Assignment 7 (7th and 8th Grade), Assignment 9 (6th Grade): Planet Earth Exposed!, Part 2: New York City Wildlife

Oceans, grasslands, and rain forests aren’t the only place with wildlife, New York City has it too!

1. Watch the slideshow below to see some of New York City’s wildlife:

2. Now, pick a habitat below and watch the slideshow.




3. Next, use Kidspiration to draw the habitat you chose for its animals.
Click HERE to see how to use Kidspiration for this project.

4. Finally, put your Kidspiration on your blog and explain why you chose to create it the way you did.
Click HERE to see how to put your Kidspiration on your blog.

Assignment 6 (7th and 8th Grade), Assignment 8 (6th Grade): Planet Earth Exposed!, Part 1

1. Get ready to see some incredible videos of nature.  Choose 3:

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Birds
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Fox and Ducks
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Grass
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Rainforest
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Shallow Seas
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Sharks

2. Now answer the following questions in your blog:

a) Describe the environments shown in the videos you chose. What plants or animals lived there?
b) How are the places you saw different from the nature we have in New York City?  How, if at all, are they similar?
c) Of the environments you saw, which were the most interesting?  If you could travel to one, which would it be and why?

–> Click HERE to see an example


Assignment 5 (7th and 8th Grade), Assignment 7 (6th Grade): Photo Inspired Poetry, Part 2

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Now that you’ve used images I chose to create a poem, it’s your turn. One little thing, though: many of the images on Flickr are copyrighted– meaning you’re not allowed to use them without permission.  But there’s a section of Flickr called “Creative Commons”.  Pictures in Creative Commons are free to use in your as long as you give credit to the photographer.

Go to Flickr’s Creative Commons page by clicking HERE.  Find a picture that sparks your imagination or makes you feel something deeply.  Write a poem about it in your blog.

Assignment 3 (7th and 8th Grade), Assignment 5 (6th Grade): Photo Inspired Poetry, Part 1

Pick a pic by clicking below.  Write a poem based on what it makes you think about…

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The InSite (7th and 8th Grade)

The InSite

I just discovered this sensational website called The InSite.  It’s all about teen issues and how to deal with life’s dramas.

Spend at least 30 minutes checking it out and answer the following questions in your blog using your own words:

1) What is something you learned about dealing with emotions (for example, guilt, loneliness, and embarrassment)?

2) What is something you learned about dealing with relationships with friends, family, or boyfriend/girlfriend?

3) What is something you learned about your health (for example, drugs, sleep, and body image)?

–> Click HERE to see an example from BLozado

Assignment 1 (6th Grade): Make an Apple Account

Make an Apple Account

Before you get started in the wonderful world of blogging, you need to make an apple account.  This account will let you store your files on a single computer and customize your computer to look the way you want it to.  WARNING: sometimes your computer won’t be available…DON’T WORRY…almost everything we do is on the Internet…not on your individual computer.  If you’re smart, you’ll make an account on a bunch of computers.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE DIRECTIONS

Ayiti: The Cost of Life

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In Haiti only about half of the children receive an education and only two percent finish high school.  Without a proper education, the poor stay poor in Haiti (and many countries like this.)  While education is the key to rising out of poverty, many parents are not able to send their kids to school.  Why not?  Play the game below to find out:

Play the game Ayiti  about life in Haiti by clicking HERE.  In your blog answer the following questions:

1)  How is Ayiti different from 3rd World Farmer?  How is it the same?

2) What strategies did you use? For example, did you combine work and school, or did you send everyone to work? Which worked? Which did  not?

3)  Why would parents choose to devote so much effort to sending their children to school?  What obstacles did you face in trying to keep them in school?

** BONUS **

4. Explore a Google map of Haiti by clicking HERE.  What are some things you observe about the country?  For example, which city in Haiti has the most houses?  What part of Haiti seems the emptiest?   What countries are near Haiti?

Assignment 38 (7th and 8th Grade) Assignment 36 (6th Grade): Robots Part 1

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So the new Terminator movie came out last week and it got me thinking about robots.  What  is the state of Robot technology in 2009?  How close are we to creating machines that can sense, think, and act as well (or better) than humans?

Watch a part of The Works: Robots by clicking HERE.

Now, answer the following questions in your blog:

1. What’s the difference between a humanoid and an android?

2.What’s the uncanny valley?

3. Is there something about humans that robots will never possess?  If so, what is it?

Assignment 31 (7th and 8th Grade): Trash Talk, Part 5

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1.  Watch Garbage Part 5 by clicking HERE.

2. Go to your bubbl.us and continue to brainstorm about what you’ve learned and questions you still have.

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3.    Next, look over everything you’ve written in bubbl.us, your blog, and in Inspiration about garbage.  Write out at least 5 interview questions you could answer as an expert in garbage.  Now, using IMovie, have a partner interview you using your questions. Publish your movie on your blog (ask Mr. Lahana how).

Assignment 30 (7th and 8th Grade): Trash Talk, Part 4

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1.  Watch Garbage Part 4 by clicking HERE.

2. Go to your bubbl.us and continue to brainstorm about what you’ve learned and questions you still have.

3.  Click HERE to open up my flickr_logo_gammav59899 page full of garbage photos.  Next, open up Inspiration on your computer and make a diagram of one of the following:

a) Follow garbage from when it is picked up on the street until it reaches the landfill.

b) Show what happens to garbage when it reaches the landfill all the way until it becomes power to homes.

c) Show how a garbage recycling facility works (how it sorts the recyclables).

d) Follow recycled paper from garbage to pizza box.

–>  Watch this Inspiration tutorial to see how to make these diagrams by clicking HERE.

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