Advisory Plans
9/2/14 – 9/5/14
Labor Day:
Service
This week we focus on Labor Day….
what it meant 125 years ago and what it can mean for middle-schoolers today.
Originally, Labor Day was created to
honor laborers and their efforts to make the factories more fair and more
safe. Before people sacrificed to make
life better for workers, it was okay to “hire” a child, lock him or her in a
factory and pay him or her pennies a day.
Families were starving and so they had little choice but to work endless
hours for little pay. Many kids did not
go to school or play sports. This still goes on in many, many countries around
the world. We are fortunate that this is
now illegal in our country. And that’s
thanks to people who worked in service of a better America.
These days, Labor Day means cookouts
with friends and a day off of work and school.
Labor Day has largely lost its original meaning. AND THAT’S A GOOD THING!! Now children and adolescents have rights to
not spend their childhood and teenage years locked in factories, but rather,
have the opportunity to be of service to their own minds first and once those
minds are developed to continue the tradition of Labor Day by making the world
a better place for others.
Young adolescents look both inward
and outward. The larger world attracts them, and they are beginning to learn
how to deal with it successfully. We want their growing awareness of life to
include the idea that we are, at least in part, here to help one another.
Discussing and experiencing service to one’s developing mind and also to others
is a character-formation experience critical for middle level students. Many genuinely
enjoy contributing to others, in part because it builds a sense of their own
competence and independence.
Tuesday Morning: Take attendance and then come down to the lower school gym
for Monday
Morning Meeting *on Tuesday!
Tuesday Afternoon: Welcome your students.
Start with
these questions: Why did we have
yesterday off of school?
Who was the holiday for?
Who was the holiday for?
Pass out the
worksheets that can be filled out while watching the video.
*Show these videos:
(copy and past this one to view)http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/labor-day/videos/history-of-labor-day
Pulling from the opening intro on
this Bulletin, guide a discussion about the videos and Labor Day and how it
does or does not relate to us today. Guide the discussion
toward the “jobs” of kids today (building our minds toward helping ourselves
and helping others, making the world a better place).
Divide your Advisory in groups of 3
and read the following:
In his inaugural address President John F. Kennedy said,
“ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your
country.” Be ready to share what you think he meant and whether you agree.
Please form a circle.
*Ask these questions (written on board):
What
does the quote from Kennedy mean?
Do you agree?
What does it mean in regards to our advisory group and what does it mean to our Middle School?
How might a Middle School student here at Seacrest serve others here at Seacrest? (different from our Outreach initiatives)
Do you agree?
What does it mean in regards to our advisory group and what does it mean to our Middle School?
How might a Middle School student here at Seacrest serve others here at Seacrest? (different from our Outreach initiatives)
Be looking for answers that incorporate Student Government
options, House captain or representative options.
Try to get students thinking of how their individual
actions in advisory serve the rest of the group or hinder the rest of the
group.
Look for thoughts about how 8th graders can help
7th and 6th graders. How 6th graders can help
upcoming 5th graders.
Wednesday Morning: Servicing our Minds – Executive
Functioning
As we have explored, the work of
today’s adolescent is developing your mind in order your life, as well as the lives of others a better place. But it’s not enough to fill the brain with information about science and math and
writing and language and arts.
We also have to build our brains so
that all the parts can work together. We
do this by building our prefrontal
cortexes, which is where “executive functioning” takes place.
*Show this video: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/410742428488642563/
Review this simplified model of the
Brain: Hold up your hand and have the class do the same. Explain that your thumb represents the limbic system and your
fingers are your prefrontal cortex.
Limbic system: Seat of
emotion. We need to have emotions so
that we can relate to one another
and form relationships; also so that we can know when to take action (fear=fight, flight or freeze). But we also need to balance those emotions
with reason.
Prefrontal Cortex: Executive Functioning Center… planning, processing,
prioritizing, communicating, organizing, time managing, etc…. If we use the metaphor that our brain is like
an airport, then our PFC is the air traffic controller. If your brain is the middle school, then
your PFC is Mr. Caruso who brings all the parts together.
All year we will work on building the PFC – we have begun
that getting religious about our planners.
Planners help us manage our responsibilities and our time, therefore
building our PFC’s.
Let’s look at your planners now!
Wednesday Afternoon: Office hours
EF/Binders: Another
way we build our PFC’s is by keeping things organized in our binders. Let’s take a look at those. Are papers in the correct sections? Are there loose papers? NO LOOSE PAPERS. A loose paper is a lost paper!!
Thursday Morning:
EF/Calendars: Share
important dates that students should put on the calendars. Discuss upcoming
sporting events. Ask if there are any long term projects or assignments for any
class that you can put on your class calendar.
Give students letters that went home
to parents regarding at home EF practices.
Review the practices
that they need to set up at home:
- Calendar - Supplies - File System
- Study Space - Time Timer
Thursday Afternoon: In Houses
Write
this on the board:
Set up a recycling system to bring
classroom recycling to the larger bins
Set up a campus clean up system
Set up a Lower School reading partnership with younger students
Set up a instructional video blog for technology for younger students
* other- come up with an idea of your own
Set up a campus clean up system
Set up a Lower School reading partnership with younger students
Set up a instructional video blog for technology for younger students
* other- come up with an idea of your own
Script
Suggestion:
Today we are going to think about
how we could make a contribution to our school. Here are a few ideas. Discuss for a moment in your own
advisory what you all like and then
send someone up to the board to put a star next to two different ideas your
group liked.
Let advisory groups talk and vote.
Discuss what other ideas are possible and decide as a house what their House Seacrest Service will be.
If you have time:
Ask students how they want to show
their house pride. In what ways can they let the rest of the school community know they are a House United?
Friday morning:
This morning we play a game that
symbolizes the building of a BRAIN. It
takes many small movements, repeated
over time to build a strong brain. It
might not seem like filling in
a planner helps to build a brain, or putting your math papers in your math section (vs. slipped into the front), but
over time, these small actions help to build your brain.
*Supplies: Solo
cups (6) rubber band Yarn
Directions:
1.
Each player is assigned a role (found on note cards) and job description.
2.
Have each player review his or her role.
Describe and explain the jobs so that everyone understands.
Jobs: Project Manager (PFC) – Gives instructions
but can’t touch anything.
Engineer –
ties four lengths of string to the rubber band.
Builder –
Gets the 6 cups and forms the initial pyramid.
Worker – holds
a string; works in conjunction with other workers.
Silent
Worker – same as above but silent.
Questioner –
Can only ask questions; can’t touch anything.
Difficulties
Recorder – Recorder of challenges faced in the process.
Success
Recorder – Recorder of successes observed.
Second Shift
– takes over for one worker half way through but you have to wait for the Project Manager to tell
you when.
3.
State the goal of the activity: to
flip the first story and second story of the building.
4.
Project Manager begins to give instructions.
5.
De-brief.
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