Veterans Day - 11/11/15

Let us remember all the sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces so that we could have a safer life. 

11/11/15

Math News

In math, we just finished up our unit in graphing linear equations.  This is a very important topic in the Pre-algebra and Algebra class.  Our adventure in linear equations will continue in Algebra with systems of equations in November and Inequalities in December.  Pre-Algebra will move into their number sense unit, beginning with exponents and scientific notation.   This unit will continue through mid-December.  

There is currently a study island assignment that is due November 13th.  The assignment is a great review of our unit in graphing linear equations, reinforcing many topics completed in the past 6 weeks.  All students are encouraged to do at least 10 questions to earn at least a 60% overall grade.

Waterwheel Models for Science

Students are learning about energy in science, and they will be using materials from home to build their waterwheel models.  Construction will occur in class and students will use what they learned about energy to guide the design of the wheel. They will need cylindrical containers that can serve as their wheels. If folks have any 2-liter pop bottles, whipped topping containers, or coffee canisters, please send them to Mr. Haskins's lab! Plastic recyclables make great building materials! Students will have access to many other materials in class to build their wheels. Read more about the waterwheelproject online.  

Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween! 

 Saturday, October 31, 2015 

Reading Class - Theme Analysis Workshop

Ask your students to show you their Theme Analysis Organizer on Google Classroom.  See how students are making great gains in their literary analysis and essay writing skills.  This past week students worked hard in their reading class's Theme Analysis Workshop.  Throughout the workshop, students developed top-notch thesis statements, found best evidence within the text, practiced using MLA parenthetical documentation, and developed analysis to support their claims.  While building their essay-writing skills, they also developed the ability to find a text's implied meanings. 

First nine-weeks grading period ended October 27, 2015

First nine-weeks grading period ended
October 27, 2015

Learn more about the grading periods
from the AMS Parent Academy 

Report Cards to be published to Edline November 3

Students Exploring Energy in Science

Students will be learning about energy through the next learning unit. Resources for the lessons, homework, and practice can be found on the science webpage.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

• Timeline 
  What did we do today? A daily briefing
• Assignments 
  Download or complete an assignment
• Homework

Students will have nightly tasks during the unit. Students may work ahead by looking at the contents of this page. 

• Notes  
  Notes from class, videos or simulations
• Study Guides
  Prepare for a quiz or test
• Quiz - Energy Chapter 4

First Edition of the Newspaper

The AMS newspaper club printed the first edition of The Herd. Check it out online:

AMSTheHerd.info 

Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday

Remember to turn your clocks back on Sunday, 11/1/15! Daylight Saving Time Ends!

AMS Grade 8 Parent Teacher Conferences

Read more about AMS 8 parent-teacher conferences on our blog here:

http://amsgrade8.blogspot.com/p/fall-parent-teacher-conferences.html

Grading Period Ends Oct 27

First nine-weeks grading period to end
October 27, 2015

Learn more about the grading periods
from the AMS Parent Academy 

●  Civics: last day to turn in work is Tuesday, 10/27

●  English: last day for make up work is Monday, 10/26

●  Reading: last day to take AR quiz and turn in work is Tuesday, 10/27

●  Math classes: last day to turn in work is Friday, 10/23

●  Science: test Monday,10/26 (period C) and Tuesday, 10/27 (periods A, D, F & G) and last day to turn in work is Tuesday, 10/27

Wrapping Up Motion in Science

Students are concluding their work on motion next week. A unit test is scheduled as the last grade for the first grading period. Period C will take the test Monday. Periods A, D, F, & G will take the test Tuesday.

Click here   to access the online study guide. 

Vocabulary Reviews	Math Quizzes	Short Quizzes
Velocity & Acceleration Force & Gravity	Velocity & One Step Equations Force & Simple Equations	Motion & Velocity Acceleration Force Newton's 2nd Law Gravity Newton's Third Law
Watch a Brain Pop Movie
Acceleration This animated movie from BrainPOP defines acceleration and how it relates to speed and motion. Newton's Laws of Motion Newton's three laws of motion are demonstrated in this animated movie from BrainPOP.
Download Notes	Videos & Tutorials	Watch a video!

AR due Soon!

AR will be due next week! 
Tuesday, October 20, 2015!

Click to access Renaissance Home Connect:
https://hosted321.renlearn.com/24471/HomeConnect/

AMS Environmental Club issued its first digital badges!

Last week, three eighth graders earned the Wet Weather digital badge through the environmental club! Students explored the impact of water pollution due to run-off from rain and snow melt and the impact to our environment. Since Pittsburgh uses combined sewers, much of the water during such events mixes with household and commercial waste water which pours into our watersheds. Students learned about methods and solutions to combat wet weather through observation and modeling! Thank you to Julie M., Julianna K., and Mara B. for your participation and congratulations on earning the badge!

Copy of the Wet Weather Digital Badge

Mara B. and Julianna K. observing a model filtration system.

Julie M. working on a filtration model for Wet Weather

EARN A DIGITAL BADGE! 

Next Environmental Club Activity:
Decomposition Science & Experiment for Digital Badge

Learn more about the environmental club at AMS

Friday Night Football Tickets

Ticket sales will continue until Friday at 12:15 for the Homecoming football game.

REMINDER: SWE- Middle School Engineering Day

The following is a message from University of Pittsburgh SWE and AMS/ASD does not sanction the following the message or their activities. 

Dear students and parents,

You are invited to University of Pittsburgh Society of Women Engineer's Middle School Engineering Day. The flyer with all details of the event and how to sign-up for the event is linked below. The event is Saturday, October 17, 2015 from 9 am to 1 pm and the event is free! Please forward this on to your students/parents of 6th-8th graders and to anybody else who may be interested. Thank you for your support.

The link for signing up is below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pitt-swe-middle-school-engineering-day-tickets-18506309871

Middle School Engineering Day Committee

University of Pittsburgh Society of Women Engineers
Outreach
Click here to view the info postcard

No School Monday

Drawing from the United States Department of Defense, Wikipedia
Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Columbus-day.jpg

ACT 80 Day - Monday, October 12

No School for students - Columbus Day

In-Service for teachers and staff


Read more about Columbus Day from Wikipedia.

AR due soon!

AR will be due in two weeks! 
Tuesday, October 20, 2015!

Click to access Renaissance Home Connect:
https://hosted321.renlearn.com/24471/HomeConnect/

Black Box Uncovered

Mr. Haskins's periods F and G classes met with Milford Grade School eighth graders who are located in Illinois through Google Hangout. The students from both schools discussed the results of exploring the Black Box. Milford students received their boxes for the last time, but they were in pieces! The Milford students had to explain to the Avonworth lab what the pieces were and their thoughts about how it went together. After the introduction, students in Mr. Haskins's lab explored how those pieces went together and reported back to Milford in the video chat.

This is the last activity looking into the Black Box. However, the process of scientific discovery and explaining ideas to others will continue throughout the school year!

You can access the blog created by the students at this address: amslab110.blogspot.com

Thank You!!!

Just a quick note to the families that had sent the 8th grade team facial tissues during our health and wellness drive! Thank you!!! We collected over 50 boxes of tissues that will be shared with the grade 8 classrooms! 

Sincerely,

Grade 8 Team

The donation of facial tissue boxes gathers in Mr. Haskins's lab!

Using Creativity in English

In English class this week, the eighth graders used their creativity in the Maker Space. The students were able to use fantastic equipment such as the 3D Printer and the Laser Engraver. Each group invented a product that is going to help improve everyday life. Next, the students will take on the challenge of using persuasive writing to sell their product. Stay tuned!

Civics Classes Review the Republican Debate

Photo courtesy of Mr. Hall
 from Twitter (@mhall_AMS)

Last week in Civics, students watched clips from the most recent Republican Presidential Candidate Debate on their Chromebooks.  

After watching, students responded to a question that was posted on the message board in Google Classroom asking them which candidate was their favorite and which one seemed "most presidential".  

Students also posted questions they would like to ask the candidate in the online message board.

Examples of student posts to message board from the Period D class:

"I think that Carly Fiorina seems the most presidential because she uses statistics and facts rather than her own opinions to support her argument."

 "What did Donald Trump do politically in the past few years?"

"What does Senator Paul mean by the constitution restrains the government, not the people?"

"I agree that they need to stop arguing with each other and start telling us about their plans for our country."

New Science Unit uses Menu Assessments

The students have been learning about motion in science class. To assess our learning, we are using a menu of options. Students must earn up to ten points for full credit for part one which is due Wednesday, 10/7/15. More information and the menu choices can be found on the science website.

Newton’s Laws of Motion - CALENDAR

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9/21 Black Box	9/22 Black Box	9/23 Black Box	9/24 Ramp It!	9/25 Ramp It!
9/28 Reading & Sensor Activity #1	9/29 Reading & Sensor Activity #2	9/30 Notes & SR Input #1	10/1 Notes & SR Input #2	10/2 Activities & SR Input #3
10/5 Review SR Input #4	10/6 Workday! Complete your assessments!	10/7 Final Day for B1 “2-5-8” Menu “B1 Quiz”	10/8 Newton’s Laws Workstations & Reading Activity	10/9 Newton’s Laws Workstations & Reading Activity
10/12 NO SCHOOL	10/13 Notes & SR Input #1	10/14 Notes & SR Input #2	10/15 Activities & SR Input #3	10/16 Activities & SR Input #3
10/19 Workday! Complete your assessments!	10/20 Final Day for B2 “2-5-8” Menu “B2 Quiz”	10/21 Experiment Falling Objects	10/22 Experiment Falling Objects	10/23 Experiment Falling Objects
10/26 Unit Review	10/27 UNIT B EXAM (All students to complete) END OF 1st 9-Weeks	10/28 Start of the 2nd 9-Weeks	10/29	10/30

Science Health & Wellness Extra Credit

Students can earn one PREP point for bringing a box of facial tissues for the 8th grade team. The last day for the extra credit is Friday! 

Is this math or science class? It's both!

The students in the eighth grade are participating in a series of STEM, also known as science, technology, engineering and mathematics, activities in their math and science classes. First we are working through Ramp It Up!, which is an investigation into Newton's principles of motion. Student teams in the different science classes are independently investigating what happens to an object as it rolls down a ramp. As the unit unfolds, students learn about classical physics problems and some of the history behind so many of the discoveries of the 17^th century. They are then applying those principles to everyday problems using scientific investigation.

Students working on the Ramp It Up! activity in a combined math and science class. 

Science Extra Credit - Health & Wellness for the 8th Grade

Dear parents, 

The 8th grade team needs facial tissues to help keep our students and rooms healthy! Students can bring a box of facial tissues for one additional prep point for the next science quiz! I will be accepting boxes of facial tissue through October 2. All of the donations will be share among the 8th grade team teachers to supply their rooms. 

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Sincerely,

Mr. Haskins & AMS 8 Team

Materials Needed for the Advertising Project

Dear Parents/Guardians,

In English class next week, we are beginning our advertising unit.  For this unit, in groups, the students will be creating their very own products.  They will then develop a sales pitch using persuasive writing techniques. To build their product, it would be very helpful if the students could collect as many household items as possible.

If you could please help your child collect some of these items, it would be greatly appreciated. Items that would be very helpful include (but not limited to):

• Toilet paper rolls
• Paper towel rolls
• Buttons
• Cereal boxes
• Tissue boxes
• Yarn
• Plastic bottles
• Egg cartons
• Shoe boxes
• Popsicle sticks
• Pipe cleaners
• Rubber bands
• Duct tape
• Hot glue sticks
• Fabric swatches

We will begin to build our products no earlier than Wednesday, September 23. Thank you so much for helping make your child’s experience in middle school a great one.

Miss Raitano and Mrs. Abate

English Advertising Project

Two-Hour Delay Wednesday

There will be a 2 hour delay on Wednesday, 9/23/15.