 and need to play catch up. I will need the students to copy or print out the notes on Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 below.

You will notice a change in the format. I am trying the "notes with holes" technique. Basically, the students will need to listen to/read their text (online or hard copy) and fill in the blanks on the notes.
The notes can be printed or copied but the blanks will need to be filled in by the student.

The notes are below:

Practice Quiz, Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Notes, Make-up Work

We started the class period with a practice quiz over Chapter 4 - Lesson 1. There were 10 questions (available to view in the online textbook) that we discussed orally. The class actually seemed to do ok on the quiz but, as it was practice, no grade was taken. These practice self-quizzes are available at the end of every lesson in the online textbook. They are a great study tool.

After the practice quiz, we briefly discussed the first Native Americans and how they arrived on the continent via the Bering Land Bridge. From there we went on to discuss the European powers that raced to the New World to make claims on the land and resources found there before just beginning to discuss the American Revolution. Notes on this lesson will be posted on the blog tomorrow.

All late/make-up work in my possession has now been graded. If your student still has failing grades or a 0 it is because I have not received the assignment. Please be vigilant and check your student's grades and make sure they are keeping up. We are quickly approaching the halfway point of the 9 weeks.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes Continued, Physical/Political GeoQuiz Turned In

We opened class today with a quick discussion on some of the natural hazards people face and live with in the different regions of the U.S. I explained that we live on the extreme southern edge of the Great Plains region which is plagued with tornadoes during the spring and summer. I showed a video which documents the F5 tornado that struck Jarrell, TX (only 25 miles south of Harker Heights) 20 years ago.

After the video, and a brief discussion on what to do in case of a tornado, we moved on with the remainder of the notes covering the regions of the U.S. (Chapter 4 - Lesson 1).

The students also turned in their Chapter 4 GeoQuiz assignment they have been working on the last couple of days. The grades for this assignment have now been posted in the grade book.

The students do not have any new homework for this weekend UNLESS they owe me make-up or late work.

Chapter 4 GeoQuiz Turned In and Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes

The Chapter 4 GeoQuiz assignment was due today at the beginning of class. While most of the students turned in this assignment, far too many did not. Please double check with your student and make sure they turned in their GeoQuiz and that they are keeping up wit their work.

After the GeoQuiz was turned in, we continued the Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 notes. Specifically, we started to discuss the regions of the Unites States. I stared by showing the students a video made by a teacher laying out the regions on a map and then moved on to actually jotting down and discussing the regions. The video I showed the kids is below,  in case you are interested. The full notes for the regions of the U.S can be found below the video.

   

Wrapping Up Notes, Turning in Vocabulary and Political/Physical GeoQuiz Assigned

Today, the Chapter 4 vocabulary assignment was due at the beginning of the period. I realized pretty quickly that many students had not completed it and decided to give them an additional 10-15 minutes to work on it before taking it up.

After taking up the vocabulary, we finished up our discussion on the notes over Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 which covered large/important bodies of water and waterways in the United States (Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, etc.). The complete notes for this section can be found below embedded in the post from yesterday.

Finally, I assigned a Political/Physical GeoQuiz. This assignment basically consists of two maps and the student is to locate critical features and places located in North America. I feel it will be beneficial for the kids to have a knowledge of where these places are located as we continue to discuss the United States and North America. The GeoQuiz is due tomorrow at the beginning of class.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Political/Physical GeoQuiz assignment is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 (The United States), Vocabulary Due Tomorrow

Today, we started our work on the North America Unit. We started with the United States. Today's notes discussed how the abundance of water was critical to the growth of the U.S. We touched on the importance of access to the oceans for trade, the Great Lakes and how they were formed, the Mississippi River system and some of the major western lakes. Today's notes are located below. Please make sure your student gets them completely copied and adds any details missed in class.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Chapter 4 Vocabulary assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Please make sure your student has the assignment completed and ready to turn in as this is a chance to earn a good grade fairly easily. The vocabulary assignment and instructions can be found on the post from yesterday.

North America Unit Introduced, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Assigned

Today, I introduced the North America Unit to the students. We watched a short presentation featuring landscapes, cityscapes and other physical and man-made features in North America. I stopped the video and had the kids examine clues in each photo which might hint at their location on the North American Continent. We then took a look at various thematic maps of North America. I wanted to familiarize the students with the countries on the continent, the resources found there, the areas that are the most populous and the general climate.

I assigned the Chapter 4 Vocabulary Terms to the students. The terms and full instructions are below. Vocabulary is due on Wednesday, 9/22 at the beginning of the period.

All Make-up Work Graded & Entered

All make-up/late work has now been graded and entered into the grade book. Your student's average is now up to date. To see your student's current average (not the week old progress report grade) for my class and any others, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Killeen ISD website at www.killeenisd.org
2. At the top of the page, click the "Schools" link
3. Click on the link for Eastern Hills Middle School
4. Once on the EHMS home page, click the "Grade Access Center" link in the left margin
5. Enter user name and password
6. Grades should now be available to view

Progress Reports Coming Home Today

Parents/Guardians,

Your student will be bringing home progress reports today. These reports will show the grades your student had as of last Friday, September 11th. In the case of my history students some of these grades are going to be very low. This is due to the high volume of late/make-up work that still needed to be turned in to me at that time. Since last Friday, things have improved considerably for almost all of the students. Many of the 0's and other failing grades have been made up and the averages are now closer to where they need to be. 

If your student's grade is unusually low on the progress report it is likely because late/make-up work had yet to be turned in or graded. I would encourage you to check online and look at the current average. It is a much more accurate number than what you are going to see on that progress report.

Also, I still have a lot of make-up work to grade. I should have it all done by the end of the weekend. Please double check your child's grade online on Sunday evening as everything I have should be entered into the grade book by then. If you still have a question about your student's grade at that point, feel free to contact me.

Test Corrections and Make-up Work

Today, the students got their graded Chapter 1 tests back. Overall, I was pleased as most of the kids made a pretty good grade on this important first Summative grade. I allowed the students to work together in class on their test corrections. Once they finished their corrections I had them turn the tests back in to me. I regraded and awarded the kids partial credit for each question answered. This allowed them the opportunity to raise their grade fairly significantly. Any student that did not finish their test corrections in class was to take their test home and finish them there. The corrections are due at the beginning of class tomorrow (NO EXCEPTIONS). This is not late or make-up work so the normal 10 day window does not apply. Please check with your student and make sure they have their corrections done and ready for class tomorrow.

Also, progress reports are sneaking up and the final deadline on a lot of the Chapter 1 work is fast approaching. Please check with your student and get them to turn in any late/make-up work they owe.

Test Day, Make-up Work and Impending Progress Reports/Contacts

The students took their first major test today over Chapter 1 - The Geographer's World. For the most part, the grades were good and I was pleased. There were a few students, however, who did not do well and failed the exam. The test is a Summative grade and the Summative average counts as 55% of a students entire grade. A failing grade on a major test can be devastating. Because of that fact, students who received a failing grade need to do their test corrections ASAP in order to get their grade up to passing. Students who failed with a grade below 50 will be sent to The Learning Center here in school tomorrow during my class time in order to begin working on these test corrections. Please encourage your student to complete these test corrections as soon as possible. The sooner the tests are corrected, the sooner that bad grade can change.

I have been inundated with late/make-up work over the last few days. It is good that the students are taking action and making an effort to get caught up. I will need all of you to be patient as I wade through it all and get it graded and recorded. I spent today grading tests so I will be able to start the process of grading the make-up work tomorrow. If the grade book shows a failing grade for your child under a particular assignment but they swear to you they have made it up and turned it in, that may very well be true. Give me a day or two to get caught up and everything should show up in the grade book as it should be. I reminded the kids today that it was unfair of them to have not turned in an assignment they had several days to work on, then take 5-6 more days to finally turn it in late and then be upset that I don't have it graded overnight. Everything will be up to date by the end of the week.

Finally, I will be sending out some emails and making some phone calls over the next few days to the parents/guardians of student who are failing the course, have 0's for assignments, etc. I have tried to give the students ample to time to readjust to the school schedule and get their act together but some are still struggling to do so and may need some additional encouragement  on the home front. There is still plenty of time to get things right but no time to waste. Your help and support is appreciated.

One fun thing, I posted the picture below as a bonus question today for the kids. Any student that was able to correctly identify this animal earned a 5-point bonus on their test. Can any of the parents/guardians out there identify this creepy-looking little guy?

Major Test Tomorrow!

The students will be taking their test over Chapter 1 tomorrow. There will be no time to study tomorrow so make sure they are prepared when they arrive at class.

Some areas the students will DEFINITELY need to know:

1. Vocabulary words
2. The difference between a line of longitude and a line of latitude
3. The difference between the Prime Meridian and Equator
4. The difference between Absolute Location and Relative Location
5. The difference between a Physical Feature and a Human Feature on the Earth
6. Advantages and disadvantages of a globe and/or map
7. The difference between a calendar and a timeline
8. The 3 parts of a map that help you interpret it (compass rose, scale bar, key)
9. Line of Latitude that divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres
10. Line of Longitude that divides the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres

If the students are familiar with the terms and concepts above, they should do fine on the test. Remember, the test is a Summative grade and the Summative average counts for 55% of a students total average. STUDY!

Vocabulary Builder & Guided Reading Assignments Due, Poor Grades and Missing Work

Today the students turned in the Chapter 1 Vocabulary Builder assignment and the Chapter 1 Guided Reading assignment. The students have had these two assignments since last Thursday which gave them four days to complete them. Unfortunately, many students failed to turn in their work resulting in a grade of 0. There is simply no reason for students not to have had their work having had so much time to complete these assignments.

The test over Chapter 1 will be on Wednesday 9/16. This will be the first Summative test grade. Remember that Summative grades make up 55% of a students total average. This makes it critical for the students to be prepared.

Please make sure you check with your students about their grades. I have far too many students with failing averages right now because of failing to turn in their work. I do not have a single student with a failing average that has turned in all of their work. If your student is failing the course currently, it is because he/she is not turning in their work and receiving a grade of 0. I will be sending out emails and making phone calls about grades starting this week. Official progress reports will be going out in roughly two weeks.

9/11 Lesson and Commemoration

Friday was a unique day for us at EHMS as it marked the 14^th anniversary of the September 11^th attacks on our country. Our classes were shortened so that we could attend a special program meant to commemorate and remember this terrible day in American history.

I realized a couple of years ago that students of middle school age no longer remembered the events of that day. My students this year were not even born when the attacks took place in 2001. That being the case, I took the opportunity to explain, as best I could, what happened and who was responsible. It was an extremely abbreviated explanation, and overly simplistic, but it gave the kids an idea of what happened and how the events of that day still affect us today. Why did my Mom have to go to Iraq? Why is my Dad in Afghanistan? Why is airport security so tough? All questions whose answers are rooted in the events of September 11, 2001.

I showed the students a video clip of news coverage from that day. The videos showed the planes striking the towers and the towers collapsing. The shock heard in the voices of well-known morning news people like Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel, etc. seemed to make an impression on the kids. We then attended the program where the students were very well behaved.

*HOMEWORK ALERT* - The Guided Reading and Vocabulary Builder assignments are due on Monday morning when the students arrive. Please make sure these assignments are complete and ready to go.

Guided Reading & Vocabulary Builder Assignments and Latitude & Longitude Practice

Today, the students were given a Guided Reading and a Vocabulary Builder worksheet assignment. The class was broken into groups and the students worked cooperatively to find the various answers to the questions on these assignments. Resources included the reading from Chapter 1, glossary, index and maps from the text. Students will continue to work on these assignments in class tomorrow. These assignments will count as two separate formative daily grades and will also serve as review material for the first test (middle of next week).

Also, I pulled up students to the interactive white board to practice their latitude and longitude skills. The students had to plot points, find countries and various other things requiring a working knowledge of latitude and longitude on a world map. Every student did not get a turn today but I am hopeful the rest of the kids will get a turn in class tomorrow.

Please continue to stay on top of your student's grades and remind them that all failing grades can be made up and brought up to passing (70) if they are turned in within 10 school days of the day the original assignment was posted in the grade book.

Chapter 1 Lesson 4 Quiz, Notes, Review and UIL Grade Check

Today, the students took a pop quiz over their notes on Using Globes and Maps (Chapter 1, Lesson 4). After the quiz we reviewed the questions and correct answers. Students were encouraged to retake the quiz if they received a grade below 70 (see me to set up a time).

After the quiz, we finished up the notes for Lesson 4. Full notes for this section are located below under yesterday's post (9/8). We discussed the two types of maps (General Purpose & Thematic) and the differences between the two. We also discussed the two types of Geospatial Technologies that are being used daily in the lives of many Americans (GPS, GIS) and gave some examples of how they work.

We will begin reviewing the Chapter 1 material tomorrow and preparing for the upcoming test (date TBA). Students received a Guided Reading sheet and a Vocabulary Builder sheet for Chapter 1 that they will begin working on cooperatively tomorrow. Each of these documents will count as a Formative daily grade and help prepare the students for the upcoming test.

*IMPORTANT*- The first UIL grade check is this Friday (9/11). Please check your student's grades and encourage them to turn in any missing work ASAP and to redo any assignments for which they received a grade of below 70.

Using Globes & Maps / Chapter 1 Lesson 4

Today, the students watched a video on how Google is going about mapping the face of the Earth. We talked briefly about how this technology helps us in our day to day lives.

After the video, the students worked on their "Lines on a Map" worksheet. The worksheets are due tomorrow (Wed.  9/9) at the beginning of the period.

Next, students took notes on the "Using Globes and Maps" section of Chapter 1 (Lesson 4). Important things to know are the differences between a globe and a map, the strengths and weaknesses of each, the dividing lines of longitude and latitude that split the Earth into hemispheres and the parts of a map (key, scale bar, compass rose). The notes for today are located below.

Please touch base with your student about their grades and whether or not they are caught up in class. Anyone who has missed days or is missing assignments needs to see me.

Understanding the Lines on a Map Worksheet Assigned.

Friday, we continued to discuss the difference between lines of latitude and lines of longitude on a map. Students were broken into groups and allowed to work together on a worksheet activity meant to help them better understand how to read and use these lines when interpreting a map.

The worksheet is NOT due on Tuesday. We will continue to work on the assignment in class on Tuesday and it will be due on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Poor Grades / Latitude & Longitude

Today's lesson centered around lines of latitude and longitude. We discussed which was which, the location of the equator, the location of the prime meridian and practiced plotting locations on a map using coordinates. We will continue practicing with maps tomorrow.

Of greater concern is the high number of students who failed to turn in their vocabulary assignment. This was a simple assignment meant to give each student the opportunity to get a good grade and get off to a positive start this school year. Instead, many chose not to complete the assignment and took a 0. As a result, many student are already failing the course with an average below 70. It is very early in the grading period but this does not bode well for future, more challenging, assignments.

The vocabulary was assigned on 9/1 (see the post for that date below). The terms and full instructions are there. Each student that received a failing grade on the assignment has the opportunity to redo the work and turn it in to me. If this is done within 10 school days, I will regrade the assignment. Please note, the highest grade that can be earned on late work is a 70. While this is not a fantastic grade, it is a passing mark and MUCH better than an F. I have attached a copy of the KISD grading policy below for your inspection. Item #6 deals with late work. PLEASE ask your student whether or not they turned in their assignment and, if not, make sure they get it turned in before their 10 day window for make-up work expires on 9/17.

How Geographers View the World (Chapter 1, Lesson 2) / Chapter 2 Vocabulary Due Tomorrow

Today, we discussed some real world applications of geography. How does geography affect people’s choice of where to live and how they live were debated. Notes were taken over ‘How Geographers View the World’ (Chapter 1-Lesson 3 in the online text). Key concepts discussed were the differences between physical features and human features, the 5 Themes of Geography and the difference between absolute location and relative location. Today’s notes are below if any student needs to catch up.

HOMEWORK DUE: The Chapter 2 vocabulary assignment is due at the beginning of the period tomorrow. Details on the vocabulary assignment are available in the blog post from yesterday (Sept. 1).

Online Textbook Access & Chapter 2 Vocabulary Assignment

Today students were given the access information to the online textbook. Students created cards that included the online textbook web address, their user name and their passwords. The user name/password is set up as follows:

User Name: KISDS (student ID #)

Password: 1^st three letters of the last name followed by student ID #

These cards are to be glued, taped or stapled to the inside cover of their class folder. This location will provide quick and easy reference for them when they need this information to log into their textbook at home. Please make sure your student has their card and that it gets attached to the inside cover of their folder. I would also encourage parents to log in to the online textbook and do a bit of exploring in order to better be able to help your student later.

Also, the students received a vocabulary assignment today. It is very simple and a great way to earn a good grade and get off to a good start this grading period. The terms, directions and format are below. This assignment is due at the beginning of the period on Thursday 9/3.