If You have Any Baby Brothers and Sisters at Home....

Problems With Evernote? Text Me or Email Me, Don't Comment

The Tennessee Brochure & Tuesday's Tennessee Quiz

Remember the front flaps of the brochure should be the history and geography of that division. The back flaps should be a bullet list of crops, products, famous places or people.

The quiz will be based on the study guide in Evernote; and, "no" you do not have to know the exact counties.

Madison Rising - "The Star Spangled Banner" Goal

Madison Rising (Photo Credit: FILE)

Madison Rising, an up and coming rock band, has a goal to reach: they are trying to get 5 million hits on their new rock version of our national anthem. They hope to reach that goal by Independence Day (4th of July) in 2013. Since the band launched this goal, they have been hearing from educators and parents across the country who have embraced a new way to touch young hearts by the words of our anthem. Listen to the song and see if you don't like this version. It always gives me chills!!

What is Veterans Day?

History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. 

 This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."

President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. From left: Alvin J. King, Wayne Richards, Arthur J. Connell, John T. Nation, Edward Rees, Richard L. Trombla, Howard W. Watts 

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp


Watch This Year's National Salute to the Veterans:

NOVEMBER 11, 2012

NATIONAL SALUTE TO VETERANS
8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on PBS

Our New Experiments

Yes, these are the logos of our latest experiments in technological advances that will enhance our academic experience, and give you more tools to enhance your study experience. I am very excited about the results, thus far.

We have made our own flashcards on Study Blue, I have made flashcards and quizzes on Quizlet that you can access, and the latest is my ability to share study guides through cell phone, tablet device or pc. I think it's truly making learning more accessible for everyone. And for those of us who don't have a device to use, the beauty is we can still do it the old fashioned way and provide paper notes more easily.

With this new ability to access everything through your iphone or smartphone, there is very little reason you can't be completely prepared at all times - after all, you have your cell phone with you at all times!

Do not forget that I sent an invitation to each student who provided me with an email address to share my Tennessee Notebook in Evernote that is your study guide for the test on Tuesday. You can access it through your cell, ipad, kindle fire, any other tablet or your pc. If you told me on Thursday that you had none of the above, I printed hard copies of the notes for you, so there is no worry there. However, don't forget that you have to sign up for a free Evernote account before you can access the material.

Please do not forget that you need to come on Tuesday with the research completed, typed and pasted into your Tennessee brochure. This product counts as an assessment, so it is most important that you take this assignment seriously.

For those of you who did not complete your Study Island assignments last week, we will have to see what we can do for you when we return to school on Tuesday.

Have a great day off on Monday and I'll see you on Tuesday morning - bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

Quiz on Weathering/Erosion Tomorrow!

I put the flash cards for this quiz on the Weathering page. Go to Physical Geography; click on the Weathering button at the top, and the flashcards are at the top of the page. Good luck! See ya' tomorrow!

Hurricane Sandy

Please keep the people on the east coast and in the northeast in your thoughts as we go through our day today and then into this evening. The worst of the storm is supposed to be pounding them tonight between 8:00 and 8:30 eastern time (which would be 7:00 - 7:30 our time). According to meteorologists, this is a storm of epic proportions which could devastate an area of our country 1,000 miles wide. Adding to the problem is the fact that the moon is in its full cycle. This means what? That's right, the tides will already be at their highest when the storm is hitting its hardest. Look at the picture above. It is truly a monumental storm...

Tomorrow's Technology Agenda

We are beginning to use our phones and a few free apps to put our flashcards on our phones. This is such a good way for students to incorporate their personal technology into their academic life. No more lost flashcards; study time is anytime when your phone is in your pocket or purse. We have even seen higher scoring on quizzes lately through the incorporation of this study technique. If you have a smart phone, an iphone, an ipod touch, a kindle fire, or an ipad, tomorrow is your day to bring that to class, with your parents' permission of course, and receive instruction on how to get started in this new area. However, there is a caveat: the device may not be used in any other classroom, or in any other part of the school or your privilege is automatically revoked. And, one more warning: NO earphones at all!

Do not forget that the flashcards for tomorrow's quiz on "types of volcanoes" are on the Physical Geography link. Once on the blog, click on the Volcanoes page; and the set you want is the second set from the top.

See you Tomorrow my lovelies!

Click on the link below for a copy of an academic cell phone to place in your id holder. Print it, cut it out and slip it in there so you'll have something official:

Cell Phone Pass

Volcano Quiz on Tuesday, Oct. 23rd

The following picture and definition list will be covered in the volcano quiz on Tuesday.

Definitions

Magma - Molten rock beneath Earth's surface.

Parasitic Cone - A small cone-shaped volcano formed by an accumulation of volcanic debris.

Sill - A flat piece of rock formed when magma hardens in a crack in a volcano.

Vent - An opening in Earth's surface through which volcanic materials escape.

Flank - The side of a volcano.

Lava - Molten rock that erupts from a volcano that solidifies as it cools.

Crater - Mouth of a volcano - surrounds a volcanic vent.

Conduit - An underground passage magma travels through.

Summit - Highest point; apex

Throat - Entrance of a volcano. The part of the conduit that ejects lava and volcanic ash.

Ash - Fragments of lava or rock smaller than 2 mm in size that are blasted into the air by volcanic explosions.

Ash Cloud - A cloud of ash formed by volcanic explosions.

In Honor of the Upcoming Halloween Celebration...

Read Mary Shelley's historical 1818 novel if you're interested at the following link: Frankenstein

If this interests you, read the real historical novel by Bram Stoker, written in 1897, at this link:
Dracula

If this interests you, check out Nat Geo's Salem Witch Trials Interactive at this link:
Nat Geo's Salem Witch Trials

Have fun, my lovlies! See you on Tuesday!

Plans for Next Week....

We will review how the time zone map works on Monday. Tuesday we will take a quiz using the map itself, and discover if you really understand how to use it. Remember that when you move to cities and countries on the left of the Prime Meridian, you subtract one hour for each meridian (15 degrees) you move through. When you move to the right of the Prime Meridian, you add one hour of time for each meridian (15 degrees) that you pass through. It's that simple! Of course, the International Dateline does throw in one slight monkey-wrench...If you are travelling west and pass over the International Dateline, you have automatically traveled into the next day. If you are travelling east and cross the International Dateline, you have automatically moved into yesterday! Watch the video of the student crossing the International Dateline located on the International Dateline button on the Time Zone blog. It's cute, but it also shows you how simple the idea really is.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we will start the Physical Processes blog. Take a look at it and familiarize yourself with some of the information there so you get a head start. We will complete the crossword activity located on that blog under the Crosswords button. Check it out and you could get a head start on that activity. See all you wonderful Falcons in the morning!!

Experience What It's Like to Be a Refugee

Here's another game from the United Nations. Play the video game online and experience what it might feel like to be a refugee.
Click on the link to play: 
Against All Odds Refugee Game

Don't forget to try out the Free Rice game below!

Stop World Hunger; Play for Rice

Play the game, and for every correct answer you choose, free rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Program to end world hunger. It's a way for you to contribute to the world's hungry simply by using your knowledge. That's pretty cool! Try it out - you'll want to do it over and over again just to earn the rice for hungry children.

Click this link to connect and play: U.N. Free Rice Game

Vocabulary Quiz Tomorrow, Thursday, 10/4/12

Below is a copy of the vocabulary that I gave you yesterday and the single math problem. Here it is in case you forgot to take it home to study for the quiz tonight!

Time Zone Vocabulary

1.   Earth's rotation - the earth rotates 1 complete time in 24 hours

2.   meridians (longitude lines) - the ancient Greeks mathematically divided the earth into 360 equal segments that were 15° wide in order to create a system of time for each 24 hour day

3.   360 ÷ 24 (hours) = 15 (or 15°)

4.   Prime Meridian -   0° longitude (the starting point)

5.   Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) - Greenwich, England is the city that sits directly on the Prime Meridian; GMT refers to solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. Also referred to as Zulu Time.

6.   International Dateline - a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins. It is roughly along 180° longitude, opposite the Prime Meridian.

Volunteer Opportunity for WSMS Students at St. Jude 2012 Marathon

A mother of  a student on Mrs. Murphy's team is organizing student volunteers to cheer on the runners in the St. Jude Marathon, Saturday, December 1, 2012. Student volunteers will pass water out to the runners and cheer them on to victory for St. Jude Hospital. Click on this link: VOLUNTEER NOW to participate. Each student who participates will receive 3 hours of volunteer service credit. It's a great service opportunity!

Try the Global Closet Calculator

Click on this link: 
Try the Nat Geo Global Closet Calculator

On the Topic of Cheating...

Published Online: March 24, 2011

Updated: March 24, 2012

Studies Find Cheaters Overinflate Academic Ability

By Sarah D. Sparks

Premium article access courtesy of Edweek.org.

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That time-honored anti-cheating mantra, “You’re only hurting yourself,” may be literal fact, according to new research.

Emerging evidence suggests students who cheat on a test are more likely to deceive themselves into thinking they earned a high grade on their own merits, setting themselves up for future academic failure.

In four experiments detailed in the March Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the HarvardBusiness School and Duke University found that cheaters pay for the short-term benefits of higher scores with inflated expectations for future performance.

The findings come as surveys and studies show a majority of students cheat—whether through cribbing homework, plagiarizing essays from the Internet, or texting test answers to a friend’s cellphone—even though overwhelming majorities consider it wrong. The Los Angeles-based Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics, which has been tracking student character and academic honesty, has found that while the number of students engaging in specific behaviors has risen and fallen over the years, the number of students who have cheated on a test in the previous year has not dipped below a majority since the first biennial study in 1992. In its most recent survey, conducted in 2010, the study found that a majority of students cheat at some point during high school, and the likelihood of cheating increases the older students get.

Of a nationally representative sample of more than 40,000 public and private high school students responding to the survey, 59.4 percent admitted to having cheated on a test—including 55 percent of honors students—and one in three had done so twice or more in the previous year.

Cheating: Delusions of Success

Test 1- The first test involved a short 10-item quiz in which some participants had access to an answer key, which they were not supposed to use. This group had much higher mean scores than the control group, suggesting they cheated.

Test 2- After taking the test, both groups were asked to predict how well they would do on a second test on which there was no way to cheat. Those who cheated on the first test were overoptimistic about their performance on the second test, and saw a much bigger gap between their expectations and actual performance than those in the control group.

SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

In addition, more than 80 percent of the respondents said they had copied homework, more than one-third had plagiarized an Internet document for a class assignment, and 61 percent reported having lied to a teacher about “something important” at least once in the past year. By contrast, only about 20 percent of students surveyed reported having cheated in sports.

“One of the sad phenomena is that, on average, one of the things they are learning in school is how to cheat,” John Fremer, the president of consulting services at Caveon LLC, a private test-security company in Midvale, Utah, said of students.

While most academic interest in cheating has focused on how students cheat and how to stop them, the Harvard-Duke study joins a pile of emerging research suggesting that the mental hoops that students must leap through to justify or distance themselves from cheating can cause long-term damage to their professional and academic habits. The findings also suggest that changes in both school climate and instructional approach can help to break the cycle of cheating and self-deception.

“We see that the effect of cheating is, the more we engage in dishonest acts, the more we develop these cognitive distortions—ways in which we neutralize the act and almost forget how much we are doing it,” said Jason M. Stephens, an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, who studies cheating among secondary school students.

Moreover, the more students learn to focus on grades for their own sake, rather than as a representation of what they have learned, the more comfortable they are with cheating.

Mr. Stephens, who was not involved in the Harvard-Duke study, quoted one high school student, “Jane,” who insisted that cheating on a test does nothing to lessen the value of the grade. “It says an A on the paper and you don’t go, ‘Oh, but I cheated.’ You’re just kind of like, ‘Hey, I got that A,’ ” she said.

That, said Zoë Chance, the lead author of the Harvard-Duke study, is where cheaters start lying to themselves.

Self-Deception

In the first of the four experiments by the Harvard-Duke team, researchers asked 76 participants on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus to take a short test of “math IQ” and score their own sheets. Half the tests had an answer key at the bottom of the page. After completing the test, all participants were asked to predict how many questions they would answer correctly on a second, 100-question test without an answer key.

The other related experiments repeated the scenario with 345 students at the University of North Carolina, but required the participants to actually take the test after predicting how well they would do. In one variation, the participants were told they would receive money for the second test based on both the number correct and how close the participant’s predicted score came to the actual score.

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Participants who had access to the test answers tended to use them. In the first rounds of testing in each scenario, mean scores were significantly higher among students who could sneak a peek at the answer key at the bottom. That fits with previous studies showing that, all else being equal, a majority of those who can cheat, do.

Yet the Harvard-Duke research also showed that cheaters lied to themselves.

In a preliminary experiment involving 36 Harvard students, participants were asked simply to imagine cheating on the first test and then taking the second without an opportunity to cheat. Those participants predicted that they would perform worse on the second test, without the opportunity to cheat.

When faced with the real situation, they weren’t nearly so objective. Across the board, cheaters tended to predict they would perform equally well on the next, longer test, though they knew they would not have a chance to cheat. In the experiment involving money rewards for the second test scores, cheaters missed out on getting money because their actual scores were so much lower than the predictions they made based on their first test scores. If participants received a “certificate of recognition” for scoring well on the first test, they became even more likely to be overly optimistic about their success on the second test.

“In our experiments, we find that social recognition reinforces self-deception,” said Ms. Chance, a Harvard doctoral student. If a student focuses on the high test score by itself, rather than cheating as the reason for it, she said, then “getting a high grade will lead ‘Alex’ to feel smart, and being treated as smart by the teacher will lead Alex to feel smarter still.

“Because Alex wasn’t conscious of cheating, there’s no reason to question the performance evaluation or the social feedback.”

That means students may feel they are getting ahead in class, but actually they are falling into a feedback loop in which they fall further and further behind, according to Mr. Fremer of Caveon, the test-security firm. His firm was not part of the Harvard-Duke study.

“If the test scores misrepresent what kids know, [teachers] may have the wrong sense of where they need help,” he said.

Moreover, such self-deception can lead to a “death of a thousand cuts” for a student’s honesty, Mr. Stephens of the University of Connecticut said.

“Kids start to disengage [from] responsibility habitually; cheating in high school does lead to dishonesty in the workplace as an adult,” he said.

Overwhelmed, Unengaged?

Not only does one instance of cheating lead to another, but the school environment can make it easier for students to mentally justify their dishonesty, research shows. Studies by Mr. Stephens and others that show students are more likely to cheat when they are under pressure to get high grades, uncertain about their own ability, unengaged in the material, or some combination of the three. In addition, students are better able to justify cheating in classes in which they feel the teacher is unfair or does not attempt to engage them in learning.

Yet the entirety of the studies also suggests that making students more aware of the importance of academic integrity and learning, not just grades, can make them less likely to cheat.

In a previous study, Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke and a co-author of the Harvard-Duke study, found test-takers became less likely to cheat if they were reminded of a school honor code, or if they saw someone they considered an outsider cheating.

Ms. Chance and Mr. Fremer said teachers and administrators should try to reduce opportunities for students to cheat, but should also help them establish classwide and schoolwide codes for academic integrity, and then reinforce the importance of that code before every assignment.

“When it comes to recidivism, question your assumptions about motivation to inform your decisions about punishment,” Ms. Chance said. “Try out the assumption that kids cheat because they are stressed out about college, and afraid they aren’t smart enough.

“Think about helping cheaters find alternative means to get what they want,” she said, “so that they don’t react by cheating more or giving up.”

Vol. 30, Issue 26

As to # 13 on the Test.....

Nora, good question. I'll be happy to help you out with some clues. Go back to the second powerpoint on the Landforms blog. Find the map that details Kurdistan. If you look closely, you will notice something very interesting about its' boundaries, and you will then have your answer! Good luck....

Hey! Don't Forget About Map Skills!

Saw this online this afternoon and couldn't resist posting it! After all, I'll be quizzing you soon on your map skills as a refresher, so, you'd better not forget about it........

Don't forget to read the post below this one about your test on Wednesday. You'll hate it if you miss out on that info!

The Regions Test - Wednesday, September 25th

The Regions test will take place on the above day and date of my headline - Am I too generous? Let's see... I think I originally said we'd have the test on Tuesday....However, I'm having mercy on you and giving you an additional day to study.

All I can say is that this test comes straight from the notes. If you know the notes, you will have no problem. If your notes are incomplete for any reason, click on the Landforms and Regions blog and watch the two powerpoint presentations on the main page again. All answers can be found there.

Third Period and Seventh Period classes remember that I am counting on you to show me what you've got - COMMITMENT, SELF-RESPECT, AMBITION - you are the only one stopping yourself!!!! If you can memorize the lyrics to your favorite tunes, you can memorize anything!!!!!

Fourth period, Fifth Period, and Sixth Period I am counting on your dedication to excellence to achieve only the highest scores you can possibly attain!

Click on the button above this post in the Page Button line entitled 2012 Posted Tests and Quizzes and you will find a copy of the real test for Wednesday sitting there, just waiting for your hot little hands to scour the pages and make an "A"! Good luck my darlings!!!! Don't disappoint me!

Hope You Are Taking Second Chances Seriously!

Please make sure you study for this second chance test for at least 1 1/2 hrs. Your effort in this matter is going to let me know just how serious you are about becoming "unstoppable." Remember, the only one who can stop you, is you! Good luck, my precious seventh graders! See you in the morning.

Reflection and thoughts of Re-Testing....

It IS NOT usually my policy to re-test. I think it truly encourages most students to be lazy on the first go-round. However, there are too many of you who have failed to be sufficiently responsible on this test - almost everyone of you who failed or made a D shared that you either didn't study, or you studied 20 minutes or less. THAT is not sufficient for a major test!

Therefore, I am going to offer a re-test on Friday, September 21. You may only re-test if you made less than 80. You may only earn an 80 (even if you were to score 100) on the re-test. That has been my policy for almost twenty years. If you didn't feel the urgency to study hard enough to earn an A on the first try, I will not enable you to score equally with those who studied hard and earned an A on the first test date. However, I will save you from the detrimental effects of an F.

Be ready for the re-take as soon as you arrive in class on Friday...this is your only chance to redeem yourself for poor choices where this test was concerned.

Regions Test on Tuesday, September 25

We will take our Regions Test on Tuesday, September 25. We have filled out cloze notes for the first half of the material on what constitutes (makes up) a region. That information is on the first powerpoint on the following blog: click Landforms and Regions under Unit blogs to your right on this page. When the blog loads, click on the Geographical Regions button. You will find the powerpoint there. We took notes in our Notes Composition Book for the second half of the material which covers all of the different types of regions. If you need to access that material go to the Landforms and Regions blog again, click on the Geographical Regions button again, and the information is in the second powerpoint on the page as you scroll down. The test will contain questions exclusively from all of this material. Please study for the test this time. It is not difficult material; you simply have to give it some time to commit it to memory. 

How Big of a Backyard Would You Need to Live Off the Land?

Need a Map?

If you have lost a map, please refer to the Reteach/Differentiation Button on the Landforms Blog. All of the maps you need are posted there; simply click on them to download or print.

In Memoriam - May We Never Forget

Many of my students asked me today if I was going to talk about 9/11 or show them a video on 9/11, and my answer was "no." We had specific curriculum to cover today, and I simply couldn't justify it. However, Keliese came to my door after school and asked me for the second time if I would put some 9/11 footage on the blog. After some refection, I decided that I would. There is no graphic footage other than the buildings being attacked by the jets on this clip; but, it does give some of the sense and horror and disbelief we all felt that morning as we watched the surreal events unfold. We should never forget that we lost close to 3,000 people that day - a greater number than were killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor at the outset of WW II. Hopefully, my students today, some of whom were barely born at the time of the attacks, will remember the fallen in the years to come and the symbols of freedom they portrayed last week on their Liberty posters.

Open House

Thanks to all who attended our Open House last night. I so enjoyed meeting all of the parents who came!  I hope you walked away with a better understanding of how Geography is taught on the Falcon Team.

Please remember to check out all of the teaching blogs to your right on this page. Mrs. Murphy and I are constantly working to improve and update our work. We're especially proud that this blog has been viewed over 31,000 times in just one year, and over 16,000 times internationally. If you scroll down, you will see our national and international counters. We're hoping to continue collecting world flags from our visitors; as of yesterday, we had a total of 66 flags from countries around the world.

Thanks again for coming; we look forward to a fantastic year with your children. If you have any questions, you know how to reach me!

Mrs. Morton

The "Cursive" Controversy

Read the article below my little "naysayers": 
(Click on this link for printable practice sheet:
Cursive Upper and Lower Practice Sheet)

How cursive writing affects brain development

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by Beth Mckinney

Created on: December 31, 2009

Although some schools spend little time on cursive handwriting lessons, studies show a connection between cursive writing and brain development.

Many would agree with first-century Roman writer Marcus Quintilianus that “too slow a hand impedes the mind,” However, modern education professionals seem to believe that promoting keyboard fluency will do as much to develop the minds of their students as traditional handwriting lessons once did. While students do need to be digitally competent to succeed,teachers need to continue to teach cursive handwriting according to much of the research.

Writing Cursive and the Brain

“There's some prettypowerful evidence of changes in the brain that occur as the result of learning to overcome a motor challenge," says Rand Nelson of Peterson Directed Handwriting. The act of physically gripping a pen or pencil and practicing the swirls, curls and connections of cursive handwriting activates parts of the brain that lead increase language fluency.

This idea is echoed by Iris Hatfield, creator of the New American Cursive program. She also believes in the connection between handwriting and brain development. “Cursive improves neural connections in the brain, “ she writes. She stresses that physiological movement of writing cursive letters “help build pathways in the brain while improving mental effectiveness.” This increased effectiveness may continue throughout a child's academic career.

R. Shadmehr and H. Holcomb of Johns Hopkins University published a study in Science Magazine showing that their subject's brains actually changed in reaction to physical instruction such as cursive handwriting lessons. The researchers provided PET scans as evidence of these changes in brain structure. Further, they also demonstrated that these changes resulted in an “almost immediate improvement in fluency,” which led to later development of neural pathways. As a result of practicing motor skills, the researchers found, knowledge becomes more stable.

Cursive Letters and the Development of Knowledge