Classroom Newsletter

Mr. Choquette Sci-8 / SS-8

December 1, 2011

We are in the midst of the holiday season!

Contact Information:

Email:

cchoquette@kas.kh.edu.tw

Phone: 07-5830112 8th graders participating in an oral history listening activity in World History.

I cannot believe that it is December already; the year has just been flying bye at a feverish pace. I am smiling

as I reflect on all of the various projects and activities that we have completed in Science and Social Studies. The

8th graders are a truly great group of students who have learned a lot academically and socially while

developing their technological aptitude.

Semester final exams are coming soon! Take a look at the schedule below:

Mr. Choquette’s courses:

Block B – Sci-8

Block C – SS-8

Block D – SS-8

Block F – US-10

Block G – Sci-8

As always if you have concerns about your student’s performance please don’t hesitate to email me.

2 Mr. Choquette / Newsletter #5 / December 1, 2011

Over the last few weeks students have been learning about the Rock Cycle focusing on how rocks are formed,

examining the various types of rock to learn what they are like and developing an understanding that the rock the

cycle is a never ending process. I am really proud of our students’ hard work and creativity that they poured into

their Flex-Projects on the rock cycle and I want to thank the 8th grade parents for their support. Many of the

students ventured to their classmates homes or stayed after school to work on their projects. Students created

movies, PowerPoints, Prezis, board games, musical performances and more. It was really a celebration of learning

and I was truly impressed by many of the students’ projects; it was a lot of fun learning.

We are currently studying Energy Resources and to take the students full circle with regards to method of

instruction I am having them complete in-class poster assignments as we did in

the first week of the semester. Students are researching various energy sources

and exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source as

well as the different methods employed to harness the energy and their pros

and cons. Students will deliver a brief oral presentation next week.

The final assignment of the semester will a review activity where they

will be recalling important learning from the semester and making a brief video

clip in class that will help prepare them for their upcoming semester final exam.

SS8 Update: Muhammad’s life and the founding of Islam. World History students have moved out of Europe and into the Middle East! Since the last newsletter students

have learned all about the Byzantine Empire and have now focused their learning on the story of Muhammad’s

life and the founding of Islam.

Students most recently have been reflecting on the oral tradition and advantages and disadvantages

of an oral history. They completed and activity where they passed a message from one person to another and

quickly discovered that usually the message that you start out with is not the message that you end up with. We

then listened to a CD recording of the story of Muhammad’s life and learned how to write related words in

Arabic.

Students are now working on completing a brochure or newsletter detailing the various concepts,

terms, people and events of Chapter 7 and 8, which discusses the Middle East and the birth of Islam. Their rough

drafts are due on Wednesday December 7th and we will peer and teacher review them in class. The final drafts

of their projects will be due on Monday December 12th and should be printed in color.

Students will be competing a review activity in Social Studies to prepare them for their examination in

that class as well.

Sci-8 Update: Through the Rock Cycle and into Energy Resources

Students working on their Energy Sources poster in Sci-8