Closing in on Second Semester

Hunger Games movie trailer on imdb

     We have a large group of avid Hunger Games fans excited 

for the upcoming release of the Lionsgate version of Susanne Collins' 

trilogy. Click here for a look at the trailer.

     I am working on a plan for a Saturday outing to Garner's White Oak

theatres on April 14th. Students will go with parents, friends and neighbors 

to see this exciting new movie together. We can hardly wait until 

then! Stay tuned on the WMS school website for details.

The Camera Eye

The 'camera museum' has an array of books, film, movie and still cameras.

 Positive images, negative rolls, magazine and book titles and camera equipment surround the display.

 There are an assortment of Kodak cameras in this photo dating back to 1908.

This 1960-era splicer still works.

The Starmite II behind it has the original receipt from 1964. The kit cost $12.14!

  

     Have you ever noticed that a camera shutter works like your eyelids? That film works in the same way as the retina? Our 6th Grade will be learning about parts of the human eye along with parts of a camera and how they are alike. 

     Students will use an interactive site on the SMARTboard for learning functions of the human eye, holding old cameras to see how they function like the eye, handle 8mm and 35mm film and use ipads for an interactive optical illusion app. 

     I love teaching this unit with my family's photos and collection of cameras dating back to 1908. I keep the 'Leckey camera museum' up until January 27th, so stop in and take a look!


Class interactions:

Learning how our lenses work.

Ms. Frederick helps students find the sclera

Students engaged in reading

using teamwork to find the answers

They really enjoyed the ability to modify text and images for their viewing preference.

Silver halite crystals in film work like the cones and rods in your retina

Literature Connections 

with Mr. Huber

Students read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

13-year old Brian is riding in a two-person aircraft when the pilot suddenly dies of a heart attack! The plane crashes, but Brian survives only to face the relentless wilderness alone and with few supplies. He learnes to become a young man while living off the land and coming to terms with his parents' recent divorce.

They visited the media center to use Destiny OPAC for web research and to find print research materials.

Some were amazed to find how cool the books are! These students were looking at the diagrams of antique planes.

This student was reading about first aid techniques. Now she's ready for an emergency!

First Semester is Almost Over?

How is it possible the year is going by so quickly? It is not a secret that all schools are struggling with staffing shortages and diminishing budgets. So what are we doing to survive this year?


I like to think I thrive, rather than survive. I have had some successful collaboration with teachers for meaningful projects. 8th grade Language Arts did an in-depth author study, critically thinking about the influences in the author's life and the subsequent reflection in their writing style. Many students were excited to see their "boring" authors had some controversial books which have been banned or challenged in their history. 


8th Grade Language Arts also researched newspaper databases and print resources to develop and argue a topic for a persuasive essay. Students struggled through the process of using recommended resources and learning to navigate with keyword banks. The end product was a success! Many were able to write critically about their topic with solid research to back up their opinions.


7th Grade Social Studies had a fun project creating Egyptian pharaoh Facebook pages. They used quality research resources, cited them properly and formatted a Powerpoint slide to look like Facebook pages. My favorite was a student's choice to put Cleopatra's relationship status as "complicated". They really got it!


Our most recent success was a risky experiment with Skype in the Classroom. We connected with E. Cary Middle's 8th Grade Language Arts class to ask and answer questions about Holocaust survivors. Some shared their favorite books and why they recommended them. Students had a feedback session, giving their plus/deltas to review and implement on our next Skype lesson.


Add in quality guest speakers, like David Hamilton of Weather Predict Consulting, Inc. who spoke to 7th graders about the technology of weather information systems,  and you could surmise that we have been holding our own. 


Maybe the winds will change to allow more opportunities for allowing me to get back into the classroom. I am thankful for a dynamic staff who are willing to try innovative lessons. We get together to analyze data, finding ways to make educational experiences more meaningful for our students. We have a top-notch Media and Technology Advisory Committee who are diligent in seeking out new educational technologies, acquiring and testing them for smooth transition to the classroom. 


We are proud to be the Wendell Middle Community. I can't wait to post our new adventures soon!