Jokes You Can Use:  

 

Why did the Clydesdale give a pony a drink of water?

He was a little horse.

 

What do you call a fish without eyes?

fsh

 

Why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil?

It’s pointless!

 

What’s the difference between the bird flu and the swine flu?

One requires tweetment and the other an oinkment.

 

If athletes get athlete’s foot, what do elves get?

Mistle-toes.

Why do people say “break a leg” when you go on stage?

Because every play has a cast.

 

What kind of ghost has the best hearing?

The eeriest.

 

Why do seagulls fly over the sea?

Because if they flew over a bay, they would be bagels.

 

How do you tell if a vampire is sick?

By how much he is coffin.

 

Middle School Science Minute  

by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)

TACKLING THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

 

I was recently reading the October, 2017 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.  

 

In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” column, “Tackling the Complex Issue of Climate Change,” written by Patty McGinnis. The article shares many websites including:

NASA — http://nasa.gov

NOAA — http://noaa.gov

US Global Change Research Program — http://www.globalchange.gov

Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science — https://www.climate.gov/teaching/essential-principles-climate-literacy/essential-principles-climate-literacy

 

HTTP://K12SCIENCE.NET/PODCAST/PODCAST/ENTRIES/2017/10/9_MIDDLE_SCHOOL_SCIENCE_MINUTE__TACKLING_THE_COMPLEX_ISSUE_OF_CLIMATE_CHANGE.HTML

 

A question for Dave . . .  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04d42rc  

 

From the Twitterverse:  

Amanda Dykes‏ @amandacdykes

Look my dad printed Google Earth.

Billy Spicer‏ @MrBillySpicer

Without passion…our learners are often lost. But when there is high interest? Watch out! #shareourpassions #OnFireLearning

Mental Floss‏Verified account @mental_floss

New Smithsonian Exhibit Explains Why Felines Were the Cat’s Meow in Ancient Egypt — http://bit.ly/2hGBqD1

Kelly Malloy‏ @kehttps://t.co/d9m8EUUP12llys3ps

I love this idea of using old catalogs for fast finishers! https://buff.ly/2kMHS03

Fascinating Pictures‏ @Fascinatingpics

When your mom tells you to fix your hair and smile for your school picture

Diane Ravitch‏ @DianeRavitch

Phil Cullen: Is Austrialian Schooling A Joke? http://dianeravitch.net/2017/10/14/is-austrialian-schooling-a-joke/ …

Bill Farrauto‏ @bfarrauto

I pull from a variety of strategies. Depends on which subject. Some more applicable than others. #satchat

#mschat every Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.  And as Troy says, “The Twitter never stops!”  

 

Strategies:

 

 

Less Work, Deeper Learning

 

There are lots of things that teachers have to do that go above and beyond what the general public sees, but going back to John’s question, “What am I doing for students that they could be doing for themselves?”

 

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/15917

 

21 Phrases to Use in Dealing With Difficult Behaviors

 

1. “I will never intentionally disrespect you.”
2. “I believe in you.”
3. “I won’t give up on you.”
4. “Let’s work together to solve this.”
5. “I was puzzled when you…”
6. “What do we do here when….”
7. “What should you have done differently?”
8. “How did you intend for that to make ______________ feel?”
9. “How did you feel at the time?”
10. “That seemed upsetting to you.”
11. “I hear what you are saying. I’m listening.”
12. “Is it possible that…?”
13. “What should you do when ___________________?”
14. “What will you do next time?”
15. “When will you do it?”
16. “What do you need to do now to make this right?”
17. “Would you like to _________________ or ____________________?”
18. “Can I count on you to do that?”
19. “Okay, but in case you don’t, what do you think are fair consequences?”
20. “What’s your understanding of what we decided together?”
21. “Do you feel that you’ve been treated fairly?”

 

http://www.davidgeurin.com/2017/10/21-phrases-to-use-in-dealing-with.html

 

Resources:

 

History of Halloween

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.

 

http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

 

TeachersFirst’s Halloween Resources

Searchable and selectable lesson plans. Today, we look at Halloween.

 

http://www.teachersfirst.com/holiday/halloween.cfm

 

PBS Halloween Collection

 

https://net.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/the-halloween-collection/

Web Spotlight:

 

Science Magic Tricks

Using Science to Perform Magic Tricks

 

https://www.thoughtco.com/top-science-magic-tricks-606073

 

E.S.C.A.P.E Junk News

https://newseumed.org/activity/e-s-c-a-p-e-junk-news/  

Using a downloadable poster, students learn a handy acronym to help them remember six key concepts for evaluating information, then test the concepts in teams.

Random Thoughts . . .  

 

Personal Web Site

 

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