Students of the Month: December

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of December.

Science: Max
English: Cierra
Social Studies: Malina

Advanced English 8: Lord of the Flies Chapters 5-8

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for the terms from Chapters 5 through 8 from the novel, Lord of the Flies. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the novel to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

Alex is an All-Star Athlete!

Alex P. has received the honor of being selected as one of the nation’s top youth football players and selected to participate in the 2011 FBU Youth All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas played on January 9, 2011. Congratulations, Alex!

English 8: Staves Four and Five from A Christmas Carol Terms

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for the terms from Staves Four and Five from the novel, A Christmas Carol. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the novel to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 7

Extended Vocabulary List #7 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, December 17th.

Socratic Seminars in Advanced English 8

The students of Mrs. Porter's Advanced English class pictured above are hard at work preparing for the Socratic Seminar on Chapters One and Two from the novel, Lord of the Flies. During the Socratic Seminars, the students will focus their discussions around an essential question that is created for each seminar. After the first seminar, the students have displayed remarkable interpretative and analytical skills. Throughout the novel, the students will also meet in literature circles to further analyze the novel. Within the literature circles, each group member will have their own specific role. The roles are discussion director, connector, illustrator, vocabulary enhancer, symbols tracer, and character tracer. Check back soon for pictures of the Lord of the Flies Novel Wall that the students are designing in Mrs. Porter's classroom.

The students pictured above are Haley, Alexxa, Carina, and Ashutosh.

Art Inspires Narrative Writing Projects

As a culminating project to the field trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Advanced English 8 students wrote short stories with an emphasis on setting, character, plot, and theme. The students were instructed to select their favorite piece of art from the museum. When returning to school, the students received interpretation and analysis packets that focused on initial reaction, description, formal relationships of shapes and images, contextual examination, personal experience, and contextual judgment on the piece of art that they had selected. Based on this analysis, the students wrote short stories to reflect their selected piece of art. The students also designed book covers for their short stories. The students were permitted to use multiple forms of media to produce their book covers.

The students pictured above are Nicole, Malina, and Josh.

English 8: Staves Two and Three from A Christmas Carol Terms

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for the terms from Staves Two and Three from the novel, A Christmas Carol. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the novel to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

Energy Research Debate: Useful Websites and Documents

Helpful Websites: Energy Resources



(Irregular Formatting)

Advanced English 8: Lord of the Flies Chapters 1-4

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for the terms from Chapters 1 through 4 from the novel, Lord of the Flies. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the novel to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 6

Extended Vocabulary List #6 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, December 10th.

Egg Drop Video: 2010-2011

Student photographers captured images during the egg drop activity. The video below is a sample of some photographs that were taken.

"EGGSellent" Achievers: 2010-2011 Egg Drop Awards

Click on the thumbnail below to see the awards for this year's egg drop competition.

Students of the Month: November

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of November.

• Social Studies: Abby
  
• English: Josh
  
• Science: Ethan
  

The Supernova Egg Drop Competition: 2010-2011

The Supernova students will be utilizing physics concepts learned in science class to design and construct a capsule that will protect a raw egg (from breaking) as it is dropped from an elevated position. The top three students from each class will receive a certificate as a reward for their design and hard work. The top overall Supernova student will be awarded the egg drop trophy pictured above.

Science Enrichment: Science Connections

If you are interested in representing your team on a field trip that shows the way technology is used in the real world, here is your chance.

Write an essay (no longer than 300 words) explaining the importance of science education for your generation. Turn in the essay to your science teacher no later than Dec. 10th 2010.

If chosen, you will attend a field trip to a local company that specializes in technological development. Once the field trip has ended, you will create a presentation for your team that represents what you learned while on the trip.

Art Inspires Narrative Writing

The Supernova Advanced English students traveled to the Carnegie Museum of Art for the third year in a row to explore the connections between art and narrative writing. The students prepared for the trip by analyzing and interpreting literature and discussing the similarities to analyzing and interpreting art work. While at the museum, the students were divided into small groups to discuss four specific pieces of art work. As a culminating project to this fabulous experience, the students wrote short stories with an emphasis on setting, character, plot, and theme. The students were instructed to select their favorite piece of art from the museum. When returning to school, the students received interpretation and analysis packets that focused on initial reaction, description, formal relationships of shapes and images, contextual examination, personal experience, and contextual judgment on the piece of art that they had selected. Based on this analysis, the students wrote short stories to reflect their selected piece of art. The students also designed book covers for their short stories. The students were permitted to use multiple forms of media to produce their book covers. Please check back soon for pictures of the students' art work.

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is being held at the middle school December 1-10. The fair is also open in the evening on Thursday, December 9th from 6pm - 9pm which is before and after the winter band concert. The Supernova Team will visit the fair on Wednesday, December 8th. They will be accepting cash or checks made payable to the CMS Activity Fund.

English 8: Stave One from A Christmas Carol Terms

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for the terms from Stave One from the novel, A Christmas Carol. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the novel to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 5

Extended Vocabulary List # 5 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, November 19th.

Rube Goldberg Project and Student Samples: 2010-2011 (Update 9)

Assessment Anchor - S8.C.3: Principles of Motion and Force

Below is a link to some sample videos from this year's Rube Goldberg project that was completed by the Supernovas for Mr. Wolf's science class. While working on the project, the students experienced forces such as gravity and friction. They also utilized simple machines to make their work easier by changing the size and/or direction of the applied force.


Rube Goldberg Student Sample Videos: 2010-2011

(Note: Additional videos may be added at a later date.)

English 8 & Advanced English 8: "The Tell-Tale Heart" Terms

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for "The Tell-Tale Heart" terms. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the short story to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

Chapter 9: Energy (PowerPoint Notes)

Click on the link below to view the PowerPoint notes for "Chapter 9: Energy".

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 4

Extended Vocabulary List #4 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, November 12th.

Students of the Month: October

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of October.

• Social Studies: Harsha
  
• English: Emily
  
• Science: Jessica
  

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 3

Extended Vocabulary List #3 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, November 5th.

Enrichment: Simple Machines - Interactive Websites

Click on the link below to for extra enrichment websites on the topic of simple machines.

Simple Machines: Interactive Websites

Mechanical Advantage & Efficiency (Answer Key)

Use the following link to check your answers on the "Mechanical Advantage & Efficiency" worksheet. The answers can be found on the 2nd page.

CMS Anti-Bullying Video: Stop Putting Me Down

A Supernova Advanced English Class Tradition Continues

The students of Mrs. Porter's Advanced English class will be traveling to the Carnegie Museum of Art on November 17th. The students will be exploring diverse forms of artwork for the Art Inspires Narrative Writing Tour. This tradition was started three years ago on the Supernova team. With funds provided through a Canon-McMillan School District Mini Grant, the Advanced English class was able to travel to the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Mattress Factory. This year, the Sonic Boom Team and the Hurricane Team have been invited to join Mrs. Porter's Advanced English class for this cross-curricular experience.
The students will prepare for the trip by discussing symbolism in literature. Prior to the trip, the students will visit the Museum of Modern Art in New York City through an online tour. The students will participate in online activities that focus on interpretation and analysis of literature.
When the students return from the trip, they will be creating their own art and writing a narrative. Pictured above is the art installation created last year by Mrs. Porter's class.

English 8 & Advanced English 8: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Terms

The vocabulary list is posted on Quizlet for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" terms. The students are encouraged to click on the link embedded in the title of the short story to study the vocabulary terms for the upcoming test.

The Supernova T-Shirts Have Arrived!

The Supernova team T-shirts arrived just in time for the students to participate in Canonsburg Middle School's school spirit theme day on October 27th.

The Supernova team would like to thank Dynamic Creations (located in Washington, PA) for working into the midnight hours to make sure the students had their T-shirts in time for the theme day.

Chapter 8: Work and Machine (Notes)

Click on the link below to view the PowerPoint notes for chapter 8.

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 2

Extended Vocabulary List #2 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, October 29th.

Science Bonus and Enrichment Opportunity: Read and React

The Supernova science students have the opportunity to earn bonus points throughout the year by completing open-ended "read and react" assignments. The students are to read about current events that relate to some of the science topics discussed in class. The written articles can be found in newspapers, magazines, online, etc. After reading the article, the students are to write a short reaction paper, at least one page in length, explaining how the article is related to the science topics discussed in class. This is an ongoing bonus opportunity offered throughout the year, up to a maximum of 10 points per nine weeks. Mr. Wolf has the discretion to determine the point value for each submission.

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 1

Extended vocabulary list #1 is posted on Quizlet. The test on these terms will be Friday, October 22nd.

English 8 & Advanced English 8: "The Landlady" Vocabulary Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for "The Landlady." You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.

Vocabulary List for "The Landlady."

A Great Opportunity for Our Artists and Writers!

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers announces the NY Life Award sponsored by the New York Life Foundation. Creative expression can be a powerful way to manage the grieving process. Teens in grades 7-12 are encouraged to submit their works of art and writing that deal with loss and bereavement to the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the opportunity to earn recognition.
Six winners will be selected to receive $1,000 scholarships and top works will be shown as part of the annual national exhibition in June of 2011. Submissions can be made in 30 categories of art and writing. Registration opened September 15th. For more information, click here.

Chapter 6: Forces in Motion (PowerPoint Notes)

Travel Research Glogster Project

The students of Mrs. Porter's Advanced English 8 classes were hard at work in the month of September creating Glogs. The students selected a city or a small island located outside of the United States. The students spent time in our library researching and writing an informative research report. The final component to the project was for the students to create an interactive poster using Glogster. In addition, the students had to present their Glogs to the class using the Promethean Board. Please click the links below to view the fantastic Glogs created by Abby S. and Josh K.

Abby S.'s Glog

Josh K.'s Glog

T-Shirt Slogan Contest: Winner

 
The Supernova Team would like to congratulate Carina as the winner of the Supernova T-shirt slogan contest. The Supernova teachers would like to thank all of the students that participated in the contest. The winning slogan is displayed above and will be displayed on the back of the T-shirts for this year.

English 8 & Advanced English 8: Elements of Literature Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for the Elements of Literature terms. You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.

Vocabulary List for the Elements of Literature Terms

Science Enrichment: eCybermission

eCYBERMISSION is a FREE, web-based, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition for students in grades six through nine. Sponsored by the U.S. Army, eCYBERMISSION is a fun yet productive competition that challenges students to think about the real-world applications of STEM education.

Students work in teams to identify problems in their communities and apply the scientific method to proposed solutions. Teams are comprised of three to four students with an adult Team Advisor to serve as a mentor. Each team formulates a hypothesis, conducts research and experiments, and compiles its data into a Mission Folder, which is submitted, along with supporting attachments, on the eCYBERMISSION web site.

Students on winning teams receive up to $8,000 in U.S. EE Savings Bonds. The 16 first-place regional winning teams are invited to the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area to compete in the national competition and enjoy several educational enrichment activities while vying for the honor of National First Place team in each grade.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, more than 71,000 students from across the nation and in U.S. territories and Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools worldwide have participated in the competition and the U.S. Army has awarded more than $8.6 million in support of the STEM leaders of tomorrow.

To learn more about the eCYBERMISSION competition, register for an informative and interactive webinar by clicking a link below:

www.ecybermission.com

Friction Song and Force Song

Below are videos on forces and the force of friction to help reinforce these concepts.

Note: The song's are British in origin.  They have a different spelling for the word "tire".  You will see it spelled "tyre" in the video.

Students of the Month: September

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of September.

• Science: Bill
• English: Kim
• Social Studies: Tim

The Supernova Sprint: 2010-2011

The Supernova science students conducted a lab to analyze their velocity and acceleration throughout a 30 meter dash.  Below is a short video clip of the students conducting their experiment. 


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Video: Speed and Velocity

Chapter 5 - Matter in Motion (Notes) & Exam Announcement

Exam Announcement:

September 28th - Models and Measurement (Ch 1-3 & Ch 1-4)

Note: This upcoming exam was announced to the students last week.  The students are encouraged to study the guided notes and the lab notes they were given on mass, volume, and density.

After the exam, we will move on to chapter 5 (Matter in Motion).  Click on the link below to view the notes for the upcoming chapter.  

Measurement Week!

The Supernovas will be conducting various science labs throughout that week that involved different types of measurement.  The students will focus on using units in the modern metric system while conducting their labs. 

9/20 - Length Lab
9/21 - Mass Lab
9/22 - Volume Lab
9/23 - Density Lab

Scientific Models

The Supernovas took a hands-on and creative approach to learning about how physical models can be used to replicate an object on a more convenient scale.

Guest Speaker

The Supernova Team would like to welcome Mr. Vacca, of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to our school on Friday, September 24th, to share his knowledge of the Naturalization Process with the CMS student body.

Science - Chapter 1-3 & 1-4: Models and Measurement (Notes)

Thank You for Our Book Covers!

The Supernova students would like to thank the manager at the Shop' n Save in Canonsburg for donating brown paper bags to our team. The students used the brown paper bags to cover their English books for Mrs. Porter's English class. The students were required to design a book cover that represents their interests.

Pictured above are the students of Mrs. Porter's Advanced English class.

The "Wright" Stuff

After learning about how the American aviation pioneers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, used scientific processes while designing their aircraft, Mr. Wolf's science class took to the skies in an attempt to utilize the scientific method to improve on their own paper airplane design.

Steps of the Scientific Method
1) Ask a question
2) Form a hypothesis
3) Test the hypothesis
4) Analyze the results
5) Draw conclusions
6) Communicate results

Below are some images from the testing phase.

"Breaking the Stereotype"

Mr. Wolf's science classes were asked to sketch a scientist.  The majority of students shared certain characteristics in their sketches.   A student volunteer dressed up in each class as the "stereotypical" male scientist as the students named common items in their sketches.  After the activity, the students examined examples of real-life scientists in various fields of work.  The students had the chance to see that women can become scientists, and that not all scientists work in a lab, have crazy hair, carry around beakers, and wear lab coats.

Mission Impossible: "Communication is Key"

Mr. Wolf's science class conducted an activity on the third day of school that emphasized the importance of communication in science.  The students had to work together to accomplish a task that most thought were impossible. 

T-Shirt Slogan Contest

The Supernova team will be ordering T-shirts for the 2010-2011 school year.  Each student has the opportunity to earn bonus points in science class by submitting a new slogan for the back of the T-shirts.  To submit a slogan, simply write your name and idea on a sheet of paper, and then turn the paper into Mr. Wolf.  The students will have the chance to vote on the top 5 slogans, as selected by the Supernova teachers.  The slogan with the most votes will be displayed on the back of the team T-shirts.

Science - Chapter 1-1 & 1-2: Introduction and the Scientific Method (Notes)

As an introduction to 8th grade science, we will begin the year by introducing physical science and Earth science.  Next we will study the scientific method.  Below are links to the notes on which the entire first exam will be based upon.  

The Undefeated Supernova Team

The Supernova Team remains undefeated in the Cup of Knowledge competition. The Supernova students selected three students out of the whole team to represent them in this academic competition. The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate to Hunter, Jake, and Rachel for winning the cup for the Supernova Team!

Outstanding Supernova Students!

At the 8th grade awards ceremony, many Supernova students came away with top honors. Kaley Wybranowski won the American Legion Award. Kayleigh Brink received the C.H.A.M.P.S. Award. Both Rachel McMurdy and Rachel Rozak won the band director's award and a service award for their dedication to the band. Finally, our 2010 Carson Scholar, Cassie Popovski, won the Spanish award for being the top student in Spanish for the school year. Congratulations to all of the Supernova students who received awards at yesterday's ceremony!

Pictured above is Kaley Wybranowski accepting her American Legion Award.

Advanced English Art Work

The Advanced English students created art work to represent poems that they had written in class. The poems were inspired by a field trip taken in May to the Carnegie Museum of Art for the poetry inspires art tour. To create their works of art, the students used acrylic paint on canvas. The students' art work and poems will be on display in Mrs. Porter's room next year. To read more about the students' experience at the Carnegie Museum of Art, scroll down to the previous blog post.

The students pictured above are Hunter, Jake, Lexie, Rachel, and Emily

Supernova Students of the Year

The Supernova team teachers would like to congratulate the three students who were selected as "Students of the Year". These students performed at an advanced level throughout all four nine week periods. Jake was selected for social studies, Hunter was selected for science, and Rachel was chosen for English. Each of the students received a medal and an award certificate.

The Anne Frank Leaf Project

The Advanced English 8 students read the play, "The Diary of Anne Frank" and the novel, The Diary of a Young Girl. As a culminating activity, the students selected from six quotes from Anne's diary. The quotes were based on the themes of freedom, goodness, giving, courage, happiness, and humanity. Each student wrote an essay about the ways that he or she had been inspired by the life of Anne Frank to value that specific theme in his or her own life. The students also created a leaf based on one of the six themes. Each student wrote Anne's quote on one side of the leaf and his or her own original quote on the other side of the leaf. This project was based on the Anne Frank Tree Interactive Monument. Anne Frank often admired the chestnut tree in the courtyard behind the secret annex and wrote about the tree in her diary.

For more information, you can visit the Anne Frank Tree Interactive Monument. You can also leave your own quote or message on the virtual tree.

The students pictured above are Evan, Cassie, and Paige.

Supernovas of the Month for May

The Supernova Team teachers would like to congratulate the following students who have been selected as "Students of the Month" for May. Rachel McMurdy was selected for English, Brady Moyer was chosen for social studies, and Gabrielle Trest was selected for science.

Mrs. Porter's Advanced English Students Skype

Mrs. Porter's Advanced English students shared their favorite books from when they were in kindergarten. Next, the students worked in groups to develop, write, and illustrate their own children's books using the Build A Book website. Finally, the students shared their books with Mrs. Schutt's Extended Kindergarten class at Wylandville Elementary through Skype. The students enjoyed the experience of creating their own books as well as sharing their books and illustrations with the kindergarten students.

English 8: "The Ruum" Vocabulary Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for "The Ruum". You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.

The quiz on these terms will be Friday, May 28th.

"The Ruum" terms

Art Inspires Poetry Tour

Mrs. Porter's Advanced English 8 class had a wonderful day at the Carnegie Museum of Art! The students were broken up in to four groups. Each group analyzed and interpreted five works of art. the students recorded their thoughts in an idea book as they toured around the museum. As shown in the photo, the students had their own seats. This way they were able to sit and admire the works of art, discuss, and write.

After the formal tour, each student selected his or her favorite piece of art. The students were instructed to draft a poem that is representative of the mood and meaning of their selected work of art.

During the week of May 24th, the Advanced English students will be writing their final poems and painting. Check the blog for pictures of their art work and examples of their poetry.

Space Story Podcast

Mr. Wolf's 8th grade science classes recently completed a student choice project based on the topic of astronomy.  Below is a podcast of a song produced by the Supernovas' very own "Rachels" and some of their friends.

Credits:
Lyrics by Rachel M., Rachel R., Cara P., and Natalie D.
Vocals: Rachel M. and Rachel R.
Keyboard: Rachel R.
Drums: Tim F.
Flute: Cara P.
Recorded and Produced by Matt R.

  

  

English 8 and Advanced English 8: "A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroine's Last Days" Vocabulary Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroine's Last Days. You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.

The quiz on these terms will be Thursday, May 13th.

A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroine's Last Days Terms

Science: Enrichment Activity

Bonus (Optional): Although many societies base their calendars on the movements of the sun or the moon, a calendar's starting date is often linked to cultural or religious traditions.  For example, both the Muslim and the Hebrew calendars are based on the phases of the moon, but they differ in a number of significant ways.  Research a calendar used by another culture and find out the cultural significance of the calendar's starting date, the number of days per month, and the number of days per year.  Write a short paragraph to explain your findings.  

Career Research Paper

Mrs. Porter's English 8 and Advanced English 8 students are encouraged to use a pathfinder in conducting their research. The pathfinder is composed of websites that the students can use to gather research on the careers that they have selected. The students will be working on the project in class starting on Monday, May 3rd. The project will be due on Friday, May 7th.


CAREER PATHFINDER

Supernovas of the Month for April

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of April.

David: English
Kasey: science
Shreya: social studies

(Listed from left to right)

Astronomy: Think-Tac-Toe

Mr. Wolf's 8th grade science classes are conducting a student choice activity in which they try to create a winning tic-tac-toe board by choosing and completing three astronomy activities. One activity will be due on each of the following due dates.

Due Date 1: May 4th
Due Date 2: May 11th
Due Date 3: May 18th

Astronomy Websites

English 8 and Advanced English 8: "The Diary of Anne Frank" Act Two Vocabulary Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for "The Diary of Anne Frank" Act Two. You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" Act Two.

Congratulations 403!

Mrs. Porter's homebase won the door decorating contest for the eighth grade! Mr. Taranto challenged all homebases to decorate their doors for the PSSAs. The theme of the door was "Going to the Movies." The girls pictured from left to right are (back row) Jordan, Danielle, (front row) Cassie, and Hunter. To see other doors watch Mr. Taranto's video on the CMS page.

Poetry Anthology Projects

Mrs. Porter's English classes constructed poetry anthologies that were composed of ten poems. Each student wrote six original poems and analyzed and interpreted four poems of their choice. The students also created decorative covers using Publisher. The students pictured from left to right are Hunter, Jake, and Rachel. These students received awards from Mr. Taranto for their excellent performance on this project. The students pictured above also entered their best poems in a poetry contest. Check the Supernova Team Blog to see if they win!

Supernova Field Trip

The Supernova Team will be attending the Traveling Smithsonian Exhibit at California University on Friday, May 14th. In this program, the students explore Baseball: The Life of Roberto Clemente. This exhibit will not only explore his athletic achievements, but also his social and humanitarian efforts. Field trip forms are due to Mr. Faith by Monday, May 3rd.

English 8 and Advanced English 8: "The Diary of Anne Frank" Act One, Scenes 4 and 5 Vocabulary Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for "The Diary of Anne Frank" Act One, Scenes 4 and 5. You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.



"The Diary of Anne Frank" Act One, Scenes 4 and 5

Advanced English Field Trip

Mrs. Porter's Advanced English class will be going to the Carnegie Museum of Art on Wednesday, May 12th. These students will be visiting the museum to analyze and interpret art and relate those skills to analyzing and interpreting literature and poetry. This trip is a great way to connect the subjects of English and art through a cross-curricular experience such as this. After the gallery tour, the students will be participating in a writing workshop conducted by the museum that has been specially designed to meet their advanced needs. When the students return from the field trip, they will be using acrylic paints to illustrate the poems that they wrote during the writing workshop. Check the Supernova Team Blog at the end of May for pictures of the students' art work.

If you are interested in attending an art workshop on your own, check out the link below.

Summer Arts Camps at the Carnegie Museum of Art

Astronomy PSSA Notes for Take-Home Quiz

Click on the link below to view the completed note packet on our solar system.  This note packet should be used when completing the take-home quiz that will be given on Friday, April 16.  The quiz will be due during the next science class.

Astronomy PSSA Notes (Our Solar System)

Supernovas of the Month for March

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of March.

• Steven : Science
• Christy: Social Studies
  
• Joe : English
  

(Listed from left to right)

BlogThis!

BlogThis!

Free summer online workshops.

English 8 and Advanced English 8: "The Diary of Anne Frank" Vocabulary Terms

The vocabulary list is posted for "The Diary of Anne Frank" Act One, Scenes 1-3. You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.




"The Diary of Anne Frank" Act One, Scenes 1-3

Chapter 16 PowerPoint Notes

Below are the PowerPoint notes for CH 16: Understanding the Weather.

Mr. Wolf's Science Survey: 2009-2010

Mr. Wolf is looking to improve his science class.  Please take the following survey to provide feedback on your science experience for the 2009-2010 school year.  

Click here to take survey

Land Breeze/Sea Breeze

Click on the link below to see why sea breezes occur during the day and land breezes occur at night.  As you watch the animation, observe how the air over the land heats up and cools down more quickly than the air over the water. 

Animation: Land and Sea Breezes

Rap Song: Radiation, Conduction, and Convection

Below is a rap that I found on TeacherTube that discusses the topics of conduction, convection, and radiation.

TeacherTube Video: Radiation, Conduction, and Convection

CH 15: The Atmosphere

Mr. Wolf's 8th grade science classes just finished a group activity in which the students debated various types of energy resources.  During the next few weeks, the students will be exploring topics in meteorology.  Below are the PointPoint notes for the entire chapter.

Cassie is Our 2010 Carson Scholar!

Cassie has been selected as the 2010 Carson Scholar. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship award that will be invested for her college education. Cassie is among a very special group of over 4,200 students from across the country that has been named a Carson Scholar. Her academic achievements and service to her community are what make her stand out as a future leader of tomorrow. Cassie will also receive a medal, certificate, and a place on the Carson Scholar trophy at Canonsburg Middle School. In addition, Cassie is invited to attend the Pittsburgh Carson Scholars Fund's Annual Awards Banquet.

English 8 and Advanced English 8: Poetry Glossary of Terms Quizlet Link

The vocabulary list is posted for the poetry glossary of terms. You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.


Poetry Glossary of Terms Quizlet Link

English and Science Cross-Curricular Project

The students of Mrs. Porter's English 8 classes wrote newspaper articles based on the knowledge gained during the earthquake unit in Mr. Wolf's science class. The students took on the roles of investigative reporters during an earthquake in the city of their choice. The students used the publisher program to create front page news articles. The news articles are on display outside of the middle school library.

Literature Circle Champs!

Alexa, Shreya, Mason, J.D., and Bryan


The students of Mrs. Porter's Advanced English 8 class just finished reading the novel, Lord of the Flies. The students met with their literature circle groups weekly to discuss and analyze the twelve chapters of the novel. While working with their groups, the discussion directors constructed questions as part of a weekly review game. The team pictured above accumulated the most points over the course of the novel. The picture also shows the illustrator wall that had been created while reading the novel.

Supernovas of the Month for February

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of February.

• Jeremy : Social Studies
• Emily: Science
  
• J.D. : English
  

(Listed from left to right)

National Junior Honor Society Inductees

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the
following team members who have been inducted into
the National Junior Honor Society.

Trevor Arrigoni, Kayleigh Brink, Samantha Campbell,
Carly Cappelli, Emily Connor, Alana Dunn, Kyleigh Higie,
Nolan Jones, Hunter Lawrence, Alexa Luba, Kelly Luisi,
John Manda, Ashley Marchetti, Jacob Martin, Taylor McNeil,
James Oddi, Cassandra Popovski, Shreya Ravi, Jordan Riedel,
Rachel Rozak, Ethan Sowell, Luc Tilley, Gabrielle Trest,
Samuel Urban, and Giorgiana Zeremenko.

CH 10 - Expert Sheets With Audio Instructions

Mr. Wolf''s science classes will be conducting a group activity, called a Jigsaw II,  for "Chapter 10 - Weathering and Soil Formation".  The students will be broken into groups of four.  Each student in the group will become an expert on one of the four sections.   The students will meet with experts from the other groups to come up with the most effective ways to explain their sections to their other groups members.  After all the experts for each individual section have met, the students will return to their original groups.  They will then take turns explaining the content of their section to their group members.  A short review session and quiz will follow the activity. Below is a link to the question packet (with audio instructions) for the chapter.  

Note: In order to hear the audio comments, the file must be downloaded.  If you just simply view the file, the audio comments will not work.  A download link will be listed on the page once you click on the link.
CH 10 - Expert Sheets (with audio instructions)

English 8: "There Will Come Soft Rains" Quizlet Link

The vocabulary list is posted for the short story, "There Will Come Soft Rains." You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.


"There Will Come Soft Rains" Vocabulary List

Science Enrichment: Penn State Weather Camp

When: June 20–25, 2010 
Where: State College, Pennsylvania


Information from the website: 
Are you curious about how weather predictions are made? Come to Penn State Weather Camp and find out!

During this week of camp, you will receive hands-on experience in many aspects of weather, including the actual process of making a forecast. This camp will be held at the premier location for studying weather, Penn State's Department of Meteorology at the University Park campus.

Penn State Weather Camp is a resident science experience designed for students who will enter grades eight through ten in the fall of 2010.

For more information, visit the following link:

http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/weather-camp/?cid=2

Science Enrichment: Expanding Your Horizons Conference (Girls Only)

Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Time: 8:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m
Where: Robert Morris University, Sewall Center

What:
EYH is a conference for girls in 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th grade interested in exploring Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers. Throughout the day you will attend hands-on workshops
developed by RMU faculty, students and industry professionals in the STEM fields.

For more information, visit the following link or see Mr. Wolf for informational papers.

http://www.rmu.edu/web/cms/academics/sems/outreach/Pages/eyh.aspx

Supernovas of the Month for January

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of January.

• Kaley : Social Studies
• Carly: English
  
• Trevor : Science

(Listed from left to right)

Advanced English 8

Click on the link below to access the new vocabulary list for the novel, Lord of the Flies.

Chapters 9-12 Vocabulary List

English 8: "The Fifty-First Dragon" Quizlet Link

The vocabulary list is posted for the short story, "The Fifty-First Dragon." You may access the Quizlet website by clicking the link.

"The Fifty-First Dragon" Vocabulary List

Earthquake PowerPoint Notes

Mr. Wolf's science classes will be taking an online quiz on Friday, January 22.  The quiz will be on earthquakes (Ch: 8-1 & Ch: 8-2).  Below are the PowerPoint notes for sections 1 and 2 of chapter 8.

CH 8: Section 1


CH 8: Section 2

Play-Doh Lab

Mr. Wolf's 8th grade science classes used Play-Doh to model and identify various types of stress and faults.

 

 

Advanced English 8

Click on the link below to access the new vocabulary list for the novel, Lord of the Flies.

Chapters 5 - 8 Vocabulary List

Cracks in the Hard-Boiled Earth

Mr. Wolf's classes continued their "hands-on" approach to science while conducting a lab using hard boiled eggs to model the Earth.  The students used food coloring to highlight cracks in their egg's shell to represent the Earth's tectonic plates.

Advanced English 8

The vocabulary words are posted on Quizlet for Chapters One through Four from Lord of the Flies.

Quizlet flashcards