Oceans, Seas, and Continentes Test

This Friday, November 2, 2012, we will be taking the final Oceans, Seas, and Continents test. I have told the kids there WILL NOT be an opportunity to re-test for this test.  This is an easy test, we have done several assignments to prepare for the test, and I think it is important that the kids take responsibility and prepare for this test.

The test will consist of two blank maps; one side for identifying continents, and the other for identifying oceans and seas.  The continents, oceans, and seas are numbered and the test consists of students writing the correct name with corresponding ocean, sea, or continent.  We will be doing one more review activity on Wednesday, and that will be sent home to use as a study guide.  I have also suggested that the kids use the World Physical Map in their Social Studies book.  We will go to the computer lab tomorrow (Wednesday) to look at Sheppard Software, which has several map puzzle activities.

The seas the kids need to be able to locate  on a world map:
Arabian Sea, Bering Sea, Caribbean Sea, Coral Sea  Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, South China Sea

The oceans the kids need to be able to locate on a world map:
Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean

Thanks,
Cathy

BIG MAP, again

The deadline for the BIG MAP draws nigh!!  Tomorrow, Thursday, October 25 will be the last day for kids to work on their map during class time.  They know the BIG MAP is due when they enter the classroom on Friday, October 26.

Many students have already turned in their BIG MAP!! It is exciting to see such industriousness, and most of the maps turned in have been well done.  The kids have had a list of required items since the assignment was started, but I also posted a list, and a scoring rubric last week. I have posted on the board the following message:

"By the end of class today, October 24, if you are still drawing your continents, you are WAY BEHIND.  You have two (2) more class periods before your map is due.  Friday IS NOT a "work-on-your-map" day."
 If your student still needs to get a major portion of the map completed, it will be coming home today.  You can "google" a world map, but be sure to get on that includes the seas.  There are also great maps in our Social Studies book.


Next week, we will return to our textbook to begin Chapter 3, the best chapter in the book :-)

Thanks,
Cathy

BIG MAP!

Greetings,

We have spent this week working on the "BIG MAP" :-)  Most kids are making good progress, and a few have already completed and submitted the assignment.  It's very exciting to recieve an assignment ahead of time; it gives me a chance to get them graded early. 

The BIG MAP is due this Friday, October 26, 2012.  Any map turned in after the due date will be considered late because the kids will have had at least five (5) entire class periods to complete the assignment.  The BIG MAP will be graded as a TEST, so it is important that the work be completed and turned in on time.

I think the kids are enjoying being cartographers :-)

Thanks,
Cathy

BIG Map!

Today, we talked about the "Big Map" project which will require your student to draw, free-hand, a world map.  Classes were shortened today as we completed MEAP testing, so thre wasn't really time to actually begin the map.  I did tell the kids that the map is due Friday, October 26, 2012.  I also told them that I would accept no excuses short of being in a coma :-)  We will have plenty of classtime to work on this project!

I am attaching the list of required items that must be on the final map.  I will be giving the kids a copy of this and a copy of the Scoring Rubric, which is also attached.  We will begin in earnest to work on the map tomorrow.

Thanks,
Cathy

World Map

Scoring Rubric

Name: ___________________________

____/2 Title

____/2 Equator

____/2 Prime Meridian

____/2 Tropic of Cancer

____/2 Tropic of Capricorn

____/5 Compass Rose

____/4 Hemispheres

____/5 Oceans (placement)

____/8 Seas (placement)

____/2 Placement- Africa

____/2 Placement-Asia

____/2 Placement-North America

____/2 Placement-South America

____/2 Placement-Antarctica

____/2 Placement- Europe

____/2 Placement- Australia

____/7 Continents Labeled

____/5 Oceans labeled

____/8 Seas labeled

____/14 Colored

_________/80 points

_________ Letter Grade

Required Items for your World Map:

All the continents;

North America

South America

Africa

Europe

Asia

Antarctica

Australia

These Oceans need to be on your map:

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Southern Ocean

Indian Ocean

Arctic Ocean

These Seas need to be on your map:

Arabian Sea

Bering Sea

Caribbean Sea

Coral Sea

Mediterranean Sea

North Sea

Sea of Japan

South China Sea

You also need to:

Give your map a Title

Label the 4 hemispheres

Draw and label the Equator

Draw and label the Prime Meridian

Draw and label the Tropic of Cancer

Draw, label the Tropic of Capricorn

Make a Compass Rose

Your map also needs to be colored/painted

 

Small Map Project

Today we started work on a "small map" project.  The scoring rubric is below.  This is, for the most part, an "in class" assignment.  Those who use their time wisely will have no problem completing the assignment by the end of class time tomorrow (Tuesday, October 16).  This assignment requires the students to find specific areas in an atlas, then label a blank map.  It's a great review for continent, ocean, and sea placement, and use of the atlas index.

Small Map Project

Due 10/17/12

Scoring Rubric:

Neatness:  5 points

Continents: 7 points

Oceans:  5 points

Seas:  7 points

Lightly Shaded: 8 Points

Cover sheet: 3 points

Total:  35 points

Bonus: 1 point

Wrapping Up!

Today we completed the "Getting To Know Your Atlas" workbook!  YIPPEE!  It's fun to work in the atlas, but it's time to switch gears a bit.

Next week we will be MEAP testing on Tuesday and Wednesday again, so classes will be shortened those two days.  We will begin doing the work of cartographers next,  week which should be fun.

There is no homework this weekend :-)

Thanks,
Cathy

MEAP Testing and More Grades

Greetings,

Today everyone took "Day 1" of the MEAP test.  As a result, our schedule was shifted a bit, and most classes were about 35 minutes long. 

The classes spent time completing the assignment from yesterday which was to complete pages 14,15, and 16 in the "Getting to Know Your Atlas" booklet.  The kids are still working from the atlas, learning how to read and interpret thematic maps.  We will correct that assignment in class tomorrow.

Our last big assignment was "Places Everyone" which was done over a two day period in the computer lab.  It was an assignment in which the kids had to find the absolute location of famous cities and/or landmarks around the world.  I had "strongly" recommended two web-sites for the kids to use, which would guarntee correct answers.  Since these web-site automatically provided the latitude and longitude for each "place", I was a little surprised that many kids did not earn better than an "B" on the assignment.  It was a very easy assignment to do if one followed directions.  So.......if you would like your child to do a "re-take" I will have an alternative version available by Thursday, October 11.  It will be your child's responsibility to complete this "re-take assignment" at home; we will not have access to the computer lab, and we need to forge ahead with our work.

Have your child let me know if they want to re-take the "Places Everyone" assignment.

There is NO homework tonight :-)

Thanks,
Cathy

Go Red Arrows!

First, thanks to everyone who was able to attend conferences this week; I love meeting the parents of my students.

Today, we worked with the atlas again, and although most kids finished during classtime, there are a few who should be coming back to the room on Monday before class to complete the assignment.  Sometimes the atlas work can be completed using "any old atlas", but sometimes the directions are very specific regarding maps that need to be used to complete an assignment. 

Next week the kids will be taking the MEAP test on Tuesday and Wednesday!   So.....a good night's sleep and a breakfast with a little protein on Monday and Tuesday nights will be advantageous :-)

There is no homework this weekend.

NO HOMEWORK!!

Greetings,

Today I told 3rd Hour that the work we started in class was homework.  I am changing my mind :-)  Other classes didn't move through quite as quickly, so I'm changing the due date. There is NO homework for Third Hour!!

We are currently working in Chapter 1, Section 2 of our Social Studies book, and the information is "big and important" so I want to spend a little more time going over this introductory material.  I had invited kids from third hour to come back during lunch if they wanted help, or extra time to work, but I'd rather have kids be "on the same page" for another week.  After that, we will be doing a "BIG Project".

Thanks,
Cathy

It's Been a While!

Greetings,

We have been so busy that I haven't taken the time to post anything in a few days, so here is an up-date:

We spent last Thursday and Friday in the computer lab finding the absolute location of many different places around the world.  I allowed the students to work alone, or with a partner, and the assignment was due today, October 1, 2012.  Happily, almost everyone was done, and my hat is off to those students who were absent on Thursday and COMPLETED the entire assignment on Friday!!  :-)  Great job!

Today, October 1, we corrected the assignment.  Those grades will be posted on either Tuesday (10/2) or Thursday (10/4).  I have had a few kids ask if they could do the assignment over, and my answer was "No".  This is my rationale:

1.  The kids were given two days to find the location of 20 different landmarks.
2.  They could work with a partner.
3.  I told them what web-sites to use to for an easy way to complete the assignment.
4.  I don't currently have an alternative assignment. ( I can create one, but it will take a few days, and it would have to be done as homework.)

Sometimes it is more about the process; did I, as a student, follow directions?  Did I ask for help if I didn't understand something? Did I take the assignment seriously?  The work that is in the grade book now is all "Daily Work", we have not done enough for a quiz.  Grades will continue to fluctuate for a while, but when kids settle into the routine, when they see the importance of being serious about a task, grades will continue to improve.

Thanks,
Cathy