Examining the Holocaust

Next week in Language Arts the students will be beginning to read The Diary of Anne Frank.  In connections class we are doing some work to give them some background knowledge on the Holocaust so they are better prepared for reading about Anne Frank.  This is a sensitive topic and I approach it that way.  We've only just begun and the students are very interested and have been asking some really great questions.  Here are a few things that we will be working on during this unit:

- Watching a United Streaming video on the Holocaust.
- Reading and analyzing survivor stories.
- Learning about how the Holocaust affected children.
- Reviewing maps of concentration camps and charting numbers of those lost.
- Reading and responding to articles about modern day genocide, righteous gentiles, and overcoming hatred.

This is a unit that you children may want to talk about with you and it's a great opportunity to discuss many of the above items. 

In Leah's Wake - adult book review

In Leah's Wake

By Terri Giuliano Long

This was another inexpensive Kindle buy and it was interesting for me to read for a few reasons.  It's about a teenage girl who is successful in school and in soccer but at some point she stops caring about everything, falls in with the wrong crowd, and finds her life in a downward spiral.  I thought this was interesting because it shows that kids who get involved with drugs or end up down a dangerous path don't always come from a dysfunctional family.  For the last 9 1/2 years I've taught teenagers and it was interesting to read a book about a "good kid gone bad" because once or twice I've seen it happen and wondered how it could.  As a Mom to little kids it really makes me think about the trying times that are inevitably waiting for us.  This was a decent book and I did find it interesting. 

 

Chasing Rainbows - adult book review

Chasing Rainbows

By Kathleen Long

This book was less than $5.00 for my Kindle and it was a pretty good read.  I'd call it a beach book!  It examines the life of a woman who is dealing with divorce, loss of her job, and grieving for both her father and her baby daughter that she lost soon after she was born.  It's a story of how people deal with grief and how they find a way to move on.  It was a quick read and I liked it!

Coming soon....

Coming Soon.. to a connections class near you....

-Holocaust background study (this links with the reading of Anne Frank in LA)

- Studying the stories of Holocaust survivors and righteous Gentiles

-Modern day Holocausts - do they exist?

-Poetry, comparative, and children's books writing

Then in March be ready for....

RESTAURANT WARS!!!

Research paper deadline is approaching!

The Multi-Genre research papers are due on Wednesday, February 1st!   The kids are starting to get nervous and feel pressure to get the paper done.  This makes me a little upset because they have had three weeks to work on this in class and their homework each night was to spend 15 minutes working on some aspect of their paper.  For weeks I've warned them about the importance of spending some time at home working on this assignment but unfortunately many kids don't take my advice.

What they don't understand is that if they don't spend small amounts of time throughout the process then they will be crunched to get it done at the last minute.  I know that in 8th grade there is A LOT going on but time management has to come into play at some point to prepare them for high school and to avoid the night before, up all night, writing marathon.

That being said this week will be spent continuing to work on their rough drafts and I will meet with each student daily to review their rough drafts with them and to sign their checklists.  What I have seen so far looks great and I'm excited to read the final products!

Teen Book Review - Speak

Speak

By Laurie Halse Anderson

What a great book! Told from the view point of a freshman in high school who takes us through her miserable first year of high school.  She has a secret that she hasn't told anyone and because of this her friends have all deserted her and she's an outcast in every way.  This book has some mature topics but is well done, interesting, and touches on feelings that many high school students feel.  I would recommend this book for mature 7th and 8th graders and high school students.

Teen Book Review - The Hunger Games Series

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

MockingJay

 By Suzanne Collins

This series of books is AWESOME!  Once you start reading the first one you won't be able to put them down!  The stories take place in "PanAm" and revolve around a girl named Katniss.  Each year the capitol of PanAm has a drawing and chooses two children from each district to compete in the games. They train and then go to fight to the death!  These books are action packed, interesting, and fun to read!  I would recommend them to boys and girls 7th grade and up!

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

By Jordan Sonnenblick

What a great book! Told from the perspective of an 8th grade boy, it's the story of what happens when your life gets turned upside down.  Steven, our narrator, tells us how his family copes when his younger brother is diagnosed with Leukemia.  This book is real, sad, and funny at the same time.  Steven is into girls (like all 8th grade boys) and is an accomplished drummer who also loves his family and wants his brother to get well.  I would recommend this book to both boys and girls and adults! I really enjoyed reading it!

TEEN Book Review: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes By Chris Crutcher

Starting in 2012 I'm hoping to add book reviews for both teens and adults to my blog.  This will give students and parents a place to look for some new reading material and I will include a short summary of the book and my review as an English Teacher.  

Book: Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes

By: Chris Crutcher

This book is about two friends who consider themselves outcasts.  They come together at a young age and through thick and thin never let each other down.  A good book for 7-8th graders.  Some mature content such as religious views and child abuse but very well written.  When you read this you will not want to put it down!

A great book and I highly recommend it!

Multi Genre Research paper

    We have started horrible, the dreaded, the unusual....research paper!  It seems that during the entire duration of my life as a teacher my students have always dreaded one thing...the research paper.  I'm not sure if it's because it's an assignment that take a lot of time or because they just get nervous at hearing the name but the reaction is usually the same.  

   The research paper has been a highly debatable topic in education over the last few years.  Many feel that students need to learn how to effectively research and write a long paper where every point proves one main thesis.  Others feel that students can learn the process of researching while completing a multimedia presentation of some sort.  I am somewhere in the middle of those two opinions.  Because of this I have created the Multi Genre Research paper! 

  The multi genre research paper asks students to research a person in the world (living or deceased) that has had a great influence in some aspect of life.  Some examples of topics are Martin Luther King Jr., Hellen Keller, Jim Henson, Jackie Robinson, etc.  The students will research from at least four sources (3 online and 1 book) and will then use that information to CREATIVELY write their paper.  This is very different than a typical written paper because the students have to take what they have researched and then use their own ideas to fill in the blanks.  For example they might write a few diary entries from the viewpoint of their person or write a recipe involving that person or even creating a political cartoon about their topic.  

    While they are writing all researched information must be cited correctly in text and a works cited is also required.  They also write an introduction to that paper where they present their thesis statement and also add a notes page where they reflect on why they chose the genre pieces that they did and how those genres helped them convey the appropriate information about their topic. (There were three choices per section).   

  The students are currently in the research phase of this assignment but I'm happy to report that overall they are focused and interested.  Although a lot of work this has proved, over the years, to be one of the most difficult but most enjoyable assignments for the students to complete and will hopefully relieve some of their "research paper angst!"  I will share excerpts from their papers at the end of the month!

The full assignment can be found on my website http://www.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage.aspx?id=517307&xpage=720406

2012: A New Year; a new post!

 Since 2012 is now in full swing I've decided that it's time to update my blog.  I apologize for not updating it in MONTHS, which was never my intention but time goes by quickly and the next thing I knew I had neglected the blog.  But it's a new year and it's time to write again!  

Students and parents, 

Here are some things you can look for in the next two marking periods:

1) Multi genre research paper (currently working on it now)

2) Holocaust survivor assignments and background

3) Restaurant Wars!!! (Yeah! They are so excited to do this!)

4) Digital footprint

5) Change the World

6) And many more interesting articles, discussions and writing! 

In just a few weeks the marking period will be over and that means we will already be halfway done with the school year - time goes by so quickly!   Here's to a great 2012 and a wonderful "end" to the school year! 

Builders Club is BACK!!

Calling all Volunteers!! The Builders club is back and ready to serve!

The Builders Club is a community service organization that meets every other Thursday after school in room 227 with Mrs. Kopp.  We also have many weekend events that we participate in. 

Students can join Builders club at anytime during the year.  Just come to a meeing!

Students can be part of the Builders club without coming to every event and meeting.  You can come whenever you can and participate in events that interest you and fit your schedule. 

Past activities include:

Fright Night at Station Park

Working with Sparta Parks to run programs for preschool children

Pennies for Patient fundraising

Running the student/faculty basketball game

Making get well bags for hosptial patients

Collecting items for animal shelters

Working with Pass it Along on their holiday toy shop

2011-2012 Meeting Dates

All meetings will take place after school in room 227 until the late bus at 4:30

October 6th (First meeting)

October 20th

November 3rd

November 17th

December 1st

December 15th

January 5th

January 19th

February 2nd

February 16th

March 1st

March 15th

March 29th

April 19th

April 26

May 10th

May 24th

June 7th (Party for members with 10 or more hours of service)

Come join the fun and make a difference in our world and community!!

Parents - if you have an idea or outlet that we can use to volunteer please let me know!  We love to take on new projects! Thanks!

Pretty has nothing to do with it.

Recently JCPenney took the above shirt off of their shelves after parent complaints that it fed into the stereotype that young girls should be more worried about their looks rather than focusing on their education.  My husband was the one to actually see this article and point it out to me.  Now that we have a daughter our radars beep whenever something like this arises.  JCPenney was also marketing a shirt that read, "I'm too pretty to do Math."  Again this fed the stereotype that girls were not as good as boys in Mathematics.  

We brought this article to school and it sparked some anger in most of the teachers that we work with and I decided to address it in class.  Today in class the students wrote about their morning routine and then they re-wrote it as the opposite gender.  This writing exercise  reveals many gender stereotypes.  (examples: boys smell bad, girls take too long to pick clothes, boys are not sensitive, girls gossip, boys eat a lot, girls text all the time, etc.) We then listed these stereotypes on large post it notes and will save them to use next week.

Next week we are going to read the article about JcPenney and their t-shirt issue (http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/epic-t-shirt-fail-quot-im-too-pretty-to-do-my-homework-so-my-brother-has-to-do-it-for-me-quot-2537106/)  and ask the question, "Does pretty have anything to do with it?"  We'll also look at how media affects our opinions and reinforces many stereotypes about gender, age, religion, cultural background, etc. Additionally we'll explore the Pink vs. Blue world that begins at birth and discuss whether or not toys can affect a child as he or she is growing. 

This is a hot topic and the students are really interested in discussing it.  If you get a chance talk to them about it at home! 

Student Quotes on writing - GOOD STUFF

I had the students complete a "writing interview" with themselves so that I could get a better idea of how they feel about writing and what they would like to learn about writing this year.  Those interviews were great and honest and here are some of the best quotes that I was able to pull from them.

Writing Advice

By students of room 227

“ It’s easier to write about myself.” – Rivas

“Always brainstorm before you write.” – Sica

“I would tell them not to rush.” – Mohamed

“READ – you need to be a good reader to be a good writer.” – Smith

“When you write you should describe your senses, tell what you hear, see, feel, and smell.” –Caselnova

                                   

“Just let if flow and don’t think it.” – Chute

“READ. That is my advice to students.  Read other people’s writing and yours will get better.” – Connelly

“Think about what you write and try to paint visual pictures of the story in your head.” – Sobotor

Why do you write?

“ I especially like to write about the symbolism behind the author’s words.” – Schluter

“I write because I like to remember what’s happening.  I want to look back and remember that event, that feeling I had on that day.” – Rivera

“People sometimes write to feel comfortable to feel as though they have someone to talk to, to express their feelings.” – Baldini

“When you write sometimes you have no idea what you want to say, sometimes it just comes to you.” – Daly

“ I write because it gives a passage way for my feelings and emotions…” – Crimando

“Writers are artists.” – Buchanan

“I write occasionally when I’m not at school if I have a random great idea.” – Purvey

“I get my inspiration from how I’m feeling and watching people live their everyday life.” – Waitzman

“When I write I feel as if the world dissolves around me, and all I can hear are my thoughts and the clicking of the keyboard…” – Cuan

How can I help you?

“Teach me how to like writing.” –Sica

“You can help me by showing me examples and techniques.” – Rivera

“Let us write about things we enjoy so we apply more effort.” – Grove

“Writing different types of things would make me a better writer.”

 

Self Awareness - Who are you?

Our first unit is entitled Self Awareness.  During the month of September we are exploring who we are, where we come from, and who we want to be when we grow up.  Students will be reading articles on nature vs. nurture and birth order. They will start to form opinions that may differ from those of their parents and I will encourage them to use facts to reach an opinion of their own. 

Since school started the students have completed an Oval with pictures that represents who they are and what they love, they have chosen and played a song that represented themselves, and created a wordle (www.wordle.net) about themselves.  I have encouraged them to talk to their parents about nature vs. nurture and to get outside opinions to bring back to class discussions.

So far the students are excited and enthusiastic in class and have participated wonderfully!  I think this is going to be a great year!

Welcome Back! 2011 - 2012 School Year!

 Well it's official, the lights at SMS are restored and school is ready to start in just THREE days!  I can't believe it!  This year in Connections we're going to be exploring various topics that will be interesting and fun.  I look forward to a great school year.

Parents: this blog is a place you can check often (or subscribe to) so that you can get an inside look at our class and what we are learning.  Not only does it keep you up to date but it also give you lots of great talking points to bring up at dinner with your teen.  Also be sure to check out my website (www.sparta.org - click staff directory - click middle school - scroll down to Jade team and Mrs. Danielle Kopp website.)  where you can find a homework calendar that is accurate and correct, current assignments and objectives and resources to help your child. 

Here's to a great school year!



Survival of the Fittest

“The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with the qualifications for adaptation, the ability to accept the inevitable and conform to the unavoidable, to harmonize with existing or changing conditions.”

During the last week of class we have been discussing the topic of survival.  Through our discussions we discovered that human beings are equipped with some interesting pieces that help us to survive.  Some of these qualities are our skin, the ability to feel pain, the ability to swallow, teeth, eyelashes, and fingernails, just to name a few.  The students decided that it would be beneficial for them to learn some simple survival skills so that they would be prepared if they were ever in an emergency situation.   

One activity that the students really enjoyed was "Survival in the Arctic."  We went on a journey of the mind to the arctic and pretended that we were stuck in the arctic during a white out storm.  Each student was given a sheet with 12 items on it.  Some of the items were a bag of peanuts, empty canteen, butane lighter, foam seat cushions, hockey stick, etc.  The students had to rank these items from most important for survival in the arctic (1) to least important for survival in the arctic (12).  

Once this was done we reviewed how to effectively reach a consensus and then the students worked in groups to try to collectively rank the 12 items again.  It was interesting to see how long it took for the groups to reach a consensus when they had to back up their opinions with well thought out and concrete reasons.  Students were not allowed to vote, give in, or use the majority rules method to make the decision.

Once this was done I read them the correct ranking of each item, which came from the U.S. Army survival manual, and they had to see how well they did.  In each class we were able to determine the individual student and the group that would be most likely to survive in the arctic!  

Throughout life everyone has times that they feel they may need to "survive" and the students are no exception.  Many of them felt that 8th grade was something to survive!  

Scrapblog

In the next day or two the students will start working on Scrapblog to create their final project for our Self Awareness unit.  Scrapblog is a great website where students can upload photos and add borders,stickers, backgrounds, etc to their pages.  It's scrap booking online. 

PARENTS- Just so you know there is an option on Scrapblog to purchase some of their packages. Your children should NOT have to purchase anything to do this!  Scrapblog offers hundreds of free items and those will be plenty for you kids to complete their assignment.

They will have time in class to work on this but it should also be worked on at home if needed.  Visit my website or moodle page for specifics on the assignment.  The scrapblog website is www.scrapblog.com . 

I'm excited to see how these turn out! If any of you are interested in the website or scrap booking you will love this site.  You can create books, postcards, calendars, etc.  I've used it for personal use and their products are reasonable and neat.  In case you're interested :) .

Back in the swing of things!

We've officially been in school for the last two weeks and things are going really well!  My students are now really into their "self awareness" unit and have already started contributing to discussions and asking some really great questions.

This week the students did a few quick writes where they reflected on how their parents and families influenced them as well as which songs represent their individual personalities.  We also read two interesting articles this week that discussed the scientific idea of nature vs. nurture.  The students were forced to look at their lives and try to determine how much of who they are has come from genetics and how much has come from how they are being raised and experiences that they have had.  The second article we read was called "Identical Strangers" and it was about a set of identical twins who were adopted at birth and were separated on purpose so that scientists could study the effects on nature vs. nurture.  The twins discovered each other at age 35.  A man named Neubaurer, the scientist in charge of this study knew that it would be controversial so he locked the results in a vault at Yale University until 2066!  So when my students are 70 they are going to check the news to see if the vault has been opened.

Next the kids will be using a fun computer site called wordle to create a great word map of themselves.

Overall the students were interested in the topics discussed in class and I already see them coming out of their shells and becoming part of our class!  It was a great week!

The Countdown Begins!

Believe it or not in just a few short weeks we will all be back in the classroom ready to teach and learn.  I'm sure that many of you are getting ready, buying lots of supplies and begging your parents for more new school clothes.  I still go back to school shopping too!  Summer is a great time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends but try to bring that relaxed attitude with you to the classroom in September!

Enjoy the last few days of summer and I'll see you all soon!  I'll post some pictures of our Connections classroom sometime next week so stay tuned!