Weekly Objectives for 1/20/15 - 1/23/15

Overview - We are now officially starting our second full week of the Science Fair.  Due to last week's delays, we really struggled to keep on track.  Overall, we were really impressed with the performance of the groups.  They were able to stay on task and complete the assigned tasks.  As we start week number two, we are beginning to see that some students are falling behind on their deadlines.  We will be asking those students to stay after school to get back on track.  They will be contacting their parents to inform them if this occurs.

There will be a mandatory Science Fair Meeting for all students this Thursday, from 5:30-6:00, in the cafeteria.

Tuesday - 1/20/15 - 
       Today in science, we modeled how to effectively summarize a paragraph from our researched sources.  Mr. Bish was able to use our sleep study experiment and the sources to provide the gist of each article to the students.  He then provided time for the groups to practice summarizing a paragraph on their own, to check for understanding.
       We also provided a brief lesson on using a bibliography to cite our resources.  We will be using www.knightcite.com, as our citation tool.  The students are expected to create a completed "Works Cited" page on Microsoft Word by Thursday.

Wednesday - 1/21/15 - 
       Today in science, a lesson was provided on effective note taking.  Mr. Bish modeled how to turn research sentences into key words and phrases in our science notebooks.  He started by passing out a note sheet that had one of the six research questions from our Background Research Plan.  He then posted one of the articles from our research on the Smart Board.  We then worked as a collaborative team in showing the students how to cite their work and highlight.  The process involved reading through the article as a team and highlighting key words.  We then took those key words and modeled how to record them in our science notebooks.  After that, we assigned different groups the task of taking our article and recording notes on one of the stages of sleep.  The students worked collaboratively, within their groups, and used highlighters to locate the keywords.  They then took those keywords and recorded them on their note sheets. The groups then reported back on what they had written.
       Mr. Barkley then modeled how to take their own Background Research Plan and use it in the note taking process.  We went step by step through the process of writing our first question in the Science Notebook, then citing the article, highlighting the keywords, and finally writing the notes in each section.  We checked for understanding by having the students recite what was taught.
       We then allowed for student work time.  The results were not what was expected.  Students were struggling with the process and never really got to the actual note taking process.  We must go back again tomorrow and reteach the lesson to ensure that they fully understand what the task is.
       Homework - Tomorrow, the science groups must turn in their "Works Cited" document that was created using Microsoft Word.  On Friday, they must have all notes taken from their research articles and recorded into their science notebooks.

All articles will be taken away from the students Friday afternoon.

Thursday - 1/22/15 - 

       The groups were brought together for a brief review session on note taking.  Those who felt confident in the process were allowed to continue working in Mr. Barkley's, with his facilitation of their progress.  Those groups that were unsure, or still did not understand how the note taking process worked, were given remediation classes in Mr. Bish's room.  If any groups fell behind in Mr. Barkley's classroom, or showed that their abilities were lacking, were then returned to Mr. Bish's room for retraining.  They were given a yellow slip that stated the skill that the group was struggling with.  This strategy proved to be very effective in the progress of their research.

       Homework - The "Works Cited" section of their research is due today at 2:30.  They were given an extension on the assignment already.  There will be no exceptions after this time.  All late work will be recorded as a "0."

       The research notes are due tomorrow, Friday the 23rd,  at 2:30.  No extensions will be given.  We begin the background research paper on Monday.  All articles will be removed from their folders.  The groups will be required to use their notes only when writing the paper.

Don't forget about the Informational Meeting tonight at 5:00 in the cafeteria.

Friday - 1/23/15 -

       Wow!! What an amazing showing last night at the Science Fair Informational meeting!!  It made us proud to see so many parents actively engaged in their child's academic success. It truly takes the entire community to raise a well balanced student, and we were able to see that in full force last night.  Parents asked many wonderful questions and were clearly sharing ideas with each other.  it was great to see so many parents collaborating with each other to assist their children in the completion of their science projects.

       All research notes are due today!!!  Students are responsible for turning in all work at the end of the day.  Mr. Bish is offering another refresher course on note taking, while Mr. Barkley is working with those groups that are progressing at a faster pace.  When these student groups get signed off, they then become active participants in the co-teaching process.  They love the chance to get to help others be successful.

       There are only four weeks left until the science fair.  On Monday, the students will begin the background research report.  They will be expected to turn in all of their articles and rely solely on their note taking abilities.  They must use only their science notes to construct the report.

       Homework - Their notes are due today!!!  Their "Works Cited" is now late!!!