Henrico Staff Development

8^th grade English students, in Ms. Saunders and Ms. Duckenfield’s classes,  created websites using iWeb to illustrate, summarize and critique Historical Ficeion Novels  Each site  includes a short summary, character analysis, research into the historical time period, and a personal critique of the novel they chose.

An Acquaintance with Darkness

The Letter Writer

Anne Frank and Me

Crispin

A Break With Charity

Witch Child

The Devil’s Arithmetic

Ms. Tyson’s 8th grade Civics and Economics classes used Voice Thread to illustrate and narrate the civic responsiblities of American citizens.  The students used iPhoto and Voice Thread to complete their projects.

The 7th grade students in Mrs. Greene’s science class did research dealing with a specific element from the periodic table.  After finding the information, the students created websites using the iWeb program.  Through their websites, they communicated the information they discovered using first person narratives, as if they were the element.  The students used critical thinking skills to determine what information they would like to share and how they would share it.

This project also allowed the students to tap into their creativity skills as they worked with the layout of the webpage and finding ways that they could personify their researched element.  Students found and added music segments that were related to their element and wrote original poems about their element.

The finished websites were collected on one webpage where all the students would have  access, creating a “social network” type site for elements.

Click here to visit ElementSpace.

The 8th grade students in Ms. Cosby’s World History class became news anchors for WRMN Channel XII news for a day.  Students formed small groups from the students in their class and collaborated on ideas of ways they could present the information they researched about a topic from Roman history. They were challenged to use their creativity and problem solving skills to communicate what they had learned about their topic and present the information in a way that was not only informative, but also entertaining.  The groups then wrote scripts based on their ideas and video taped their presentations as if they were broadcasting the news live.  The footage was then imported into iMovie where the groups worked together to edit and fine tune their final product.

Through this project, the students became more connected with the information they researched and learned how to work with others in an highly productive way.

In Mrs. Craver’s world history class, the children traveled back in time to ancient Mesopotamia (WHI.3) to serve as consultants to village elders who were confronting big problems with their food supplies.  The kids analyzed information about the main problem in groups, then recommended a possible solution (critical thinking).  The village elders (Mrs. Craver with the actual historical decision) then made their decisions based on the recommendations.

Since the students had recorded their own proposals and rationales rather than the historical decision, the teacher had them create a Comic Life to portray the actual series of problems and solutions from history.  This was a cause and effect, review assignment used as a follow up activity to an experiential exercise in class.

Students in Mrs. Tierney’s 7th grade Social Studies class researched and studied FDR’s New Deal programs ([tippy title="SOL USII.5d"] The student will demonstrate knowledge of the social, economic, and technological changes of the early twentieth century by identifying causes of the Great Depression, its impact on Americans, and the major features of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.[/tippy])). To teach this unit Mrs. Tierney had students research FDR’s programs using a variety of resources and tools ([tippy title="research & information fluency"] In the 21st Century classroom, students find, navigate through, and evaluate large amounts of information. Teachers provide guided and independent research opportunities for students to make informed decisions and create products. More information @ http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ [/tippy]), write their own “fireside chat” ([tippy title="creativity & communication"] In the 21st Century classroom, students communicate and collaborate effectively to reach a common goal or to create a product. Students also develop original ideas and create products by applying critical thinking, research methods, communication tools, and collaborative processes. Teachers provide experiences that allow students to create unique ideas and products. More information @ http://www.21stcenturyskills.org [/tippy]), and record their scripts in [tippy title="Garage Band."]GarageBand is a software application that allows users to create music or podcasts. (wikipedia)[/tippy]

In this lesson students not only learned about key features of the New Deal, but also how to use research and communication tools to clearly articulate information. Each vodcast (podcast with pictures) was unique and supported students’ understanding of the New Deal programs.

A pre/post test on this SOL demonstrated major gains in student mastery with 98% pass rate on the unit assessment for this specific SOL.

For more information about this lesson please contact Mrs. Tierney

[flv]http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/byrd/bostain_k/FDR_1.flv[/flv]

In conjunction with their unit on The Diary of Anne Frank, Mrs. Hunnicutt’s advanced 8th grade English students researched and studied The Holocaust and other instances of genocide as a way to bring to life the idea of promoting dignity and respect among all people. For this unit, students completed a learning contract that offered a wide variety of topics of study topics and a wide variety of ways to demonstrate learning. Students were asked to utilize critical thinking and reading skills as well as a myriad of tools to create traditional as well as multimedia artifacts that demonstrated their knowledge and creativity.

Mrs. Hunicutt was consistently amazed and impressed by the depth of knowledge and feeling that students  demonstrated in their projects from vodcasts about The Trail of Tears to original songs composed and recorded on Garageband, to scripted chapters of Elie Wiesel’s Night, to interviews with Holocaust survivors, to community service projects, to paintings and collages that profoundly communicate the pain and suffering caused by intolerance.

The SOLs covered by this project are as follows: 8.1, 8.2, 8.4, 8.6, 8.5 8.7

My Own Memory – Original Music Score

[audio:http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/byrd/bostain_k/myownmemory.mp3]

Why? – Original Music Score

[audio:http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/byrd/bostain_k/why.mp3]

Mrs. Newman’s Science class worked on a project where they sketched and built skyscrapers that could with stand the elements. Students discussed what helps the building stand and how a foundation is important.  They looked up talk buildings they knew of and estimated the height in meters, then compared that to what they measured the Eiffel Tower to be.  They then explored different forces of nature on skyscrapers and how to avoid catastrophe using the PBS website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/loads.html.  Students then used graph paper to sketch out their own skyscraper with the intention of building them and testing wind and earthquake against it. After sketching on paper, students used Google Sketchup to draw and gain a better perspective of what the building would look like in 3-D.  They discussed within their groups improvements and then built the skyscraper out of toothpicks and marshmallows.  Students then tested each building to see which withstood the elements best.
This lesson exhibited what students are capable of when they are engaged and able to exercise creativity.  The final product, a marshmallow-toothpick skyscraper, was tested again wind from a fan, and an “earthquake.”  Students had a great time with this experiment and our Principal Mrs. Cooper even came to watch the students in action. Click here to watch a video of the lesson.

In Mrs. Murphy’s Computer Art class, students were to use stop frame animation to create a movie.  Two 8th grade students spent countless hours preparing this one of a kind movie about taking care of a dog.  They used many programs to create the final product including Photoshop and iMovie.  Students were able to select the topic and collaborated with a partner.  Students first brainstormed the script and story.  They then began to develop the plot and the characters in the movie.  Much attention was given to color and aesthetic appeal of the movie.  This creative project took on a life of its own when students spent much of the time outside of class and school working on the movies.  These students were selected to showcase the movie at TMS Apple School Night in the Apple Store at Short Pump TownCenter.  Click here to view the movie.