8th+Grade+Summer+Work

SJMS: Universe Notes: Star is Born- good
 * Somewhere Out There**- needs more application, not just the crossword


 * Red Hot**- Are we using Absolute Magnitude or Luminosity? If we use Absolute magnitude then we need to talk about apparent magnitude. There needs to be more application in reading the H-R diagram

(Are we going to teach eclipses or tides next year?)
 * Lunar Cycle**- needs MAJOR help! Moonstruck expert info needs to have more moon phase info; right now it is mostly background info. We need application here as well.

- Thermal Energy - Heat Transfer - Specific Heat - Land/Sea Breeze - Winds/ currents - Coriolis Curve - Climate - Weather - Atmosphere - Greenhouse Effect - Ozone
 * Atmosphere/ Climate/ Weather Unit** seemed to jump around a lot this year. We would like to see a new order:


 * I want a Transfer**- Its an OK lab.


 * Layered Look**- Don’t like writing chemical equations with no chem. Background. Will they have learned this in 7th and how well? We use to only teach writing chemical formulas in Pre-AP and GT. Also, need to add directions for the foldable on the academic sheet. Need to be specific about what to put on foldable.


 * Be Specific**- Expert information is mainly on breezes and not specific heat. The expert info from “Water by Any Other Name” has better info for thermal energy and specific heat. The lab needs more room to record data, could be much better…


 * Coriolis Curve**- Hard to do and kids had a hard time grasping the concept.


 * Who’s In Control**- Did not like the reading activity. We think it would be better off split up and put each group of questions with the topic when it is covered.


 * Two’s Company**- This jumped from weather back to atmosphere. Also are we going to focus on good or bad ozone or both? Activity is about good ozone; EOS questions were about bad ozone.


 * What’s the Connection**- did not do this lab- Need better info on El Nino and La Nina.


 * Rain or Shine**- needed better expert info. Some of the questions from “Who’s In Control” could have gone here.


 * Final Thoughts**- **WE NEED MORE CHEMISTY!** We do not feel that only integrating chemistry into the rock section properly prepares them for TAKS. I would like to see us starting the year out with a chemistry review and then moving on. This would help us see what they know/remember and allow us to better spiral back when we come across chemistry concepts. I feel we need to build or reinforce the foundations and not just touch on it here and there.

CMS Notes: I am "old school".. I know it... I'm proud of it! Concluding my first year @ MISD, I am reminded that change s good, but tride and true still works.

Classic 8th Grade Curriculum includes: (small to big) 1.Safety, Measurement Review,Scientific Method 2. Nature of Science: Propertes, Atoms, Compounds. (7th Grade Topic - MM) 3. Periodic Table/Reactions 4. Minerals/Rocks/Rock Cycle 5. Plate Tectonics/EQ and Volc. 6. Fossils/Geologic Time (No longer covered in MS Science in the state of Texas - MM) 7. Weather/Atmosphere/Climate 8. Genetics/Body Systems/Osmosis&Turger review (7th Grade Topic - MM) 9. Energy/Motion/Waves/Simple Machines 10. Universe 11. Ecology (7th Grade Topic - MM)

Our current curriculum does a good job of intergrating various disciplines and I think we can continue to work within that framework but keep a flow that continues to build on itself throughout the year.

Goal 1: Review vertical alignment (6-8) of entire curriculum. Share vertical plans with all grade levels. Develop "Key Labs" that are unique for each grade level. With new the curriculum, 8th grade needs to see the whole picture... Region 13 has a a wonder spread sheet of content taught at at grade level...worth reviewing (I have a copy).

Goal 2: Create a Vocabulary and Concept Guide for each unit( give teachers a common list of expectations that includes TEKS objectives and concepts that are unique to MISD. (Similar to Teacher Targets) (I agree, and this information has been entered onto Schoolnet this week.Still needs to be looked at for validity though. - MM)

Goal 3: Ownership. We as a team need to have ownership in our curriculum. Continue to modify, adjust, share, discuss.... we a talented goup of educators. A guided curriculum can be productive if all memers of the team participates in its development and evolution. Let's review with 6th and 7th the depth of each topic taught to prevent overlap and holes in the TEKS.

Goal 4: Take Plano out of the picture. No Plano references, no Plano websites... we are McKinney. We can do better. (IAgain, I agree. We are inn the process of getting a MISD Science page for the district. As soon as we get that we can move all materials to our website. MM)

More thoughts to follow....**8th Grade Summer Work**