Happy Friday! It’s been another productive week in middle school. Classes are busy, and it’s feeling like fall!
Math
In the Pre-Transition math class, students continued to practice measuring lengths in customary units as well as identifying mixed numbers. This class is learning about simplifying fractions, finding equivalent fractions, and converting improper fractions into mixed numbers. Next week, they will conclude their learning of Chapter 1.
In the Transition math class, students are learning how to multiply by powers of ten, perform order of operations, and write numbers in scientific notation form. Students are becoming more comfortable with comparing positive and negative numbers as well as converting decimals to fraction form.
In the Algebra math class, students finished studying Chapter 1 and wrote their first unit test on Friday, September 23rd. This class can successfully graph absolute values on a coordinate grid, find the range, median, and mean absolute value of a given data set.
Math Joke: Did you hear about the over-educated circle? It has 360°!
Humanities
6th grade Humanities class worked on their first unit of vocabulary. They also read and completed drafts of poems titled, “Where I’m From”, modeled after George Ella Lyon’s poem of the same name. Connecting with our summer reading, Becoming Naomi Leon, these poems further define who we are, just as Naomi discovered where she came from and how she embodied her past. Students also completed some geography work, labeling a political map of Mexico and Central America along with the bodies of water that border these countries.
7th grade Humanities class finished reviewing the geography of China, and they began researching Chinese Dynasties. They also read and composed drafts of odes in the style of Pablo Neruda’s, “Ode to the Apple”. They chose an inanimate object and, using descriptive language and imagery, they glorified these objects. Finally, students worked on their first current events writing of the year, which will be October 3rd.
8th grade Humanities class wrapped up their work surrounding their summer reading, The Giver. They composed writing pieces that supported whether or not the United States could ever be Utopia. This lead into the first chapter of our history book, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki. We talked and wrote about what it means and what it looks like to be American. Finally, we backed up to human migration and started researching civilizations in pre-contact America.
Science
6th year Earth Science students worked on creating their resin molds this week. Students were able to choose an item they wished to preserve in their resin. Some students chose leaves of native plants while others a mosquito (very Jurassic Park). The intentions of this activity were for students to apply their working knowledge of the different elements that affect preservation potential.
7th year Physical Science students finished their unit, Combining and Separating, this week. Students were tasked with collaborating with one another to separate a mixture using a set of materials provided and later separate a mixture independently. Students were able to determine which tool was best suited to remove certain items based on their physical properties such as size, shape, color, density, or magnetism. Each student was able to apply their knowledge of past activities, making each process moving forward more efficient and effective.
8th year Life Science students have worked hard creating their list of items to represent the organelles of both a plant and animal cell. Beginning next week, students will create their cell cake construction, which will be presented to and consumed by the entire middle school. In association with the unit, Cell Theory, students are conducting research on the use of stem cells. Students will be divided into groups of two, which will provide evidence that is either in favor or against the use of stem cells.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend!
