Interim Science Reflection

 



            A few weeks ago we were instructed to fill out our own interim report.  Today I got back my real interim report.  In Science I was extremely happy with my report.  Almost all the X'S were closest to proficient.  Although the one I filled out looked different I am more than pleased with my results.

            My report that I filled out, many of my X's were in the middle of developing and proficient.  I was very pleased to see that the one Mr. Lammers gave me was closer to proficient...  I am happy with what he has given me, but I hope to make them even better.

            Through the last weeks I have been more focused and up to date on projects.  I have given more thought to my piers on projects and I cant wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

libya news

When the four Americans were attacked in Libya by terrorists, there was a huge shock to the public.  All four americans were killed. A group of U.S. employees went to consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building went under attack.  On Thursday, a senior Libyan security official said the attack was an organized two-part operation by heavily armed militants that included a precisely timed raid on a supposedly secret safe house just as Libyan and U.S. security forces were arriving to rescue evacuated consulate staff.  Once the terrorists set the building on fire, there was no escape.  The victims died from breathing too much smoke.  Before this awful thing had happened the four Americans emailed the White House to help with security in Libya.  The security measures were not increased, and because of this, people in Libya held a planned terrorist attack on the victims.  

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57512187/former-navy-seal-glen-doherty-one-of-4-americans-killed-in-attack-on-u.s-consulate-in-libya/

Roller Coaster reflection

In the 8th grade class at Carolina Day School, we were instructed to build a roller coaster using the lining on pipes.  One failure my group had was that the drop was too steep and so it would keep falling off the track.  After fixing that by putting a tunnel in, we had much success.  One of the skills of success was collaboration.  It was related to a motion unit because we had volocity. We talked about We would then drop the marble down the roller coaster and see if it had worked on the track.  Assigned to two partners, I thought It went extremely well.  My roller coaster met all the requirements assigned and we got a grade of an A-A+.  Our roller coaster, dropped, swerved, looped, and even went over some bumps. Although I was happy with my grade, it took until the last ten minutes of testing for it to finally work.  Overall our roller coaster was entertaining, exciting, and I liked working with my partners.  I am excited to see what next project we will be working on in class.  

S.C.R.A.V.I.D. POST

When reading Ender's Game, written by Orson Scott Card, my class was required to take notes on details that stood out to us in the book.  On those notes we put the page number, chapter, and reading strategy we used.  Between the seven reading strategies; Summarize, connect, reread, ask questions, visualize, infer, and decide on which details seemed important in the book, I used infer and decide to be most useful.  Instead of spelling all of these strategies out our class simply just calls them S.C.R.A.V.I.D.  

Between all the S.C.R.A.V.I.D reading strategies I found Inferring on the details,  deciding on the details, and visualizing seemed to be most important to me  in this particular book.  When I inferred on the details, I thought about all the things I had just read and made a connection with it from the beginning of the book, or even a few pages before. For example on page (51) I found that because of Ender’s brother being so mean to him he was exceptionally good at hiding his emotions. Then after this, I would make a decision between all that happened by thinking about all the question circulating in my mind.  On page (55) I made the decision that Graff truly did care about him.  Lastly when I visualized the details when Petra and Dink were watching Ender practice in the battle room (103)  I could clearly picture that scene in my mind from the given details.

These strategies, I think, will prove to be extremely useful in the future.  When reading a new book I will think back to S.C.R.A.V.I.D. I will think about re-reading when I don’t understand a page or chapter. This will increase my knowledge of reading by a longshot.  I’m glad I learned this and can’t wait to learn new strategies in the future.  

Science homework Feliz Baumgartner

       Often times we find ourselves scared of simply climbing a rock or even walking outside, but try freefall jumping down 120,000 feet.  43 year old, Felix Baumgartner, planned to make this traitorous journey today but was delayed because of wind currents.  He plans to go up in a stratospheric balloon as he then plummets towards Earth.  I think this effects 8th grade science by the way we look at experiments  and forces us to try something new.  Also I think it will help us see what, if there is, the instantaneous speed that happens as you see someone falling to Earth.

Vocabulary Reflection

     

           In language Arts at Carolina Day School we recently had a root word vocabulary quiz.   To study, I had many strategies that worked, but also, many things that did not.  I made flashcards to study which worked extremely well, and I did study more than one day before the test.  Although I did do this I don't think I used my time wisely.   Instead of studying quietly and productive, I studied while talking to a friend.  I have learned from that mistake, and the next time I take a quiz I plan to use my time more wisely WITHOUT talking to friends.