Student Thesis Statements

As in any classroom, things have changed a bit as far as topics are concerned. Students have now developed thesis statements to begin their research. Here are the grade 8 thesis statements:

"Some of the different types of Brazilian music are bosa nova, which is like "new wave" , MPB, which is music in general, and samba, which is the best-known Brazilian dance music."
Megan P. (she also added: "I get to mention the Beatles!")

"The ocelot is one of the "small cats" of the "new world" and is on the verge of extinction as its prey and habitat is diminished."
Chloe B.

"Compared to ancient times, tribes in Brazil have many new languages, ceremonies, and customs."
Taylor D.

"Brazilians use a variety of weapons for a variety of reasons."
Tommy P.

"Weapons from Brazil are not as deadly as those from the U.S., but are still extremely dangerous."
David M.

"The majority of sports played in Brazil are also played in the United States."
Josh P.

"The types of foods eaten in western Brazil are different from those eaten in Eastern Brazil."
Amy S.

"Tamarin monkeys live mostly with....."
Isaac H. (undecided on how to finish until he begins his research)

"Brazilian Howler monkeys face many obstacles when trying to survive in the wild."
Jay B.

"In the Brazilian military, aerial, ground, and infantry weapons are standard."
Jim P.

Though I will not be able to give first-hand information on many of these topics, students will complete these and ask questions via satellite phone on Friday, February 19....watch for those postings and pics as well!

Watch for....

Start watching for student work. Each student has done something different and will post it throughout next week. If there are any posters, those will be included. The plan is, for students to have posts before, during and after the Pantanal expedition. It should show growth in learning, and, in March, you should see plenty of visuals and powerpoint presentations. Also, click the link to find out more about Earthwatch.

Gearing up!

My students right now are researching different aspect of Brazil. The topics include: infectious diseases, food, weapons and war, deadly animals, native tribes and their mythology/beliefs, big fish, soccer team, music, and big cats. They are very excited about this research, and I'll have them post them at a later date.
My research team counterparts are putting together a web page linked directly to the Earthwatch website.

Our first teleconference....

Today, we (the Pantanal teacher team) "met" over the telephone. It is January 3, 2007 and the Brazil trip is only a few weeks away. All of the teachers seem to be enthusiastic about the trip and the research, especially teleconferencing with the kids back at home. It sounds like that will only take place over the telephone. There are three teachers from Massachussetts, one teacher from Rhode Island, and one teacher from Maine (me!). I am so excited to be able to bring this opportunity to my students. Thank goodness I have a supportive principal and superintendent. I will keep this updated as things change, and will not bore you to death with little details like passport and visa stuff or how many bugbites we get each day. Hope you enjoy this little ditty. I started this so my students could see the process from beginning to end.