Asking For Donations for Projects

Hi Parents,

Our class is in need of any donations of spare scrapbooking/craft items you might have at home and could spare in order to donate to our project efforts. Students are now involved in creating timelines that must be creative/imaginative/3D/colorful etc., etc. from 410 A.D. to 1350 A.D. (The Middle Ages!) We will work on them primarily at school. If you have anything you can share, we will be eternally grateful!! (scraps of scrapbook paper, letters, buttons, stickers, anything 3D that would go with our theme, ribbon, or anything else you could think of...)

Thank you for all you do as great parents!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Morton

Farewell and Good Luck Samantha Davis!!

We will sorely miss our Samantha Davis, who leaves us this afternoon to start her new adventure on the path of life! We love you and will miss you in seventh period! You have been such a joy a bright spot of sunshine in all our lives! Hope you enjoy the party this afternoon and your new life!!

The Last Two Posts

Students, do not comment on the last two posts. They were posted as informational props for a teacher professional development session after school yesterday. They are not meant for you to comment on the contents. Thanks. Happy Friday!

Student Self-Selection Center

Differentiated Learning Strategies

WSMS Learning Menu (click this link for a copy)

Differentiating Instruction for the Traditional 
Student With a Textbook and a Learning Menu

Play the Game of Kings

Chess is a game that involves your logical reasoning and analytical skills of math. Although it has a history that spans over 1,500 years, it began to take on its current forms in the Middle Ages. Try this online version at the link below in which you play against the computer, and we will discuss it more at length next week.

Play Chess Here

Goodbye China, Hello Europe!

We are leaving China and are sailing into Medieval Europe now; one of my favorite places to be! So much happens here that is the foundation and cornerstone of all western civilization. The next few weeks are going to be absolutely scintillating! I wonder what interesting project will get into next? Hope everyone has a great weekend! See you Monday!

Using Online Textbooks to Study

Medieval China Reciprocal Teaching Groups

So MANY great things have been happening in these reciprocal teaching groups over the past week! From making a replica of The Great Wall of China,

to eating fried rice and dumplings while the student teacher presents,

to watching a student teacher's slideshow and taking notes:

Author Ally Condie Answers Falcon Questions

Bestselling teen author, Ally Condie, visited with the seventh grade students of WSMS today. Two of our Falcons were chosen to ask questions during the Q&A session at the end of her talk. Congrats to Kaitlyn and Miles for representing us so well!

Take-Home Test Help

Use the link below to connect to the McDougal textbook, Medieval Times and Early Modern Times. Go to Chapter 7 which covers medieval China. This should provide you with all the help you need.

McDougal Littell - Medieval and Early Modern Times

Upcoming Weeks

Monday we will return to the library for our last session with Mr. Sparks, the library intern, who will finish our webquest on the Bubonic Plague of the Middle Ages. Tuesday and Wednesday we finish all Reciprocal Teaching Group projects on medieval China, and then we will begin our Medieval European unit in earnest. For the following two weeks we will cover the middle ages, and for the remainder of the semester we will study the Renaissance. I can't believe I just said the "remainder of the semester"! This year is flying by already!

I must commend most groups on the station presentations they have made on their Chinese topics. It has amazed me how organized and thorough most of you have been!

We have experimented with two types of learning in our last two units. We participated in collaborative group learning during our Islamic unit; and, now we have experienced reciprocal learning during the Chinese unit. I think you all have learned quite a bit throughout this process. However, as we enter into the Middle Ages, we will return to more conventional learning and will pull out the old notebooks once again for some good old fashioned notes. I can hear the groans now!

Progress reports will come next week, and I'm proud to say you should all be pleased with your reports.

Our Halloween Trailer Tribute

The Spookiest School On Old Mason Road from Victoria Morton on Vimeo.
We had so much fun on Friday afternoon making this little trailer!