8 th Grade Seminar

1. 8th Grade Seminar

2. What is Seminar? • A project-based, self guided, learning experience based on student choice.

3. What is project-based learning? • Project-based learning is the instructional strategy of empowering learners to pursue content knowledge on their own and demonstrate their new understandings through a variety of presentation modes.

4. Why is project-based learning relevant to middle school students? • The middle school years are challenging. We struggle with keeping students engaged. Projects based on authentic learning tasks engage and motivate students. • Projects encourage students to encounter, and struggle with, important and “big” ideas. • Project-based learning shifts the focus of teaching and learning from a set of known facts to a process modeled on the way that experts in the field think and work. • For teachers, the collaborative nature of interdisciplinary projects promotes professional learning communities in a school.

5. How does project-based learning support student engagement? • Students thrive when they have the opportunity to become experts with “exportable knowledge.” (=students translate the information they discover to real knowledge and then share/export with others) • Students are studying what they are interested in. There is a real reason for students to learn something and for them to present that learning. • Learning is social. Big projects lend themselves to students’ working and learning collaboratively. • Projects enable students to be active learners.

6. How does project learning lead to differentiated instruction? • It is by definition differentiated as it provides students with multiple ways to acquire content, to process or make sense of ideas, and to develop products that demonstrate effective learning. • Students are choosing their own area of interest and are given the chance to explore that area in a way of their own choosing. • While the expectations for content learning and project completion remains rigorous, targeted intervention will be offered to any students who need extra support.

7. The Planning Process • Projects must be carefully planned before being implemented to clarify student learning goals, final products, timeline, and instructional activities. • The following is an overview of the planning process:

8. Topic • The first step is to choose a topic. • Choosing a topic that will hold your interest all year will be the key to making this a meaningful project. • You might ask yourself the following questions to define your project: • What are my dearest values? • What am I curious about? • What things do I consider to be fun?

9. Essential Question (EQ) • After you have determined your topic, you will form an essential question about that topic. • What’s that? • An essential question (EQ) is a meaningful question that requires research and deep thought to understand and answer. It is not a question that is likely to be answered in one book—rather, you will need to use numerous sources for information, and then use your own thinking to finally answer your question.

10. Need to Knows (NTK) • To help you focus the scope of your project, you will be guided through the process of determining your essential question and three“need to know” questions about it. The “need to knows” (NTK) will be main areas of research in your topic.

11. First Trimester • The first trimester will be dedicated to: • Finding a topic, a draft essential question and 3 potential “need to knows.” • Doing initial research. Finding initial information sources. • Conducting research: • Reading and taking notes. • Organizing research notes.

12. First Trimester(Ends December 9th) • Research Blog. (Ongoing) • Draft Contract (topic, EQ and 3 potential NTKs). (November 7th) • Initial Info Sources (November 21st). • 1st Set of Research Notes Cards (30+ note cards). Outline. Final Contract (final topic, EQ and 3 NTKs). (December 5th).

13. Second Trimester(Ends March 15th) • Write 1st Draft. (December 19th) • Setup and conduct an interview (or interviews). • Continue research to fill in gaps. • Organize research notes to go with writing. • Write 2nd draft. (February 15th) • Write 3rd draft. (March 14th)

14. Third Trimester • Publish the final report. (April 4th) • Visual Aid (TBD) • Oral Presentation (TBD)

15. Let’s Review • Projects should be directed toward essential ideas or themes in that are rigorous enough to support in-depth study and student construction of meaning. • Big ideas or themes provide an overall goal for a project-based unit and offer possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration. • The interdisciplinary approach will lead students to a multi-faceted and deeper understanding of their topic.

16. Let’s Review • Once the big ideas or themes have been determined, the teachers will help assist students in crafting an essential question. • An essential question asks students to think beyond the literal. • It is complex and open to discussion and interpretation. • Essential questions are important in terms of getting students to think about the complexities around issues, scientific principles and events.

17. Some Examples • Topic: Epidemics • EQ: Will there ever be an epidemic as widespread as the black plague? • NTKs: • What caused the plague? • What are the conditions that need to be present for a widespread disease to occur? • What “super-diseases” are most likely to become an epidemic today?

18. Some Examples • Topic: Green Buildings • EQ: How can humans in urban areas build more environmentally friendly homes? • NTKs: • What features make homes more energy efficient? • Which building materials are most eco-friendly? • How effective and realistic are “green roofs”?

19. Some Examples • Topic: Basketball • EQ: Has the WNBA positively influenced the sport of basketball for girls? • NTKs: • Why was the WNBA started? • What effects has the WNBA had on youth sports and the popularity of the game? • Are the players good role models?

20. Some Topics Our 8th Graders are Interested in: • Medicine • Aerodynamics • Robotics • Krav Maga/Kung Fu • The Israeli Army • Electric Cars (Shai Agassi’s Better Place) • Israeli literature/library system

21. SHA An Early Childhood through 8th Grade Orthodox Jewish Day School.We provide our students, families and community a school of excellence, founded on love of God & Torah and inspiring academics within an atmosphere of K'vodHaTalmid, student dignity. We develop students of character and integritythrough the pursuit of Torah knowledge and secular studies, connection to the State of Israel and commitment to our Ashkenazic and Sephardic heritage. We prepare future generations to lead lives of service and mitzvothand to perpetuate our Torah and traditions in Seattle, Israel and worldwide.

22. SHA • Once our students have chosen and researched their topic of interest they will find a way of connecting their interest to 4 domains: • Service (In Seattle, Israel, worldwide…) • Torah (How does their interest connect to Torah? הפוך בה והפוך בה דכולא בה) • Israel (How does their topic connect to Israel? Is their a way of connecting this interest to their Israel trip?) • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

23. OK, so what am I supposed to be doing right now?

24. Pre-Search and Initial Research Draft Contract: EQ and NTKs • Pre-Search • Expectations: • You are keeping track of your research on your blog on a daily basis and responding to teachers comments.

25. Pre-Search and Initial Research Draft Contract: EQ and NTKs • Draft EQ and Emerging Focus (Due November 7th) • Expectations: • You have chosen a topic and a draft EQ. • Your topic has potential for critical thinking and you have come up with a dEQ that incorporates: • Cause and Effect • Compare and Contrast • Opposing Viewpoints • You have 3 significant NTK questions that relate to your topic and to each other.

26. Pre-Search and Initial Research Draft Contract: EQ and NTKs • Initial Info Sources • Expectations: • Your sources are available, current and diverse. • You understand the information. • You have at least 7 sources of at least 3 types. • Information from Internet is neatly printed and includes URL. • You have recorded all source information (bibliography info).