Online Class Opportunites, Science Field Trip at Portage Lake Library

Archive Notice:

This is an archived version of the emailed newsletter: “Updates!” All contact info has been deleted for privacy sake. If you need information on any of the events/items posted on this blog please email ccheupdates@gmail.com for further information.

COPPER COUNTRY HOME EDUCATORS

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ONLINE CLASS OPPORTUNITES

FYI---

Perhaps you read in the paper this week about the opportunities NICE School district has to expand their educational goals for their students.  He would like to offer them to homeschool students as well; at least inform you of the opportunities.  So, I am passing along his email to me for you to peruse as I said I would; if you have further questions you may contact Michael (withheld for archive).

Ruth (withheld for archive)
www.umche.org

Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:53:23 -0500
Thread-Topic: Online Opportunities
From: "Michael (withheld for archive)


Ruth,

Thank you for speaking with me today.  As promised, I will share one of the goals that we have and that is included in our Project ReImagine proposal.

We intend (as soon as 2^nd semester) to offer online courses at no charge to students.  The initial courses will be typical core courses in English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.  We also currently have online course options available that could be available for new students 2^nd semester.  Those include Consumer Economics, Communicating in the 21^st Century, and Advanced Accounting.  If any of the students you know or work with who are not currently enrolled in the NICE Community School District would be interested in taking advantage of these options, please have them contact me at the Central Office.

Beginning September 2010, the online options will be expanded to include core and elective classes.  In addition, we are working with four post-secondary institutions to develop agreements that would allow several courses offered at Westwood High School to garner college credit.  We are writing waivers so that new students interested in these opportunities could enroll in what has previously not been allowed.  The big picture for this opportunity is that students (while in high school) take the courses that garner college credit and couple those courses with online courses from the post-secondary institutions involved so that students have the ability to earn both a high school diploma and an associates degree by the time they graduate from the 12^th grade.

Our district and community respects the work you do for children and if the programs or opportunities we are developing can aid your work, please let me know.

Mike

INDOOR SCIENCE FIELD TRIP

Mark your calendars!!

Friday, December 11^th at 3:00 at the Portage Lake District Library--- bring your kids to another great science (indoor) field trip put on by Michigan Tech.  The activities are good for K-12 but geared towards the middle of that age range, assuming that the older kids in a family will work with their younger siblings.  The descriptions of the activities are below.  Between now and then we might want to take the time to study up on owls, carnivores, herbivores, predators and prey.  It might also be a good time to find our animal track books and take advantage of the new snow to see what makes tracks in our area. 

If you have any questions contact Amy at (withheld for archive)

Lets have a great turn-out!  See you there!

What do owls eat?

In this lesson, students will investigate where owls fit into the food chain of forests and fields. They will determine whether they are carnivores or herbivores, and predators or prey. Through observation, students will identify the characteristics that make owls good hunters and then dissect an owl pellet to determine what owls eat. They will also learn some basic facts about owls and what owls are found in the area in addition to trying to reconstruct the skeletons in the owl pellets.

Let's Learn About Animal Tracks!

In this lesson students will observe different animal tracks and determine what animal made the tracks. They will learn about the different animal tracks that they can find in the area that they live in. They will also learn to tell the direction an animal is traveling and the different distances between footprints of different animal tracks. Students will measure the distance between their own tracks and compare them to the animals. Students will also look at the differences in size among the animal's tracks and their own tracks. Students will learn how to use plaster casts to preserve animal tracks and will learn the importance of preserving tracks using plaster. Students will be able to take home the track that they made at the end of the lesson.

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