All Categories - WAUKESHA STEM ACADEMY ~ SARATOGA CAMPUS ~

May newsletter

5/30/2019

Spanish I students have done a great job during our last unit of the year! Semester I students spent the unit learning about how to talk about their days at school. The vocabulary that they learned included class names, class items, and how to ask and answer questions about their schedule. Their last assignment is a presentation on their daily school schedule.
Semester II students’ vocabulary centered around food, health and nutrition. They learned how to talk about their food likes and dislikes, as well as the key nutrients in different foods. Students are working on their final assignment, which is a spoken conversation with a peer about food.
I’m so proud of our students that will be moving on Spanish II in high school, as well as those that will continue on their second semester of Spanish I with me next year. Over the summer, please take some time to practice your skills! It can be as simple as watching a tv show or movie in Spanish, or listening to a Spanish radio station. Have a wonderful summer!

april newsletter

4/26/2019

It’s unbelievable but our fifth Pathways rotation, Global Arts, is wrapping up today! Time has flown as we have been enjoying learning about festivals around the world, and students have created some amazing art projects!

Each group of students chose an international festival or holiday to research. Students selected festivals from all over the world, including festivals celebrated in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, or India. Students sent their parents an email with a link to the Spark page they created with their research. If you didn’t receive it, please ask your student to share it with you-- they learned about some really interesting traditions!

Today students participated in a gallery walk and art critique with their projects. Students were so proud of their artwork! On Monday, we will begin the last unit of Spanish. Students have not been in class since the end of January, so we will spend the first week reviewing, before moving onto our next units. Please remind students to spend some time studying their vocabulary sets in Quizlet!

March newsletter

3/19/2019

Our Culture of Geography class wrapped up at the beginning of this month, and students did an amazing job on their country research projects. Be sure to ask your student to see the map they created using Google My Maps-- it was a new technology tool and students really embraced it! They created annotated maps using their country research, and many commented that it was a new tool that they could see using in other classes and for other purposes.

Last week, we began our fifth Pathways rotation; Mrs. David and I are co-teaching Global Arts, which we created to help students learn the culture and history behind art from around the world, while also having the opportunity to create. This year, we are focusing on festivals and holidays around the world. Students are learning about the history, rituals, traditions, food, dress, and art associated with different world festivals. They are also creating art that is representative of the festival.

We are beginning the unit with looking at the Indian holiday of Diwali, and learning about its tradition as the “Festival of Lights”. Students are creating a typical Indian folk art decoration, called Rangoli, that adorn homes during Diwali. They are also creating clay pot candleholders. After spring break, students will move into working in small groups to study a world festival of their choice.

February newsletter

2/20/2019

Despite the flurry of snow and cold days, we are halfway through our class on Culture of Geography for STEM Cultures. We started the class with looking at several aspects of geography including topography and landforms, climate, and natural resources. For each of these subjects, we learned about key geographical terms, and then looked at how these elements of geography have influenced cultures around the world.
This week, students began work on their final project, which will be a country research project. We are using the tool Google My Maps to create annotated and layered maps that show students’ research on the topography, landmarks, and natural resources within the country of their choice. They will then select one natural attraction within their country to become an “expert tour guide”. We will be showcasing our projects with a gallery walk during class on March 6th & 7th. Parents are welcome to join us to see some of the amazing work these students are doing!

January newsletter

1/25/2019

Last week, Spanish I students completed their second rotation for the year. We completed the rotation with two different speaking presentations. Students in their first semester practiced being able to describe people by completing an oral presentation on a famous person of their choice. Students in their second semester worked with a partner on a conversation about their families. They did an excellent job demonstrating their understanding of the new vocabulary and grammar structures that we learned.

This week, we kicked off the second half of the year with presentations on all the Pathways courses offered for the second half of the year. The next STEM Cultures class offered will be Culture of Geography, starting next week. Following this course, I will be co-teaching Global Arts with our STEM Studio teacher, Mrs. David.
Spanish I students will finish off the year with their last Spanish unit. Since Spanish student will not be in class for the next twelve weeks, it will be important for them to continue reviewing vocabulary during the next several weeks. They have access to all our study sets in Quizlet, and Duolingo is also a good source of practice. Listening to Spanish radio stations or watching a Spanish TV show is another great way to keep their listening skills fresh!

December Newsletter

12/19/2018

Hard to believe but Spanish I students are almost halfway through their second unit of study for the year! Before the winter break, students will take their first assessments for this unit. Students in Semester I are working on being able to describe themselves and others, and talk about activities that they like to do. Semester II students are learning about family, and practicing present tense verb conjugations.

This unit, we have been using the website Quizlet to give students another opportunity to practice their vocabulary. Each student has joined our class in Quizlet, and they have study sets that they can use to review vocabulary through flashcards and games on the site. Students should use the study sets to practice throughout the unit. In class, we have been reviewing vocabulary by playing Quizlet Live, which is a collaborative game

Wishing all our STEM families a safe & happy winter break!

November Newsletter

11/29/2018

Students in STEM Cultures are finishing up our class, Global Social Action, this week. We have continued studying social issues around the world, and much of the past few weeks students have been focused on an inquiry project on an issue that they are passionate about.
As a class, we also discussed the refugee crisis, and looked at several stories of refugees through documentaries, short stories, and news articles. Students participated in a Socratic seminar, where they had the opportunity to discuss and share their perspectives.
This week students completed and shared presentations on their research and action projects. Their research covered a wide range of topics, including poverty, racism, climate change, gender equality, and access to health care. For their actions, students also chose a wide range of projects, that had the goal of either educating, advocating, or giving to an issue.
One of our groups chose to organize a food drive benefiting the Waukesha Food Pantry. The drive will run until December 14th, and we would like to encourage all students to bring in non-perishable food items. Donations should be dropped off in the bag in your Advisory--- the winning advisory will earn points towards the end of year Advisory challenge.

october newsletter

10/24/2018

Students in STEM Cultures began our second rotation class, Global Social Action last week. In this class, students are examining social issues around the world, and looking at actions that individuals, communities, and governments can take to help solve these issues.

We have been learning about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the many social issues that are addressed within these goals. Last week, students learned more about the goals by working in small groups to design a city that addressed all 17 of the goals through facilities, resources, and infrastructure.

This week, students have begun narrowing their focus to one issue that they feel connected to, and will continue to research. Be sure to ask your student about their Global Pledge! Students have committed to at least one Action that they could individually take to help achieve the Global Goals. Students have pledged to different actions such as to recycle more, donate old clothing, eat less meat, use cloth shopping bags, and many more great ideas!

September newsletter

9/28/2018

STEM cultures is off to an excellent start in Spanish. This year, we have students that are starting their Spanish I studies, as well as a group that started Spanish last year and will finish the course this year. It has been great to have the mix of new and experienced students learning together!

New students are working on the introductory unit focused on vocabulary that is used in everyday conversations. They presented a conversation with a friend introducing each other and asking questions, and I was so proud of how well they did speaking in a new language in front of other people for the first time! They are now working on learning how to talk about the weather.

Continuing students have been focusing on talking about daily activities and routines, and have added vocabulary to be able to answer when, where and who questions. They are also serving as excellent mentors for our new Spanish students and have weather forecast videos for them to listen to, in order to practice their weather vocabulary.

May newsletter

5/22/2018

STEM Cultures students are enjoying our exploration of global trade and are currently working on a fair trade research project. Each cooperative group of students has selected a country and a fair trade commodity to study in depth. The groups are researching about the geography and culture of the country, and then looking at the production and selling of a commodity that is fair trade certified. We have students researching tea in Sri Lanka & India, coffee in Mexico, fresh fruit in Brazil, roses in Kenya, and many more!

Alongside their research, students are working in their cooperatives to design an artisanal craft that is representative of the country that they are researching. A small group of students participated in a field trip to Plowshare Fair Trade Marketplace to get inspiration for their crafts. Groups are working on creating their crafts over the next couple week, and then they will be selling them and educating their peers about their research during our Fair Trade Marketplace that we will be holding June 5 & 6 during Connect. We are excited by their creativity during the design process and can’t wait to see their final products!

Mrs. Yourd

STEM Cultures & World Language Teacher
jyourd@waukesha.k12.wi.us

Rotation 1: Spanish I
Rotation 2: Investigating World Conflicts
Rotation 3: Spanish I
Rotation 4: Global Social Action
Rotation 5: Spanish I
Rotation 6: Global Arts

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