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                                                    September 3rd - 5th

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Welcome to the 'Teacher plans' page.

You will be using this page frequently during our time together, if you want to find out about the exciting and thrilling events in the class.

It is usually to be found crisp, fresh, and new each Sunday afternoon, laden with the ambitions, plans and follies of the following week!

The structure of the page is usually something like:

• Review of the previous week - what went as planned, and what didn't!
• Language plans - reading and writing
• Math Plans
• Project: Usually, Science and Social Studies appear under this category.  

So, without further ado, let's get started, by ignoring the structure for these opening days!

My primary goal for the start of the year is to avoid talking the ears off the students and  to give the students plenty of opportunity for catching up with each other, as well as getting to know new people. I would like re-entry into school to be as gentle as possible for us all!

My secondary goal will be to start absorbing information about the group. I think the opening project will be an excellent vehicle for all of the above.

The opening project is called 'Perfect World?'

We will ask the question: 'What is a perfect world?'

The students will work in collaborative teams of three or four for this project.

Their challenge will be to create a future world they would like to live in. Fantasy aspects will be encouraged. They will design a specific wall space in the classroom with maps, drawings, and other artwork of their worlds. They will present their 'future worlds' to the whole group, and explain and show what makes them great. Perhaps there will be music, drama, and Power-Point presentations.

We will talk and read about utopias and dystopias, and investigate emerging technologies through magazine articles.

This primarily relaxed and creative project takes just over two weeks.

The opening-project is designed to set the background for the year's explorations.

Some of the opening activities include: designing a 'perfect' room, then a 'Future city' to live in. The students design a map, ten 'laws', create a city song, and make a whole class presentation about their city, as well as creating a large wall display for each group.

Each aspect of the project will be 'graded' using the rubric system.

The students will be provided with the rubric while they work. There is an emphasis on points awarded for teamwork, effort, and team spirit. The grades are not as important to me, however, as starting to find out how the students work with each other.

I will be kicking off the all new jazzy version of 'Everyday Math' this week that Medford has so generously invested in. I'll put up some info for you as soon as I have it!

Well, that's all you're getting this week, I'm afraid.

mike allen