Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Happy Earth Day! We hope you use this weekend to appreciate and care for our beautiful planet Earth that gives us so many gifts!

Science

6th year Earth Science students spent the week creating an artistic representation of tides. Students were asked to illustrate the differences between neap and spring tides as it relates to the earth, sun, and moon’s position. Each student wrote a summary, explaining the similarities and differences between these tides, a comparison between tides and waves, and the effects tides have on people. Their work is currently on display for students to observe and learn from.

7th year Physical Science students worked on identifying how light refracts when entering a different medium such as water, acrylic, or glass. Students represented this concept by using a variety of laser pointers and different prisms to bend and refract light. We were able to test how light rays converge when passing through a convex lens and diverge when passed through a concave lens. Students ended the week creating their own bubble solution using dish soap, glycerin, water, and corn syrup. The color of each bubble refracted light differently based on the solution’s viscosity and thickness.
8th year Life Science students finished illustrating the circulatory system. Students were required to label all parts of the heart, flow of blood through the heart, oxygen exchange, and major veins and arteries. Students also conducted several explorations within their tech-book to represent how certain lifestyles affect the heart rate and blood pressure of an individual.
Humanities
6th grade Humanities students continued their study of subcontinental Asia, leading up to their class novel, Shooting Kabul. This week they reviewed the information learned about Hinduism and did a guided research assignment about Islam. Finally, they presented their current events to end the week with excellent topics and led meaningful discussions.
7th grade Humanities students studied World War I this week by reviewing last week’s research assignment and moving forward with details about how it began, who was involved, and how, ultimately, it led to the Russian Revolution. They also reviewed Communism, Czarist rule, and learned about the Bolshevik Party, including the leaders who emerged. Finally, a look at revolution globally throughout history shows patterns and effectiveness. Students additionally worked on current events reports, and they will present them on Monday.
8th grade Humanities students started the week by reviewing work they did surrounding a section of Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror. This touched on slavery in the colonies during the late 1600s-1700s as well as law and policy changes continually made to create social hierarchy. Bacon’s Rebellion and the legislation that followed would be impactful to the future U.S.A. The 8th grade students have also completed drafts of their expert project research papers!
Math
In Transition class, students concluded their learning of Chapter 8 titled Multiplication in Algebra. They reviewed graphing equations in the form y=ax+b, practiced how to write equations from a word problem in the form ax=b, and how to solve inequalities using the multiplication property of equality.
In Algebra class, students gained a better understanding of the quadratic equation. This class can identify the maximum and minimum of a parabola, label the vertex of a graph, and solve for unknown variables in the form ax^2=b. Next week, they will continue to explore the quadratic equations in order to solve problems about paths of projectiles and real world applications.
In Geometry class, students were successful with finding the area and perimeter of irregular shapes. This class learned about the triangle and different quadrilateral area formulas. They concluded the week with a short quiz to summarize their learning from lesson 8.1-8.4.
Math Joke: What is the butterfly’s favorite subject in school?………Mothematics.
Enjoy the spring weather this weekend!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Congratulations to the 2022 Middle School for a successful, live performance of The Masamune Mystery! It was amazing to have you there to support the students’ creative work. Now we are jumping back into course curriculum, and it felt great to get back in the flow.

Science

6th year Earth Science students are currently on the unit, Tides. The objective of this unit is for students to be able to explain what tides are, what causes high tide and low tide, describe the difference/relationship between high tide and low tide, understand that tides are cyclical and therefore predictable, and design a model to investigate tides. Students have been able to share personal stories of how they have experienced tides whether it was getting their beach towels unexpectedly wet or gathering tidal pool creatures during a vacation. Students have also begun creating a tide dial, representative of the affects neap and spring tide have on many aspects of life.

7th year Physical Science students are on the unit, Refraction. The objectives of this unit are for students to design an experiment to test the refraction of light in water, identify properties of different types of lenses, and describe why light refracts when it travels from one medium to another. Students spent the week testing how the angle of incidence into another medium (water) results in a different angle of refraction. Students represented this concept/principle by placing a straw into a beaker of water, seeing first hand how it appears broken/bent.
8th year Life Science students are on the unit, Circulatory System. The objectives of this unit are for students to describe the function of the circulatory system, create a drawing to illustrate the path of circulation in the body, know the difference between veins, arteries, and capillaries, and understand the structure and function of the heart. With little prior knowledge of how the circulatory system actually works, we spent several classes sharing our prior knowledge or preconceived notions of what role our heart, lungs, veins, arteries have on our daily lives. We discussed how our life choices affect how fluid our circulatory system can function by allowing an easy and unobstructed path of blood to travel throughout our body. Students have also begun designing and illustrating their circulatory system project which will incorporate the four chambers of the heart along with identifying the path blood takes throughout our entire body.
Math
In Transition class, students continued to learn about chapter 8 titled, Multiplication in Algebra. We reviewed how to solve single-step equations, multiply by negative numbers, and graph equations in the form of y=ax. Next week, this class will learn how to solve two-step equations and inequalities. As we get back into the swing of full time classes, please remind your student that both the lesson master worksheet and daily textbook homework questions are due at the beginning of each class.
In Algebra class, students were very excited to begin learning all about the quadratic equation. We discovered how to graph a parabola on a coordinate grid, how to solve for simplified equations algebraically, and how to find the axis of symmetry on the graph. This class can plot ordered pairs on a grid, they can interpret graphs as real world projectile examples, and they can use DESMOS to find intersecting points on more than one graph.
In Geometry class, students were happy to get back into their daily routine of lessons and lesson master assignments. This week we learned about the perimeter of irregular shapes, the area of complex polygons, and we reviewed previous notes about proving congruence in triangles. This class will explore the Pythagorean Theorem and identify special right triangles next week in class.
As a reminder, all classes will have a quiz and/or unit test next week. I encourage students to begin studying early to feel prepared and confident for their assessment.
Math Joke:
Why did the worm cross the ruler?… To become an inchworm
Humanities
6th grade Humanities classes began their unit of the Asian Subcontinent. They learned the geography of the region by completing map work and a Google Earth tour of the area. They also studied the Indus Valley Civilization, the largest and one of the oldest civilizations in the world. From there, students are learning the major religions of the region. This week, they studied Hinduism, which came from a mixture of cultures originating in the Indus Valley. They will learn Islam next week before starting Afghani history in preparation for our next novel, Shooting Kabul.
The 7th grade Humanities class began their study of Powerful European Leaders, which will focus on the time surrounding WWI and WWII. They began by writing a short essay about what they feel are qualities of a great leader. This led to a class brainstorming session and discussion about the types of leaders they would support.  Students then completed the geography of the European continent, which includes Western Russia. They also began a guided assignment giving an introduction to WWI. Finally, students completed a unit of vocabulary.
8th graders began the week with their expert projects. They wrote introductions to their research papers and then workshopped them with the class. Together, students gave feedback to enhance their peers’ work. They are now drafting their essays that are due next Friday, April 22. Next students picked up with US History, reviewing the Separatists’ and Puritans’ reasons for settling in Northeast Colonies. We then focused on the Puritans in Massachusetts Bay colony, their relationship with the Indigenous people living there, and their relationship with other religious groups. We ended the week previewing a slave voyage database created by several universities that used primary source documents to visually show some of the impacts of the slave trade.

Middle School: The Masamune Mystery Week #1

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It has been a wonderful return to school following spring break. It has been great to see all of the students and to be working on the amazing play they wrote: The Masamune Mystery. 

We started the week with a full cast read-through of the script. From there, the days begin with warm up games and then students work either on the stage blocking with Ms. Sutherland, building the set with Ms. Reid and Mr. Brown, or running through lines and additional rehearsal time with Mrs. Lamb. The set is looking great, and the entire play is blocked. The teachers are impressed with how well the students are working together and learning their lines. There is a lot of positive energy!

Next week, the Middle School looks forward to finishing rehearsals and performing LIVE for younger students during the school day and the evening with families. We are excited to see you next Friday evening, April 8 @ 6:30 p.m.

Middle School: Pi and Play!

Posted on by Michelle Lamb
Pi Day
On Friday all students celebrated Pi Day, which officially takes place on March 14 (3/14). Students enjoyed a read aloud story of Sir Cumference, they learned how Pi was discovered,  as well as enjoyed a slice of pie to celebrate the round theme. Each class participated in a 6-part station activity where everyone had an opportunity to calculate the circumference of a pop can, find the surface area of a toilet paper roll, and list as many words they can think of that start with “Pi”. Students enjoyed the day of hands-on practice to calculate equations using Pi and reflect on how circular objects are used in the real world.
Fun Facts About Pi
1. there are over a trillion digits to Pi
2. it’s an irrational number that never terminates and never repeats
3. the world record for memorizing the most Pi digits is 67,890
Math Joke: 
What is the most mathematical type of snake?………A Pi-Thon!

What do you get when you divide the circumference of a jack-o-lantern by its diameter?…………..Pumpkin Pi!

Why did all of the other numbers avoid conversing with Pi at the party?…….Because he goes on and on forever!

Middle School Play

The 2022 Middle School play, called The Masamune Mystery, is just about finished! We have spent the last two weeks developing the plot and writing the script after the Playwriting Elective developed the overall main idea of the play during the winter months.

The main idea was developed over the winter and was a longer list that was then narrowed down by several rounds of voting both among the elective group and the entire middle school.  In the end, the idea of a treasure hunt with two completely different investigators was perfect for the production. It has centered around two lead roles, which is a first for the MS production.

Character development is the next pivotal piece in developing the play. Who will bring this story to life? Each student had a chance to develop a character, whether it was to be played by them or someone else. This involved imagining a personality, appearance, how they will affect the plot, and writing examples of what this character might say. The magic comes in when each student presents their character. The rest of the class can contribute ideas, which then solidifies their role. Developing the characters has been a favorite portion of the process for me.

Finally, it’s time to write!  We used Humanities classes over the last two weeks, and we used two full mornings to write. Now, Mrs. Lamb is going through each scene to ensure that plot goals are carried through, digressions are removed as much as possible, characters stay true to who they are supposed to be, and the play comes together the way it is originally intended. Students should have final scripts posted to review and memorize by Tuesday, 3/15!

We hope everyone enjoys their break and look forward to immersion weeks when we return! More to come!

Middle School: A Week in Review!

Posted on by msutherland

Middle School students had a busy week finishing art projects, playing in the second basketball game and delivering the morning news to the elementary classes. We are working hard as we enter the last week before the spring break vacation. We are all looking forward to the upcoming spring break holiday from March 14-25th.

SCIENCE

6th year Earth Science students were able to test their wind turbines as part of their unit “Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy”. Students tested their designs by seeing how efficient their blades were at raising a variety of weights in a certain amount of time. Following the tests, students were asked to analyze their data and complete a formal lab report.

7th year Physical Science students finished their unit on Kinetic Energy and have just begun their unit “Reflection”. Within this unit students will design an experiment to test the reflectivity of different materials, identify key characteristics of different types of mirrors, and describe how light reflects off different surfaces.
 
8th year Life Science students have been working on identifying the genotype and phenotype as part of an activity titled “Monster Genetics”. Students were asked to identify the genotype and phenotype of a monster by flipping a coin, then determine the probability of inheritances of an offspring using the Punnett Square (Gregory Mendell). I have asked students to illustrate both the parents and offspring to create a visual representation of physical characteristics passed down.
HUMANITIES
6th grade Humanities classes this week were split between our class novel, The Egypt Game, and writing the middle school play. In conjunction with the novel, students learned about Nefertiti and the process of mummification.
7th & 8th grade Humanities classes focused on the middle school play this week, and we are excited to finish the script next week. All middle school students helped to develop the overall plot by brainstorming ideas that turned into our scene overviews. They also developed their characters, established set ideas, and started writing the script.
MATH
In Transition class, students began learning chapter 8  this week and are excited to work with new algebraic equations. This class is learning about the repeated addition property for multiplication, the rate factor model of multiplication, and how to multiply positive/negative numbers in a number sentence. We will continue to learn about combining percentages and solving single step equations next week in class.
 
In Algebra class, students are continuing to explore power and roots properties to simplify algebraic expressions. This class has been studying the Power of Powers rule, the Product of Powers rule, the Quotient of Powers rule and the Negative Exponent rule. We concluded the week with evaluating square roots and cube roots that involved multiple variables.
 
In Geometry class, students are learning about special quadrilateral shapes such as the trapezoid, parallelogram and right triangles. We are continuing to practice proving mathematical theorems and ideas with 2D shapes.  This class is using their postulate and theorem books to record new theorems such as the Sufficient Conditions for a Parallelogram Theorem and Distance between Parallel Lines Theorem.
 
Math Joke: Why do plants hate math?…….Because it gives them square roots.

Middle School: Better Together

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

 

Like every other month of the year, February is a time for celebrating each other. February might be the last cold month before signs of spring and warmth start to emerge. Sometimes we are weary in February and ready for a seasonal change, but there is no better time to be together. Valentine’s Day is in the middle of February and is a reminder to some of the love that exists for each other and ourselves. February is also Black History Month, a time that we highlight and celebrate brilliant and creative Black minds that have helped form and contribute to our nation.

At FWM, we spent February sharing and spreading the love. First of all, the 8th grade leadership team launched their Give A Little Love fundraiser for three causes they felt were important to support. They researched and created material for the community with regards to the following causes: Give the Gift of Hunger Relief; Equip A Medic, Save A Life; and, Provide A Safe Place for Exploited Children. Through their virtual fundraiser with Alternative Gifts International and dismissal collection on 2/16, they raised a total of $2,330, which surpassed their $1,500 goal! The generous FWM community has shown that, together, we can truly spread love.

Other ways we have worked together to support and celebrate each other this month:

  • Weekly whole group advisories
  • Valentine’s Day celebration
  • MS Basketball Game
  • Friday Morning Gathering (led by 8th grade)
  • Collaboration in the classroom
  • Teachers participated in a Run for Refugees to support the work of IRIS
  • Black History Month features

We look forward to an exciting spring, together, in Middle School!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It was a great week of classes and sunshine! We are excited to meet with you next Thursday, 2/17 for Middle School Conferences. If you haven’t already, please sign up with your child’s/children’s advisor. Sign Ups were sent out by advisors last Friday, 2/4. Please email advisors if you have any problems with the Sign Up or making it on Thursday. Thank you!

Humanities

6th and 7th grade Humanities classes spent the week finishing presentations for their research project surrounding the theme, Overcoming Obstacles. All students have gone through their presentation in front of the class and Mrs. Lamb 1-2 times and received written and verbal feedback. They should be practicing this weekend! Mrs. Lamb also asked all students to sign up for a 15-minute tech-check over the weekend to run through their presentation from home using the same device and space they will be using on Tuesday evening. This will help students iron out any tech glitches ahead of time. We are looking forward to Tuesday night @ 7 pm. Zoom link will follow!

8th grade leadership worked hard this week to launch their “Give A Little Love” fundraiser with Alternative Gifts International. You will see information about the causes they chose to support and how you can help on Monday, 2/14! Also, 8th grade is finishing their class novel, If I Ever Get Out of Here over the weekend. Finally, 8th grade checked in with Mrs. Lamb regarding their Expert Projects. Students are already lining up interviews with experts!

Science

6th year Earth Science students are continuing their work on the unit, Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources. This week, students conducted several simulations that represent how energy can be obtained and the cost associated. Students were tasked with finding how to provide 100% power to a factor using 4 options as their energy source (wind, solar, coal, gas). From their findings they discussed both the advantages and disadvantages of their options and the environmental impact associated with each.

7th year Physical Science students conducted tests this week to determine KE (kinetic energy) of different marbles from class. They discovered the mass and velocity in order to calculate the KE of each. From their research on this project, students are beginning to plan the construction of their very own pinewood derby cars. Throughout the building process of this project, students will need to take into consideration weight distribution as it results in a change of their car’s velocity and ultimately, kinetic energy. Once students complete their building/design, they will race their cars down a 32′ official derby track.
8th year Life Science students have continued their research and lessons on the unit, Influencing Inheritance. They continued class discussions on topics such as, “How do humans apply technology to select for certain traits in other organisms?” and, “What social and environmental impacts result from the use of technology to influence the desired traits of an organism?”.
Math
In Transition class, students are working through important geometry ideas. This class is learning about alternate interior and exterior angles, finding corresponding angles in a figure, and solving for unknown angles in a triangle. They concluded the week with a short quiz that covered topics such as finding distances between points on a coordinate grid and solving for complementary and supplementary angles.
In Algebra class, students began learning Chapter 8 in the textbook titled, Powers and Roots Properties.  Students were excited to learn about the power of products and the power of quotient properties as well as simplify expressions using the power of powers property. This class will write a short quiz next week before the Presidents Day long weekend.
In Geometry class, students started to explore congruent properties of triangles. This class is able to draw a triangle – given specific conditions, determine whether triangles are congruent, and write simple proof statements to justify known theorems. Next week, we will study diagonals of quadrilaterals and properties of parallelograms.
Math Joke: Why are obtuse angles so sad?………..Because they are never RIGHT!
Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Middle School: A Week in Review

Posted on by msutherland
We had an exciting week in Middle School to begin the month of February. Students were busy working on their “un-selfie” projects in MakerSpace, creating unique clay sculptures in Art class, and practicing their basketball skills in P.E. As a reminder, please have all students bring appropriate winter clothing to school as we want to enjoy an outdoor recess when the weather permits.
Science

6th year Earth Science students are presently working on the unit “Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources.” The objective of this unit is to distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, compare the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, and explain the interconnection between science and technology in using energy resources. Students have identified the advantages and disadvantages of both renewable and nonrenewable energy through artistic formal presentations.

7th year Physical Science students began their new unit this week, “Kinetic Energy.” The objective of this unit is to explain how the kinetic energy of an object depends on its mass and velocity, generate examples of kinetic energy, compare kinetic energy to potential energy, model how kinetic energy can be transformed into potential energy, and how potential energy can be transformed into kinetic energy. This week students have been able to identify how mass affects the kinetic energy of an object by conducting trials of dropping a ball of known mass at different heights.
8th year Life Science students finished their unit on “Gene Mutations” and have begun their new unit on “Influencing Inheritance.” The objective of this unit is to distinguish between two categories of genetic engineering, explain how humans can influence certain characteristics of organisms by selective breeding, explain why gene modification, animal husbandry, and gene therapy are examples of artificial selection, and evaluate the impacts of human use of technology to influence the desired traits of organisms. Students will be asked to look at themselves to determine what they might have inherited from members of their family naturally. We will also take a look at Gregory Mendel’s work on dominant and recessive genes using cross breeding of pea plants.
Humanities
**A reminder that grades 6 & 7 Research Presentations will be Tuesday, 2/15 @ 7 pm.**
Humanities 6 classes are continuing their study of Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East & North Africa. They completed maps of the Fertile Crescent and are now venturing into Ancient Egypt. They are defining terms they will hear and read about in their studies and in their next novel, The Egypt Game.  6th grade students also completed drafts of their research essay. Mrs. Lamb is excited to continue working with them on the next step, which is the presentation.
Humanities 7 students have completed their class novel, A Long Walk to Water, and are continuing to learn about Sudan, South Sudan, and The Lost Boys. 7th grade students also completed drafts of their research essay. Mrs. Lamb is excited to continue working with them on the next step, which is the presentation.
Humanities 8 students have been reading and discussing their class novel, If I Ever Get Out of Here. They are in the last portion of the novel and will be looking at current comparisons of reservation life. Students are also immersed in their research for their expert projects. It is exciting that they are so enthusiastic and eager in these first stages. Finally, 8th grade students completed a unit of vocabulary.
Math
In Transition class, students continued to learn about transformations of figures. This class finished creating their unique tessellation art projects and practiced their skills with properties of polygons and finding unknown angle measurements in a shape. Students should continue to complete both the lesson master assignment and textbook questions each day in order to feel prepared for upcoming assessments.
In Algebra class, students concluded their learning of slope and rates of change. This class can successfully graph inequalities on a coordinate grid, find the equation of a line from two ordered pairs, and can identify the difference between the standard form and slope-intercept form of an equation. Students will begin exploring Chapter 7 next week and learn about function notation.
In Geometry class, students mastered their understanding of quadrilaterals and properties of regular polygons. This class can draw polygons given a condition, find congruent sides and corresponding angles in a figure, and calculate the n-fold rotational symmetry in a shape.
Math Joke: What do mathematicians do after a snowstorm? Make snow angles!!!