7TH GRADE EARTH SCIENCE

Room 201

WELCOME TO 8TH GRADE SCIENCE

I am looking forward to meeting all of you. Please read the following information carefully to make sure you understand the academic and behavioral expectations of this class. If you have a question about the information outlined on this page, please be sure to ask.

DR. TOBERMAN

As an educator in a increasingly competitive academic society my core objective is to give students the tools to exceed expectations. I received a Doctorate Degree from Yale in Quantum Mechanics and completed my undergraduate and graduate work in Miami Universitys Education Program. The core of the St. Joes curriculum is educating students for the future. Today we live in an increasingly diverse society with complex environmental and social problems. Through real life simulations and an inquiry based curriculum students will be given the novel challenge to try to solve these issues that riddle todays society.

NAVIGATION PAGE
Syllabus Mission Statement Lesson Planning Classroom Management Instructional Information

SYLLABUS:

SYLLABUS:

SYLLABUS:

MISSION STATEMENT
St. Joes is a student centered community with the initiative of providing a quality secondary education for young men and women. Our central goal is excellent academic achievement as well as student growth. We are
committed to supporting the diverse needs of our students through a comprehensive range of quality educational, social, artistic, athletic, and guidance programs and services.

Our educational system takes a holistic approach in forming the whole person which is the core of our four principles of excellence in a St. Joes education.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

The classroom management design that is used in my individual classroom is aligned with our school belief system and building management plan.

LESSON PLANNING

All lesson planning is based off the district framework for planning lessons involving the 5E learning model.

LESSON PLANNING

INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION LINKS PAGE

First Day Activities First Two Weeks Course Content Progress Book IEP Content Standards Room Setup Five Rules Student Response Hierarchy Motivational Systems

FIRST DAY
The first day of school is integral in setting up the framework for a successful year. The framework for the first day of school is based off the concepts extrapolated from the Total Quality Learning Management Model. The Following slide outlines the framework I will use for an effective first day of class.

FIRST DAY OF CLASS ACTIVITIES Action Description ACTIVITIES

Welcome Greet Students, Stand at door

Information yourself Check that students are about in the right room Instructor name should be on the board
Seating Arrangements Attendance Express Interest in Students Rules and Procedures Content Learn Self-Disclosure Closing Students choose where they sit Make seating chart during role call Information Cards See following slides and Five Basic Rules Goals, Methods, and Assessment Find out students learning styles Teacher describes a little about oneself Teacher provides closure

FIRST TWO WEEKS

Week 1:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 2:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

TUESDAY

The first thing that will take place on this day is discussing the syllabus. I will go through the student syllabus and discuss what students should know about the course. (10 minutes) After discussing the course content and grading policy I will ask students to share their interests with their team members and also write down there members names in their notebooks. (5 minutes) During this class students will be given a lab safety handout and given time in class to work on it and complete it! It is designed to take about 20 minutes and is essential for the next days lesson. At the very end of class I am going to show a short piece of the film Frankenstein. After this I am going to hand out a worksheet with one question about the overarching attitude towards scientific advancement in this film. This is the engage phase of my first two week lesson plan.

WEDNESDAY

During this session students will assemble into their groups and discuss what they found in the previous learning activity for five minutes. During this students are encouraged to change or enhance their original answers. Next each group of students will be given a mystery box that is duck taped shut. The box will contain an item. Students during this period will be asked to make observations with their teams and try to figure out what is in the box without opening it. Technology options used will include scales and students will start using the online twitter account specifically designed for class. This will be the explore activity.

THURSDAY

For the explain activity students will be asked to make concept map for the scientific method. During this activity students will be asked if the scientific method was fixed and if they utilized the scientific method in the mystery box activity. This will be a collaborative activity where each student uses a different colored marker and must contribute in their group of four. Also students will need to determine how the scientific method related to the overall nature of science. At the end of the session each group of four will have time to present.

FRIDAY

This day marks the beginning of the elaborate component of the learning cycle. In the beginning of the class session we will revisit the important concepts of the nature of science that were stressed during the original mystery learning box activity. During this day students will be exposed to an issue regarding their local community. All that will occur during this lesson is discussion and an introduction to the next learning activity.

MONDAY

During this class we will be discussing how to conduct good research using search engines. For this lesson I will cooperate with the librarian at the school and discuss the best methods for conducting research and using the schools library. A handout will also be provided for this activity!

TUESDAY
In this day we will be continuing our discussion on the problem with holes in trees. Students are introduced to the webquest activity that they will be using for the entirety of the elaboration section of this learning cycle.

o Address for Webquest https://sites.google.com/a/muohio.edu/invasive-species-webquest/home

WEDNESDAY
After individually completing the exploration about the issue in the local community students will meet and be in a mock panel. Each student will have to contribute their knowledge and collaborate to come up with an answer for their community problem. During this students are asked to use the research and use their findings during the day 7 activities and come up with a solution to the issue. To encourage collaboration points must be made that include research topics from each student.

THURSDAY
Students will give 5 minute presentation in a mock community hall meeting about what they will do to save their trees. At the end of this session we will discuss the importance of collaboration in scientific advancement and decide what other issues are affecting the local community. In this discussion we will pose the question what it means to be a civil contributing member to a better community.

FRIDAY

For this section the evaluate activity will be introduced. The final step of this is to introduce examples of bad science. Students will be given handouts for each of their groups. Students will have to collaborate and come up with four main points for why this is or is not pseudoscience. At the end of this teaching unit an assignment is given to write an essay on one of the learning objectives students completed regarding the nature of science. The students can choose between pseudoscience, the scientific method, creativity in science, or the use of technology in science and how it related to the mystery box activity. These reflections are to be 2 pages handwritten or one page type double spaced.

At St. Joes students and teachers utilize an online program called ProgressBook. Integrated into the website is the following tracking tools:

This system ensures accountability for students as well as our faculty and staff.

Attendance Grades Curriculum Assigned Homework Student Behavior

WEB-BASED IEP
At St. Joes our IEP program is easily monitored and tracked online using spectrum K-12 learning solutions software which has been integrated into St. Joes school site. Using this software teachers and students are able to consider the best course of action for a true individualized education plan. Students progress ins constantly monitored and instructional methods are rooted in scientifically best based practice's.

STATE STANDARDS

The state recognizes six content standards they are:

Earth and Space Sciences Life Sciences Physical Sciences Science and Technology Scientific Inquiry Scientific Ways of Knowing

All of these state standards define the curricular aims of this course. When designing curriculum all course content is reported in relation to state standards.

CLASSROOM SETUP

Students with special needs will get priority seating in my classroom. Part of my goals of this classroom design is to have full view of every student from the front of the classroom. I will still float through the class during group activities but this setup makes it easier to see each student and encourages cooperation. The overall goal of the classroom is to invite students into a room that sets up the framework for goal oriented learning and engagement through celebrating student excellence.

CLASSROOM RULES
Five

simple but critical rules, introduced on the first day of school:

Be seated when the bell rings. No talking while the teacher is talking. Raise your hand if you have a question. Dont mess with other peoples stuff. The bell does not dismiss you, I do.

STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR SEQUENCE

1.Rules and procedures introduced on the first day of school. 2.Class-wide reminder. If a student misbehaves and breaks one of the rules during the first day, remind the whole class of your expectations in a businesslike tone. 3.Next class opening. In the next class opening, remind the class of the rules, your impression of yesterday and your expectations for today. 4. Proximity/nonverbal cues with offender. Establish proximity with the student causing the problem. (i.e., eye contact, or walking over to where the problem is.) The perception of proximity increases accountability.

STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR SEQUENCE

5. Proximity and verbal expectation. Establish proximity with the student causing the problem. However, this time make a statement of expectation. Dont ask a question. (Dont ask the student what they you doing? You need to establish that you are aware of what they are doing and you want them to stop being a disruption.) 6. After class conference. If the problem persists, stop what youre doing and move toward the problem student. Tell them that you want them to stay after class for a personal conference. Conference with the problem student after class to try to find a resolution to the problem. (Sit down with the student. Show them that you care and want the problem fixed.) Have them suggest solutions. Listen. I would most likely call a parent/caregiver to figure out what is going on. 7. Before class warning. During the pre-instruction context of the next class session, meet with the problem student. Explain that you have completed a detention slip without a signature and they have choices to make about consequences.

STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR SEQUENCE

8. Immediate dismissal from class. Some student misbehaviors require immediate dismissal or a hall conference with the teacher. This is always dependent on the school rules. Sometimes you can put a student in the hall. Sometimes you cant. You need to know what you can do. 9. Meeting with school disciplinarian. This is when an immediate meeting with the school disciplinarian may be in order. This is a student who has been disrespectful or continually refused to do what you have asked. 10. Parent email/phone call. Call parents or caregivers. Review the infraction and the steps you have taken to reduce the misbehavior. Ask for help in improving student behavior. Document this call. 11. Parent Conference. Ask the building principal or counselor to invite parents to a conference that includes the student. Talk about the choices that the student has made to get to this point. Bring in your documentation and the student work. Leave with an agreement. In here, I have seen an intervention where parents were required to move with students from class to class for several days. They sat next to them in class. Usually it fixed things at school.

STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR SEQUENCE

12. In-school suspension. Normally, these are rooms set aside to hold students who cant manage a regular classroom. Students do homework. They are supervised. They are not in your classroom 13. Saturday School Some schools have a Saturday program designed to ruin the weekend. They seem to work. 14. Out-of-School Suspension. This usually takes an official action by the school board. The student is removed from the district. 15. Expulsion. This usually takes an official action by the school board. The student is expelled from the district.

STUDENT MOTIVATION

To meet the needs of todays diverse learner I use two independent systems that are utilized by St. Joes teachers. These two learning systems are blended learner and contextualizing student reflection process. Students learn in science through engagement and inquiry but these two photos model the cognitive process that provides the framework and structure for learning in my classroom.

MULTIPLE LEARNING STYLES

Multiple learning styles are taken into consideration when planning lessons in order to accommodate each student.

THANKS

For further inquiries please contact me at the following email:

Tobermdm@muohio.edu