Picture Money Due Friday

Please return all picture money (or unwanted pictures) to school by this Friday (December 2).

The Week of November 28th

Welcome back!  I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break.  We are beginning my favorite time of the school year.  I really enjoy all the excitement that comes during this time between the holiday breaks.  With that in mind, please remember to always have good purpose in the classroom and use your time wisely.

In math class, we will review fraction computation in preparation for your retest on Wednesday.  It is very important to learn these fraction skills because you will build upon them in upcoming grades.  Ask Ms. Fe about some more study tips you can use to prepare for the test.

In science class, we will dive under the surface of the ocean and take a look at sub-surface topography.  Mr. Brandon is a wonderful resource to help guide your studies on this topic.  On Monday, we will have a lesson and I will give you your vocabulary list and choice sheet.  Your choice sheet will be due next Friday (December 6th)  There will be a vocabulary test this Friday on these words:

abyssal plain-  a large, flat, almost level area of the deep-ocean basin

continental rise- the gently sloping section of the continental margin located between the continental slope and the abyssal plain

continental shelf- the gently sloping section of the continental margin located between the shoreline and the continental slope.

continental slope-  the steeply inclined section of the continental margin located between the continental rise and the continental shelf.

mid-ocean ridge- a long, undersea mountain chain that forms along the floor of the major oceans

ocean trench-  a long, narrow, and steep depression in the ocean floor that forms when one tectonic plate subducts beneath another plate; trenches run parallel to volcanic island chains or to the coastlines of continents; also called a trench or a deep-ocean trench

rift valley-  a long, narrow valley that forms as tectonic plates separate

seamount- a submerged mountain on the ocean floor that is at least 1,000 meters high and that has a volcanic origin.

Here is a copy of the PowerPoint I will show on Monday:

Let's have a great week!

Mr. Trent

Hello from Abu Dhabi!

I've arrived safely to the United Arab Emirates late last evening.  I spent the day today in a section of Abu Dhabi called the Corniche.  The Corniche is a beautiful park that is on the Arabian Gulf.  I had some good food, took some great pictures, and rode around on rented bikes with some friends as the sun set over the water.  I'll add pictures as soon as I'm able to upload them.  I'm excited to share with you how amazing this place is!

Here is a picture of me at the Grand Mosque.  It is HUGE!

Explosive growth all over the city.

A "Gold Bar Machine" in the lobby of the Emirate's Palace Hotel

Getting ready for National Day.  The U.A.E. turns 40 years old on December 2nd!

The world's largest rug in the Grand Mosque.  So plush!

Thanksgiving dinner...traditional Emirate cuisine.  

The world's largest chandelier in the Grand Mosque.

Old meets new:  A traditional dhow boat with the Abu Dhabi skyline across the Arabian Gulf.

UPDATE:  I've just arrived back from the UAE.  I had a wonderful time, and I have some great pics to show you on Monday.  I even have a small surprise for each of you from abroad!  I hope you had a nice break, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving break!  I am very thankful for Charles Ellis and all the students and faculty members who walk its halls.  See you November 28th!

Multiplication/Division of Fractions Retest

We will have a retest on multiplication & division of fractions on Wednesday, November 30th.  Please study your corrected test and the study guide that I attached to it over your holiday break so you are ready to do the best you can on the retest.

Drilling for Oil

Mr. Brandon created an activity that allowed us to simulate drilling for oil below the ocean. What are the problems and potential solutions to mining this fossil fuel?

Manager's Choice Lunch Menu

TODAY 11/15/11    Tuesday

HAM & MAC CASSEROLE

                OR

PHILLY CHEESE STEAK

11/16/11      Wednesday

CHICKEN FAJITA WRAP

             OR

SLOPPY JOE ON BUN

11/18/11    Friday

CHEESEBURGER ON BUN

             OR

CATFISH STRIPS W/ CORN MUFFIN

Congratulations to the Ellis Flag Football Team!

Our very own Ellis Flag Football team has won the district championship!  Congrats!

The Wondrous Week of November 14th

It's a great time of year to consider reasons to be thankful.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to spend my days with the great students at Ellis!  I'm looking forward to a productive week of learning and fun.

In math, we will be spending our time discovering how to multiply and divide fractions.  We will start by using our fraction bars to do the computation...you should be able to multiply and divide fractions without even picking up a pencil!  After we have used the fraction pieces, we will then move on to doing it the paper/pencil way. You will have some math homework and a quiz on multiplication/division of fractions on Thursday. Here's a video some crazy college kids made about multiplying and dividing fractions that you may find enjoyable.  DUDE!

Get ready for a super fun week in science!  We will be talking all about fossils!  Mr. Brandon and I will give you a lesson on Monday.  After your lesson, I will give  you a choice sheet to guide your investigations into the world of fossils.  You will need to complete your short choice sheet by Friday, November 18th.  You will also have a quiz on the fossil note on Friday. Your choice sheet and the quiz will be your first science grades for the second term, so do your best to start the term on a good note.  Here is a copy of Monday's Powerpoint:

FOSSIL STUDY GUIDE

1.       What is a fossil?

a.      the remains of physical evidence  of an organism preserved by geologic processes

                                                              i.      trace fossil- any naturally preserved evidence of animal activity (footprint, burrows)

                                                            ii.      mold- a cavity in rock where a plant or animal was buried

                                                          iii.      cast- an object created when sediment fills a mold and becomes rock

                                                           iv.      index fossil- fossils of organisms that lived during a relatively short well-defined time.  They can be used to date unknown fossils discovered nearby.  (ammonites, trilobites)

2.       Where can fossils be found?

a.      rocks- hard parts of organisms are preserved in hardened sediment

b.      amber- hardened tree sap (amber) can trap and preserve insects

c.       petrification- a process in which minerals replace an organisms tissues

d.      asphalt- thick pools of asphalt can bubble to the surface of the earth trapping organisms in them (La Brea asphalt deposits in Los Angeles California)

e.      frozen fossils- cold temperatures slow down decay and can preserve organisms trapped in ice.

3.       How can we use fossils to interpret the past?

a.      fossil record- an incomplete history of organisms on earth created by discoveries of fossils

b.      environmental changes- fossils of certain plants and animals can show how climate and temperature has changed in areas over millions of years

c.       changing organisms- fossils can show how organisms have changed and adapted throughout history

d.      continental drift- similar fossils on different continents help support the theory of continental drift

 

A few other notes:  this Friday is picture retake day.  It is also a dress-down day for everyone.

See you Monday morning!

Mr. Trent

Career Day

A special thank you to all the speakers who visited out classroom today to tell us about their jobs. We heard from a journalist, a soldier, a firefighter, an arborist, and a rocket scientist!

PowerSchool Grades

I've started adding some grades for this term to the gradebook software.  So far, we've had two graded math assignments.  A science assignment and more math grades will be added next week.  Please stop in at the office and pick up your username and password to access the gradebook.  Only parents with a photo ID can pick up the passwords.  I placed a link to "Power School Parent Access" in the "Useful Sites" section to the right of the screen.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Fraction Action

Fraction bars make adding fractions a snap!

Where Will the Future Take You?

This Thursday, we will have guest speakers come into our classroom to talk to us about their careers.  It's fun to think about all the paths we can take in life.  I hope hearing these speakers inspires you to think about the career you may wish to peruse in the future.  Ms. Carla will also be talking to you about your career choices over the next few years.

The Week of November 7

Are you ready for a new week?  I hope so, because we are hitting the ground running!  This week, we will focus a lot of our time on math.  We will start out with a review of fractions, decimals, and percents.  We will then move on to adding and subtracting fractions.  You will need to practice this skill so you will be ready for a quiz on Thursday.  The quiz will be the first grade of the second term in math!  Check out this video for a great overview of the skill.

Mr. Brandon will visit you this Monday to talk a bit about landforms created by the movement of the Earth's crust.  You'll want to refer to your "Earth's Changing Face" booklet I gave you last week.

We will not have school on Friday, so I really want you to give me your all the four days class is in session.

I'm looking forward to a productive week!
Mr. Trent


P.S. The first three people to comment on this blog entry telling me one thing they enjoyed about the musical will get a PRIZE!

Congratulations on a Job Well Done!

I am so proud of all the students involved with Charles Ellis Presents:  God With No Hands!  You've done an amazing job!  I've received a lot of positive feedback concerning the performance.  Be proud of yourself and enjoy a restful weekend; you deserve it!

Pics to soon follow.

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

God With No Hands opens tomorrow at 7:00 at Savannah Arts Academy. Please be there at 6:15 for costume and makeup. Break a leg!