WEEKLY BULLETIN: GRADE 8 LEARNING SUPPORT

APRIL 20, 2012

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MANILA

This Week in Grade 8

ENGLISH: The focus is on advertising and how marketing strategies use a variety of propaganda techniques to sell products or ideas. Students have watched videos, analyzed print or television ads/ commercials and are looking at how advertising has changed over the years; from talking about the product to trying to sell an idea through emotive appeal. In a few weeks they will be gearing up for the transition to writing their Grade 8 Advocating for Change (AFC) paper, for which they are researching during Social Studies classes

aquatic. They will collect data and observe the Research continues for changes that occur over their AFC project topics. the next month, culminating They spent the week in the in a group performance library researching using task explaining the print resources (books, connections between magazines, etc.). Next chambers. week they will continue research using the internet. MATH: In Strategy Instruction Students were introduced class we have been to the concept and skills supporting their AFC related to Probability in projects by focusing on paraphrasing skills and how Math this week. Students to create a quality notecard are learning a variety of with useful information, and strategies to assist them in developing strong research thinking logically about many of these math questions. problems and understanding SCIENCE: the steps required to solve them. There will be a Basic The new unit (and last) is Skills Assessment on Friday, on Ecology. Students are working in groups to build a April 27 (next week). Ecology Column - a column with 3 different chambers terrestrial, decomposition, SOCIAL STUDIES:

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: * Grade 8 End of Year Activities Permission Slip due: April 27

UPCOMING ASSESSMENTS & DUE DATES: * Math Assessment - Basic Skills Assessment #4: April 27 * AFC DUE DATES: (Social Studies) - by Friday, April 27 ~ 20 more (a total of 40) notecards due on Friday, April 27 ~ developing a thesis statement

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
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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

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