September 17, 2018

Social Studies 7 this week:
We are continuing our map making process. By Monday all students will have 12x18 watercolor paper and are starting by drawing a final pencil outlines of all land and the latitude and longitude lines we will use in our final version of the map. After pencil, students will trace the continents and lines with extra fine sharpie. By the end of next week, we will start to watercolor the final map.

This coming Friday, each student will take a rivers and mountains of the work geography quiz. Students should use Quizlet and a copy of their world maps to study.

Language Arts 7 this week:
We are typing our writings that will help us complete the problem based story. We will type a quickwrite and various story sketches. We will start by peer editing and responding to these short samples, and work with student feedback to improve the focus of our stories.

Students should start reading the Realistic Fiction Novels 20 minutes a night. We will start a public speaking contest by trying to sell our books to other students in the class. The contest finals will be held in the library in five weeks. Details forthcoming.

September 10, 2018

September 10, 2018

Week Four.. Maps and Antagonists...

This week in all classes, we will start to use the class website as our main source of class information.

We will expand our knowledge in Social Studies 7:

1. How the rotation of the earth affects the seasons and is related to different calendars from around world history.
2. How history has affected maps: and how maps have affected history.
3. 12x18 final map.

In Language Arts 7, we continue to:

1. Antagonist writing and story examination.

For previous weekly updates, go to Mr. Rodgers Blog.

Week 3 - September 4

September 4, 2018

Week Three… Back to School Night on Thursday - 6:30 - 8:30 with Parents only. See you then.

This week in all classes, we will start to use the class website as our main source of class information.

We will expand our knowledge in Social Studies 7:

1. How the rotation of the earth affects the seasons and is related to different calendars from around world history.
2. How history have affected maps: and how maps have affected history.
3. We test some a Medieval test of knowledge, Occam’s Razor, to see if it can figure out some of the basic questions of geography.
4. Practice drawing the world map, in preparation for the 12x18 final map.

In Language Arts 7, we continue to:

1. Write background sketches  of both the protagonist and antagonist as they relate to the conflict, climax, and resolution of a fictionalized personal narrative.

Week of May 7 - 11

Weekly Preview:

SS7 - We will be finishing our individual topic research and start our presentations in our Japan vs. England Unit. Students have been very engaged in their research and working with their partner in the the other team to build criteria for the presentation. Groups will start three group generated presentations/lessons that will teach calligraphy or brush painting, three famous rulers, and three major contributions. Each of these lessons will be worth 3 points awarded to the winning presentation.

Along the way, I will deliver content on the Plague, the Crusades and Inquisition, the Reformation and the Early Scientific Revolution.

We will start to assemble our art booklets, that will include calligraphy and Japanese brush painting.

LA7 - We are reading Outsiders everyday for the next two weeks. We are also engaged in a District Writing Assessment that will take 2.5 class periods this week. We will write an essay comparing Japan and England on three factors.

We will also finish the year with a set of culminating poetry activities and the last Notebook assessment.

Weeks starting April 23 and April 30 - CAASPP state testing and class activities

CAASPP Testing: We have a special schedule for both weeks starting April 23. Students will report to their first period classes M - Thursday. Testing will take place Tuesday - Friday. Make-up testing will take place on Fridays. It is important during these next two weeks that students get to class on time everyday. In order to maximize their testing time. The general rule is that homework will not be assigned the evening before a testing day - so, there will be no homework due Tuesday through Thursday each week. Homework will be due on Friday, assigned for Thursday night.

Testing Schedule HERE

Open House: April 26, 7 - 8:30 pm. I hope to see parents and students during Open House. This is a great opportunity to get an overview of the projects and activities students have been involved this year. I look forward to see everyone in Room 402.

LA7 - Friday, April 27 - Wrinkle in Time Book Project is due. Presentations will be scheduled when projects are collected. All written work will have a final draft peer editing step in class during the April 30 week.

SS7 - Students will work on their Japan versus England topic projects. Each students has a topic decided with a partner that then set the parameters of the project. Each partner is also assigned to either Japan or England and complete for 1 Extra Credit point based on student judges as to which of the two presentations is better based on several criteria in a class rubric. Presentations will start the May 2.

Week of April 16, 2018

Week of April 16, 2018

SS7 - Students are exploring the beginning elements of the Japan vs. England unit.
By the end of this week, the class will be divided in half, and topics will be assigned.
Students will research, develop a presentation, and activities that they will teach to
the class. Each topic will correspond to a similar topic in each country. Students will
then assess the quality of the lesson, activity and information after each presentation.
As the unit progresses, students will formulate methods to compare and contrast both
Medieval Japanese and English cultures and histories.

Students will also continue to work on their art booklets. The booklet will also
incorporate several samples from English and Japanese art and poetry.

LA7 - Students will write the concluding four part essay about their contro-topics.
We will spend a week editing and revising these drafts in group and individual activities.

Students will also wrap up the Wrinkle in Time project, due Friday, April 27.

LASS7 Rodgers update on March 19, 2018

SS7 - Students are taking the Silk Road test of two other cities that they have studied for the past three weeks. The tests will be given on Thursday. Extra Credit options are built into the tests.

Students will also participated in seven art lessons taught by one student from each city. The collection of art will be bound into a booklet of the Silk Road.

LA7 - Students are preparing their debate notes. Debates for each of the Contro-Topic groups will take place next week. The complete final draft of the research paper and materials created as part of the group will also be due.

We will continue reading a Wrinkle in Time in class

x

Silk Road and Contro Topics after President's Week break.

updated February 26, 2018

SS7 - Students will make presentations and study two other Cities of the Silk Road projects this week and next. Students will participate in an art lesson from each city group.

LA7 - As in Social Studies, the Contro-Topics group project is proceeding along. Students will practice debating their topics with each other, and fill in gaps of information, data, evidence, and reasoning by completing more research in order to edit and revise the group’s first draft that was written before break.

We will continue reading a Wrinkle in Time in class.

Finish the entry and for previous weekly updates, go to Mr. Rodgers Blog.

SS7: Silk Road and LA7: Contro Topic Projects

updated February 12, 2018

SS7 - This week before Presidents Week, we are tying up our Silk Road assignments -
maps, timelines, short reports, art samples, and many other individual assignments that
are being mounted on black background needed to build a tiled wall for each of the
seven Silk Road cities in our Unit. This will allow groups to review finished student
products and information upon the return from vacation. At that point the trimester
will conclude. At the beginning of Trimester 3, students will present their materials,
study two other cities from Timbuktu, Mali to Xian, China and take two of the tests
prepared by each city. Alongside this mode, an artist from each city will teach the
class a traditional artform, that requires students to learn a dance, calligraphy, and i
llustration techniques from one city. View student work HERE

LA7 - As in Social Studies, the Contro-Topics group project is proceeding along. Student groups will write a rough draft of each section of the argumentative text - problem and claim, Affirmative and Opposing support and evidence, as well as a conclusion with questions for further research. Upon returning from vacation, students will practice debating each side of the issue, and work with four pieces of complex evidence to build their reasoning. The final presentations for each group involve debates where each students is randomly assigned to argue either position five minutes before the debate. Besides a debate, each group member must present a discussion of both sides of the issue, and explain the group’s overall conclusion.

For both classes, we are working to create the materials for the week after vacation.

Finish the entry and for previous weekly updates, go to Mr. Rodgers Blog.

Using the Notebook - used in LA7, SS7, Math, and Science classes

I have graded the notebook in class with students and explained the standards based format used on the rubric that categorizes different entries based on the types of process each entry required. 

Here is are active link, from the very top level of the website,  that is regularly displayed in the class that is used as the rubric - entitled Notebook TOC.

LASS7 Core Current to date: HERE ; 

Trimester Two through 12/12/17 HERE (grade in LA7 and SS7 categories)

Period 4 class - SS7 only:

Current grade based on: Trimester 2 through 12/12/17 Notebook Entries: HERE (grade in SS7 categories)

SS7 only HERE

Students not only were given a print out of the rubric/checklist, but were given plenty of time in class the week these were peer graded to submit any other entries that may have been completed on loose binder paper.

After student peer graded each other notebooks, I verified each rubric carefully for any mistakes and errors. In several cases, I regraded a number of student notebooks personally from scratch, due to peer student errors. 

Please examine the checklist carefully - each entry follows the rubric and the weekly calendars. Some entries are homework, some are started from in class activities. 

Each entry was classified as follows:

R - Reading Response - read an informational handout, and either answer 1 - 2 questions OR give a 5 point summary. Most of these are worth 5 points, a couple are worth 10 points since they were 2 pages long. Students report HW completion time on these about 15 - 20 minutes for a 5 point assignment; 20 - 30 minutes for a 10 point.

P - Performance/Observation - watch a video and respond. listen to a presentation/watch a film clip. Take notes or answer 1 - 2 questions. similar time frame for 5 and 10 point assignments in this category. 

G - Graphics - draw a sketch of a map from an in class activity. 10 points.

T - Critical Thinking - make connections from a reading with other points started from an in class activity - compare and contrast, respond to an argument. 5 points - 2 entries.

Each of these categories total raw scores for points earned for each entry were divided by 2 and these scores were entered in the grade book as standards based grading. 

The Notebook was also give a grade of 15 points - based on completing directions, organization, legibility, and creativity. Since all four academic classes rely on notebooks, it is essential that each student master the use of the notebook - in its various forms as used in Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. The notebook entries are very linear and follow the calendars and assignments of each class. They are concrete, in that adding one entry after each new entry, is very simple to understand. Students can easily examine the table of contents and check their own work to see if they have completed each entry. It is a very simple system. Students are required to manage their notebook and make up missing assignments. 

Lower grades in most of these categories reflect not completing various entries - all are listed on the website. Students that miss assignments or do not complete assignments in class MUST rely on the website for directions, readings, and required links in order to complete assignments. Use of the website is absolutely essential - and is regularly displayed in class as the assignments are discussed. The website’s nickname is OXYGEN, and without students cannot succeed in the class. 

Over the past two week, I have accepted missing entries from students and have adjusted their grades for any missing assignments. Most students have found these missing assignments in their folders. Many assignments were stamped in class the day it was due. These stamps indicate the assignment was due on time, and any “missing” entries with stamps were accepted on time without penalty. I sat down with at least 15 students to verify and fix any missing entries that work was submitted. I invite each student to do the same. If an assignment is missing, then it is essential that a student complete missing entries, then credit will be provided.

- Mr. Eliott Rodgers

updated January, 2017

In Social Studies 7 - The Silk Road (China to Africa) - We will examine how civilizations of the Middle Ages interacted with each other through trade, technology, ideas, and the arts. Each students will be assigned one of several cities along trade routes from Timbuktu in Africa, Venice, Istanbul, Baghdad, Samarkand, Xian, and others to examine how cities were supported by trade and technology, as well as track each city’s history and political changes.

In Language Arts 7 - We will start continue the Contro Topics unit. We will form one of seven groups that will each research a shared topic, examine both side of complex arguments, find relevant supporting evidence. Each group member will write supporting pieces that illustrate both sides of the issue, then each member will be randomly assigned to debate the issue as well as present the entire topic to the class.

We will continue into our next novel, A Wrinkle in Time. We will also continue collecting student written poetry in both LA7 and SS7 as we assemble a poetry booklet by the end of March.

Finish the entry and for previous weekly updates, go to Mr. Rodgers Blog.