Math
In Math 7 this month, we spent time getting to know our students as learners and participated in team building activities to build our classroom community. For the first unit, Adding and Subtracting Rational Numbers, students used chips, a number line, and the rules to demonstrate their understanding and apply their knowledge and skills to real world problems. The students will have their first summative assessment the week of October 4th. The next unit is Multiplying and Dividing Rational Numbers.
In Advanced 2 this month, we kicked off the year with learning about probability and statistics. Students learned how to identify sample spaces and outcomes for an event, calculate simple and compound probability, and compare and make inferences regarding populations and samples. We have just moved into our second unit that combines both 7th and 8th grade standards of solving multi-step equations and inequalities.
Social Studies
This month in Social Studies, we have worked on introducing and reviewing various skills that will equip students to analyze maps, documents, and information while making claims and questions about the world around them. To demonstrate their learning, students had a summative assessment on primary vs. secondary sources and on the roles of archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians. In addition, students completed a create your own island map and an activity to see if they can survive the zombie apocalypse using maps.
Looking ahead, October will bring the start of our Ancient Rome unit. During this unit, our focus will be on the empire’s stability, expansion through conquest, the eventual fall of the empire, and influence on following societies.
Students will continue to use their Social Studies notebooks (more affectionately known as GUSS) and handouts daily in order to organize their learning and demonstrate their understanding of topics.
Literacy
- Root of the Week - Quiz every Thursday
- iReady Pathway Lessons - ONE completed lesson due every week
- IXL Skills practice
- CommonLit and
- Independent Reading - minimum of 3X's a week for 20 min
To get students back into their independent reading, each Literacy classroom hosted a "Book Tasting." Students were able to sample books from various genres and check out their own books to read.
All 7th-grade students took their Fall iReady Diagnostic a few weeks ago and tracked their individual data in their Literacy SOF Trackers. These SOF Trackers will be used by students to keep track of their reading progress throughout the year. Trackers will be updated a few times each month. Ask your child to show you their tracker in their Literacy Google Classrooms!
We also began working on our first SOF (Standard of Focus) RL.7.1 - I can cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as make inferences drawn from the text. We will be working on this standard for a few more weeks using various texts in our My Perspectives textbooks as well as other classic short stories. We recently read All in a Summer Day By Ray Bradbury and used the text to practice writing constructed responses using the RACE strategy.
Science
In science this past month, students reviewed the scientific method and investigation processes, and how to strengthen their observations and inference skills. We began our study of the Characteristics of Life through research, lab experiments, and collaborative discussions leading to an understanding and application of those scientific theories in our natural world.
Keeping organized in science this year, developing our skills for inquiry based study, lab practices and engineering skills are a significant part of our learning processes. To help stay on top of unit plans and work, students will be working with and from Science unit learning plans (SLPs). Our SLPs are assigned at the start of each academic unit and provide an outline of all learning goals, standards of focus, lab & engineering practices, independent study (homework), and goals setting. Students have access to all the needed materials at the start of the unit and can track their progress and achievements as we move through our learning. Be sure to check out your student’s goals and learning plan in Google Classroom to see examples of their learning!
Our next two units of study (Microscopic life and Cell Biology) will build on our current knowledge exploring how the Characteristics of life can be applied to the many diverse organisms around us. Students will have the opportunity to see microscopic life, check out their own cells, and investigate how organisms function.
Rolling Agendas Reminder
As a reminder, ALL teachers have started using Rolling Agendas each day to help students when they are absent! Students have access to all agendas in their Google Classrooms. Please remind your child to check agendas when they are absent so they can stay caught up!
Literacy:
Math:
Social Studies:
Science:
