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SAMPLETool Number 3: The Study Bud“A few weeks ago, my history teacher assigned a group project. The project was to make a dramaticpresentation of the Boston Tea Party using a poster, props and a script. I totally dreaded anothergroup project. Then I realized that, just like studying with buds, there are ways to make a groupproject run smoothly.”sharingthe loadationcinummgood coasksdefining tGood communication and carefulplanning are important for a successfulsharing ideascareful planningLarry’s Awesome GroupProject Organizersetting groupgoalsgroup project. So, as soon as the projectwas assigned, I designed a “Group ProjectOrganizer.” It’s a form we used toexchange contact information, shareideas, create a project plan and scheduleproductive group meetings.I brought a blank Group ProjectOrganizer to our first group meeting.At the meeting, we passed it around andeach member filled in their own name,phone numbers and email information.Then we reviewed the projectinstructions. As the group madedecisions about how to complete theproject, I filled in the organizer withthe correct information. I made sure thateach group member got a copy of theGroup Project Organizer the very nextday. It really helped our groupsuccessfully manage our project.Check out my masterpiece on thenext page. First Stop: The Middle School Tool Shed11

SAMPLE2Tool Number 3: The Study BudLARRY’S (AWESOME) GROUP PROJECT ORGANIZERClass: American History (4th Period)NameProject: Boston Tea Party PresentationProject Manager: LarryPhone #Cell Phone #Email omAngela555-2625no cellangela@youemailme2.comChan555-5151no a@youemailme3.comLarry1Project Tasks (Describe Fully)Assigned To31. Write a 6 page script. Make copies for everyone in the group by Friday 11/6. Play thepart of Samuel Adams. Memorize by Thurs. Email biography to Angela by Friday.Larry2. Create a poster of the highlights of the Boston Tea Party by 11/12. Play the part ofa colonist. Email the biography of character to Angela by Friday. Memorize lines.Chan3. Make the play program. Add biographical info. Do cover artwork. Email my characters’biography to Angela by 11/15. Play a Native American. Write biography of Paul Revere.Ana4. Write proclamation about Townsend Acts. Put it on parchment in colonial writing. Emailclip art for program to Ana. Play the part of Native American. Send biography to Angelaby 11/15.AngelaProject SuppliesDue DateAssigned To Costumes: (Colonial and Native American)By Thurs. 11/12 meetingAna & LarryBy last group meetingChanBy last group meetingAngela A lantern (Colonial style)4 3 cartons painted like barrels, and filled with piecesof brown paper to look like tea.Group Meeting DateTimePlaceMon (11/9)3:30 to 4:30School Library Read the script together. Practice parts.3:30 to 4:30School Library Review poster. Rehearse play in costume.Tues (11/17)3:30 to 4:30School Library Rehearse play with lines memorized.Weds. (11/18)7:00 – 8:30Chan’s house108 Maple Dr.Thurs (11/12)5Goals6Final rehearsal with props, costumes and poster.Review and correct program biographies.

SAMPLE21CommunicationInformationTool Number 3: The Study BudProject ManagerI volunteered to be our projectmanager. It’s the project manager’s job tofill out the Group Project Organizer andmake sure that everyone gets a copy. Theproject manager also keeps the group ontask at project meetings.Group members exchangedphone numbers and emailaddresses. That madecommunication a lot easier.Defining TasksWe reviewed our teacher’s instructions for the project.Everyone had an opportunity to express their ideas abouthow to do the project. (There are lots of good ideas outthere!) After we agreed on how to do the project, we split thework into “tasks.” Tasks were divided as evenly as possible sothat nobody felt that they had a lot more work to do thananyone else. Each task was carefully described so that whenthe meeting was over, we each knew exactly what our jobwas, where and when our part of the project was due.SuppliesSupplies are important!Our group decided whatkind of supplies or propswere needed and whowould be responsible forgetting them.Goals for Meetings4Group Meetings35This is our group meetingschedule. To minimizeconfusion, we tried to schedulegroup meetings at the sameplace and time.First Stop: The Middle School Tool ShedIt’s important to set agoal for each groupmeeting. That way, weknew exactly what wehad to accomplish, so wedidn’t goof around.613

SAMPLEHere’s a blank Group Project Organizer that you can copy and use for your next group project. You canalso go to www.middleschoolguide.com to download and print as many as you need!GROUP PROJECT ORGANIZERClass:NameProject:Phone #Cell Phone #Project Manager:Email AddressProject Tasks (Describe Fully)Assigned ToProject SuppliesDue DateGroup Meeting Date14TimePlaceGoalsThe Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World!Assigned To

SAMPLELet’s Practice Middle School WorkManagement and Organizational Skills!The Study Bud1. When you’re on study bud time, it’s only!a. business b. games c. gossip d. fun8. A study bud can be a big help when:a. you are absent from school and need someoneto pick up handouts for you.2. Always respect your study bud’ s .a. right to party b. phone call cut-off timec. hairstyled. all of the aboveb. you forget to write down an assignment.c. you left your workbook at school and need acopy of the page assigned for homework.d. all of the above3. Do your best to give your study budinformation.a. false b. top secret c. reliable d. useless9. You have been picked to be the Project Manager foryour group project. It is your responsibility to:a. complete the Group Project Organizer at the4. When you study with a bud or a group of buds:a. Know what you need to study.b. Keep breaks short.first project meeting.b. make sure that each group member gets a copyof the completed Group Project Organizer.c. Share the load!c. keep your group on task at project meetings.d. All of the aboved. all of the above5. You’re studying for a social studies test with a group10. Your science teacher has just assigned a groupof study buds. You’ve set aside an hour and a halfproject. You are bummed because on the last group(90 minutes) for the study session. You reviewproject, you ended up doing most of the work. Howchapter headings and your teacher’s instructionscan this problem be avoided on the new project?about the test. There are ten items to be studied.At some point, your group wants to take a 10 minutea. Beg your teacher to reassign you to a group ofoverachievers.break. You have about minutes to study eachb. Ask for independent study instead.item.c. Go to www.middleschoolguide.com to6. Exchanging makes communicationeasier among project group members.a. home phone numbersb. email addressesc. cell phone numbersdownload a copy of the Group ProjectOrganizer. Bring it to the first group meetingand use it to successfully organize your groupproject!d. Do a good job on your part of the project andhope for the best.d. all of the above7. Why is it important to have a goal for each groupproject meeting?How did you do? Check youranswers on page 169.15

Tool Number 7:The RubricMiddle school teachersoften provide studentswith written directions howto succeed in their class.These directions are called“rubrics.” When youreceive a rubric,pay close attention! It will tellyou exactly what you need to doto get a good grade on a project,paper or assignment. It’s like havingthe answers right in front of you andit’s totally legal! So, when your teacheris kind enough to provide you witha rubric, be smart enough touse it.16

First Stop: The Middle School Tool Shed17

SAMPLETool Number 7: The RubricJAMAL LEARNS TO FOLLOWTHE RULES OF RUBRIC ROADIF YOU ANSWERED “YES”Student Surveyto any of these survey questions,Check “yes” or “no.” Have you ever:YESNOyou’ve proven that you canunderstand and follow directions.1. installed a computer game?Installation guides, rule sheets,2. downloaded music?recipes and maps are all tools thatexplain how to successfully reach a3. made a batch of cookies (or otherwisedestination or complete a project.followed a recipe)?4. helped your mom or dad read a road mapon a trip?In middle school, teachers oftenprovide students with directions5. followed the rules to a board game?how to successfully complete aproject. These directions are called“rubrics.” A rubric is a written description of how a teacher expects a student tocomplete a project in order to get a good grade. A rubric sets forth the projectcriteria and tells the student exactly how the project will bescored. As Jamal recently discovered, the rubric is is animportant tool for success in middle school:Jamal’s health class assignment was to make aposter depicting a healthy balanced meal. Histeacher, Ms. Lophat, was clear about herexpectations for the poster. In fact, she even createda rubric to guide students in their poster design. Ms.Lophat gave each student in her class a copy of therubric well in advance of the poster’s due date. She alsogave her students a copy of “Ms. Lophat’s Rules of RubricRoad,” to help them get the most out of using a rubric.18The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World!

SAMPLETool Number 7: The RubricMs. Lophat’s Rules of Rubric Road3.Read it aloud with aparent or study bud.Pay close attentionto details!2.4.Read it!Enter the project duedate in your planner.1.As soon as you receivea rubric (or projectinstructions) put it ina sheet protectorin your binder.6.Use the rubric as a guideto plan and completethe project orassignment.5.Make a list of thesupplies you needto complete the project.7.Compare your finalproduct with the rubric tomake sure you’ve metthe criteria for agood grade!First Stop: The Middle School Tool Shed19

SAMPLETool Number 7: The RubricWhen Jamal received the Healthy Meal Poster rubric from Ms. Lophat, he glanced at it,tossed it into his backpack and went to work on his poster. When Ms. Lophat returned thegraded rubric to Jamal, he was disappointed in the scores he received. In five of the gradingcategories, he received only a 1 or 2. Those are the lowest possible scores! He doesn’tunderstand what he did (or didn’t do) to deserve such low scores.Ms. Lophat’s Rubric for the Healthy Meal Poster ProjectCRITERIAThe Healthy Meal Poster includes graphics or photos of aSCORE43214321432143214321 Poster is neat and legible.4321 Uses correct grammar and spelling.43214321balanced and healthy meal.Each graphic or photo of the balanced and healthy meal islabeled to identify 1) the food pictured and 2) the food groupto which the food belongs.The student attaches typewritten lab notes which include: A statement of the reasons for the foods selected. A description of three safety procedures he/she would usewhen preparing the meal.The poster includes two 3x5 unlined index cards indentifying(1) the name of a book on nutrition for teens, including thetitle, author, publisher and number of pages; and (2) a recipefor one of the items served in the balanced meal.Appearance of the student’s poster: Contains student’s name, date and class period in the lowerright corner.20The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World!

SAMPLETool Number 7: The RubricThis is Jamal’s Poster:epicReLab Notes:Statement: I selectedthese foods because oftheir nutritional valuesand taste.Safety Procedures:1. I washed my handsbefore I prepared thedinner.by JamalDo the exercise on the nextpage to help me figure outwhat I did wrong.First Stop: The Middle School Tool Shed21

SAMPLELet’s Practice Middle School Work Managementand Organizational Skills!The RubricCompare Jamal’s poster with Ms. Lophat’s rubric. See if you can figure out what Jamal did (ordidn’t do!) on his poster to receive only 1’s or 2’s in five of the grading categories. Write youranswers in the space provided.The Rubric requires:Describe how Jamal failed to follow directions:Each of the graphics or photos is labeledto identify 1) the food pictured and 2) thefood group to which the food belongs.A description of three safety procedures.Two 3x5 unlined index cards identifyingthe name of a book on nutrition for teens,including title, author, publisher andnumber of pages.Poster is neat and legible.Contains student’s name, date and classperiod in the lower right corner.Hey, how did you do? Checkyour answers on page 170.22

Notes:SAMPLE23

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SAMPLEWhat’s Stalking the Students of U.B. Smart Middle School?Case #2Case No. 2: THE CASE OF THESNEAKY SOCIAL STUDIES PROJECTYou and Ace congratulate yourselves on solving the Case of the Nasty HomeworkHabits and head back to the Homework Detective Agency. The phone rings assoon as you walk in the door. It’s Scattered Sara. She sounds terrified! You canbarely make out what she’s saying something about a “socialstudies project” and “out of control.” Ace tells her to sittight—you’re on the way!When you and Ace arrive at Sara’s house, you find her huddled in a corner ofher room, muttering about her project being “late” and “a total mess.” Onceyou get her to calm down, she tells you the whole, horrible story:“Lately,” she begins, “I’ve been feeling kindof nervous and uneasy—like something’s sneaking up on me! Ihaven’t been able to figure out what it is, and I can’t shake thefeeling. It stays with me most of the day. It’s especially bad atnight, when I’m doing homework. Suddenly, I realized what it is!It’s my social studies project! It’s been sneaking up on me forweeks and now it’s out of control! It’s due in two days! I’ve hardlydone any of the work. I haven’t finished the research. I haven’tgot any of the supplies I need. Ace, what happened? How did this all get so crazy?!” Sara dissolvesinto sobs. Ace frowns and shakes his head. “Unfortunately, Sara,” hesays, “it sounds like you were never warned about a dangerouscreature that stalks unsuspecting middle school students. Thiscreature has been known to sneak up on them, turn their lives intochaos and vanish, only to return again and again during the schoolyear! It strikes fear in the hearts of even the best students. It’sknown as the:Long Term Project!25

SAMPLECase #2warning! SPECIAL BULLETIN CONCERNINGTHREAT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTSNAME: Long Term Project ALIASES: “Book Report,” “Class Project,” “Science Project”“Essay” and similar assignments.DESCRIPTION: The Long Term Project can be identified by its due date. It is always due morethan one day from the date it was assigned.TAKE CONTROL: Take control of the Long Term Project immediately. Circle in your plannerthe date the Long Term Project is due and, beginning with the day before, count backward to the dateit was assigned. That is how many days you have to complete the Long Term Project.READ THE DIRECTIONS: You are strongly advised to read and then reread your teacher’sdirections for the Long Term Project. (Tip: Follow the Rules of Rubric Road.)SELECT A PLAN FOR COMPLETING THE LONG TERM PROJECT:PLAN A:PLAN B:PLAN C:The “Split and Tackle”PlanThe “Chunk and Block”PlanThe “Wait ’til theLast Minute” Plan(1) Carefully review the ProjectDirections or Rubric;(1) Carefully review theProject Directions or Rubric.(2) Split the Long Term Projectinto several smaller projects ortasks;(2) Organize the Long Term Projectinto “chunks” of work that canlogically be completed at the sametime, such as research at the locallibrary on several issues.(3) Write each task in yourplanner;(4) Tackle one or more task eachday, as part of your normalhomework routine, until theproject is finished.Although popular withmany students, Plan C isnot an option in middleschool.(3) “Block” enough time in yourplanner (sometimes several hours)after school or on weekends;(4) Work on the “chunks” of theproject until it is finished.CAUTION: Pay attention to special supplies that are needed. Make a list of supplies. Do not waituntil the last minute to ask parents to obtain supplies.SPECIAL PROJECT FOLDER: Separate your Long Term Project materials from otherschool papers and keep them in a special project folder or binder.26

SAMPLECase #2“Ace,” says Sara, “now I know that the best way of controlling aLong Term Project is to know how many days I have to get theproject done and have a plan for completing it!”“That’s right, Sara” says Ace.“When my teacher assigns a Long Term Project, I immediatelymark the due date in my planner. I figure out the number of daysI have to complete the project. I follow the Rules of Rubric Roadand read (and reread) the directions. Then I make a plan forgetting the work done!”“Right!” says Ace.“I make a list of all of the supplies I need, and give it to my momor dad. I make a special folder to hold my Long Term Projectmaterials like rough drafts, research and handouts. After that, Iget working! No more ‘Wait ’til the Last Minute Plan’ for me!”“Bingo. You got it, Sara! Consider this case closed!”How to Get Control of the Long Term Project:1. Mark the due date in your planner.2. Count the days until the project is due;3. Read and reread the rubric or projectinstructions;4. Make a Split and Tackle or a Chunk and Blockplan for completing the project. Write the planin your planner.5. Keep your project materials in a special folder.6. Get working according to the plan!Second Stop: The Homework Detective Agency27

SAMPLELet’s Practice Middle School Work Managementand Organizational Skills!Detect, Correct and Solve:The Case of the Sneaky Social Studies ProjectHere’s a blank page from Sara’s planner. Help her complete her Social Studies Long Term Project on time by creatinga “Split and Tackle Plan,” a “Chunk and Block Plan,” or a combination of both. Make a list of the supplies she’ll needto finish her project. Today is Monday the 10th. The project is due on Friday the 21st.SOCIAL STUDIES LONG TERM PROJECTWrite a 300 word essay about Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, responding to the following prompt:In your opinion, what was the most effective program of the New Deal?Support your essay with facts that you have learned from researching the program you select. Using coloredpencils or markers and an 11"x17" poster board, create a campaign poster that features the highlights of yourNew Deal Program. Put your name and class period on the back of the poster on a 3"x5" index card. Prepare a3 minute speech persuading the class that the program you selected was the most effective of the New Deal.Monday 10Tuesday 11Wednesday 12Thursday 13Friday 14Sat/Sun 15/16Monday 17Tuesday 18Wednesday 19Thursday 20Friday 21Sat/Sun 22/23Dear Mom or Da

Tool Number 3: The Study Bud The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World! 8 Once in a while,you mightgettogether with your study bud or a group of classmates to study or review for a testor quiz.In high school,students often study in groups,so learning how to study