We are approaching the end of May, and it has been a great week of learning and looking forward to next week’s trip.
First of all, the Middle School teachers want to congratulate this year’s 8th-grade class on their successful Expert Presentations this past Monday. The culmination of five months of research, writing, and practice, the 8th grade delivered 15-30 minute presentations to an audience of faculty, families, and peers. Without the use of a podium, students commanded the stage. They educated the crowd on the following topics: The Great White Way: A History of Broadway, The Final Verdict: Reality TV Court v. The Official Courtroom, The Power of the Present: How Social Control Affects Teenagers, and “You Never Thought That Hip Hop Would Take it This Far”: An Evolution of A Genre. It was a truly impressive evening. Bravo, Class of 2023!
Math
In the Pre-Transition math class, students concluded their learning of Chapter 8 and wrote their last unit test of the school year. This class has studied dividing fractions, reciprocal values, and solving ratios from a word problem. This class also started working on the end-of-the-year project titled Dream Vacation. Students randomly selected a budget amount to plan their dream vacation and will be required to pick a destination. This project includes calculating all travel expenses, planning meals, and constructing a 3D model of a famous landmark they “plan” to see on their vacation.
In the Transition math class, students were excited to start building their GeomCity project. This project includes creating a mini dictionary with the geometry terminology in the Chapter 11 glossary; constructing a 3D cityscape with a cylinder, prisms, and pyramids; and picking a unique theme for their new town. Students will have until June 9th to complete this project and present the final draft to their peers.
In the Algebra math class, students received mini lessons on factoring polynomials and learned to complete the square in a binomial. In addition, students started solving part one of their Escape Room end-of-the-year project. Students will need to solve the paper puzzle escape room challenge and then have an opportunity to design their own. This project is due June 9th in order for the other students to have a chance at solving each other’s unique escape rooms.
Make Joke: Who invented arithmetic?……Henry the 1/8
Science
6th-year Earth Science students continue exploring their unit, Formation of the Solar System. This week, students hypothesized how the arrangement of our solar system was created in addition to the spacing between each planet. To do this, students were assigned groups to space out dodgeballs according to the respective distance from each other and the sun. From this, students were able to gain a much better perspective of the length of our solar system and the reasons why planets are in their current locations.
7th-year Physical Science students will begin their new unit, Friction. The objective of this unit is for students to be able to define friction, explain how it relates to kinetic energy and the transfer of energy between objects that are in contact with each other, and describe how friction can affect the motion of an object.
8th-year Life Science students have begun their Body System Project, which consists of dissecting a dogfish shark and sheep brain. Throughout this process, students are encouraged to identify each specimen’s key features related to the concepts learned throughout past units. In addition, students will have opportunities to work with both specimens, referencing diagrams throughout.
Humanities
6th-grade Humanities students continue to read the class novel, Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai. The students have rich discussions about the plot, historical context, and characterization. Poetry Tuesday had students drafting their versions of Nikki Giovanni’s “Knoxville, Tennessee,” a nostalgic poem about summer. This week students also completed their final current events presentations for the year.
7th-grade Humanities classes continue their Powerful Leaders unit and progress to the mid-1900s. They are learning about how the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party) gained traction and Adolf Hitler’s rise. Additionally, students are learning the history of Anti-Semitism, stemming from the first millennium. They will read the short memoir, Four Perfect Pebbles, by Marion Blumenthal Lazan, about her and her family’s experience during the Holocaust. Finally, students completed their final current events presentations for the year.
8th-grade Humanities students began the week with Expert Presentations and then spent a day reflecting on the experience. Next, they brainstormed and drafted their graduation speeches. The class also spent a class reading and discussing the U.S. National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.” This was accompanied by reading and analysis of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon’s poem, “A New National Anthem.”
We are excited to travel to Washington, D.C., next week with the students!
