Graphic Organizers

I want you to take a few minutes today to take a look at the graphic organizers on this website.  PICK ONE that looks interesting to you, save it, and then put it in Ms. Tehan's "hand in" box in "My Computer".

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

Let's give thanks

Thanksgiving is at the end of this week.  We would like for you to write a thank you letter in paragraph form.  Monday, you will write the rough draft and hand it in.  Tuesday you will write your final draft.  On Wednesday, we will hand back to you your final printed copy for you to deliver to a person of your choosing.

Maybe there is a teacher who has gone above and beyond for you this year or any year in the past and you'd really like to thank them.  Maybe it's someone else in this school building, who fills another role who you'd like to thank.  Maybe you'll write to your coach.  Maybe you'll write to a best friend or a family member.

Thank you notes are a rare, but powerful thing.  There is no better gift that you can give to someone you care about.

The final draft of this assignment may be typed OR handwritten neatly and handed in on Tuesday.  You may include pictures or clip art on your note.  This assignment is worth 20 points.

Here are some links to helpful pages if you need some ideas to jump start your writing:

http://www.thank-you-note-examples-wording-ideas.com/index.html

http://www.my-thank-you-site.com/Personal-thank-you-letter-sample.html

Create your own animations on the web... for FREE!

For those of you who like to draw and are dabbling with the idea of a career in an art related field, I think you should check out this link.  It's an article about websites where you can do free animations, and then they give you 6 links to different pages that you as a student may try for free:

http://lessonupgrades.com/daniel-pink/design/6-free-sites-for-creating-your-own-animations/

Biology: Organic Compounds Review

The chemical structure of Glucose

Studying for your Unit Test?  Click on the links below to help you study:

A practice quiz:
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=ap-biology-quiz-organic-macromolecules

A webpage with everything you ever wanted to know about macromolecules (complete with photos):
http://users.tamuk.edu/kfjab02/Biology/IntroCell/b1308_ch03.htm

Resource Room: How can we help you?

Today's assignment is for you to take a survey to help improve this course to make it better for YOU.

I need to know what you think about this class and my teaching this year. Your ideas and feelings are really important to me. I'll use this information to make this class better for us this marking period. It's really important that you are as honest as possible.

However, I'd also like to ask you to be responsible for how you write things. I want to take you seriously. I want you to think about how you say things. If you have critical comments, that's fine.  I encourage you to be critical. But I also recommend that you explain your answers. Please give me as many examples as you can.

I really need your help to get better. There's no one whose opinion matters more to this program than yours. I need you to be really honest.

Without further ado, please click on the link below to take the Resource Room Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RS9ZC6M

Biology: PROPERTIES OF WATER help and practice

Click here for a true/false quiz on the properties of water:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc3.html

Click here for great information and pictures explaining the properties of water:
1) http://www.uni.edu/~iowawet/H2OProperties.html

2) http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/8a.html

Click here for a VIDEO demonstrating the different properties of H2O:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkoV9Y--PVo

Biology Review: Ecology Unit

Click on the link below for a great review website for your upcoming ecology unit test:

http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/biology/units/ecology/practice.cfm

Collegeboard.com: Your PSAT/SAT Resource!

As the fall PSAT and SAT examinations are approaching, we've been working hard to prepare ourselves.  You can also review directions and study at home if you have a computer just by visiting the college board's website.

I want you to go to this website today and check out "The official SAT question of the day".  Here's how:

Go to http://www.collegeboard.com/
Click on the "for students" tab.

Underneath the heading "SAT and Subject Tests Quick Links" click on "The official SAT question of the day link".

A shortcut to the question is here: http://sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-question-of-the-day

SAT / PSAT Reading tips

Make sure you have a half sheet with questions on it before heading to the website below to read about some test taking strategies!

Remember, the PSAT is on October 13th!  That is only a few school days away!

CLICK HERE:

http://sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-practice-questions/reading-tips

Learn to type!

The skill of typing is the most important skill you can learn in today's computer oriented world.  From the checker in the supermarket to a CEO in a corporation, typing is a necessary skill.  The earlier you master typing as a skill, the more prepared you will be for a successful life in whatever job you choose in your life after high school... let's not forget that typing also makes your writing assignments go much more quickly!

Once you click on the link below, please register with the website so that you may track your progress with the program.  Then do only the first exercise, named "The home row keys".

http://www.typingweb.com/

Happy typing!

Word parts: The "roots" of vocabulary

Knowing the "building blocks" of the English language - prefixes, suffixes and root words - helps you to understand a word's meaning and spelling convention.

Let's try three different excercises today.

Please read through the web pages below and complete the sentences at the end of each web page on the handout provided by Ms. Tehan.

The first one is suffix "-ject":
1) Click here for the first worksheet

Great job! The second part of the worksheet is the prefix "pre-":
2) Click here for the second worksheet

You're on a roll!  The last worksheet works with the prefix "un-":
3) Click here for the third and last worksheet

Practicing your Multiplication Tables

I can remember practicing my multiplication tables over and over in fourth grade until I had it nearly memorized.  As the years pass, it's important to practice these to keep this information fresh.

Why is it important to know your multiplication tables like the back of your hand?  Click this link to find out!

The Top Ten reasons Multiplication is Important

Now that you're done reading, it's time to PRACTICE.

First, click here to see the chart all filled out.

Next, fill out this chart as fast as you can without using a calculator.  It will test your knowledge of multiplying with 0, 1 and 2.

If you think you're ready for the next level, then try the chart with 0, 1, 2 5, 10 missing! 

Time Management: The Pomodoro Technique

Do you have trouble getting homework assignments done at home after school or on the weekends?  Why not try the pomodoro technique!

The website for the technique with a full explanation is here:
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

Watch an informative video on the technique (the video runs 5 minutes and 50 seconds):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-z5kmVhzU

You'll never know if it works unless you try it!

Just for Fun: Internet Scavenger Hunts

If you have finished all of your work today, then you may try ONE of the scavenger hunts below (your choice)!  Please print out your answers and then turn it in for 6 points towards your "on task" grade for the day.

Famous Speeches
http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/teachers/resources/InternetHunt/speech1.htm

Reading
http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/teachers/resources/InternetHunt/reading1.htm

Artists and Architects
http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/teachers/resources/InternetHunt/architects.htm

Why is voting important?
http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/teachers/resources/InternetHunt/Ready%20to%20Vote.htm

New York Times Article on Study Habits

In this post  you will find sections from the New York Times Article entitled, "Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits".

While reading this article, look for 3 useful ideas to study successfully for a test (to share with the class)!



Click below to read the whole article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=study%20habits&st=cse

Multiple Intelligences

Have you ever wondered why you'd rather doodle in class then listen to your teacher?  Would you rather play a game to review information than read a book? 

Clink on the links below to learn more about what kind of learning style you have.  The more you know about your learning style, the better your grades will be in school!

1) Multiple intelligences quiz: http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-quiz

2) Learning style quiz: http://www.educationplanner.org/education_planner/discovering_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Learning_Styles_Quiz