Having a plan!

Our class has been super busy, we are doing so many amazing things! In science we are working to wrap up ecosystems in the next few weeks.  As our "big project" we are working on a class mural and the kids are excited! This is a 16 foot long poster each class is completing that depicts Mount St. Helens before, during, and after its eruption.  We are chronicling the stages of succession, population formation, and interactions in the ecosystems as time goes on.  This is also a great way to underscore the idea of succession being a patterned return to life - Mount St. Helens will look very similar in the future to the way it did in the past. Here is the rubric for our mural so you can see what is going on - RUBRIC

In bible we have been learning about creating good habits and about taking small simple steps to create a future that pleases us and pleases God.  We learned that we need to be proactive and begin with the end in mind. We have developed well thought out mission statements for our lives.  In this picture you can see a group of students working on a puzzle together.  As an example of real life truth I gave two groups each one puzzle to finish and only one group got a copy of the final product to start with.  It was a simple but powerful demonstration of how having then end in mind can make you work more effectively and more purposefully.  I have really enjoyed this bible unit - you can see it here.  I am using three amazing books for teens - Success for Teens, Do Hard Things, and 7 Habits to a Highly Effective Teen.  They share some similar themes and ideas and work great together.  The unit is a work in progress, there is everything you need to teach it {questions, graphic organizers, role plays, exit slips, quizzes etc} but I am constantly updating the teaching guide and answer key as I go to make the final product better. 

BTW - my TPT store is having a 20% off sale this coming weekend - to celebrate the arrival of snow to Manitoba.  It may be a few flakes - but where there is there will be many!