Hour of code

"I can't do this, It's too hard" "Oh, Oh, I get it," "I love this. This is Great!" were just a few of the many student comments during the Hour of Code. Grisham students along with millions of other students throughout the world  participated in Computer Science Week's the Hour of Code - December 8 - 12th. Anyone can participate and there are other coding activities that continue beyond the Hour of code time frame. To learn more go to http://hourofcode.com/us.

7th Grade Math students create math tutorials

Grisham 7th grade math students use their tablets and the app Lensoo Create to solve, record and share math problems 

A Day in the Life of Grisham Students...

A typical day at Grisham Middle School involves the use of technology in almost all classes...

8th Grade ELA classes work on their mini projects to demonstrate their understanding of the Holocaust and WW II.

7th Grade Math students learn how to create user accounts which will allow them to log into a tablet using their own log in, thus protecting their work

Language B Spanish 1A student create MeGusta data charts

7th Grade Science students research and identify soil, ground water, floodplains and aquifers

6th Grade LA classes begin their 1st draft on their personal narratives using their Google Docs accounts. Once their draft is written they will share their documents with their teachers using an Assignment drop box linked on their teacher's website

Another 7th Grade Science class researches a current event on natural disasters. They have to cite their sources using EBib and then reflect on how Science predicts and then recovers from these disasters. 

6th graders build card towers

6th grade IB Technology students found out that it takes a good foundation to build a tower, especially if the tower is made of index cards. Each group was given 5000 index cards and 30 minutes to build the tallest card tower they could. They were give 1 to 2 minutes to plan their towers, but after that time was up, no verbal communication could take place. They could communicate, but only through hand signals or eye contact. Students learned team work, communicating in different ways, don't waste time, problem solving, and most importantly their towers needed a broad base. Once time was up and the towers were measured, their teacher helped them work through the IB Design Cycle to see how their project fit into the different stages of the cycle.

Skyping with the Experts

1. Our 7th grade ELA students had the unique opportunity to Skype with a professional poet today. The Skype session was arranged by Amanda Johnson, also a writer, had several poets speak to students throughout the day. Students listened to poets read their poem and  were encouraged to ask questions  about  style and content of the poems. This gave students a visual opportunity to connect with real experts - some as far away as London - outside of the classroom.  

Using Time Wisely

Athletic students use their time wisely by getting math homework done while waiting for a game. Students in Mrs. Wassmuth's 7th grade math class use their new tablets to complete a homework assignment.