This document provides summaries of various subjects discussed at an ExMo Open Team Meeting on October 2, 2013. Updates are provided on social studies, math, science, and reading activities. Students are working on mysteries, map skills, and presentations in social studies. In math, classes are focusing on algebra, decimals, fractions, and graphing. Science classes are conducting labs on mixtures, states of matter and more. The reading program includes an author research project and use of audio books and online resources like NoodleTools.

1. ExMo Open Team Meeting
October 2, 2013
11:30-12:00

2. Open Team Meeting Dates
All meetings are on Wednesday from
11:30-12:00 pm
5/6 Assembly Room
• January 8, 2014
• April 9, 2014

3. Social Studies News…
•Mysteries – Weekly Mysteries are
researched and due on Fridays
– Combined warm-up quiz grade at 9 wks end
•Map Skills – Planet Earth PBL
– Daily Grades: Collaboration & Teamwork,
Self Reflection Response
– Major Grades: Presentation Skills, Map and
Graph Design
– eBooks of student work can be found on
bit.ly/exmosocialstudies

4. Presentation Day!

5. Cultural Institutions
• Characteristics of
Cultures
• Family Interviews &
Crests
• Stereotyping - Danger of
a Single Story, TED Talk
• Government types
– Limited/Unlimited and
examples
• Economic Systems and
Indicators
– Free Market, Socialism,
Communism

6. Coming Up…
• Geography and
Culture Test on
Thursday!
• Features of
Civilizations
– Ancient artifact study
and connections to
modern cultures
• North Africa and
Southwest Asia
• Monotheistic
Religions
• Map Skills
• Contemporary issues
• Arab Spring
• International
relationships
• Natural Resources
• International Trade

7. Math News…1st
and 2nd
Period
• Pre-Tests
• Finishing unit on Algebraic
Thinking (Test Friday)
• Graphing the Issue Project
• Monday we will begin
diving into solving
equations
• We will then move into
Place Value with Decimals
and Decimal Operations

8. Math News…
4th
and 5th
Period - TAG
• Units covered– integers, decimals, and we are
finishing fractions
• Integers Videos
• Test Friday on Fractions and Mixed Numbers
(adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing)
• We have started practicing for Math Olympiads
– first competition November
• We will begin Measures of Central Tendency and
Graphing on Monday

9. Math News…
• Are you seeing the black Math
binder at home?
• It’s full of detailed notes on every
lesson, as well as graded
homework and quizzes.
• Encourage your student to come
in for help!

10. Online Textbook
Every student has access to the online
textbook. It has practice tests and practice
quizzes over every lesson we do in class
and can be a great supplemental resource
to the notes and activities done in the
classroom! In addition, students can print
workbook pages from online.
my.hrw.com

11. Math Team
• Math Team Meets every Wednesday from
3:15-4:15
• Students can come to practice math skills
and improve number sense (mental math)
abilities
• Various competitions- first one is
November 2nd
.

12. Science News…
• Unit 1 Lab Skills and
Measurement
• Labs – Color Challenge Lab, Popcorn
Lab,
Stroop Effect Lab, Bugsy Copter Lab
• Bubble Gum Lab
– Cumulative unit 1 lab
– 5 days of experiment design process
– Graphing, writing, equipment use
– Major grade
• Quia test review games
• TAG Amusement Park Ride Project

13. Science News…
• Unit 2 - Chemistry
• Periodic Table - elements
• Mixtures and Compounds
• States of Matter
– Solid, liquid, gas, plasma
• Physical and Chemical
Properties
• Physical and Chemical Changes

14. Science News…
• Halloween-themed labHalloween-themed lab
activitiesactivities
• Sep-ORE-ation of a MixtureSep-ORE-ation of a Mixture
LabLab

15. “READ READ READ!!
Reading is the rhythm of
language.
Never ever stop reading!”
-Susan Cooper

16. Author Research Project
• Students study an author
• Read work(s) by the author (the time
spent reading this book may be
counted on the reading log)
• Research the author using
resources (mostly online)
• Purpose & process sheet
• Calendar of due dates

17. Students will:
• Learn to ask relevant questions before beginning a
research project to direct research
• Learn to take notes and categorize information
• Improve comprehension as they read and skim text
for main ideas and details
• Describe a well-supported opinion about the writer’s
work(s) based on their own reading
• Develop research skills (book and internet) with the
purpose of sharing with an audience what they have
learned
• Think critically as they analyze a work or works by
the author

18. Audio Books
Students are welcome to use audio books IF they read
the book while they listen.
– Audio books can be found on iTunes, as well as other places.
The MIS/HPMS library has audio books in two formats.
– Other audio books are play aways.
– Some of their audio books are CDs.
– A play away is about the size of a regular iPod and works
very similarly. It runs on a single AAA battery, and must have
earbuds or speakers plugged into the audio output.
– The playaways can be checked out for up to two weeks, just
like a regular library book. However, if lost or stolen, they
cost between $35-$70 to replace.
– If a student doesn’t have earbuds, the library sells them for .
50, and the student may keep them.

19. Noodle Tools
• A web-based tool to take notes and organize
sources – eliminates note cards that can be
lost
• It also does the MLA formatting of the works
cited page for the student
http://www.noodletools.com/

20. Analytical Writing
• Provides students the opportunity to apply
concepts and skills learned in class:
• Analysis of literary elements
• Reading comprehension
• Writing mechanics
• Stating an opinion and providing
convincing support through text evidence
• Noticing author purpose and author craft

21. Common Sense Media
• - What parents need to know
• - What families can talk about
• - What's the story
• - Is it any good
cybersafefamily.com

22. Orlando Trip
Amazing Experience!Amazing Experience!
• Information MeetingInformation Meeting
TBATBA
−later this falllater this fall
You won’t want to missYou won’t want to miss