Hour of Code - December 3-9

What is the Hour of Code?

The Hour of Code is movement to demystify coding and expose all students to
computer programming.  We live in a world surrounded by technology. And we
know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to
succeed will increasingly hinge on understanding how technology works. But only
a tiny fraction of us are learning computer science, and less students are studying
it than a decade ago.  Did you know that the number of computer science jobs is
rising three times faster than the number of computer science graduates (code.org)?

Learn more about the Hour of Code:

https://youtu.be/KsOIlDT145A

To participate in Hour of Code 2018, visit the official hour of code website for
self-paced tasks related to computer programming to use in your classroom.  You
could also download the apps Kodable, Hopscotch or CargoBot, Tynker or Daisy
the Dinosaur.  Want even more resources?  We have several robotics coding kits
available for teachers to check out across the district.  You can also email your
teacher librarian, Jamie Gilchrist or Jim Pifer for more support or resources related to
coding and Hour of Code.

While the official Hour of Code is next week, feel free to participate at any point
this school year.  Let us know when you’re kids will be coding, we’d love to see them in action.
You are also encouraged to send pictures so we can share the learning in upcoming blogs.

Teaching Resources for Thanksgiving

National Education Association

Lesson Plans & Activities

LESSON PLANS

The First Thanksgiving
In these leveled units, students in grades K2, 3-5, and 6-8 learn about the hardships encountered by the Pilgrims on their voyage and in their new settlement and explore different aspects of Plymouth colony's first harvest feast. Teachers will find lessons and teacher guides as well as interactive teaching tools and multimedia resources.

ACTIVITIES

The First Thanksgiving Student Activities for Grades PreK-12
This site includes lessons, activities, videos, slide shows, printables, and more.

Thanksgiving Projects
4-8. Make a Thanksgiving theme picture frame.

You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving
4-8. In this interactive presentation, students use the skills of historians to explore the myth and misconception surrounding “The First Thanksgiving.” Requires Flash Player 6. Includes a teachers guide.

Background Resources

THANKSGIVING

Teaching About the First Thanksgiving
Discover the many meanings of Thanksgiving by exploring life in 17th-century America and the experiences of the Pilgrims and Wampanoags.

Teaching Resources for Thanksgiving
Lessons, extensions, multimedia resources, and recommended books.

Native American Perspectives on Thanksgiving     
Links to additional resources.

Grades 4-8 Teacher and Student Resources for American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving ( PDF, 4.1 MB, 10 pgs.)
The National Museum of the American Indian provides a study guide, full-size printable versions of poster images, a separate lesson on the topic of Thanksgiving, and more.

Thanksgiving
Memoirs. Excerpts from primary sources.

Thanksgiving Timeline

Thanksgiving on the Web
A source of Thanksgiving postcards, recipes, facts, and trivia.

PILGRIMS

Mayflower History
Features Pilgrim history and Plymouth Colony primary sources.

WAMPANOAG

The Mashpee Wampanoag Timeline
An annotated timeline 1616- 2007.

Native Languages of the Americas: Wampanoag
A source of information on language and culture. Includes a fact sheet and an introduction to Wampanoag Indian mythology.

NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art
This site focuses on the arts of Eastern Woodland Indian Peoples.

TURKEY TRIVIA

Thanksgiving Census Facts
Consider a statistical view of Thanksgiving. Find out how many turkeys are raised for Thanksgiving, how many pounds of potatoes Americans consume around the holiday, and how many pies will be produced. Links to other Thanksgiving quiz and turkey facts.

Turkey Facts
Learn about wild and domesticated turkeys in the United States.

Recipes

Thanksgiving Recipes for Kids
Kids can help mom, dad, brother, or sister make sweet potato pie, marshmallow pilgrim hats, and turkey cookies.

Pass the Dessert: America's Thanksgiving Recipes 
Find seven recipes for old fashioned Thanksgiving desserts and listen to an audio clip as the some of the finished recipes are tasted and rated.

Online Quizzes

Thanksgiving Quiz
Take and grade these 10 question quizzes.

Thanksgiving Trivia
Test your Thanksgiving savvy with this 80 question trivia test.

Books

Ten Thanksgiving Books for Children
K-8. Annotated reading list.

Online Video

New Plimoth Plantation Virtual Field Trips
K-12. Tour the Pilgrim Village, the Wampanoag Homesite, and the Plimoth Plantation.

History of Thanksgiving

14 brief videos covering Thanksgiving history, food, football, and more.

State of Iowa Social Studies Leadership Team

“Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way” has links to activities to use in the classroom:

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teaching-thanksgiving-in-a-socially-responsible-way

“Thanksgiving: Exploring Perspectives”

This article provides perspectives from Native people about Thanksgiving. It also includes discussion questions that are easy to adapt:
https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/thanksgiving-exploring-perspectives

A blog post by Dr. Liza Talusan about family activities during the Thanksgiving break.
http://www.lizatalusan.com/to-loosen-the-mind/2017/11/14/family-practices-during-the-long-weekend

“Good Books About Thanksgiving” by Debbie Reese:
https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2007/11/good-books-about-thanksgiving.html

“Deconstructing the Myths of “The First Thanksgiving”
http://oyate.org/index.php/resources/43-resources/thanksgiving

Wampanoag Tribe’s Official Site:
http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/Wampanoag_WebDocs/history_culture

Story Corps

This Thanksgiving weekend, StoryCorps will work with teachers and high school students to preserve the voices and stories of an entire generation of Americans. The Great Thanksgiving Listen is a national assignment to engage people in the act of listening, and the pilot project is specially designed for grades 7-12 across the curriculum.
Get The Free Teacher Toolkit!

Secondary Collaboration-November 14th

We are looking forward to our secondary collaboration this Wednesday, November 14th.  We will meet from 7:30 AM-9:00 AM and the focus of our work will be learning more about Canvas, our new learning management system.

A big thank you to teachers who will be sharing ideas and experiences around a variety of topics, including organizing courses, creating quizzes, feedback, the discussion feature, linking to the calendar, peer review, and more. 

Please report to the following locations with a charged laptop:

Teacher Teams	Location
7-8 PLTW, 9-12 CTE, 6-12 Music, 7-12 World Language, 6-12 PE/Health, 6-12 Art	Spring Creek Coaches Office
6-12 ELA, 6-12 ESOL, 6th TAG	Spring Creek Media Center
6-12 Math	Spring Creek Science Lab
6-12 Science	HS Science Room-N324
6-12 Social Studies, 6-12 Counselors	HS Social Studies Room N275
6-12 Special Ed Level III (6-12 Level I and II teachers—please join the content area you support)	HS Multipurpose Room

We are looking forward to a morning of learning!

Elementary Health Curriculum

This week's blog has updates for elementary teachers related to our health curriculum.


Health Curriculum Update

The health curriculum team has updated some resources for the 4th and 5th grade November health lessons - Your Body/Growth and Development/Human Sexuality. These may be found on the Teaching and Learning page. 

A revised and updated parent letter will be created and shared with you soon. There are also plans to provide future health curriculum professional development opportunities for teachers. Below is a summary of the scope and sequence of the health curriculum for K-5 teachers.

Southeast Polk K-5 Health Curriculum Scope and Sequence

Elementary grades will spend a minimum of 60 minutes per month teaching health topics from our curriculum. These curriculum areas include emotional health/feelings, relationships with family/friends, your body/growth and development/human sexuality, nutrition, personal health/physical activity/hygiene/healthy goals, safety, substance use/misuse, communicable diseases/non-communicable diseases, and environmental/consumer/community health.

Learning Goals

Students will:

• Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
• Analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
• Demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.
• Demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Demonstrate the ability to use decision making skills to enhance health.
• Demonstrate the ability to use goal setting skills to enhance health.
• Demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

Topics of Study:

• By the end of September - Relationships with Family/Friends
• By the end of October - Personal Health/Physical Activity/Hygiene/Healthy Goals
• By the end of November - Your Body/Growth and Development/Human Sexuality
• By the end of December - Emotional Health/Feelings
• By the end of January - Nutrition
• By the end of February - Safety
• By the end of March - Substance Use/Misuse
• By the end of April - Communicable Diseases/Non-communicable Diseases
• By the end of May - Environmental/Consumer/Community Health

Trimester Pacing:

• First Trimester: September and October Lessons/Assessments
• Second Trimester: November, December, January, and February Lessons/Assessments

• Third Trimester: March, April, and May Lessons/Assessments

Elementary Collaboration: November 7th

We are looking forward to our elementary collaboration next Wednesday, November 7th.  The collaboration will be held from 2:30-4:00 and will focus on math.

All PK-5 teachers (including Title I Math, TAG, ESOL, Special Education, and Teacher Librarians) will report to Clay Elementary for teacher-led math breakout sessions.

There will be 3 sessions offered:

• Session 1- 2:30-2:55
• Session 2- 3:00-3:30
• Session 3- 3:30-3:55

There are 2 required sessions- One for PK/K teachers and one for Grade 2 teachers.  All others may be chosen by teachers. As you review the schedule at the link below, please work with your PLC to discuss how you might attend different sessions and share with each other.  

A big thank you to teachers for sharing their ideas with peers during this learning opportunity!

All PE, Music, and Art teachers will meet at Willowbrook Elementary to continue your work on priority standards and proficiency scales.  Please share your agenda and notes so we can provide follow up support.

All Counselors will meet at Centennial Elementary to continue your work on priority standards and proficiency scales.  Please share your agenda and notes so we can provide follow up support.

Reading Specialists and Title I Reading teachers will meet at Centennial Elementary with Tammy Steenhoek to continue work on literacy supports.

All Level III Special Education teachers will meet at Centennial Elementary.

We are looking forward to a great day of collaborative learning!

SCHEDULE FOR TEACHER-LED MATH BREAKOUT SESSIONS