English 7 and 8-
This has been a great month! We concentrated a ton of writing and revisited proper English conventions. In 7th grade, we’ve been concentrating on short stories and extracting different information for research purposes. It’s important that the students start to go back to the readings/texts to find their answers.
In 8th grade, we’ve finished The Giver! The students did great with that novel. We are now moving onto a large grammar, writing and revising unit. So, get your typing fingers ready! :)
Both 7th and 8th will start a research paper mid-February. We will be dedicating ourselves to our research project. A packet of information will be coming home about the project. (It will also be posted to Google Classroom.) It will contain outlines, calendars with strict due dates, checklists, and everything your child needs to be successful with this project. It’s a great project, but very involved. So, it’s important that they adhere to the calendars in their packets.
Please keep checking Google Classroom!
Reading-
Math 7 and 8-
I take it for granted at times, but I wanted to take a minute and tell you how great your kids are. I know math can be difficult in middle school, but most of the students are working really hard. It’s hard to believe how much they’ve grown since the start of the year. We finished up the third term in 7th grade with miles per hour and with graphing lines in 8th grade. In 7th grade, we’re going to be studying geometry of various shapes. In 8th grade, we’re going to be solving systems of equations using graphing, elimination, and substitution. I’m going to leave it up to the students when our next test is going to be. I’m going to ask them if they want to have a test before February vacation or after.
E & F blocks will have their test on Thursday, February 13th OR Thursday, March 5
A, B, & C blocks will have their test on Friday, February 14th OR Friday, March 6
Social Studies 7-
Civics 8-
Students started the month reviewing The US Constitution and we have been diving into analyzing it all month! When we were taking a break from all that we completed National History Day! Three members of the Green team will be competing at the Regional Level! All Green Team 8th graders made me proud, it was HARD! Just like the National History Day theme, we broke barriers and completed a difficult task! We will end the month starting our unit on The Bill of Rights. This will take most of the month of February. Alongside The Bill of Rights, each 8th grade student will be working on A Civics Project that includes an Essay, Action and a slideshow. It is all posted on Google Classroom and I recommend any student who needs help to stay after with me! C block’s project will be due March 2nd and F Block will be on March 3rd (both dates are tentative but are what I am aiming for right now).
Science 7-
January has flown by, and we have been very busy learning all about ecology - the study of the environment. We started by discussing renewable and non-renewable resources, and took an in-depth look at where the energy on our Earth comes from. The students are now learning about what makes up organisms, ecosystems, and populations, and how populations are measured. We have also discussed food chains and food webs, how energy flows through ecosystems, and different predators within trophic levels. We will take an in depth look at how organisms interact with each other through symbiosis, as well as within predator-prey relationships. I am hoping to be able to do some fun and interactive predator - prey simulations and maybe even an in-school biome project, if time allows! Please continue to regularly check Google Classroom for important assignments, test/quiz dates, and other important information. Also - please continue checking in with your student(s) about their Weekly Research Assignments. These are posted on Monday, and due on the Friday of that same week! Stay warm and let it snow!
