Week16 (s15): Apr 27th–May 1st

Highlights for the week: 

  • View the BMS Public Calendar for this weeks events!
  • Tip: Use ctrl+F and enter the date (like 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) to jump quickly to the Blog entry for today!
  • Some notes for Parents/Guardians who view this Blog:
    • Everything we do in this class is listed on this Blog (so students who are absent can easily find what they’ve missed and even complete it while they are absent!)
    • Nearly every assignment can be completed at home or anywhere with an internet connection using https://classroom.google.com
    • Friday’s are makeup days so students who have trouble completing assignments have this extra time every week to get caught up!
    • You can see examples of every project we do at this Public Examples Folder Link

Monday 27th:

- Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

  1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
  2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
  3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
  4. Daily Warmup Activity: 
    • Here are the links and directions for today’s warmup
  5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

- Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment)

  1. Here’s how you rated last week’s programs and activities:
  2. Open your 6.04 Week16 Binder and add the following to your first 2 slides for today
  3. This week’s binder is a major grade!
  4. Slide1: Title slide and background related to our stormy weather to start the week
    • Use Gzaas for your background and Title: http://gzaas.com/ You don’t have to use the same backgound, font or shadows that you see in my example
      • Tip: To get the background I wanted from Gzaas, I used a blank space for the text, so I could see the entire background unmarked… then I added the text in parts to Skitch to my slide. Before animating the text pieces, I grouped them together like this:
      • image
    • Use the images from Part 4 below to add to your slide (…try adding masks and borders like you see in my example to make your images look more interesting) 
    • Add animations to all of the elements of your slide using this video help:
    • Here’s my example Slide1 (Yours should look different than this!)
    • Recording #100
  5. Slide2: Hubble 25th Anniversary
    • Apr 24th was the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope
    • Hubble Heritage: http://heritage.stsci.edu/
    • Add at least the following 3 things to your slide (but you can add more images if you like!)
      1. The Hubble Heritage homepage image and a link to the site
      2. The Hubble 25th Anniversary Image
      3. Graffiti Art related to this topic: http://www.graffiticreator.net/
    • Here’s my example slide2 (Yours should look different than this!)
    • image
  6. While you’re working, we’ll watch this clip 

- Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

  1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

- Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

  1. Checkout this fast moving line of weather from early this morning and the big temperature change expected through tomorrow

    Tuesday 28th:

    - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

    1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
    2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
    3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
    4. Daily Warmup Activity: 
      • Here are the links and directions for today’s warmup
        • Google Classroom: https://classroom.google.com/h
        • Complete the word search below (there are no backwards words)
        • Add a linked symbol from one of your favorite ice cream brands or shops to their website
        • Click the image for a larger view to Skitch
        • image
        • Here’s my example
        • image
    5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

    - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment)

    1. You are about to start an Earthquake Tower Build unit in your science classes and you’ll be using shaker tables to test your designs. We will look at a very recent event on our first slide for today which will help you to understand why this field of research is so important.
    2. Open your 6.04 Week16 Binder and add the following to your next 2 slides for today
    3. Slide3: add the 5 Ws on the earthquake in Nepal which occurred this past Sunday
      • Links for your research
        1. Who: How many people have been affected so far (search Google)
        2. What: Magnitude of the earthquake and the extent of the damage (search Google)
        3. When: Time and date when it occurred (search Google)
        4. Where: Search Google Maps for Nepal and Skitch a section of the map for your slide background
        5. Why: What are the reasons why this event has been so devastating? (search Google)
      • Use the Skitch highlighter to highlight important sections of information (I’ve used green highlights in my example below)
      • Add arrows to identify your sources (you don’t need to add links unless you would like to (for your science class)
      • Here’s my example slide3 with added noise to deter copying (click the image for a larger view)
      • image
    4. Slide4: Build with Chrome – Explore all builds 
      • Build with Chrome: https://www.buildwithchrome.com/
      • Click ‘Sign in’ with Google
      • image
      • Create a mosaic of at least 4 different cool builds made by others to give you ideas for when we start building our own tomorrow. Include a screenshot of ‘Explore All Builds’ like you see in the bottom right corner of my example slide below
      • Here’s my example slide4
      • image

    - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

    1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

    - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

    1. Checkout some information on designing earthquake-proof structures

      Wednesday 29th:

      - Part 1) Review (click-2-comment)

      1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
      2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
      3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
      4. Daily Warmup Activity:
        • Here are the links and directions for today’s warmup
          • Google Classroom: https://classroom.google.com/h
          • Copy that: http://www.proprofs.com/games/copy-that/
          • Play the game for practice and when your ready to go for score, capture your screen when you have 1 life left (or you won’t be able to see your score)
          • Capture ‘Copy That’ from the start screen and link it to the game, as you see in my example:
          • image
        1. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

          - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment)

          1. I spliced together a couple of clips from the Nepal Earthquake for you to view. The first is on-the-ground footage during and shortly after the quake and the second is drone footage of some affected areas (drone footage is vastly superior to helicopter footage in the examples which I previewed) 
          2. Open your 6.04 Week16 Binder and add the following to your  next 2 slides for today
          3. Slide5: More info on Earthquakes and Tsunamis 
            • Please research and add the following to Slide5
              1. When, where and what magnitude were the largest earthquakes in the US? (show at least the top 5 and add a link to your source)
              2. When, where and what magnitude were the largest earthquakes in the World? (show at least the top 5 and add a link to your source)
              3. What is a Tsunami? (search for a definition)
              4. What were the worst Tsunamis ever? (show at least the top 5 and add a link to your source)
            • Here’s my example slide5
            • image
          4. Slide6: Build with Chrome – Master Your Skills: Build Academy  
            • Explore the Chrome Build Academy Tutorials, which will teach you how to make cool structures with virtual Legos. The tutorial will show you what to do each step and will show a large checkmark when you’ve completed each task successfully.
            • image
            • Chrome Build Academy (don’t forget to click ‘Sign in’): https://www.buildwithchrome.com/buildacademy
            • Here are the 3 things you’ll need to add to you slide6
              1. Skitch the Build Academy home screen and link it to the site
              2. Skitch the highest level you are able to reach in this class period… you must get through at least the 1st 2 challenges!
              3. Capture the new slide animations options which just became available yesterday – use the print screen button and crop the capture using Skitch (you do not have to animate anything!)
            • Here’s my example slide6
            • image

          - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

          1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

          - Part 4) Through? (click-2-comment)

          1. Checkout this short quiz to test your knowledge of Earthquakes:

            Fact or Fiction: Earthquake Quiz

            Thursday 30th:

            - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

            1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
            2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
            3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
            4. Daily Warmup Activity: 
            5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

              - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment) 

              1. Open your 6.04 Week16 Binder and add the following to your last 2 slides for today 
              2. Reminder: This week’s binder is a major grade!
              3. Slide7:  Create a collage that will help your viewers to understand a little about Earthquake-proofing buildings 
                • Use the resources in the OneTab list below or find your own
                • Earthquake Proof OneTab: http://www.one-tab.com/page/9Po3lXMNSKi6YS47gw1JUA 
                  • image
                  • image
                • Add at least 6 items to your slide including the OneTab image linked to your resources list
                • Here’s my example slide7 recorded as a gif so you can see the animations
                • Recording #104
              4. Slide8Create your own Lego Tower design and landscape to add to your slide (with a link to your actual creation) 

              - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

              1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

              - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

              1. Checkout this site which describes one team’s plans to plant 1 Billion trees per year

                Friday May 1st: 

                - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

                1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
                2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
                3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
                4. Friday Warmup Activity: 
                  • Please complete the Weekly Reflections Form for this week!
                  • Go to Google Classroom to complete the form: https://classroom.google.com
                  • It should look like this:
                  • image
                5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

                  - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will…  (click-2-comment)

                  1. Please complete and turn in the following which are all due today. Keep in mind that your binder is a Major Grade this week! 
                  2. Build more cool Lego stuff or design a Graffiti desktop background with your name!

                  - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

                  1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

                  - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

                  1. Checkout our awesome weekend weather forecast!

                  Week15 (s15): Apr 20th–Apr 24th

                  Highlights for the week: 

                  • View the BMS Public Calendar for this weeks events!
                  • Tip: Use ctrl+F and enter the date (like 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) to jump quickly to the Blog entry for today!
                  • Some notes for Parents/Guardians who view this Blog:
                    • Everything we do in this class is listed on this Blog (so students who are absent can easily find what they’ve missed and even complete it while they are absent!)
                    • Nearly every assignment can be completed at home or anywhere with an internet connection using https://classroom.google.com
                    • Friday’s are makeup days so students who have trouble completing assignments have this extra time every week to get caught up!
                    • You can see examples of every project we do at this Public Examples Folder Link

                  Monday 20th:

                  Today is a STAAR Testing day for 8th Grade

                  1. Here are some tips for dealing with exam stresses. Good luck 8th Graders!
                  2. Please read these notes about today’s schedule
                    • 8th Graders will be taking STAAR Math (or Algebra EOC practice test)
                    • There will be no bells today
                    • Check the Cafeteria for room assignments for today’s testing sessions
                    • Here’s your schedule for today
                    • image

                    Tuesday 21st:

                    Today is a STAAR Testing day for 7th & 8th Grade

                    1. Here are some tips for dealing with exam stresses. Good luck 7th & 8th Graders!
                    2. Please read these notes about today’s schedule
                      • 7th Graders will be taking STAAR Math
                      • 8th Graders will be taking STAAR Social Studies
                      • There will be no bells today
                      • There will be no Den today
                      • Check the Cafeteria for room assignments for today’s testing sessions
                      • Here’s your schedule for today
                      • image

                      Wednesday 22nd:

                      Today is a STAAR Testing day for 7th & 8th Grade

                      1. Here are some tips for dealing with exam stresses. Good luck 7th & 8th Graders!
                      2. Please read these notes about today’s schedule
                        • 7th Graders will be taking STAAR Reading
                        • 8th Graders will be taking STAAR Science
                        • There will be no bells today
                        • There will be no Den today
                        • Check the Cafeteria for room assignments for today’s testing sessions
                        • Here’s your schedule for today
                        • image

                        Thursday 23rd:

                        - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

                        1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
                        2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
                        3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
                        4. Daily Warmup Activity: 
                        5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

                          - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment)

                          1. Here’s how you rated last week’s programs and activities: 
                          2. Open your 6.02 Week15 Binder and add the following to your 3 slides for today
                          3. Slide1: Title slide and background related to our STAAR testing session being over (be creative!)
                            • Google Classroom
                            • Favorite Fonts
                            • Graffiti Creator (spend some time exploring this… you can make really cool stuff with it!)
                            • Here are the 3 things you’ll need on your slide1
                              1. Title (like my example)
                              2. An image related to STAAR being over (…as an example, I searched for stardust to find mine)
                              3. Graffiti related to your image using Graffiti Creator (…for example, I used ‘STAAR Dust’)
                            • Here’s my example slide1 (Challenge: try some of these techniques - I used Pixlr and Google Drawings to extend the center image to the edges of the slide and to blur the black edges of the image into the dark blue background color which I used with my Graffiti)
                            • image
                          4. Slide2: Explore The Impossible Quiz 
                          5. Slide3: The End with Graffiti art and animated gifs 
                            • Graffiti Creator
                            • I searched for fireworks gifs with transparent backgrounds, made copies of different sizes and used the Image options - Recolor function (green arrows below) to change how they looked
                            • image
                            • Here’s my example slide3 saved as a gif so you can see what it looks like
                            • TheEndGraffiti

                          - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

                          1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

                          - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

                          1. Check your grades for the 5th Grading Period. You should be getting your paper report cards tomorrow:
                          2. Yesterday was Earth Day. Try this Earth Day Trivia Quiz and see if you can do better than your parents (or me). Here are my results: 
                            • image

                            Friday 24th: 

                            - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

                            1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
                            2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
                            3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
                            4. Friday Warmup Activity: 
                              • Please complete the Weekly Reflections Form for this week!
                              • Go to Google Classroom to complete the form: https://classroom.google.com
                              • It should look like this:
                              • image
                            5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

                              - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will…  (click-2-comment)

                              1. Please click ‘Turn in’ for the following assignments!
                              2. For fun, try to complete:

                              - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

                              1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

                              - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

                              1. Check your grades for the 5th Grading Period which you’ll be getting in Den today
                              2. Looks like a warm and humid weekend but…
                                • image
                                • image

                              Week14 (s15): Apr 13th–Apr 17th

                              Highlights for the week: 

                              • View the BMS Public Calendar for this weeks events!
                              • Tip: Use ctrl+F and enter the date (like 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) to jump quickly to the Blog entry for today!
                              • Some notes for Parents/Guardians who view this Blog:
                                • Everything we do in this class is listed on this Blog (so students who are absent can easily find what they’ve missed and even complete it while they are absent!)
                                • Nearly every assignment can be completed at home or anywhere with an internet connection using https://classroom.google.com
                                • Friday’s are makeup days so students who have trouble completing assignments have this extra time every week to get caught up!
                                • You can see examples of every project we do at this Public Examples Folder Link

                              Monday 13th:

                              - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

                              1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
                              2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
                              3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
                              4. Daily Warmup Activity: 
                              5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

                              - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment)

                              1. Here’s how you rated last week’s programs and activities:
                              2. This is our last week of the 5th Grading period and we will only have class today, Thursday and Friday (due to the Science and History rotations tomorrow and Wednesday). 
                              3. Open your 5.14 Week 14 Binder and add the following to your first 3 slides
                              4. Slide1: Title slide and background related to our STAAR Review and Rotations Week (be creative!) 
                              5. Slide2: Review the Word Search Creator by solving one puzzle and creating and solving another one of your own 
                              6. Here’s my example slide2 with numbered steps 
                              7. Slide3: Review Word Wanderer 

                              - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

                              1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

                              - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

                              1. Check your grades frequently this week, since it’s the last week of this grading period! 

                              Tuesday 14th: Science & History STAAR Rotations Day 1

                              - There will be no Technology Applications classes today

                              - Here’s the 8th Grade bell schedule for rotations today and tomorrow 

                              • image

                              Wednesday 15th: Science & History STAAR Rotations Day 2

                              - There will be no Technology Applications classes today

                              Thursday 16th:

                              - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

                              1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
                              2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
                              3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
                              4. Daily Warmup Activity: 
                              5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

                                - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will… (click-2-comment)

                                1. Checkout yesterday’s interactive Google Doodle (click play to play the game) 
                                  • image
                                2. Open your 5.14 Week 14 Binder and add the following to your last 3 slides
                                3. Slide4: Review Prezi and Google Earth kmz files 
                                4. Slide5: Review Dots, Boxes and Backgrounds 
                                5. Slide6: New!
                                  • You’ll need to add a new slide
                                  • Add a Title that goes with your slide
                                  • Find something new and interesting to add to it, like this example slide6 with gifs from this site:

                                    http://gif.flrn.nl/

                                  • gifsslide

                                - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

                                1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

                                - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

                                1. Check your grades because tomorrow is the last day of this grading period!

                                Friday 17th: Last day of the 5th Grading Period!

                                - Part 1) Review   (click-2-comment)

                                1. Please check your workstation for damages and report problems to me!
                                2. Logon here to get to your Gmail: use @student.bisdtx.org
                                3. Here’s what your assignments should look like: (view example folder here)
                                4. Friday Warmup Activity: 
                                  • Please complete the Weekly Reflections Form for this week!
                                  • Go to Google Classroom to complete the form: https://classroom.google.com
                                  • It should look like this:
                                  • image
                                5. Check for new click-to-comments and my responses to them (blue highlights are new responses!): http://goo.gl/TU5uol

                                  - Part 2) Objectives: Today students will…  (click-2-comment)

                                  1. The 5th Grading Period ends today. Please turn-in all assignments for this class today! 
                                  2. Like Pacman? Try this link from Jaycob: 
                                  3. Like Minesweeper? Try this link from Isaac: 

                                  - Part 3) Help with today’s assignments! - (click-2-comment)

                                  1. Here are the links you’ll need for today 

                                  - Part 4) Through?   (click-2-comment)

                                  1. Check your grades because today is the last day of this grading period!
                                  2. Here are some tips for performing your best on tests and for coping with test anxiety: http://www.one-tab.com/page/0fndSVy1S_Km3xY983r_WA