Students will weigh the advantages of cybersecurity in protecting individuals and systems against potential disadvantages of the over-restriction of content and delivery.Students will communicate, verbally and in writing, the advantages or disadvantages of cybersecurity.

Students will plan, write, and submit a formal MLA formatted research paper regarding Checks and Balances from the VA Civics Curriculum. Students will research a topic, create a thesis statement, and include in-text citations in their final product. ** This performance assessment was developed by a collaborative team of teachers and division staff from Middlesex, Poquoson, and West Point school divisions.

This lesson expands upon the ideas of decomposition by using GameChangineer to incorporate commands to create a coded mini game from decomposing word problems. Students will assist the teacher in this guided lesson on how to create commands and use the website before engaing independently in Part 3. Activities are low prep with modifications included, but do require organized planning to implement effectively. If you have not done a lesson on decomposition, it is suggested you use Part 1 to help student's gain the necessary understandings of the processes used in this lesson. 

This is the final part of an extended lesson on decomposition. Students will create a word problem to decompose and then use GameChangineer to create a mini game that is reflective of the word problem and its solution. Students will be using the plan, design, and review process thourhgout their creations. A rubric and self reflection tool for the final products are included. Activities are low prep with modifications included, but do require organized planning to implement effectively. If you have not done a lesson on decomposition, it is suggested you use Part 1 to help student's gain the necessary understandings of the processes used in this lesson. If you have not done a lesson on writing commands and using GameChangineer, it is suggested you use Part 2 before implementing this independent activity. 

mini-From the beginning of the novel study, students will focus on what it means to be a hero, and who acts heroically in the story. At the conclusion of the reading, they will use the evidence they have gathered throughout their reading to determine who the hero in the story is. They will use this evidence to produce a five-paragraph essay to support their claim.** This performance assessment was developed by a collaborative team of teachers and division staff from Middlesex, Poquoson, and West Point school divisions.

In this unit, students will delve deeper into nonfiction with a novel study titled, I Am Malala.  The students will apply nonfiction comprehension skills and close reading strategies to analyze and explore the challenges of an adolescent girl from a different culture analyze while reading.  The students will show mastery by completing a Persuasive Writing Performance Based Assessment. 

Writing Website: Becoming Your Own Best Writing Critic. One year I was given a classroom of 180 learners. I couldn't fathom how I would give meaningful feedback in a timely fashion for these learners about their writing. In frustration I asked them how to solve the problem. My learners solved the problem and helped me craft this process I am sharing with you. Feel free to modernize and make it better but always share as you never know that one staff or student learner you may help in providing your solution.

Writing Website: Becoming Your Own Best Writing Critic. One year I was given a classroom of 180 learners. I couldn't fathom how I would give meaningful feedback in a timely fashion for these learners about their writing. In frustration I asked them how to solve the problem. My learners solved the problem and helped me craft this process I am sharing with you. Feel free to modernize and make it better but always share as you never know that one staff or student learner you may help in providing your solution.