Class Agenda

Memorial Day

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 28 May 2010 12:02:00 +0000

Check out the videos and photo galleries about History of Memorial Day.

Please take this survey to share your experience and ideas about ways to improve Sebasticook Valley Middle School.

Have a safe and restful three day weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:01:00 +0000

Because of the technical difficulties we've encountered with EduSim and Sketchup, I am going to make the video project extra credit. It needs to be completed and on your web portfolio or Economics blog by Friday 5/28.

You assignment for the week is to partner up and play a full game of Financial Football and post your final score screenshots to your blog. You need to have 2 screenshots on your blog by Friday, May 28.

Historical Fiction 4

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:02:00 +0000

You Historical Fiction project is due today. Be sure to put it on your web portfolio and be sure to publish the document so I can see it.

Progress Reports

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Progress Reports go home with 8th grade students today.

Historical Fiction Project due Friday

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Your Historical Fiction project is due Friday May 21. It must be embedded on your web portfolio by the end of the day. Be sure to publish your project or I won't be able to score your work.

Wish List Video

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:55:00 +0000

Start creating your Edusim "Cribs" video.
Load your 3D models into EduSim.
Go to Screencast-o-Matic and record your world explaining all the stuff you have on your wish list.
Go to ccmixter and find a song to use as background music.
Edit your video with cool effects in iMovie then upload your video to YouTube and embed the video on your web portfolio.

Cinco De Mayo

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:58:00 +0000

Lots of us have heard of the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, but not everyone knows what it celebrates. It is not, as some believe, Mexico's Independence Day. The festivities that occur on the fifth day of May commemorate a battle that was fought almost 50 years after Mexico declared its independence from Spain.

Throughout Mexico, as well as in many cities across the United States and any other country where there are people of Mexican descent, the fifth of May means partying in traditional Mexican style; but its significance goes beyond mariachi bands and piñatas. Check out the following links to learn about the roots of Cinco de Mayo and how this holiday is celebrated in North America.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/holidays/cinco-de-mayo.htm#

http://www.history.com/topics/cinco-de-mayo

3rd Quarter Rank Cards

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0000

3rd Quarter Ranks Cards will go home today with students.

Have a safe, relaxing and restful April Break!

New Auto Assignment

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Create a blog post titled: The true cost of buying a car

Go to a car manufacturer's website and build a 2010 car online.
Take a screenshot of the car and the final price including tax and fees.
Calculate the monthly payment on a 60 month loan.
Calculate the deposit and monthly payment on a 36 month lease with purchase option.
Determine the final cost after leasing or payoff.
Show how much more you pay by taking out a loan or leasing than the actual price of the vehicle.

Personal Reflection Assignment

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0000

On your Economics Blog Create a new post titled The Spin Game and answer the following questions:

What new word or words did you learn during the Spin Game?
Why is it important for your team to work together to decide on a group answer?
What are some examples of school subjects that relate to specific occupations? How do they relate?
What occupations did you learn about that you did not know of before playing the Spin Game?
What occupations are related to the environment? How?

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:14:00 +0000

Be sure to show the Letter to your Parent/Guardian about our Economics Unit.

Also, student led conferences are:
Tuesday 3:30-7:30 for Ms. Doyle and Ms. Fontaine's classes
Wednesday 3:30-7:30 for Mr. Gauthier and Mr. Welch's classes and Mrs. Lamson will be available.

Today's Assignment

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:56:00 +0000

Create a blog post titled: Foundations

A. Find three examples of the following:

job
occupation
career

B. Answer the following questions:

What changes have you noticed recently at school? What changes have you noticed in your neighborhood?
What useful things have you learned outside of school? How?
What surprises have you experienced that turned your life in a direction you weren't expecting?
Who has helped you make an important decision?

Geography Survey

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:46:00 +0000

Please take a few minutes to take this survey.
U.S. Geography Student Survey

End of 3rd Quarter

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Today is the last day of the Third Quarter. You need to have your Historical Fiction 3 project, your Google Map and your Budget Worksheet on your web portfolio by the end of the day or you will get a "0" in the grade book.

U.S. Geography Project Due

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Your Google Map and Budget Worksheet are due today. Please put them on your web portfolio by the end of the day. Grades close at the end of the quarter next Friday, 4/2.

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:34:00 +0000

You should have 15 facts and 10 pictures in all 50 states by the end of the day and it should be embedded on your web portfolio.
Next Friday, you should have your trip to all 50 states and your Budget Worksheet complete and embedded on your web portfolio.
The following Friday, April 3 is the last day of the 3rd quarter and grades close.

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Your Historical Fiction 3 project is due today. Be sure to publish it and embed it on your web portfolio.

You should have 40 states complete with 15 facts and 10 pictures today.

Here is a quick, fun project if you are looking for a way to spice up your web portfolio.
Create a Welcome Monster!
@Grab A Beast

Google Maps Bug

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:14:00 +0000

When you start plotting your trip to all 50 states DO NOT drag and drop a marker onto your state. There is a bug that will delete the information you have saved to your shape. Instead, search for the place you are planning on visiting and "Save it to My Maps." That will include the information from Google and allow BOTH the marker and the shape to have information.

Also, when saving Driving Directions, Google Maps adds START and END markers to your map, so you will have to delete the extra markers each time you add Driving Directions to your map.

On Monday, 3/15 I will go over specific instructions about the Budget Worksheet that you will complete as you plan your trip to all 50 states.

Earth Album - Project Resources

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:12:00 +0000

I am adding this site to our Project Resources page. It is a really cool site that is very similar to your Google Map project. The site uses geo tags from Flickr to show you the areas on the map. It may help you find pictures for each state on your map.
Earth Album

Please Vote Everyday!

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:34:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:42:00 +0000

At this point you should have 30+ states complete with 15 facts and 10 pictures in Google Maps. Here is a look at the upcoming deadlines:

March 12 - Historical Fiction 3 Due & 40 States complete
March 19 - 50 States complete
March 26 - Trip to all 50 states and Budget Worksheet complete
April 2 - Quarter Ends and Grades are closed

New Project Resource for Title Pages

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:41:00 +0000

Here is a neat web tool that I am adding to the Project Resources page that will let you make some interesting designs for your Title Page on a movie or presentation.
http://www.escapemotions.com/experiments/flame/#top

A quick example by MrG

The History of Earthquakes in Chile

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:42:00 +0000

Coastal Chile has a history of very large earthquakes.

Since 1973, there have been 13 events of magnitude 7.0 or greater.

The February 27 shock originated about 100 miles north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960 -- the largest earthquake worldwide since the beginning of instrumental seismology at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The giant 1960 earthquake spawned a tsunami that caused destruction on coasts throughout the Pacific Ocean basin. An estimated 1600 lives were lost to the 1960 earthquake and tsunami in Chile, and the 1960 tsunami took another 200 lives among Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines.

Here is a map of the energy map created by the earthquake on 2/27/10.

Sources:
NOAA
USGS

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:45:00 +0000

I'm sorry that I will be out today. Your expectations remain the same.

Enter and leave the class quietly.
Treat the substitute teacher as a guest in our classroom.
If you need the leave during class, take the pass off the desk and when you return, place it back under the rock.
If you have any immediate questions, please email me.
If you choose to be difficult with the substitute teacher, you will earn an afternoon of detention.

noreply@blogger.com (MrG) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your time off.
A couple of reminders, Historical Fiction Due 3/12 and US Geography Performance Task due 3/19.