1. Bell Ringer – 1 minute
Independently and silently, write out the following on the bottom of your student survey sheet at your desk:
Your parents’/guardians’ names
Phone number
Times I can best reach your guardians
If another way is better than calling, let me know.
If you finish early:
You may talk quietly to a neighbor only if they are also finished.
WELCOME TO 7TH GRADE SCIENCE!

2. Our Agenda for Today: Learn about me, reasons for teaching
Features of the classroom
Understand the class expectations and classroom values and how to live them out/ why they matter
Consequences
Procedure: Entering and exiting classroom, seat order, signal to become quiet/volume levels
Get to know you activities (Question ball)
How Do You Know Lesson & Demo
HW: Student survey; identify student interests and how they connect to class values/goals
Soon: Take home 1st parent letter home
I’ll be watching to see who is worth highlighting in the letter! (Be on your best behavior!)

3. Miss Krichten Where am I from? Where did I go to school?
Why is education important to me?
Why are you important to me?
Who is this work for? & Why are you here?
5 min.

4. We have high expectations…
Content Mastery: Students have mastered knowledge and skills in MS subject and grade standards. Use of tests to gauge (own compilation or creation of state final exam to cover all objectives covered). Aim for 60% mastery because not state-tested, unless using another state’s test with an accompanying grade to pass. Measured with objective-based grading and data tracking.
Proficient Level Passing on Culminating Performance Task: Students use science to explain or solve real world problems/phenomena; combine content facts with practices and inquiry skills; grading/looking for content knowledge and strategic approach and communication ability. Measured with rubric for performance tasks.
1 min.

5. Classroom Values Achievement Critical and creative thinking
Asking deep and meaningful questions
Making connections
Character and empowerment
Respect, responsibility, resilience
Leadership and Teamwork
Collaborating
2 min.

6. Rules
On time
On task
On best behavior
On a mission
3 min.

7. Roles & Other Class Features (2 min)

8. Incentive Choices Listening to appropriate music while working
Points to be traded for 1pt extra credit, candy, homework extension (1 day) pass
Time to tell science jokes
Creative time block for students to make something and let it go
Additional icebreaker and challenge games like the question ball or team building exercises
Positive phone calls home

9. Tracking (3 min.) Vision Traits Misbehavior
I will walk around with a clipboard with student names and vision categories as well as behavior topics. I will tally class behaviors I witness per student.
Vision Traits
Misbehavior
The students who most exemplify these behaviors at the end of the day will be displayed on our class vision board.
Students will be given time to reflect at the end of the class and write feedback to their peers about how they did or could better meet their own individual goals. This feedback will be given to students in their own brown paper bag wall.
Students will track their academic progress by using a grade sheet and entering grades for returned work at the start of each day.
3 checks for misbehavior in a given category will result in a verbal warning.
A repeated misbehavior will be met with a student conference in the back of the room or the hall.
Repeated misbehavior will be met with one more verbal warning
Repeated misbehavior will result in a call home and student homework reflection as to why they continued to misbehave, why it was wrong, and how they will improve in the future and hold themselves accountable to it.
If needed in the moment, the student may be directed to the back of the room where they can individually cool down, reflect, and read grade appropriate science material for 2 minutes, then return to the class.
A severe misbehavior or continued problem will result in a referral to the office

10. Why do we have procedures?
To build character traits that people in real life, jobs, and science need to perform
Society’s demands
To be efficient
To stay safe
…Other reasons?

11. Volume Levels & Becoming Quiet
Silent -
Quiet -
Projection -
Meet the Quiet Coyote…
1 min.

12. Entering, Seats, and Exiting (7 min)
See procedure handout…
Reading and Modeling
Why is it important that we behave these ways?

13. But I want to know you too…
Question Ball
5 min.

14. Unit 1 How do you know? Thurs 8/6
Science
Unit 1
How do you know?
Thurs 8/6

15. What to do with your journal/notes:
Procedure for note-
keeping
You only need your notes and something to write with today
You will get what you need silently and quickly SO WE CAN LEARN! ☺

16. Do Now Did you know?
All great scientists need to think creatively and explain their findings!
Brainstorm:
A. Imagine you have just been kidnapped by aliens and placed alone on a strange planet full of strange plants and animals.
Write about how you would survive.
How would you go about finding food and figuring out which foods are safe to eat?
B. Describe some of the things you learned about science from your last science class.
5 minutes:
Silent, Alone
In your notebooks

17. Video Explanation (See what I did there?)
Clip 1
Clip 2 (2:18…)
“How do you know?”

18. Guided Questions 1 “How do you know this is an apple?”
3 minutes – share with class
If you wanted to give an alien from another planet a guide to determining whether or not an object on earth was an apple:
What would he or she need to know about an apple?
How could the alien tell what an apple was?
4 minutes – brainstorm alone, silent, in your journal
Color…other objects that color
Size
Taste
Ask for more descriptions

19. Guided Questions 1 What about these pictures?
Everyone that has something on their list that disqualifies ______raise their hand
3 minutes

20. Guided Questions 2 1. How do you know this is a candle?
5 minutes, alone, silent, in your journal

21. Guided Questions 2 2. What if I eat it?
Who still thinks it’s a candle?
2 minutes

22. Guided Questions 2
3. What would you do to find out if it is really a candle?
What could you do to it?
What would you look for?
What would you test or see or try to find out about it?
Ie: Texture: What if I scratch the candle with my finger nail, what should happen?
White boards, in your table groups, quietly
2-3 complete sentences, big enough to read
5 minutes
DONE EARLY? → Put up results

23. What do we do with the Results?
Let’s read them!
Written response:
Which idea do you think would work, and why?
Silent, alone, 10 minutes
A letter to An Alien:
Explain to the alien what test he or she should use to decide if an object is a candle.
Also, explain to him in detail how to use this test and why you think this test would work.
Finally, describe for him what we did in class today and how it will help him figure out what is what on the planet Earth.

24. Final procedures TURN IN NOTES NAME
Wipe off white boards, put back ALL materials the way you got them!
“How do you know?” is a question you should always be ready to answer, and can always ask me

25. For Tomorrow: HW: Student survey
Identify interests and how they connect to class values/goals
Soon:
Take home 1st parent letter home
I’ll be watching to see who is worth highlighting in the letter! (Be on your best behavior (always)!)