Invent Iowa Reflection/Self-Assessment

Now that we've had our Invention Convention, it's time to reflect.  Complete the following:

1. Using your rubric, mark where you think you scored in each section and add up your totals.  Make sure your name is on it, and hand it in to Mrs. Edlin on your way out today.
2. Start a new blog post called "Invent Iowa."
3. Upload the picture of your invention that Mrs. Edlin will be sending you to your blog post.
4. Answer each of these questions with a short paragraph on your blog post.
1. What is your invention called?  Give a brief description.
2. What problem were you trying to solve?
3. How does your invention solve that problem?
4. What are you most proud of with this project?  Explain.
5. What were the challenges you faced during this project?  How did you face those challenges?
6. What would you do to improve your project or make it better for the next level of competition, if you were to go?
5. Publish your post!

History Day Primary Resources

The following links can help you with your project for this year's National History Day theme: Taking a Stand in History.

https://www.docsteach.org/topics/nhd

https://nhd.org/student-resources

http://www.digitalvaults.org

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/finding.html

https://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/History_of_the_United_Kingdom:_Primary_Documents

http://www.shsulibraryguides.org/worldprimary

http://guides.library.duke.edu/c.php?g=289297&p=1929346

https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog

Deep Thinking Friday

Watch the following video:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/class-divided/

We'll discuss when you're finished.

History Day Category Examples

Go to this link to see examples of all the possible category entries for History Day.

8th Grade GOAL Writing Contest Entries

8th graders: This year you have 2 different options for writing contests to enter.

• Letters About Literature
• Guidelines and Entry Coupon
• Previous Winner Examples
• Previous Winner Topic and Authors by State
• World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute
• Information Poster
• Student Handbook (How to Write the Paper)

Look over the links for the two contests and then start to write your rough draft.

Independent Project Reflections

Now that you're done presenting your projects, write a blog post sharing and reflecting on your experience.  Include the following:

• Briefly describe your project, both your topic and the format in which you presented. 
• What do/did you like most about your project?  Explain. 
• What was the hardest part of this project, and why?
• How did you improve as a learner or as a student during the process of this project?  Explain.
• If you could do the whole thing over again, what would you change and/or improve?  Why?
• If you have any genuine suggestions for Mrs. Edlin about how to improve this assignment or how to make this project more meaningful to future students, please include them at the end.

Publish your blog post, and submit the link on the Canvas assignment (for your class, NOT the read-aloud section).  After you publish, please comment on the posts of at least three other people.

When you finish, you may visit any link under Idleness Prevention Society at the left-hand side of this blog

Independent Project Reflections

Now that you're done presenting your projects, write a blog post sharing and reflecting on your experience.  Include the following:

• Briefly describe your project, both your topic and the format in which you presented. 
• What do/did you like most about your project?  Explain. 
• What was the hardest part of this project, and why?
• How did you improve as a learner or as a student during the process of this project?  Explain.
• If you could do the whole thing over again, what would you change and/or improve?  Why?
• If you have any genuine suggestions for Mrs. Edlin about how to improve this assignment or how to make this project more meaningful to future students, please include them at the end.

Publish your blog post, and submit the link on the Canvas assignment (for your class, NOT the read-aloud section).  After you publish, please comment on the posts of at least three other people.

When you finish, you may visit any link under Idleness Prevention Society at the left-hand side of this blog

Independent Project Reflections

Now that you're done presenting your projects, write a blog post sharing and reflecting on your experience.  Include the following:

• Embed your project into your blog post.  If you did a poster or a model, take a picture of it and insert that picture into your post.
• Briefly describe your project, both your topic and the format in which you presented. 
• What do/did you like most about your project?  Explain. 
• What was the hardest part of this project, and why?
• How did you improve as a learner or as a student during the process of this project?  Explain.
• If you could do the whole thing over again, what would you change and/or improve?  Why?
• If you have any genuine suggestions about how to improve this project or how to make this project more meaningful to future students, please include them at the end.

Publish your blog post, and submit the link on the Canvas assignment (for your class, NOT the read-aloud section).

When you finish, you may visit any link under Idleness Prevention Society at the left-hand side of this blog

Shakespeare Reflection

Write a blog post reflecting on our Shakespeare unit.  For a B, choose 2 of the following options to write about.  For an A, go above and beyond.

1. Write about the change in your feelings from first hearing we were doing a Shakespeare unit through now.  Explain specifically what events changed your feelings.
2. In The Taming of the Shrew, was Kate tamed in the end?  Explain your opinion with examples from the text.
3. Why is Shakespeare's First Folio important?  Explain what you learned on our field trip.
4. How did Shakespearean insults and death scenes help your understanding and confidence with Shakespeare?  Explain.
5. Why is it still important to learn Shakespeare, 400 years after his death?

After publishing your blog post, use your good commenting skills and respond to at least 3 posts from 7th or 8th grade GOAL students.

2016-2017 1st Blog Post

Complete the following steps.

1.  Go to your blog (or create a blog if you don't have one yet).  Check to make sure your links work.  You may change the title, but you MAY NOT CHANGE THE ADDRESS!  My own blog has an old address but a new title, so I feel your pain.

2.  Create a new blog post.  Give it the title "2016-2017 1st Blog Post."  Set some goals for yourself for this new year.  Set an academic goal, set a personal behavior goal, and set an improvement goal.  Explain why they are all 3 important areas for you to work on this year.

3.  Watch this video on how to leave good comments... I know it's cheesy for you middle school students, but these kids know what they're talking about.  Even if you've watched it before, watch it again!

4.  Go to the lefthand side of my blog in the section called Idleness Prevention Society.  Check out some of the links.  If you see any that don't work, include them in the comment you're going to write to this post.  Note the links that are blocked by the school filter instead of not working at all.  You can check these out at home.  Know any good sites for me to include?  Include them in the comment to this post!

5.  Go to the righthand side of my blog.  Is your blog listed in the correct grade level?  If not, tell me in the comment you're going to leave in step 6.

6.  When you're done with numbers 1-4, comment on this blog post.  Your comment should use the tips given in the video and also a link to your own blog's url.  Show me you learned something, or ask some questions... leave a good comment.  Then you may tweak the settings/backgrounds/fonts on your own blog and/or check out Idleness Prevention Society in detail for the rest of the period.  Get blogging!