¡Buen Provecho!
12/14/2018
This week, the PNA Middle School had the opportunity to make cultural connections and to use the Spanish language to order food for themselves and their parents. The staff at Taco King was expecting us and spoke Spanish only. At the time of ordering, each student had to:
Being outside the familiarity of the classroom required courage. Being able to process and exchange information meant that all the hard work Middle Schoolers had put into becoming familiar with the topic of food had to be accessed and expressed in a brief moment. Through the seemingly simple task of placing a food order and interacting with a Spanish speaker, the PNA Middle School was immersed in a foreign culture and also exemplified our Mission. Students left Taco King with more than just full bellies. Their eyes sparkled with pride and satisfaction, their faces gleamed with smiles of accomplishment and the exceptional learners within them want to experience this again! PNA Middle School Chemists
12/7/2018
One of the main goals of science at the middle school level is to provide a solid foundation of scientific concepts, vocabulary, and skills so that students can confidently understand the world around them to ask deeper, meaningful, and more connecting questions in highschool and beyond. Currently, students are learning about the characteristics of chemical reactions by recognizing when they have occurred. These types of labs are particularly fun for students as they add a few drops of this to a few drops of that and observe temperature changes, color changes, and the formation of gas bubbles or precipitates. Upon completing this lab, students were asked to write a CER (Claims-Evidence-Reasoning) using their lab write up.. The Claim often will match their hypothesis’. The Evidence comes from the results and observations of the lab. Explaining the science behind the lab through the claim and evidence is the goal of the Reasoning section. Most of the time, science lab experiments are done with one or two partners. Often, partners have to divvy up the tasks to be able to complete the lab on time. Students check their work with one another, ask questions and explain what they witnessing out loud to clarify for themselves or help each other. Fun-Yes! Solidifying Science Skills and Concepts-Yes! Technical Informational Writing - Yes! Many science labs also capture the essence of most 21st Century Skills:
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Sarah Mariner
Ms. Mariner earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, and was awarded a teaching certificate through the University of Alaska, Southeast. Her varied background includes being an environmental education field instructor in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. She also served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Archives
April 2021
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