The First Semester is coming to a close

Seriously.... the year's over already?

Tomorrow is the last day of school. For you Crazy 8s out there, this is your second-to-last day at Memorial. Has it sunk in yet? Are you excited? Worried? Happy? Sad?

Hopefully you're looking forward, at least in some degree, to the summer break. It will bring a new routine, and will be followed by another transition (high school). You will face many challenges, but that is a great thing. It gives you a chance to rise to the occasion, solve problems, and learn how much you're capable of achieving. I am looking forward to seeing what all of you do in the future because you all have many talents that are worth sharing (whether that's in the classroom, field, stage, court, concert hall, or all of those places). I will be your fan.

Feel free to visit the old alma mater. Feel free to leave comments/memories on our blog -- it should be here to stay. Good luck!

End-of-the-Year Essay

Choose one activity from this year and identify the steps of the scientific method that were included in the activity. Be sure to include an activity that involved all of the steps.
I'm also including a form for you to fill out if you have the time.

Podcast with Per

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Yep.... that's actually me singing. The pitch was changed to make me sound like Alvin.

I'll also include the link to see some Crazy 8 writing examples from the Atmosphere RAFT assignment. These folks (and many others too!) did an outstanding job on it!
Atmosphere RAFT Examples

Success

What is the secret? Please fill out the following questionairre.

Semester Test..... AHHHH!

Hello, fellow Crazy 8 Scientists. This is your teacher, Mr. Hoegh. I am posting this on the eve of the day we take our semester test. It is an important day for all involved. Due to the enormity of the test, I have heard some nay-sayers who believe that none of you have a chance. Some say, "Oh, those Crazy 8s....... they think they're so gifted and smart, but they're going to choke when the going gets tough." Others remark, "Sure they've dominated some standard checks, quizzes, labs, and VoiceThread presentations along the way...... but they will shrink under the pressure and sheer mass of the semester test."

Would you like to know what I have to say to those Nay-Sayers? I say, "Thank you. Thank you for providing the Crazy 8 Scientists with extra motivation to ace this test like no other 8th grade team has done before. Thank you for failing to recognize the diligence and hard work that the team has endured. The Crazy 8s ARE ready. If the "pressure" you speak of is Superman, Crazy 8 Preparation is the Kryptonite. The butterflies in the stomach of each Crazy 8 student are not caused by nerves, but by the anticipation and excitement of dominating the Semester Test. The Crazies don't care that you don't believe in them. They believe in themselves."