Day 152

Here we are, Friday number 34 out of 37!  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will review elements of an argument and begin constructing arguments for your presentations.

RFotD: Some types of snails have over 14,000 teeth that are some of the strongest organic materials known.  Read more here. 

Homework: catch up on Flipped work (reading responses, past chapters, etc.)

Day 151

There are only three more Thursdays to go!  Please finish your Flipped reading assignment.  If that has been completed, please read independently.

Today we will be working on your presentation and doing some revisions.

RFotD:  The war between the Persians and the Romans lasted more than 6 centuries.  That's right, more than 600 years!  Read about why it lasted so long here.

Homework: Catch up on your Flipped reading.

Day 150

I know that we all feel like the dog in the meme from time to time. At least it is early release day!  Please read independently while I take attendance. 

Today we will be working on introductions to our presentations and doing some reading from Flipped.

RFotD: Cherophobia is the fear of fun. Read more about it here.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 149

I hope that you all have a very productive day while the others are on the field trip.
Today you have two things to work on:

1. Spend about half of your time finishing your research. Once you feel that your research is complete (at least 3 sources of credible information), begin compiling your research into sentences and paragraphs.  Don't forget the work we did on paraphrasing.  Remember that the slides for your inquiry project are posted on Google Classroom.
2. Spend the other half of your time beginning your next assignment in Flipped: Get a Grip, Man and The Yard (pages 81-116). Due: The beginning of class on Thursday, April 27th.

RFotD: For a short time, the planet Uranus was named George. Read the details here.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 148

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a terrific weekend and come ready to get back to work.  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will begin the process of putting together information for your presentations.

RFotD: During World War II, the crew of the British submarine HMS Trident kept a fully-grown reindeer called Pollyanna aboard their vessel for six weeks (it was a gift from the Russians). Read more here.

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes.

Day 147

Happy Friday! 33 down, 4 to go! Please read from Flipped while I take attendance.  If you have already read Brawk-Brawk-Brawk and the Eggs, read independently.

Today we will be discussing Brawk-Brawk-Brawk and the Eggs, and watching the movie clip to analyze the similarities and differences between the movie and the text.

RFotD: The entire state of Wyoming only has two escalators.  Read more here.

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes.

Day 146

Hooray for Thursday! One more day until Friday.  We'll make it! Please respond to the following quote. Do you agree? Why or why not?  How does it apply to Bryce and Juli?

Today we will be looking at paraphrasing and visiting the book fair.

RFotD: A glass ball can bounce higher than a rubber ball.  Yes, that's right.  Read more here.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 145

We are FINALLY returning to the Library!  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will finish our work on the movie clip from yesterday, research, and read from Flipped.

RFotD: A sheep, a duck, and a rooster were the first passengers in a hot air balloon. Over Versailles, french investors not wanting to risk the lives of humans to test out hot air balloons sent up the animals into the sky.  Read the details here.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day144

Happy Tuesday number 33!  Only 5 more to go.  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will be watching our first movie clip from Flipped and yes, we will be doing some writing about it. :)

RFotD: Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on TV. Read about it and watch the commercial here.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 143

Happy Monday! We have a lot going on this week, so it is sure to fly by.  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will be discussing plagiarism and how to avoid it in your research.

RFotD: Powerful earthquakes can permanently shorten the length of Earth's days, by moving the spin of the Earth’s axis.  Read more about it here.  Thanks to Connor Stack for providing this random fact.

Homework read for 30 minutes.

Day 142

We finally made it.  Did you know that there are only 5 more Fridays left? That's impressive considering that we have had 32 Friday's before this one.  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will be choosing our inquiry questions and begin our research.

RFotD: The nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty never actually says that Humpty Dumpy was an egg.  Check it out for yourself here. 

Homework: Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend. 

Day 141

Spring weather is in full swing, but we have work to do. Let's make the most of it!  Please respond to the following prompt:

You have a good friend who has started to become really annoying. The friend isn't doing anything wrong per se but is really getting on your nerves.  The friend invites you to spend the weekend with him/ her at his/her family's cabin.  What do you do?  Give lots of specific reasoning.

Today we will look at inquiry questions and discuss Juli and Bryce's connections to your inquiry project.

RFotD: The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had. Read more here. Thanks to Jaelyn Sale for providing this random fact.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 140

We are FINALLY on a normal schedule!  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will come up with new team names and look at designing queries for research.

RFotD: The northern leopard frog swallows its prey using its eyes. Read more here. Thanks to Jackson Vaughn for providing this random fact. Thanks to Jackson Vaughn for providing this random fact.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 139

Today's reverse schedule is a little weird, but it's only one day!  Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will continue to work on strategies for finding good and reliable resources when researching.

RFotD: In 2015, more people were killed from injuries caused by taking a selfie than by shark attacks.  Read about this surprising statistic here.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 138

Happy Monday!  PARCC testing is officially behind us and life will begin to return to normal. Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will be looking at the validity of websites when researching.

RFotD: It is physically impossible for most people to lick their own elbow.   There are pictures and videos of people actually doing it, but I can't find any scientific explanation.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.

Day 137

Today is the final day of PARCC!  Keep a good attitude and finish strong! Please read independently while I take attendance.

Today we will be launching our FINAL unit of the year: Inquiry Into Arguments: Integrating Media.

RFotD: A Pineapple is actually a bunch of small berries fused together into a single mass.  Read about it and other interesting Pineapple facts here.

Homework: None.  Enjoy your weekend!

Day 136

Just two more tests!  Hang in there, you're almost there! 

RFotD: The current US flag was designed by high schooler Robert Heft as part of a school project. He initially got a B- on the project, but when his design was chosen for the country, his teacher gave him an A. Read the complete story here.

Homework: Get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast.

Day 135

Good luck on day 2 of PARCC testing!  I hope that you will put forth your best effort and give the test everything you've got!

RFotD: People can compete in a bike race that's under water! People don scuba gear swim to the bottom of the ocean 65 feet down and ride as fast as they can to complete the 40-foot track.

Homework: Get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast!

Day 134

Welcome back!  I know that you will all do an amazing job on your PARCC testing.  I will see you all on Friday for class.

RFotD: If you put a can of Diet Coke in water, it floats. Regular Coca-Cola sinks. No link today since you'll most likely not be on your Chromebooks.

Homework: Get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast!