US Expansion Projects

Greetings
We have now finished our Expansion projects and presentations. Each student has the 'rights' to their respective project in Google Docs. This largely allows viewing from any computer that has internet connection. The PowerPoints all came out well. Please ask your child to log in to their Gmail and show it to you.

It was a super experience.

Best

Mr. Harper

Another Note on the Project

Greetings
The students are well on their way to producing phenomenal projects on the Western Expansion of the United States. Most are working in PowerPoint or are videotaping their presentations. I am hoping to figure a way to upload the PowerPoints to this blog so everyone can see. The videotaping, won't be posted due to privacy concerns.
We have worked in groups on this project for a couple of weeks and are on steps 4 and/or 5 as delineated in the previous entry.
At the end of each period's work, the students save the project in a 'Google Apps' file. This process and the use of 'Google Apps' allows the students to work on the project at any time, in any class, including at home; as it is all web based.
Each group member can access the project and make updates that when saved, are available to the whole group. This process allows the students to effectively work as a group even though they are not in physical proximity to one another. It is quite a marvelous addition to the technology program at PHIS.
Each student has been taught how to use this in Computer class and Information Literacy class.

Please email with any questions you might have.

Mr. Harper

Explorers Project

Greetings
This is a note concerning our Social Studies project that was begun last week. Below is a list of steps and where we should be in the process. The students have all the pieces of this project in their possession for your perusal; save for the group mapping piece which is being stored in the classroom. All of our Social Studies time this week is being given to complete this process. Last week was used for the project, as well.

Explorers Project:
1. Organized ourselves into Round Robin groupings. - completed
2. Topic chosen - completed
3. Research - nearing completion
4. Mapping - Introduced last week/underway
5. Develop Presentation - introduced today

This issue will need to be completed by Friday. The Round Robin groups will be Presenting next week.

Please feel free to email with any questions you might have.

Best

Mr. Harper

SIS

Greetings
We are now back up and running with the SIS gradebook. The grade slips will come home again starting the 15th.

Thanks for your patience in this.

Mr. Harper

Gradebook

Greetings
There is presently an issue with my gradebook program on the computer which is making all the grades read as Exempt or some derivative. I have put in a technical request for help with issue and hope to have it up and running in very short order.

Thanks

Mr. Harper

Greetings:
This is just a quick addendum to the over all blog to make mention of a Homework Club that Mrs. Meyer and I offer. It is open for any 5th or 6th grade student and is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week. We let the club out at 4:15pm and escort the students to the parent pick up area which is located at the front of the building.

Thanks

Mr. Harper

These are the projects from hours 3 and 4.

European Colonies in the New World

Greetings:

We have wrapped up our look at the European settlement in the New World. The projects came out looking very nice. The students put quite a bit of hard work into them.

I am uploading a picutre of the word the students did in first hour. An accompanying post will have uploads of hours 3 and 4.

Best

Mr Harper

3rd Quarter

Greetings
I thought I might add to the blog that the 13 Colonies Flipbook Project is due this Monday, the 18th. We've worked on this for 30 to 45 minutes each day this week and have made books available for checkout for overnight, as well.

Seeing that we have a Monday due date, the final few minutes of our day today were used for book checkout. Each student was asked if a book was needed for the weekend. If the student deemed it necessary, a book number was written down and the book sent when we dismissed.

This is our first large project score for the third quarter and the students seemed to have enjoyed working through the material in this manner.

Thanks and if any questions arise please email at mharper@pleasanthillschools.com

Best

Mr. Harper

New Social Studies Project

In Social Studies we are engaging in an new unit on the English Colonies in the New World. We are including a foldable for our note taking and project focus. I am including a photo of the foldable for you. The accompanying photo is one with an example of the table that is to be filled out with all the pertinent information.

2010

Greetings
Welcome back! I hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my family and friends. Spending time with family and friends is always an extremely special time for me. This is why Thanksgiving and the winter holiday are my favorites.
We are jumping right back into things in class with studies of the English Colonies in the New World for our Socials Studies time together and Newton's Laws in Science. We will be working with a foldable in studying the colonies and will have a fun activity based unit for the science. Please refer to this page and the SIS homework page for specifics and due dates for any work.

Thank you. I look forward to the new calendar year and our second semester together.

Best

Mr. Harper