Spring ELP Walk-In Conferences

Math Challenge Group

The Math Challenge Group did competition problems related to the Pythagorean theorem and areas of similar shapes today.  The homework assignment is to write an explanation for the solution of the Pepperoni Pizza Problem (AMC8 #10) and to do at least one other problem on the handout.  Quantities should be labeled on the explanation.  For example, the explanation might include "The radius of the pizza is 6"."  Homework should be turned in to Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Craig by next Friday.

The Purple Comet Math Competition is coming up at the beginning of April.  Students interested in being on a competition team should contact me within the next week or two.

Mrs. Dixon

Math Challenge Group meets tomorrow (Friday, 2/25)

The Math Challenge Group will meet during math classes tomorrow to continue working on selected problems from this year's AMC 8 and Continental Math League competitions.  This is a continuation of the January 24 Math Challenge Group activity.  Most of the selected problems relate to the recently completed Connected Math unit, "Stretching and Shrinking".  The group will also learn the Pythagorean theorem, which is needed to solve many of the problems. 

Calling all Students! America's Top Student Scientist Could Be You!

    Discovery Education and 3M are looking for America's next top student scientist. The 2011 Challenge, for students in grades 5-8, and asks students to create a short video about a scientific problem in the community and to suggest possible solutions. More information about the video contest is available at the 3M Young Scientst Challenge website .

WordMasters Valentines

Students created Valentine greetings using WordMaster words as one of the activities to encourage using challenging vocabulary in sentences.

Science Fair Update!

Science Fair deadlines:  Research plans and all paperwork must be turned in to Mrs. Dixon by homeroom on Monday, February 14.  The Science Fair takes place on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2.  Researchers should complete data collection by March 21, data analysis by March 25, and have a poster prepared by March 28.  Earlier is better. 

Video Contest!

ACLU of Iowa Announcing $500 Mannheimer Prize
for Student Video Highlighting Civil Liberties
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa is sponsoring a video contest
for students in the 7th through12th grades and awarding the winner a $500
prize.
The video must be about a civil liberty the student particularly prizes,
such as freedom of speech and expression, racial justice, student rights,
immigrant rights, the right to privacy, and fair treatment regardless of
gender, religion, or sexual orientation. The video should be between 3 to 10
minutes. The deadline is Monday, April 4, 2011.
The Mannheimer Award was established by the family of the late
Robert Mannheimer, a Des Moines attorney who supported the ACLU of
Iowa for more than 50 years as a cooperating attorney, board member, and
donor.
For details or questions, and to see past winners, visit the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa web site athttp://aclu-ia.org or contact veronica.fowler@aclu-ia.org.

AMC-10

The AMC 10 will be offered on Wednesday, February 23 at 8 AM (before school) in the Ames Middle School 7-8 ELP room.  All students who scored 15 and above on the AMC- 8 are invited to take this contest.  Please contact Mrs. Dixon if transportation to school at 8 AM  is a problem. 

Iowa Governor's Summer Institute- Leadership

Iowa Govenor's Summer Institute (IGI)

Grades 7-8, June 19-24

"LEADERSHIP FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE."

The Iowa Governor’s Institute for the Gifted and Talented (IGI) is a one-week residential program at The University of Iowa for 36 of Iowa’s students who are currently in grades 7 and 8. The Institute provides exceptionally talented students with an intensive and advanced educational experience designed to enhance their intellectual and social growth as leaders. Each student selected will receive a $300 Governor’s Scholarship to cover a portion of the cost of the Institute.

The Governor's Institute is offering the course, "LEADERSHIP FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE."
The issue of leadership takes on many forms and starts affecting our lives at a young age. This course will allow young people to learn how to lead themselves and then how to lead others. We will examine a variety of leadership styles and skills and will work to take knowledge from "theory" to "practice." The Institute will be made up of four sections with 18 students in each. All students are expected to remain with the program for the entire week as a condition of their acceptance to the Institute. If a student will not be available for the duration of the program, he or she should not nominate him/herself. Neither grades nor academic credit will be given for participation in the Iowa Governor's Institute. However, participants will be expected to show a high level of motivation and achievement. A certificate for successful completion of the Institute will be awarded at the Closing Ceremony.

Eligibility:

All students enrolled in Iowa's public or approved private schools who are currently in grades 7 or 8 are eligible for participation. Because this is a self-nomination program, all qualified students should apply. Paper forms are available through the Belin-Blank Center. Students do not have to be identified by, or enrolled in a talented and gifted program to nominate themselves.

Selection Process

Completed nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of faculty and staff from The University of Iowa, educators from the area, and community leaders. The selection committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria, ranked in priority order:

• Content of student essay

• Letters of recommendation

• Evidence of commitment and motivation

• Programs or activities involved in at school and in the community

• Maturity to live in a residential setting

Applications available at the Belin-Blank website;

http://www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/old/summer/programs/6-8/igi/how_to_apply.asp

 Applications due: March 17, 2011

What are you doing this summer?

Registration Open for 2011 Civic Center Summer Camps!
The Civic Center of Greater Des Moines is pleased to announce that registration is now open for two youth summer camp opportunities. These camp opportunities are designed to provide participants with unique and lasting theater experiences facilitated by professional artists.

Theater Camp: PINOCCHIO • July 11-159-4 (M-Th) & 9-7 (Fri) • Ages 6-18

This weeklong day camp invites young artists to explore their talents and skills as musical theater actors in a full-scale, professionally supported production. Morning workshops are devoted to developing acting skills, building understanding of theater and participating in related artistic experiences. Afternoon sessions are dedicated to rehearsals of PINOCCHIO with Missoula Children's Theatre directors. Each camp participant is guaranteed a role—assigned on the first day through an audition process—and the week culminates with the performance on the Civic Center's Main Stage. No previous experience necessary.

Theater Camp: The Tortoise Versus the Hare • July 25-29  9-4 (M-Th) & 9-7 (Fri) • Ages 6-18

This weeklong day camp invites young artists to explore their talents and skills as musical theater actors in a full-scale, professionally supported production. Morning workshops are devoted to developing acting skills, building understanding of theater and participating in related artistic experiences. Afternoon sessions are dedicated to rehearsals of THE TORTOISE VERSUS THE HARE with Missoula Children's Theatre directors. Each camp participant is guaranteed a role—assigned on the first day through an audition process—and the week culminates with the performance on the Civic Center's Main Stage. No previous experience necessary.

February ELP Lunches

Wordles for WordMasters

Study Tip #2

Try making cards for the words that are most challenging for you out of the Wordle website. Type the word and then add as many synonyms as you can find. Wordle will create a mosaic of words that can help you learn the definition. Try it out and see for yourself!

Website: http://www.wordle.net/create

8th WordMaster Words for Lists 1 and 2

                                         

7th WordMaster Words for List 1 and List 2

Eighth Grade ELP Book Group

Great Minds, Great Books: 
Exploring Eminence Through Biographies


The second session of eighth grade ELP  Great Books, Great Minds Book Group started on Monday, January 24th with a new group of students. Students  meet with Ms. Krusi and Mrs. Staniforth three days per week during the thirty minute Book Group time. The group will meet for the next six week.

Through their choice of biographies, students will explore the  commonalities and differences in their books. Childhoods,  defining moments, academic experiences, stumbling blocks, career paths, and leadership styles  will be discussed in large and small group settings.

Students will also receive instruction on the "close" reading of a literary passage and will develop writing skills  through practice writing of a timed essay, similar to those  found on the SAT and ACT and writers response to the books.

QuizLet: Practice WORDMASTER Words!

Study Tip # 1    

 Quizlet is an online flashcard site that allows students to play games while reviewing vocabulary words. The first and second lists for 7th and 8th grade is on the Quizlet site. It's a fun way to review the words you learned in November and December. 

8th Grade Words:

http://quizlet/_2fd9p or

http://quizlet.com/4076269/8th-wordmasters-goldnovember-2010-flash-cards/

7th Grade Words: 


List 1 http://quizlet.com/4075712/7th-blue-wordmasters-november-2010-flash-cards/

List 2: http://quizlet.com/4347500/7th-wordmasters-blue-division-list-2-flash-cards/

Once you've mastered the WordMaster words, use this site to make your own flashcards to review for a test! 

7th Grade WordMaster Celebration Pizza Lunch

Pizza was promised if AMS became a top ten WordMaster school. Our 7th grade celebration will be held on two days to accommodate the large group. The first lunch is Tuesday, January 25th for periods 1-3 and  4th period students with last names that begin with letters A through L. The second lunch will be on Friday, January  28th for 4th period students with last names that begin with letters M-Z and 6th and 7th period students.

I'll provide one or two slices of pizza. You bring a beverage and the rest of your lunch.

Congratulations on your 2nd place finish on the first exam. Let's celebrate and begin working on the next round!

AMC 10 Math Competition

The AMC 10 Math Competition will not be given on Tuesday, February 8 due to a conflict with the ITBS.  Instead it will be offered before school on Wednesday, February 23 in the ELP room (starting at 8 AM).  Students who earned 15 or more on the AMC 8 are invited to participate.  A letter reminding contestants of the date, time, and place will be sent out shortly before the competition. 

Library of Congress Archiving Project

ELP students from Mr. Esslinger's American Studies class are spending time archiving websites  for the Library of Congress and Archive-It, a international digital library.  By archiving the websites, AMS eighth graders are creating a digital time capsule  that will provide information about 2011 and the life of a middle school student in the future. This is the third year AMS has been involved in the project.

Sites archived by previous years can be viewed at the Archive-It webpage http://www.archive-it.org/.


REMINDER: Permission slips are past due. Please give to Mrs. Staniforth ASAP!

Math Updates

Students who earned 15 or more on the AMC 8 are invited to take the AMC 10 on Tuesday, February 8.  Letters will go out with details about where and when within the next couple of weeks.

The February CML (Continental Math League) will be given on February 2.  

7th WordMasters-Second Place in the Nation!

Ames Middle School  7th grade students recently earned top honors in the WordMasters Challenge, a national language arts competition. The students finished second in the nation!  Over 27,000 students from nearly 300 schools participated in this first of three exams.

All teams study the WordMaster words, learning parts of speech and the definitions. Students then work at comparing and contrasting the words to prepare for the analogy based exam. The test requires  that students apply their understanding of the words to an analogy-based test that requires them to think metaphorically and analytically. The top ten school scores become our team score for the test. AMS earned second place for the team score on the first exam.

Seven AMS students were among only 120 nationwide who earned perfect scores. Congratulations to seventh grade participants! The second session of WordMasters begins later this month.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year   
ELP students! 
Stay tuned for more exciting ELP adventures in 2011.









Here are some important dates for  January 2011.

January 5, 2011:         CML
January 3-10, 2011:    Class Geographic Bees
January 10, 2011:       Archive-It/Library of Congress Project
January 11-12, 2011:  Team Geographic Bees
January 12, 2011        7-8 ELP Lunch
January 13, 2011        7-8 ELP Lunch
                                   School Geographic Bee
                                   Last day 8th grade Book Group
January 18, 2011:       New 8th grade Book Group starts
January 19, 2011:       7th Grade WordMaster  Session II starts
January 20, 2011:       8th Grade WordMasters Session II starts
      

WordMasters Update-8th Grade

ENIGMA

Eighth grade ELP students have been preparing for the December 14th WordMaster exam by creating word cards with definitions and parts of speech,  arranging the words into analogies, creating cartoons of the words and acting out the definitions.

Podcast of 8th ELP WordMaster Words- List 1

Eighth grade WordMaster students are invited to try out a new way to study for the WordMaster exam-the WordMaster podcast. Each word on the first list is defined and used in a sentence. Download the  file to any mp3 player.

Science Fair Working Lunch November 30

7th and 8th grade students working with Mrs. Dixon on research projects for the Science Fair of Iowa are invited to come to the ELP room for lunch on Tuesday, November 30 (tomorrow) for an informal discussion.  Reminder:  a draft of the research plan is due Wednesday, December 1!

8th WordMasters

Eighth grade English ELP students will begin their in-depth study of vocabulary on Thursday, December 2nd, 2010.

During the short first session, students will create flash cards for each of the 25 words with the word written on one side  and the word, part of speech and all definitions on the other. Learning the definitions of each of the words and being able to use the words correctly in sentences will help students on the analogy based exam.

7th WordMasters

Seventh grade Language Arts ELP students will begin studying 25 new vocabulary words for the WordMasters exam on Tuesday, November 30, 2010. Students will create note cards for each word with the word on one side and the word, part of speech and all definitions on the other.

WordMasters uses the Websters dictionary. By learning all definitions of the words and comparing and contrasting the definitions, students will solve analogies using the words on the exam.

Words on the first list are listed below.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, November 10: Continental Mathematics League:
All 7th grade students and all 8th grade Algebra and Geometry students will participate in the first meet of the Continental Mathematics League tomorrow (November 10) during their math class.  Any 8th grade students wishing to participate should contact Mrs. Dixon.

Wednesday, November 10: Science Fair Working Lunch 
Students working on research projects for the Science Fair of Iowa are invited to the ELP room for lunch on Wednesday, November 10.  These lunches are informal discussions of ideas and concerns about the projects, and will be scheduled frequently throughout the fall. It's not too late to start a project!  Anyone who is interested is welcome to come.

Tuesday, November 16:  AMC8
All Algebra and Geometry students and selected 7th and 8th grade students will take the AMC8 (American Mathematics Competition-8th grade) next Tuesday.  All students not in algebra or geometry will do the competition in the Media Center during 2nd period and homeroom.  Algebra and geometry students will do it during their math class.

Tuesday, November 16:  Geometric Origami ELP Lunch
Bring a hot or cold lunch to the ELP room during your lunch period and learn how to make a stellated octahedron (the star shape in the picture) or a cube. 

Thursday, November 18:  Learning@Lunch
Mr. Phil Propes from the City of Ames Water Department will talk about the impact of the August floods on the Ames water treatment system. 

Friday, November 19:  Math Challenge Group
The Math Challenge Group for 7th grade Math will meet during the math classes to continue working on an equation to describe how much a spring is stretched when a weight is suspended from it.  Time permitting they will also explore how weight affects the bounciness of the spring. 

Friday, November 19:  Science Fair Working Lunch
See above.

Letters About Literature Cluster Group

Reminder: Terrific  rough drafts were returned to participants in English class on Monday. Your next draft in letter formation is due on Wednesday, November 3, 2010.

November ELP Conferences

The 7-8 ELP teachers will be available for walk in conferences next week. Please stop in and see us while visiting AMS for your conference. A sign-up sheet will be posted outside the ELP door by the 7th grade Art room. Once you arrive at AMS, stop by and sign up for a time.

The ELP Conference schedule is as follows:

Monday, November 8, 2010: 4:00-7:00
Tuesday, November 9, 2010: 4:00-7:00
Wednesday, November 10, 2010: 4:00-7:00
Thursday, November 11, 2010: 8:00-11:00

We are looking forward to seeing you!

7th Life Science Cluster Group

October Learning @ Lunch Seminar

Letters About Literature Cluster Group

Seventy-two 8th grade students are participating in the Letters About Literature writing contest sponsored by the Library of Congress and the Iowa Center for the Book. Students will meet once a week for six weeks to create a letter to an author about a book that has influenced them in some way. During the six sessions, students will make personal connections with their selection, learn "Readers Response" to literature and write and polish a 300-600 word letter. Completed letters will be entered in the national contest. 

Last year over 70,000 students in grades 4-12 entered the contest, with around 1,800 Iowa entries. 

Letters About Literature will meet during English class on the following days:

Wednesday, October 20, 2010: Book Selected and worksheet completed

THURSDAY, October 28, 201

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Iowa State Talented and Gifted Association Convention

Mrs. Dixon and Mrs. Staniforth will be attending the 38th Annual ITAG Conference in Des Moines on Monday, October 18, 2010.

October ELP Lunch

Science Fair Update

Students who would like to have a science research experience may contact Mrs. Dixon for more information about the Science Fair of Iowa.  The Science Fair takes place on April 1 and April 2, 2010 at the Hilton Coliseum, and is a chance for students to present their research results to the public as well as to the judges.  The project involves developing a scientific research question and hypothesis, creating a research plan (experimental procedure and data analysis), drawing conclusions, and creating a poster to present the work.  Researchers may investigate any area of science, and in the past the projects have represented a wide variety of fields.  The research plan must be completed and approved by an Internal Review Board at AMS, and all safety forms must be filled out, before the researcher begins experimentation.  The plan is due on November 1.  Mrs. Dixon will meet with students when possible during lunches and activity periods.  

Challenge Math Group

The Challenge Math Group meets approximately once a month during the math class period to work on topics that extend the 7th grade curriculum.  Students are chosen for this group based on a need for additional challenge as evidenced by high performance in the classroom and/or high test scores.  The work done in class and assigned for homework replaces the regular classroom work. 

The group met for the first time on Friday, September 18 and Friday, September 25 to study fractions and decimals, the topic that is also current in the classroom.  The students learned how to convert repeating decimals to fractions, discussed the meaning of the term "rational number", and concluded that all repeating decimals are rational numbers.  

Storyteller Visits AMS

Charlotte Blake-Alston, a storyteller from Philadelphia, entertained English ELP students on Wednesday, September 15th. Her melodic voice told stories common to many traditions. She used a Kora, a 21 stringed instrument made out of a large gourd, to enhance her work.  According to Ms. Blake-Alston, the instrument has been played by storytellers in Senegal for 800 years.

Ms. Blake-Alston's visit was made possible by the Story City StoryTelling Festival committee. Students and families interested in hearing more of Ms. Blake Alston's work can visit  Story! Festival,  September 16-19,  2010, in Story City, Iowa.

Interested in Writing? Check This Opportunity Out!

Scholastic Kids 

Press Corps Openings

The Scholastic Kids Press Corps, a group of over 50 student reporters from around the country, has covered everything from the 2008 election to the 2010 Olympics and they are looking for reporters from Iowa. 

Scholastic Kid Reporters deliver news for kids by kids. They report on current events, breaking news, entertainment stories, and sporting events from their hometowns. 

Applicants must be 10-14 years old. Applicants submit an article about what makes their community special, as well as a short essay and story ideas. The SKPC editors select the 2010-2011 Kids Press Corps.  Information about the application process can be found at <www.scholastic.com/kidspress>.  

Nationally Recognized StoryTeller Visits AMS

Charlotte Blake Alston, a Philadelphia-based storyteller, narrator and singer will give a presentation to 7-8 ELP Humanities students on Wednesday, September 15th during second period. 


A former teacher,  Charlotte presents traditional and contemporary stories from  African and African American oral and cultural traditions. Her performances are often enhanced with instruments such as djembe, berimbau, nkoning, mbira, shekere, or the 21-stringed kora.


Ms. Blake Alston is participating in STORY! Celebrating the  Art of Storytelling  from September 16-19th in Story City, Iowa.  Additional information about the festival can be found at < www.STORYfestival.net>.