Hendricks High Schools Happenings
February 13 - March 3, 2017
Reminder! Third quarter ends Friday, March 10th.
Getting flexible with yoga during our Flexible Learning Schedule!
What is a Flexible Learning Schedule?
During the week of February 13-17, our 7th-12th grade students experimented with an alternative form of daily class scheduling, which we called a Flexible Learning Schedule. Rather than spending 50 minutes in each class each day, following a set schedule, we educators provided students with the work they needed to complete, and they were allowed an advisory time at the beginning of each day to set their own schedules. If a student wanted to spend 2 hours working on math, getting one-on-one help with Mr. Peters, fantastic! If he/she then wanted to go to the gym to complete his/her PE workout in 30 minutes, we made the time and supervision available. If he/she wanted to access the computer lab to type an English assignment for an hour, we provided open (but supervised) computer lab time. We even threw in a 30 minute yoga session and a seminar on handling college loans. Is a flexible learning schedule better for students than a traditional schedule? That is the question we are trying to answer. Two definite benefits of this type of open scheduling could be that 1) our students develop their own skills at time-management and work completion, which are necessary college and workforce skills, and 2) we could offer more electives based on student interests and needs. We look forward to trying another trial run of this in order to determine if this type of scheduling can work for our learners.
Math
7th Graders have been using spreadsheet programs to create graphs of data. We looked at different types of graphs and talked about what graphs are best for displaying certain types of data. We then looked into customizing graphs by changing colors, titles, and labels.
Social Studies
In 6th grade, the students completed an in-depth timeline of the Civil War and delved into the Dakota Uprising of 1862. Students also selected a famous Minnesotan and will write a paper and perform a presentation on their subject in front of the class. In Econ, the students analyzed different market structures, and discussed the cause and effect relationship between gov’t regulations and supply/demand market. In Global, the 7th and 8th graders completed the unit on Russia, and will now explore current events in the Middle East, with a case study on ISIS. In Human Geo, the 9th and 10th graders will be starting a group project in which they come up with a cheap, affordable invention that can help out those in developing nations. Lastly, the 5th graders completed an overview/timeline of the French and Indian War, and will now explore the American Revolution, which will include a book report.
English
7/8: We have just started reading The Outsiders.
9/10: we are finishing up our argumentative papers on topics of our choice, and are also reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
11/12: We are working away on our final drafts of our Civil Disobedience research papers.
Video production: has been creating video meant to be shown on our channel and to our younger students. Topics include the need to wash your hands and what leprechauns have been up to lately.
Mythology: we have just finished a unit on Native American mythology. Now we are moving through the dynasties of Greek mythology.
9/10: we are finishing up our argumentative papers on topics of our choice, and are also reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
11/12: We are working away on our final drafts of our Civil Disobedience research papers.
Video production: has been creating video meant to be shown on our channel and to our younger students. Topics include the need to wash your hands and what leprechauns have been up to lately.
Mythology: we have just finished a unit on Native American mythology. Now we are moving through the dynasties of Greek mythology.
Science
A model of the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide.
The reaction of vinegar and baking soda.
The combustion of gasoline into carbon dioxide and water!
Hi Grizzlies! Ms. Flanders here - I’m the student teacher in Mrs. Dorn’s classroom, and I’ll be the first to say that the last few weeks have been awesome! The 6th graders got to put on their engineering hats and create working cars as a part of the speed unit - with the car they made, they timed how far it went and how fast it got there, and from there they calculated the speed of the car. Physical science has been learning about work and power - they have determined how many joules it takes for a crane to lift a girder and how many watts go into rowing a boat across a lake. Earth science recently had a chance to show off their geology expertise as they used clay models, paper posters, and even some pretend volcanoes to explain how tectonic plates affect our lives every day. The 5th graders are using scientific skills to form a hypothesis, record data, and create a conclusion - all to learn about erosion. Our upcoming days will involve sand - lots and lots of sand. Lastly, as you drive by the science classroom, you may notice an array of colored polka dots scattered across the window. The chemistry students used paper cutouts to model chemical reactions we encounter every day: propane combustion, iron rusting, and muscle fermentation are just a few examples!