WEEKLY BULLETIN: GRADE 8 LEARNING SUPPORT

APRIL 13, 2012

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MANILA

This Week in Grade 8

ENGLISH: The focus is now shifting a bit from propaganda to looking at advertising and the emotional appeal found in ads/commercials. This will be the unit for the next 2 weeks or so. Students are still required to remember and draw upon their understanding of the various propaganda techniques learned over the course of the third quarter. Further on in the fourth quarter, the focus will shift to the Grade 8 Advocating for Change (AFC) project - a joint project for both social studies and english classes. Students will be guided through the writing process for the essay portion of their AFC project. SOCIAL STUDIES:
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: * Grade 8 End of Year Activities Permission Slip due: April 27

We are in the beginning stages of researching for the AFC (Advocating for Change) Grade 8 project. Students have been assigned their topics (their choices), have set up their Noodle Tools (online program to manage their research notecards, bibliography, etc.) and have been in the library looking through print (books) resources for information. Next week students will need to have a big research question completed, 10 keywords related to their topic, and 2 notecards and citations. SCIENCE: This week focused on students tackling their chemistry unit performance task. Their roles as scientic chefs challenged them to analyze whether

physical or chemical changes, or both, occurred when cooking a typical breakfast - pancakes and bacon, as well as Jell-O and dissolving a vitamin tablet. Next week will nd them being introduced to their new unit - ecology. The overall theme of the fourth quarter focuses on Interconnectedness. MATH: Students are completing the math Performance Task today - they have been working in the computer labs during class time this week using the Geometer Sketchpad program to create and design a hubcap. Next week, the new unit, Probability, will begin. A Basic Skills Assessment #4 will be on April 27.

UPCOMING ASSESSMENTS & DUE DATES: * Math Assessment - Basic Skills Assessment #4: April 27 * AFC DUE DATES: (Social Studies) April 20 - 20 notecards due

IMPORTANT WEBSITES USED IN CORE CLASSES: Google Docs brainpop.com noodletools.com - research skills & notecards (using for AFC project in Social Studies)

Strategy Instruction Class

Skill & Strategy Areas of Focus: Vocabulary Development: - Developing strategies to help determine meaning of new vocabulary & expanding students vocabulary base - Using context clues - Categorizing/Classifying - Understanding words with Multiple Meanings - Prex & Sufx meanings using these to help determine word meaning - Root Words/Base words - for meaning The Writing Process: - We are beginning to look at the structure of a persuasive paragraph or essay - how to support your opinion with valid reasons and organize them into a strong persuasive paragraph Research Strategies: - using templates to organize information - Noodle tools online - Paraphrasing skill practice Study Skills: - Note-taking strategies: we are using the Cornell method which is the 2 column notes method (main ideas on left side; supporting details on right) - difference between facts and opinions
child will be learning, practicin g and implementing throug hout this year! e templates on my class . I will be posting thes strategies that your These are some of th e many

1.
Note- Taking Strategies 2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Study Skills Time Management Self - Advocacy Paragraph Writing Research Skills Editing Strategies Interactive Reading Learning Styles

Time Management: - chunking long term/ large assignments into smaller due dates

you can access them piercec.ism-online.

blog so

org