HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday break!!

See you next semester!!

Last week of the semester!

This is the last week of the semester and the last week before Christmas Break. All assignments must be turned in according to your teacher's instructions. If you have any questions, be sure to ask and check the student/parent portal to check your grades and see if you have any missing assignments.

Geography

The first part of the week in Geography we have been having discussions about cases that have been presented to the Supreme Court. In small groups, we discussed how we thought the court should rule and had to justify those decisions.

Science

There is a test in science both Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Make sure you have all of your papers together, labs completed, and have finished the assignment from the book. If you are able to complete the review and understand how to answer all of the questions, you shouldn't have any trouble with the test. The review and enrichment opportunities are listed in the science handout section on the right.

English

This week in English we will be working on the final project for "A Christmas Carol". The students will be working in groups to create their own holiday carol. They will present their final product to the class on Friday. This should be a lot of fun and I can't wait to see how creative you all are. You can check the "Christmas Carol" section to the right to see a copy of the expectations for the assignment.

Week of December 7-11

Only 2 weeks left in the semester. It is going by so fast! Make sure all missing work is turned in before the end of the semester and talk to your teachers if you need help. We are all here to help you.

Geography

All geography handouts should be up to date and are posted in the geography handout section to the right. Remember the Chapter 12 test is this Friday! Be sure the study guide and guided reading are completed so you can use them on your test.

English

We are still reading "A Christmas Carol". All the crossword puzzles and work list for each one are posted in "A Christmas Carol" section to the right.

Science

We are still studying chemical reactions and balancing equations. This stuff can be confusing. If you have questions or you don't understand, be sure to ask Mr. Hess or Mrs. Drake for some help. We actually find this stuff interesting!

Week of November 30-December 4

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted. It has been busy. I hope everyone was able to enjoy Thanksgiving Break!

Geography

The students started working on Chapter 12 this week. See the handout section for a copy of the chapter 12 study guide. The test over Chapter 12 will be next Friday, December 11th. Remember the "Book of Life" is due this Friday. You've had the assignment for over a month. I've seen lots of good examples and I'm sure everyone has been working hard. A good idea to make sure you have all pieces for your book is to view and/or print the packet for the assignment. That is also in the geography handout section to the right.

English

Just before Thanksgiving break we finished "Of Mice and Men" and now this week we are reading "A Christmas Carol". Once again, I will do my best to get all handouts posted in a section off to the right. It is a story we're almost all familiar with, but it is fun to read the original!

Science

Before break we finished out unit on compounds. Now we are studying chemical reactions. We even completed a couple of fun labs where we were able to observe different chemical reaction and observe the 4 different ways in which we can identify that a chemical reaction has occurred.

Week of November 16-20

Geography

This week the students will be working on Chapter 11 Study Guide about the physical geography of Europe. They will also be filling out and studying a map of Western Europe. The test over chapter 11 will be this Friday the 20th. You can fill out and use either of the chapter reviews listed on the right under the geography handout sections on your test. The map test will be next Tuesday the 24, just before Thanksgiving break.

English

We are continuing to read Of Mice and Men. What a great story! The plan is to have the book finished by next Tuesday before we all leave for Thanksgiving break.

Science

We are nearing the end of another unit in science. The test is next Monday and Tuesday. Complete the review that was handed out on block day. Make sure you have all of your papers, questions, and labs completed. If you are missing anything or need help, be sure to ask Mr. Hess or Mrs. Drake. On Friday, Mr. Hess will hand out the table of contents for this unit.

Week 8 Brain Teasers for English

1. Choose one question for your BT entry:

• Have you ever known a mentally retarded person? Describe the experience you had and how you felt abound the person. Describe how the person looked, moved, talked, etc.
• What do you expect a mentally retarded person to look like? What do you expect him/her to do? What kind of personality traits might the person have? How do you think you would feel if you were talking to a mentally retarded person?

2. What does the word foreshadowing mean? How does an author use foreshadowing to engage the reader?

3. Steinbeck uses foreshadowing in both Chapters 1 & 2. Write a paragraph on some specific examples of foreshadowing. Predict what you think will happen further into the story.

4. Analyze Carlson's reasons for and Candy's reasons again shooting Candy's dog. What is the central message of their conflict?

Week of November 2-6

I hope everyone was safe and able to dig out after the little snow we had last Friday. I know we had a lot of heavy, wet snow at our house. What a mess! Because of the snow day last Friday, we will have a little catching up to do.

Geography

The Chapter 9 test that was scheduled for last Friday will be taken Tuesday. There will be a map test over South America on Wednesday and Thursday, on the block days. Remember you can use your notes and any worksheets for the chapter test, but the map test is closed book and notes.

English

The test over Act III of the Miracle Worker is Monday. Because of the snow day, we will not have a Miracle Worker final! Woo Hoo! If all goes well, we will start reading Of Mice and Men on Tuesday!

The Brain Teasers for this week include:

• Annie's attempt to teach Helen might have ended in failure. Why did it succeed?
• State in a paragraph the theme of "The Miracle Worker". For example, the theme of the play is that _____ can triumph over _____. Use specific examples to support your beginning sentence.
• A review of a play gives the reader a clear idea of what the play is about. Reviews also tell why the reviewer liked or did not like the play. Ultimately, a review should help the reader to answer the question, "Shall I go see this play?" Write your own review of "The Miracle Worker".Make sure your review would be useful to someone who was trying to decide whether or not to see it.
• If you had to work with a seriously handicapped or disabled person, what lesson could you draw from the example of Annie Sullivan?

Week of October 26-30

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Geography

We will be finishing up Chapter 9 this week. The test is Friday and the study guide is also due Friday. To help prepare for the test complete the Chapter 9 Guided Reading attached. Also, if you did not do as well as you hoped on the Chapter 8 test you can complete the Chapter 8 Test Re-Take and earn up to 80%. This week we also got the map of South America to complete. The map test over South America is November 4th & 5th on block day. Remember the map test is open brain only.

Science

Now that we have completed atoms and the atomic structure we are moving on to compounds this week.

English

We have completed Act II of the "Miracle Worker" and had a test on Monday. We will move on to Act III and plan on finishing it this week. We will start reading "Of Mice and Men" next week. If you have been absent recently remember you must make up your brain teasers. Here is a copy of the BT's since the beginning of the school year to help you out. No brain teasers last week or this week.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Week of October 19 - 23

Welcome Back!! I hope everyone is feeling better and ready to get back to work. If you were out sick before the break, remember to talk to your teachers and get any missing assignments and tests caught up as quickly as possible. Let's start 2nd quarter off right and keep caught up!!

Geography

This week in geography we are studying chapter 9. Wednesday the Chapter 9 Study Guide was handed out. If you work with Mrs. Drake, those students received a Modified Study Guide. The test for Chapter 9 will be next Friday, October 30th.

English

No brain teasers in English this week. We are continuing to read the Miracle Worker and should finish up Act II this week. We were given a worksheet over Act II. We will have a test over Act II the first part of next week. Make sure you finish reading Act II and if you have any questions, ask!

Science

In science we spent the end of the week finishing up the structure of atoms and allowing those who have been sick to make up their missed tests. We then are moving on to chemical bonding. Friday we got the "Kinds of Chemical Bonds" worksheet to introduce us to chemical bonding.

October 12th & 13th

We have a short week this week for the end of the quarter. Conferences are Thursday afternoon from 12:00 PM-3:00 PM and 5:00 PM -9:00 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM. All missing assignments MUST be turned in by the end of the day on Tuesday. Check the student portal on Infinite Campus to check your grades and see if you are missing any assignments. If you feel you have turned something in that is being marked missing, check with that teacher. Consideration will be taken for students who have been out sick. Remember school policy is students are given the number of days absent plus one more day to make up any missed assignments and tests.

Geography

Geography Chapter 8 test is Tuesday. Make sure your chapter 8 study guide is completed to be turned in and used for the test.

Chapter 8 Test Re-Take

Science

There is a test in science both Monday and Tuesday. Monday is a computerized assessment and Tuesday the students will complete a written test. Make sure to complete the questions from the book and the review sheet you were given in class on Friday. Both will help you to do well on those tests.

English

We will continue reading "The Miracle Worker" in class both Monday and Tuesday. Make sure you are keeping up with your brain teasers each day!

Week of October 5-9

Geography

This week in Geography we will begin studying Latin America. Students will be given the Chapter 8 Study Guide on Monday. The map test over Latin America will be on the block day. The Chapter 8 test is this Friday. Make sure to review your maps and complete your study guide. Remember the map test is "open brain" only! You can use the Chapter 8 review and the Guided Reading to help you prepare for Friday's test. The students will also begin work on their "Book of Life". This is a long term project that the students will be working on to be turned in the first part of December.

Science

We will continue to study matter and the atomic structure this week. The test will be Monday and Tuesday with the computerized state assessment on Monday.

Atomic Structure Worksheet

Periodic Table

Atomic Model Activity

Review

English

We are still reading "The Miracle Worker" in English this week. There will be a quiz over Act I on the block day.

Week of September 28-October 2

Geography

The students started work on the map of Latin America. The test for Chapter 4 will be this Friday. Make sure the study guide is complete to turn in and help prepare for the test.

Chapter 4 Review

Chapter 4 Guided Reading

Chapter 4 Vocabulary Activity

Chapter 4 Test Re-Take

Science

In science we are starting another new unit this week. We just finished studying the scientific method. Now we are starting work on "What is Matter?" Monday in class we discussed what we know and what we wonder about atoms.

Atom Crossword Worksheet

English

This week in English we are reading "The Miracle Worker". Monday we had a quiz over literary terms.

Literary Terms

Week of September 21-25

Another busy week at NPHS. Hope everyone had fun at the football game, Steppin out for Education, or Railfest. Lots of fun things going on last weekend. This week the students will be dismissed at noon on Friday. Everyone will be busy in class too.

Geography:
The students will be studying Chapter 4 in our text. Chapter 4 is about the human world. We will be learning about and discussing world populations, cultures, political and economic systems, and trade environments. The students should complete the chapter 4 Study Guide for their exam on Friday.

Chapter 4 Study Guide

Modified Chapter 4 Study Guide

Chapter 3 Test Re-take

English:
The students will finish their "I Have a Dream" papers this week.

Science:
Test over scientific methods this Friday. Make sure your second unit is complete and you have all of your papers. Mr. Hess has a list on the board of everything that needs to be included in your notebook.

Exploring Science Worksheet

Graphing Worksheet

Week of September 14 - 18

Geography
It has been brought to our attention that some students are still having difficulty accessing the textbook on line. We have contacted the book company and they provided some instructions that may be helpful. We hope this will resolve any issues for accessing the text. But if you continue to have problems, please let us know so that we can address and try to resolve any additional problems.

This week in class the students will have their first map test during the block days. Friday will be the chapter 3 test. Make sure to study and that your study guide is completed! Attached is a review to help students prepare for Friday's test! The guided reading is also due Friday.

English
This week we will be reading Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. We will discuss it and begin work on writing a narrative about our dreams. It was realized that many of the students had difficulty with the first narrative assignment. So we will get some additional instruction and guidance and improve the writing of a narrative.

Science
This week in science we are continuing to learn about experimentation and the scientific process. On Monday we completed the lab that we began last week to help explain and utilize the scientific method. The student also were assigned some questions from the book. They are to answer questions #1-7 on page 11, #2-5 on page 19, #1-4 on page 26, and #1-3, 6-10, 13, 14 on page 28. This will be a part of their science notebook for unit 2.
On the block days, we worked on a lab about controlling variables in which the students had to set up their own experimental procedure.

Week of September 7 - September 11

Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!

Geography:

This week we will be working on Chapter 3. We are studying climates and their affect on the Earth. The students were given the study guide for the week that needs to be completed. We will also start working on mapping skills this week. Students will be given a word list that they will need to mark on the political and physical maps they get in class.
If you are disappointed in your test grade on the Chapter 2 test, you are able to take the test re-take to help improve your grade.

Science:

The first science test will be given Wednesday and Thursday depending on the block schedule. The test also marks the end of the unit. Make sure your notebooks are completed and turned in to Mr. Hess. Remember no work for this unit will be accepted after the end of the unit. If you have any missing work, this is your last chance to get it turned in. You can always check the student/parent portal to check your grades and see if you have any missing work! Use this table of contents as a guide for everything that needs to be included in your science notebook.

English:

We finished up our work in the media center on Tuesday. For the rest of the week we will be watching the "World Trade Center" movie and discussing the events of 9/11/01. The students will complete a worksheet. Next week we will begin work with Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech.

Geography Retake

If you did not pass the Chapter one geography test or would like to try to get a better score, you may take advantage of the Retake Test. Mr. Livingston gave directions in class regarding the requirements for the re-take. If you decide to take the retake test the top score you can earn is an 80%. This is a great opportunity for any student to try to improve their test grade if it is not what you had hoped to earn.

Week of August 31-September 4

Geography:
In geography, we are going to work on Chapter 2: The Physical World. They will be studying the planet, forces of change, and Earth's water. On Monday, the students will get another study guide to help prepare them for the chapter test on Friday.

Chapter 2 Review

Chapter 2 Terms

English:
Monday the students will get a final chance to complete their "Code of Ethics" paper. They are due Monday and this will be the last opportunity for class time to complete their papers. Wednesday through Friday the students will be working in the media center. Mrs. Birch will be sharing a great presentation in which they can learn more about the media center and all the resources that are available to all students.

Science:
This week in science the students will be finishing up the measurement lab they started last week. Later in the week they will be working on another lab studying density. The students have been given an assignment out of the book. They need to answer question #1-7 on page 17, #1 and #6 on page 19 and review questions 34, 5, 12, & 19 on page 28. The assignment will be a part of their unit notebook.

The end of the unit is coming soon. Make sure you have all of your papers completed and in order in your science notebook.

Week of August 24-28

Geography:
This week in Geography you will get your first study guide. For each chapter, you will get a new study guide that will need to be completed before the test. The information from the study guide and notes in class will be useful for the exam. Following the exam, the study guide will be turned in for a grade. You can click on the blue study guide in the first sentence for a link to a copy of the study guide.

A good way to help prepare for the chapter test on Friday, would be to test your knowledge and understanding by completing the Chapter 1 review.

English:

Rachel's Challenge Assignment

This week you will read about Rachel Scott and her challenge. Your assignment will be to write 5 paragraphs about your own code of ethics. Think about your beliefs and how you interact with others when writing your code of ethics.

Click on the link below to get to the Rachel's Challenge website:
http://www.rachelschallenge.org/

Click on the name of the assignment above to get a copy of the assignment.

Science:

This week in science will continue working with measurement. There will be a lab to work on for most of the week. The metric mania and metric measurement worksheets should be completed, corrected and kept in your binder. Remember to keep all labs and worksheets together in your binder. The whole packet will need to be completed and turned in at the end of the unit.

Student Handbooks

If you haven't done so already, remember to read/review your handbook, both you and you parent/guardian need to sign the acknowledgement in the front and turn it in to your first period teacher.

Have a great and safe weekend!

Welcome 9th Graders!

Welcome high school freshman!

This is going to be a great year. I developed this blog as a resource for both you and your parents. Be sure to periodically check and use this blog for homework assignments, test review, worksheets, books, and fun activities that will help you throughout the year. Here you can find out what is going on in each of your core classes and have access to it any time. Please leave a comment whenever you need help or have a suggestion. All comments go directly to my e-mail so it's easy for me to keep up with any questions or suggestions you might have.

I am looking forward to working with all of you!