ITMS News Submission for May 28, 2008
Submitted by: Angela Conner
Man-Induced Ecological Change
In a case study of ecological change in Mr. Gerald Honigman’s life science class, students answered guide questions while watching the movie, Finite Oceans, which dealt with the effects of bioaccumulation and biomagnification of dangerous, man-made chemicals in ecosystems. Students later performed lab activities dealing with minute concentrations of chemicals, and researched the related problems alligators have faced in Lake Apopka and humans face with cancer. Student teams were then assessed on their lab and research studies.
Accelerated students in Mrs. Angela Conner’s eighth-grade language arts classes recently visited several teachers and their students at BTES to share with these eager young learners the picture/story books they had written and illustrated. Initially Mrs. Conner’s students wrote their stories as entries for a “Marshy Migration” writing competition sponsored by wetlands.org. Having written the stories, however, it seemed a shame not to illustrate them; and once the books were completed, it seemed even more of a shame not to share them with an age-appropriate audience. Groups of three or four students visited with twelve first- and second-grade classrooms. Some teachers had the visiting students sit in the “reader’s chair” to share their stories with the whole class; others divided their students into smaller groups for more intimate reading sessions. BTES students enjoyed the stories, asked lots of questions and pored over the illustrations, while the eighth-graders returned to ITMS impressed with the first- and second-graders’ knowledge.
The Amazing Arthropod project truly sparked creativity among students in Dana Hausen's science classes! Exoskeletons of insects, crustaceans and arachnids were posed onto mini backdrops where they were personified into CSI victims, hospital patients, sun bathers and many other intriguing characters. After completing the projects, students discussed the ethics of displaying the remains of living things as it relates to controversial traveling exhibitions such as BODIES, in which real human bodies are publicly displayed.
Mallene Stowe's language arts classes recently completed reading “Number the Stars,” a Newbery Medal winning novel by Lois Lowry. Their reading coincided with the students' study of the Holocaust in their social studies classes with Shawn Pickett. This excellent work of historic fiction tells the true story of the brave, young members of the Danish Resistance and many, many families whose efforts during the Nazi occupation of Denmark resulted in the evacuation of approximately 90 percent of the Danish Jews to safety in Sweden. While the book is a work of fiction and the characters are not real, the story is based on real events and the efforts of real people. This type of cross-curricular study helps students understand how the subjects they study in school are related to each other and that they truly are related to the real world. After reading the novel, Mrs. Stowe's students then spent several days in the computer lab working on an assignment entitled Understanding Outstanding Works of American Literature for Children. This assignment included researching the Newbery Medal on the American Library Association website, and writing a five-paragraph essay in Modern Language Association (MLA) style, that tells how the medal came to be and how it is awarded. The students also had to identify in their essay a Newbery Medal winning book they had read and explain why they believe it was awarded the medal. Most students found that they had read more Newbery winners than just “Number the Stars.” The assignment exposed them to a great resource for finding books they can enjoy reading, as well as reinforcing their writing and citing of sources.
Members of ITMS Builders Club went to Aquatica, the new Sea World water park on May 17, 2008, as a reward for their hard work and dedication throughout the school year. Members organized many activities this year, from sending Valentine Care Packages to soldiers in Iraq to visiting the elderly in nursing homes.
Students in Mrs. Jennifer Baker-Chalick's American History classes are researching Civil War battles. After they complete the research requirements, they will create podcasts as a way to creatively share their findings with the rest of the class.
Library News:
All library books and textbooks are now overdue at ITMS. If it has an ITMS barcode on it, please send it back! We encourage our students to visit the Flagler Public Library this summer. They are kicking off their summer program with a showing of "The Water Horse" at 1:30 P. M. in the Library Meeting Room on Saturday, June 7th. The recommended summer reading lists are posted on our school website. Please don't let your reading skills decline over the break - keep on reading!
Sixth grade students spent a fun-filled, educationally packed day in Tallahassee. Two teams embarked on Thursday, May 15, 2008, with the other two sixth-grade teams spending the following day in our state's capital. Mission San Luis, a replica of a 17th century community, was our first stop. Apalachee Indians and Spaniards were brought together during this time period, due to religious, military, and economic factors. Our students toured the Franciscan church, Apalachee council house, and the El Castillo de San Luis, the military complex. From there it was off to our state's capitol building, where we toured the facility and took in a panoramic view from the observation deck. The highlight of the visit was a mock session that our students participated in directly. They learned first hand how a bill is introduced, questioned, debated, and ultimately passed or nixed. They also learned how amendments may be added to a proposed bill. For many of us, this experience was the highlight of our trip. A visit to the Museum of Florida History rounded out our day. We traveled back in time as we peered at the skeleton of the giant mastodon, explored the lives of Floridians during the early 1900's and into World War II, and navigated through Spanish maritime history. Our Indian Trails students made us proud. They displayed a desire to learn, asked intelligent questions, and presented themselves in a mature and respectful manner. Go sixth graders!
The singers and dancers are ready. America will be singing loud and proud in the "America Sings" production produced by Indian Trails Middle School’s "After School Singers." The big night is tomorrow, May 29, at Flagler Auditorium with the performance starting at 7:00 PM. Tickets are now on sale at the auditorium. Children not in school are free but do need a ticket for a seat. Student tickets cost $2.00 and adults, $4.00.