Science: Science: Chapter 7 Age of Earth
Half Life and Carbon dating (Khan Academy)
Field Trip: Yehliu Park
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
7th Grade Homeschooling Week 11: Dating Rocks and Spanish Transportation
She is continuing independelt in her Chinese Math, Mandarin , writing (Great Writing Book 2) and georgraphy. This short holiday week, has only 3 days, so not sure if she can complete everything without homework on the weekend (for once).
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
ESL Unit 4: Writing in the Past Tense
Let us see how much A class can get done before the Lunar New Year. I am happy that this unit has readings on such humanitarians such as labor organizer Cesar Chaves and author/peace activist Helen Keller.
January 2019
WEEK 1 The SimplePast: Cesar Chavez
Class 1: pg. 100-103
Class 2 pg. 104-105
WEEK 2 Irregular Verbs: Helen Keller
Class 1:pg. 106-109
Class 2: pg.110-112
WEEK 3 Editing
Class 1: pg. 113-114
Class 2 pg. 115-117
WEEK 4 Complex Sentences
Class 1: pg. 119-121
Class 2 pg. 122-127
January 2019
WEEK 1 The SimplePast: Cesar Chavez
Class 1: pg. 100-103
Class 2 pg. 104-105
WEEK 2 Irregular Verbs: Helen Keller
Class 1:pg. 106-109
Class 2: pg.110-112
WEEK 3 Editing
Class 1: pg. 113-114
Class 2 pg. 115-117
WEEK 4 Complex Sentences
Class 1: pg. 119-121
Class 2 pg. 122-127
Friday, December 21, 2018
'Tis the Season: Giving, Cheer, and Busy as Bees
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| It's always gratifying to be able to link our students to the community |
Play as Learning: This was a fun week, despite having to come in on a Saturday. Two of my 9th-grade classes (301 and 304 A) started to finish their review games on Mental Health and began playing them. They need the change of pace as they have critical tests this Friday and Saturday and literally have been staying up studying until 11 the past couple of weeks. Here are links to videos of their play: (304 Video 1, Video 2, 301 Video 1, Video 2.)
Here are some photos taken by my co-teacher Ali (videos and photos published with the kids' permission to post and share).
Winter Clothes Donation Drive: Also, I and my co-teacher Ali's classes brought in their old winter clothes to donate to the Yilan Fisherman's Union and the Hua Zhe mental health facility outside Loudong. We did it last year and Ali organized it again this year. She drove the clothes down to Su'ao and took these photos. It was nice to see students from my 8th grade ESL class helping out.
I feel fortunate to work with a wonderful co-teacher, and such bright, giving students.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
7th Grade Homeschooling Week 10
She is continuing independently with her Mandarin, Math and Geography and seems to be going at the same pace as her former classmates. Art again is taking a back burner, but this week's might be more fun since its Christmas. Her pleasure reading is finishing up "White Fang" (Jack London) in Mandarin. Hopefully, she can also read it in its original English language.
Art: Make a Victorian-era Christmas card with a quote or scene from the book.
(Christmas cards came out in England in the 1840s.)
Vocabulary (use each in a sentence): tumult, oppression, patriotism, tyranny.
Answer questions from the handout in your notebook.
Boston Massacre review (see former post)
Science: Chapter 7 Age of Earth
James Hutton and Uniformitarianism Video
Reading: A Christmas Carol, Chapter 3: The Second of the Three Spirits (Vocabulary)Thursday, December 13, 2018
7th Grade Homeschooling Week 9:
She is doing great working her way through her math, Chinese and geography. This week I will have to devote more face time to her Spanish as we are finally, formally conjugating the present tense SER.
Art: Pop Art Pop Art Pop Can Multimedia, Wayne Thiebaud Pop Art, Monochromatic Self Portraits, Wacky Ceramic shoes, McTwisted Fast Food, Pop Art Poster
Science: Chapter 6 Evolution, Evidence of Change
Q1. Describe the first of the three spirits and how its appearance helps its lesson.
Write a paragraph.
US History: A Young Person’s History Chapter 3, “Who Were The Colonists”?
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Winter Clothes Drive for Yilan Migrant Fishermen
Last year's winter clothes drive was so successful, we are doing it again! Many thanks to my coworker Alii who has to do all the paperwork for the school to get this activity into motion. Next week, December 17-21, my coworker and I will be collecting the coats and other winter clothes and on Friday another coworker will drive them to Su'ao.
The Yilan Migrant Fisherman's Union, located in Su'ao is composed mostly of Indonesian and other SE Asian fisherman who need winter coats on their long excursions at sea. They don't come to Taiwan with that kind of clothing.
The case of migrant fisherman and migrant workers in Taiwan is a stain on its human right's report every year. Inadequate pay, housing, lack of movement, even death has happened here in Yilan. The situation of the migrant workers being exploited by Taiwanese captains and boat owners isn't new news to my Social Studies classes, but they can always be reminded. I will also invite my ESL 8th graders to participate
Some resources to show the kids:
- https://www.newsmarket.com.tw/blog/107446/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvw--9fGIxk
- https://www.facebook.com/485896125119980/videos/496417647401161/
What has been in the news lately, is how these boats were recently caught breaking laws against fishing dolphins to be used as bait for fishing sharks (both illegal), endangered turtles were also found. There is public outrage by the expat community against these [Indonesian] fishermen, but they are just pawns. The greater responsibility lies with the Taiwanese boat owners, captains and the consumers of shark fin soup.
My office will have a donation box next Monday the 17th, and we will store them next door in the back of the media room.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Group Project: Review Games on Mental Health
So far, I have introduced our unit on mental health using the top ten mental illnesses of American students as well as Taiwanese students. I also showed the latest research done by Taiwanese researchers that linked inflammation in the body manifesting in allergies and asthma with a higher risk for mental illness.
After the following three readings which are easy and found at Liberty Times Net, we will have a group project instead of a test:
I am hoping these first reading selections will challenge some of my students' assumptions on mental illness and happiness. K-pop culture is alive and well in my students' admirations of what is uber-cool. I hope it will make them think twice about what is happiness, ask themselves if they are happy, and why Korean students and young adults have poor life satisfaction despite living in a highly developed country. In many ways, the reasons for Korean dissatisfaction mirror their own, or Taiwanese society (similar education system and post-graduate job woes). Koreans may have high youth unemployment, but Taiwan's graduates have a low entry salary. We will get back to the issue of Happiness, at the end of this unit.
Group Work: We had group presentations prior to midterms, and for the most part, the majority of students were hardworking and thoughtful. However, I had two lower level classes that were just not emotionally mature to handle that kind of freedom, which meant they had poor time management and disappointing presentations. They were even asking for a traditional test assessment, which was disheartening. I am hoping to assess their grasp of the material "outside the box" and develop teamwork, verbal English skills and give them a break from the cycle of testing.
The idea for this group project is for the students to design a review game. They will have 2 classes to create the game, and 1 class to play it. Some games I am thinking of are board games, card games and crosswords. I'm hoping to learn some new games in the process!
RESOURCES:
After the following three readings which are easy and found at Liberty Times Net, we will have a group project instead of a test:
I am hoping these first reading selections will challenge some of my students' assumptions on mental illness and happiness. K-pop culture is alive and well in my students' admirations of what is uber-cool. I hope it will make them think twice about what is happiness, ask themselves if they are happy, and why Korean students and young adults have poor life satisfaction despite living in a highly developed country. In many ways, the reasons for Korean dissatisfaction mirror their own, or Taiwanese society (similar education system and post-graduate job woes). Koreans may have high youth unemployment, but Taiwan's graduates have a low entry salary. We will get back to the issue of Happiness, at the end of this unit.
Group Work: We had group presentations prior to midterms, and for the most part, the majority of students were hardworking and thoughtful. However, I had two lower level classes that were just not emotionally mature to handle that kind of freedom, which meant they had poor time management and disappointing presentations. They were even asking for a traditional test assessment, which was disheartening. I am hoping to assess their grasp of the material "outside the box" and develop teamwork, verbal English skills and give them a break from the cycle of testing.
The idea for this group project is for the students to design a review game. They will have 2 classes to create the game, and 1 class to play it. Some games I am thinking of are board games, card games and crosswords. I'm hoping to learn some new games in the process!
GRADING RUBRIC will include:
Accurate content
Game can be played with written directions
Clear verbal directions
Ease of use
Teamwork
Creativity and neatness
20-25 Questions, or 20-25 Vocabulary Words used
Materials Needed:
Poster Board, blank cards
Students' markers, colored pencils
RESOURCES:
7th Grade Homeschooling Week 8:Slavery, Industrialization and Christmas
She is continuing independently in her Mandarin, math and geography. I feel like art classes are taking a back burner, we need to finish our Starry Night over the weekend. As its the Christmas season, I'd like to incorporate that into her Reading and Spanish.
Week 8
Science: Chapter 6 Evolution, Evidence of Change
Reading: A Christmas Carol
- Who is Charles Dickens? (Bio/ Video)
- Name 2 of his most famous works
- Both story’s settings were during the_______
- What were Dicken’s political beliefs?
- Make a KWL chart of The Christmas Carol
C. Research the Victorian Era and the Industrial Revolution in England. Research the following terms:
- Industrialization (Crash Course History #32)
- Agrarian Revolution
- Child labor
- Mechanization
- Cottage industry:
- Social reform:
Social Studies: A Young Person’s History Chapter 2 The Slave Trade, Handout
Resources:
A Christmas Carol (abridged) BBC, Cosmos Culture, Google Books
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