Friday March 28th, 2014

Circle Question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

Goal:[Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.]

Activity: We will be interviewing an expert, Mr. Bickford, about the whole Nature/Nurture debate as it relates to education.  We obviously live in an area of Maine that is economically depressed and our test scores and academic rank below our Portland area counterparts like Falmouth, Freeport, Cape Elizabeth, etc.  Is this a function of our nature(DNA etc) or our Nurture(Culture, parenting style, etc) or both and what can we do to improve the lives of our students in SAD17?

Goal:Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

You will be asking questions as well as taking notes during out question and answer session with Mr. Bickford.  You will be using these notes along with the transcripts, teacher/student interviews, depressed teenager article, class discussion to come up with a written response to the nature nurture debate and possible remedies or suggestions for our educational system.


Questions for Mr. Bickford
As a harvard grad, did you know any dropouts and why did they?
Does he believe a child who comes from poverty and depression really have a chance? Why?
Depression is directly related poverty and the only schools with an A rating reside in the wealthiest parts of Maine.  Can we get students to see the link between grades and wealth?
How do we break the cycle of poverty in this area?  Can we?
Is it even possible to break the cycle of poverty and depression?
How much time and effort does the school system put into making sure poverty issue are taken care of?
Do we have to solve the poverty problem or the grades problem first?
Is poverty and depression addressed as in issue in this district?
Do agree that making standards tougher and pushing kids harder is going to make this a better place academically?
With the kids he sees on a regular basis is it even worth making an effort?
Do we spend too much time trying to help kids at the bottom or do we need to separate the chafe from the wheat?
Other Questions?

Wednesday March 26th 2014

Circle Question:  How much do YOU think students success or lack of success in school is a result of Nature(DNA, IQ, Cognitive Function,etc) or Nurture(Parenting Style, Birth Order, Socio-economic Status,etc).

Aggregate Information:  What did we learn from interview staff about students success or lack there of and what can be done?

What do we know?  
Transcripts
Article: Poorer kids often depressed
Interviews
Transcript analysis Homework
Questions for interview

Friday:  Mr Bickford will be coming to our class on Friday to sit down and answer question about the complexity of effective schools.  We need to develop questions to ask him about the state of schools and what can be done to make them as effective as possible for ALL students?

Goal: [Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.]

Breakdown of Nature and Nurture

Questions for Mr. Bickford
As a harvard grad, did you know any dropouts and why did they?
Does he believe a child who comes from poverty and depression really have a chance? Why?
Depression is directly related poverty and the only schools with an A rating reside in the wealthiest parts of Maine.  Can we get students to see the link between grades and wealth?
How do we break the cycle of poverty in this area?  Can we?
Is it even possible to break the cycle of poverty and depression?
How much time and effort does the school system put into making sure poverty issue are taken care of?
Do we have to solve the poverty problem or the grades problem first?
Is poverty and depression addressed as in issue in this district?
Do agree that making standards tougher and pushing kids harder is going to make this a better place academically?
With the kids he sees on a regular basis is it even worth making an effort?
Do we spend too much time trying to help kids at the bottom or do we need to separate the chafe from the wheat?

Tuesday March 18th 2014

Circle: What did you think about some of the answers that teachers gave you about what to do in school to raise graduation rates?


Article: Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers



Transcript Activity
Breaking into groups you will investigate these transcripts.  What can you tell me about the person in each?  How do we explain their record in school?  What could influence them?  What might there homelife be like?  Friends? Childhood? etc.
Transcript #1
Transcript #2

Check Homework:  Create a profile for each of the two transcripts:  What was their childhood like?  Parents?  Economic Status?  Relationship with teachers?  Friends?  Sports?  Drugs/Alcohol?  Personality?

What did Teachers say on Monday?
Generate questions for interviews...

Activity forClass:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?
You will be interviewing staff in the building using the questions generated the previous class.  Going out in groups of two or three you will conduct interviews using the transcripts.
For the interview process make  sure you do the following:
1. Introduce your self
2. Explain that this is part of your Psychology class
3. Use the transcripts as the basis for you questioning.
4. Make sure to record the staff responses.
5. Thank the staff for their time.

Wednesday March 12th, 2014

Circle: How many people do you know personally who dropped out of HS and is there a common reason why?

Article:
Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers

Transcript Activity
Breaking into groups you will investigate these transcripts.  What can you tell me about the person in each?  How do we explain their record in school?  What could influence them?  What might there homelife be like?  Friends? Childhood? etc.
Transcript #1
Transcript #2

Check Homework:  Create a profile for each of the two transcripts:  What was their childhood like?  Parents?  Economic Status?  Relationship with teachers?  Friends?  Sports?  Drugs/Alcohol?  Personality?

What did Teachers say on Monday?
Generate questions for interviews...

Activity forClass:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?
You will be interviewing staff in the building using the questions generated the previous class.  Going out in groups of two or three you will conduct interviews using the transcripts.
For the interview process make  sure you do the following:
1. Introduce your self
2. Explain that this is part of your Psychology class
3. Use the transcripts as the basis for you questioning.
4. Make sure to record the staff responses.
5. Thank the staff for their time.

Monday March 10th 2014

Circle Question: If you could start HS all over again, what would you do different?

Article:
Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers


Survey:  You will be finding students or staff and ask them the following question; What do you believe is the one biggest factor in students success or struggles in school?  You will record your response in two sections, students and teachers.



Check Homework: What do you believe  is the difference between students who struggle in school and student who excel?  Parents, intelligence, teachers, motivation?  Explain


Transcript Activity
Breaking into groups you will investigate these transcripts.  What can you tell me about the person in each?  How do we explain their record in school?  What could influence them?  What might there homelife be like?  Friends? Childhood? etc.
Transcript #1
Transcript #2

Homework:  Create a profile for each of the two transcripts:  What was their childhood like?  Parents?  Economic Status?  Relationship with teachers?  Friends?  Sports?  Drugs/Alcohol?  Personality?

Activity forClass:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?
You will be interviewing staff in the building using the questions generated the previous class.  Going out in groups of two or three you will conduct interviews using the transcripts.
For the interview process make  sure you do the following:
1. Introduce your self
2. Explain that this is part of your Psychology class
3. Use the transcripts as the basis for you questioning.
4. Make sure to record the staff responses.
5. Thank the staff for their time.

Thursday March 6th, 2014

Circle Question:  What do you think plays a bigger role in your life, Nature or Nurture?  Why?  What did you think about the assembly?

Zimbardo Video  :The Power of the Situation

Ethics in Research Worksheet 2-19

Survey:  You will be finding students or staff and ask them the following question; What do you believe is the one biggest factor in students success or struggles in school?  You will record your response in two sections, students and teachers.




Homework: What do you believe  is the difference between students who struggle in school and student who excel?  Parents, intelligence, teachers, motivation?  Explain


Transcript Activity
Breaking into groups you will investigate these transcripts.  What can you tell me about the person in each?  How do we explain their record in school?  What could influence them?  What might there homelife be like?  Friends? Childhood? etc.
Transcript #1
Transcript #2


Activity forClass:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?
You will be interviewing staff in the building using the questions generated the previous class.  Going out in groups of two or three you will conduct interviews using the transcripts.
For the interview process make  sure you do the following:
1. Introduce your self
2. Explain that this is part of your Psychology class
3. Use the transcripts as the basis for you questioning.
4. Make sure to record the staff responses.
5. Thank the staff for their time.

Tuesday March 4th, 2014

Circle Question: How do you feel when people sing "Happy Birthday" to you?

Hand back Quiz/Extra Credit

Collect Homework

Research Terms Review

Correlation and Causation

Article: Childhood Stress Cuts Life Short, Study Suggests

Zimbardo Video  :The Power of the Situation

Ethics in Research Worksheet 2-19