Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Well, folks, it is almost time for spring break! While it may not feel like spring outside quite yet, there are signs of spring manifesting in sprouting foliage, buds, and increased energy among the middle schoolers.

On the agenda for the final week before spring break is 6th and 7th grade Research Night! Please arrive at 5:50 for the 6 pm start time. Students will be separated into two mixed-grade groups and will be presenting in either Mrs. Lamb’s room OR the Math room. The program should run for about 45 minutes.

**Student presenters should be dressed to impress in business casual clothes and neat hair. Please leave sweats, torn clothes, and everyday gym shoes at home.**

Humanities

In general, Humanities classes were productive and almost entirely student-run, working through a few different tasks with each student in a different place with their own independent work. 6th and 7th-grade Humanities classes worked on revisions, presentation run-throughs, and finishing up their Black History Month gallery project. This is the culmination of Black History Month and additional learning about impactful Black Americans and topics in Black American history.

8th-grade classes this week for Mrs. Lamb included a one-on-one expert project check-in. Each student showed where they were with their research and set a goal for the next check-in. Also, the class discussed finding experts, reaching out and drafting emails, and interview questions, as these are due at the end of March. 8th grade also moved forward with their grammar unit and learned how to write and punctuate compound sentences to enhance writing. With learning how to identify independent and dependent clauses as well as complex and compound sentence structures, 8th graders will have a grammar assessment next week. This week, on the history side of Humanities, students have focused on the early reform of the 1800s in the United States. Students have been working on presentations for the class.

Math

Geometry students have been working very diligently on proving triangles congruent using four different theorems. They are “dissecting ” overlapping triangles as a means to an end. We have also started on the properties of a parallelogram and finding measurements of missing angles and sides using these properties.

Pre-Transition math students continued their exploration of division properties this week, covering units 7.6 on Flexibility using division, 7.7 on Terminating or repeating decimals, 7.8 on Division of decimals, and 7.9 on Division of negative numbers. They honed their skills in applying flexible division strategies, identifying and working with terminating and repeating decimals, accurately dividing decimal numbers while observing decimal placement, and mastering division operations involving negative numbers, comprehending the specific rules and processes in each case.
Transition math students continued to work on chapter 8 – Multiplication in Algebra, focusing on advanced topics in chapter 8. They explored combining percentages and learning how to work with percentages efficiently. Additionally, they tackled Solving ax = b, Graphing y=ax+b to visualize linear equations, and Solving c=ax+b equations involving variables, enhancing their problem-solving skills and algebraic reasoning. Finally, students grappled with the complexities of Solving c ax+b equations, honing their understanding of algebraic manipulations and equations with multiple variables.

This week in Algebra, students continued their work on chapter 9 – Quadratic Equations and Functions. They explored essential topics like Graphing y = a in unit 9.3, understanding the connection between Quadratics and projectiles in unit 9.4, learning the powerful quadratic formula in unit 9.5, analyzing solutions to quadratic equations in unit 9.6, and gaining insights into the significance of quadratics in unit 9.7. By mastering these concepts, students are one step closer to becoming proficient problem solvers in the realm of Algebra.

Science

Throughout the week, 6th-year Earth Science students continued their work on tides, exploring how the gravitational forces of the sun, moon, and Earth interact to create the rhythmic rise and fall of oceans around the globe. By understanding the relationship between these celestial bodies, students gained insight into how high and low tides are formed, allowing them to appreciate the intricate dance of nature that influences our coastlines every day.

7th-year Physical Science students have been finishing their unit, Chemical Equations and Reactions, exploring how substances interact and transform. As we transition into our next exciting unit on Kinetic Energy, students will embark on a journey to understand the conversion of energy from potential to kinetic forms. They will discover how energy can change from stored energy to energy in motion. To conclude this unit, students will engage in a hands-on project where they will design their pinewood derby car. Through this activity, they will apply their knowledge of weight, velocity, and friction to comprehend the principles of potential and kinetic energy in a real-world setting.
8th-year Life Science students have continued to work on their unit, Influencing Inheritance. Students researched and discussed how this scientific practice influences our daily lives. By researching various global issues, students have discovered the potential of genetic engineering to address a range of everyday problems faced by people across the world. From enhancing crop yields to developing disease-resistant organisms, genetic engineering presents innovative solutions that can positively impact living organisms and societies as a whole.
Have a great weekend!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It was a great couple of weeks in Middle School. We had a small celebration of friendship with some special snacks on Valentine’s Day.

**Please have your MS student come to school ready for the outdoors (jacket, gloves, boots when snowy). We like to be outside daily when we can, and more importantly, when the students join their younger peers on Wednesdays for Social Impact, most of the classes are going outdoors. Thank you for your help with this.

Humanities
6th-grade Humanities students completed drafts of their research essays and also prepared the first run-throughs of their research presentations. They have been busy! This group has particularly been working to understand how to use citations and develop a works cited page. They will be revising their essay drafts as well. Additionally, students are continuing to learn about Ancient Mesopotamia and have focused on Sumer.

7th grade also completed drafts of their research essays and prepared the first run-throughs of their research presentations. Additionally, they have been continuing to learn about the continent of Africa, particularly the human geography and industry (mining, drilling, forestry, and fishing). The class began the novel A Long Walk to Water, and we have been working on it in class.

8th-grade Humanities classes with Mrs. Lamb began with a presentation of current events before moving to grammar. They are completing a unit of study focused on creating complex and compound sentences. Right now, they are identifying independent and dependent clauses along with subordinating conjunctions. This also helps them understand when to use commas in sentences that have both dependent and independent clauses (complex). With Mr. Newman, students are currently examining the reforming of American society from 1820 to 1850. This includes the study of slavery and expansion westward.

Science
6th-year Earth Science students are currently on the unit Tides. Objectives for this unit are for students to explain what tides are, what causes high tide and low tide, describe the difference between high tide and low tide, detail the relationship between the sun, moon, and Earth concerning tides, and describe how Earth’s rotation affects tides. Students will detail several main objectives of this unit through artistic representations.

7th-year Physical Science students are in the unit Chemical Reactions and Equations. Objectives from this unit are for students to list the indicators that a chemical reaction has occurred, identify the reactants and products in a chemical reaction, distinguish between endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions, explain the law of conservation of mass, and how chemical reactions are represented so that mass is conserved.

8th-year Life Science students are on the unit Influencing Inheritance. From this unit, students will be able 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.

Math
Pre-Transition students are on Chapter 7, Using Division. Topics covered this week were the rate model for division, arrays, and divisibility, using factorization to make division easier, integer division, and short division.
Transition students are on Chapter 8, Multiplication in Algebra. Topics covered this week were multiplication as shortcut addition, rate factor model for multiplication, multiplication with negative numbers, multiplying probability, and combining percentages.
Algebra students are on Chapter 9, Quadratic Equations and Functions. Topics covered this week were functions with the equation y = ax^2, solving ax^2 = b, graphing y = ax^2 + bx + c, and quadratics and projectiles. Students have been able to use the program Desmos to provide a visualization of each quadratic equation.
Geometry students have started to learn about triangle congruence. They will explore the ways that they can prove triangles are congruent by looking at the corresponding angles and sides. By applying newly learned theorems, students will be able to prove triangles are congruent. These proofs will also include theorems/postulates from previous chapters to help with proving lines/ angles congruent: isosceles base angle theorem, parallel lines theorems, and vertical angles.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It’s been another great week in middle school, and we have been outside to enjoy the sun every day!

Humanities

Throughout the month of February, each Humanities class begins with a mini-lesson acknowledging Black History Month. Topics range from highlighting a person to an event or time period related to Black America. 

6th-grade Humanities classes have been completing work with both research writing and Ancient Mesopotamia. Writing lessons in choosing an outline format to organize writing, using transitions between paragraphs, a refresher of using them within a paragraph, giving credit to sources using in-text citations, and using direct quotations to enhance writing were all completed while they continued to draft their essays which are due on Wednesday, 2/14. After completing and reviewing some vocabulary related to ancient civilizations, students began their study of Mesopotamia. They learned about the importance of the region and land, the fertile crescent, and why silt was a crucial factor in the success of the civilization.

7th grade Humanities classes also worked on their research essays. They started the week with a one-on-one review of their introductions and refreshers on using transitions between and within paragraphs, giving credit to sources using in-text citations, and using direct quotations to enhance writing. While they have independent study periods to work on their essays, students should also be working at home to complete them by the due date of Wednesday, 2/15. Additionally, students are continuing with the geography of Sub-Saharan Africa before moving on to the class novel, A Long Walk to Water. 

8th-grade Humanities had their first research check-in on Monday for their expert projects. Mrs. Lamb gave each student a goal and suggestions moving forward with the project. February should be spent conducting research regularly. Also, the 8th grade began a grammar unit on sentence structure and will begin to review independent and dependent clauses as they relate to complex and compound sentences. With Mr. Newman, the class continues to focus on the early presidencies and the formative years of the United States, examining the physical growth of the country as well as the political challenges faced in the years 1800-1850.

Math

Pre-Transition students spent the week covering units 6-6 through 6-10. From these units, students learned how to calculate percentages in their heads, calculate percent as a quantity, use percent of a quantity, order of operations, and multiply mixed numbers.

Transition students covered units explaining expansion and contraction using multiplication, area of circles, trapezoids, and triangles. Our next unit, ” Multiplication in Algebra,” will begin on Monday.
Algebra students were introduced to topics covering negative exponents, powers of products and quotients, square roots and cube roots, multiplying and dividing square roots, and distance in a plane. Students have done a great job using available resources to facilitate their understanding throughout the class.
Geometry students have been learning about reflection symmetry and how an object or shape remains unchanged when reflected across the line(s) of symmetry. They did this with some common shapes and a few uncommon ones. Students have spent a good deal of time learning about the properties of quadrilaterals and isosceles triangles. They have discussed the similarities between them (lines, angles) and the differences. The students have been applying these properties in the proofs that they are learning. The class will be done with Chapter 6 soon, and then they will move on to proving triangles congruent.
Science
6th-year Earth Science students are finishing their unit, Natural Resources. Students have been able to hold several class discussions pertaining to the role humans have on climate change as it relates to our use of natural resources.
7th-year Physical Science students finished their 3-D molecule project and have begun their new unit, Chemical Reactions and Equations. From this unit, students will be able to list the indicators that a chemical reaction has occurred and explain what happened, identify the reactants and products in a chemical reaction, distinguish between endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions, and explain the law of conservation of mass.
8th-year Life Science students have begun researching GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Each student was tasked with creating a slideshow representation that addresses what GMOs are, what the benefits and risks are, and where this research and application of genetic engineering may take us in the future.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Happy February, Middle School families! It’s been a great week that included 8th-grade internship presentations to the upper elementary and middle school students and teachers.

A component of our 8th-grade program includes a unique Internship project. This allows students to engage with professionals and experts, gaining real-life experience and information. The internship project has students reach out to business professionals and ask to become an interns for three days. This looks different depending on the profession, but students might be working right alongside professionals, observing and engaging in interviews about the work environment and culture. They complete daily written journals, a presentation about their experience to be delivered to the community, and a written reflection.

You will see pictures of this year’s presentations in our photos this week. These presentations made the teachers see that these 8th graders are ready to become high schoolers! It is completely bittersweet.

Here’s what went on in the other classrooms:

Science

6th-year Earth Science students are exploring their unit, Natural Resources. From this unit, students will be able to classify a natural resource as renewable or non-renewable, provide examples of ways humans depend on natural resources, compare and explain how natural resources form, explain the importance of using natural resources wisely, and cite ways in which humans can do so. Students began the week presenting their research on the impact of using non-renewable resources if restrictions are not implemented.

7th-year Physical Science students are continuing their unit, Molecules. From this unit, students will be able to recognize that atoms and molecules are too small to be seen. They will also identify, draw, and build models of elements, compounds, molecules, and diatomic molecules, as well as describe how the properties of a compound are different from the properties of the elements that form the compound. Students have done a great job creating their 3-D molecule representation on display in our classroom.
8th-year Life Science students are on the unit Genes and the Impacts of Mutations on Organisms. From this unit, students will be able to explain what a gene is and identify the location of genes, explain how genes affect the structure and function of a cell, use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) may affect proteins, and analyze whether a gene mutation is harmful, beneficial, or neutral to the structure and function of an organism.
Math

Pre-Transition Students

In our math class, Pre-Transition students have been working diligently on Chapter 6, titled “Using Multiplication.” This week, we focused on various important units, including:

  1. Arrays: Understanding the concept of arrays and how they relate to multiplication.
  2. Multiplying Fractions and Decimals: Exploring the multiplication of fractions and decimals.
  3. Areas: Applying multiplication to calculate the area of different shapes.
  4. Powers: Examining the concept of powers, including exponentiation.

Transition Students

We are currently immersed in Chapter 7, titled “Multiplication in Geometry.” In this chapter, we have explored several fascinating topics, such as:

  1. Area Models for Multiplication: Understanding how to use area models to visualize multiplication.
  2. Multiplication of Fractions: Learning how to multiply fractions effectively.
  3. Distributive Property: Applying the distributive property to simplify multiplication expressions.
  4. Area of Triangles and Trapezoids: Calculating the area of triangles and trapezoids through multiplication.

Algebra Students

We are currently delving into Chapter 8, titled “Powers and Roots.” In this chapter, you will be learning some powerful concepts, including:

  1. Discovering the Products and Quotients of Powers: Understanding how to multiply and divide numbers with powers.
  2. Negative Exponents: Exploring the rules and applications of negative exponents.
  3. Square/Cube Roots: Exploring the concept of square and cube roots and their significance.

Humanities

6th-grade Humanities students have been focused on the region of North Africa and the Middle East. They have particularly been looking at the current political maps of the region and had an assessment identifying countries. Next, they went back in time to look at the maps of 3 ancient civilizations: Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, focusing on bodies of water and major cities. Next week, students will begin to look at how societies organized and comparing to today. Students ended the week completing their research notes for this trimester’s research project, A Moment in History and began their research essays, which are due on the revised date of Wednesday, 2/14.

7th-grade Humanities classes had a great time presenting their Community Projects that they have been working on this month. This is a group project that had students look at the idea of Utopia stemming from their class novel, The Giver, and create their own ideas of what this might look like in a community. They brainstormed, wrote responses to each of the required components of the community, and created presentations to their classmates trying to convince them that their community is, in fact, Utopian. As each group presented, students wrote notes about what they were on board with, what they questioned, and whether or not they would consider living there. In the end, they anonymously voted on the community they felt most embodied Utopia. Of the four groups, there was a tie between 2! Finally, students ended the week completing their research notes for this trimester’s research project, A Moment in History and began their research essays, which are due on the revised date of Wednesday, 2/14.

The 8th grade had a busy week! With Mrs. Lamb, they started the week by giving the first run-through of their internship presentations, receiving feedback, and making revisions. Then, they were able to give their final presentations to the upper elementary and middle school classes. With Mr. Newman, students examine the first five presidents, looking at who they were, what similarities they shared as people, and the challenges they faced as the first leaders of a new country.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Middle School Math Carnival!

Posted on by msutherland

Congratulations to all Middle School students for an excellent math carnival on Friday, January 19th! We invited the upper and lower elementary classes to participate in the fun interactive probability games. This hands-on project taught students about theoretical and experimental probability as well as how to use fractions/decimals/percentages when calculating the chance of winning or losing their game. We had 21 stations set up in the main gym for our visitors to peruse through. The Middle School students had a title poster at each station to entice players and then recorded the results from each game. I was so impressed with our students’ unique setups, professionalism, and enthusiasm toward teaching the younger students about probability.

An extra special thank you to all our Middle School families for attending this event and to Mrs. Hunsucker, Mrs. Lamb, Mr. Brown, and Eric Benoit for their endless support at this year’s Math Carnival. It was a treat to have so many special guests join us in celebrating the hard work of our grade 6, 7, and 8 classes. We had so much fun and look forward to keeping the tradition alive next year!

I sincerely thank the Middle School community for all the kind support and encouragement as I prepare to welcome my new bundle of joy very soon. I will miss our Middle School staff, students, and families dearly, and I can’t wait to share my exciting news with you all. I wish everyone a safe and successful rest of their 2023-2024 academic school year. See you again in September!

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Happy Friday! We hope everyone had a great week. The middle school has been immersed in projects since returning from winter break. Across disciplines, they are working both independently and together to accomplish long-term goals. Project-based learning is an important component of the Middle School curriculum!

Humanities

All three Humanities classes are in project mode!

Grade 6 Humanities class has been busy getting themselves set up for success with their research project surrounding the theme, A Moment in History. They brainstormed two ideas that they discussed with the class and then selected their final topic. From there, they learned about writing thesis statements and developed one to guide their research. Next, they began writing questions that would be answered during the research process. They reviewed taking research notes, keeping track of their sources, and using reliable sources. Separately from their research, students are learning about Oaxacan art culture, stemming from their recent class novel, Becoming Naomi Leon.

Grade 7 Humanities class has also developed and selected their topic for their research project surrounding the theme, A Moment in History, and wrote their thesis statement to guide their research. Now, they are developing questions that will be answered during the research process. Concurrently, students have completed the class novel, The Giver, by Lois Lowery and are working on two items surrounding the novel. The first is a collaborative assignment called the Community Project that has students working to create a Utopia and considering different factors of society. The second is an independent writing assignment, having the students continue the novel and forming a more satisfying ending.

Grade 8 is set up for two upcoming projects: an Internship Project and an Expert Project. Internship Projects occur the third week of January and involve the students visiting a business, observing, and sometimes participating in the day-to-day operations. The students will submit daily journals, a written reflection, and a presentation for the middle school community upon completion. Next, the 8th grade selected topics for their Expert Project as well as wrote and workshopped their thesis statements to guide their research for the next several months. The end product is a 5-10 page research paper and a 15-20 minute presentation to the FWM community about their topic. They will even interview experts in the field as primary sources. This is the beginning of an exciting time for the 8th-year students!

Math

In the Pre-Transition math class, students began learning Chapter 4 in the UCSMP textbook, which covers topics about subtraction. This class learned how to subtract integer values, make a subtraction number sentence from a fact triangle, and illustrate subtraction on a number line. This class will have a quiz on Friday, January 19th, that will cover topics in lessons 4.1 – 4.5.
In the Transition math class, students started learning about transformations of shapes in space. This includes rotations, reflections, and translations of figures and points on a coordinate grid. As a general reminder, all students need to bring a protractor and ruler to class each day in order to participate in the hands-on learning opportunities. This class is excited to work with angle measurements, as well as parallel and perpendicular lines, next week.
In the Algebra math class, students explore the slope of a line and the different relationships of linear equations. This class has been making cluster note pages to help with studying and having a quick reference for key concepts. Students in the Algebra class can recognize the positive and negative slopes of a graph, calculate the slope from two ordered pairs, and identify the slope value in a y=mx+b statement. This class will write the chapter 6 quiz on Friday, January 19th, to summarize their learning of lessons 6.1 – 6.5.
In the Geometry math class, students discovered the difference between congruence and equivalent. This class has been learning about the CPCF theorem, ABCD theorem, and the Angle congruence theorem. Students practiced how to write a single-step proof statement with a conclusion and justification. They will continue exploring Chapter 5 next week by working with the Triangle-Sum, Quadrilateral-Sum, and Polygon-Sum theorems in order to determine angle measures.
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as the Math Carnival has been postponed to Tuesday, January 16th, from 2-3 pm. This will allow all students to participate in the event and showcase their understanding of probability. Can’t wait to see all our Middle School Families next Tuesday to celebrate the hard work of our math classes.
 
Make Joke: Why did the student wear glasses in math class?….. To help improve their di-vision.

Science

6th-year Earth Science students have begun writing their formal lab report on how density affects the movement of seismic waves. Earlier in the week, students represented a change in density and seismic waves using a shoebox, rocks, marker, and golf ball to simulate energy traveling through a medium while recording the waves on paper. Each student worked alongside a partner on this project while compiling their data and analysis individually.

7th-year Physical Science students have been working on their unit, Molecules. From this unit, students will be able to recognize that atoms and molecules are too small to be seen, identify examples of elements, compounds, molecules, and diatomic molecules, describe how the properties of a compound are different from the properties of the elements that form the compound; and, draw atomic diagrams of elements and compounds. Students did a great job presenting their research on an element of choice.
8th-year Life Science students have continued to work on their unit, Meiosis. The goal of these units is for students to explain when meiosis occurs and in what organisms, describe how chromosomes change and move at each stage of meiosis, determine the number of chromosomes in the gametes of an organism given its parental chromosome number, and explain why meiosis allows diversity of characteristics in offspring, whereas mitosis does not. Students represented their understanding of this unit by creating an artistic representation using a variety of mediums.
Have a good weekend, everyone!

Middle School: Math Carnival Week!

Posted on by msutherland
Come one and come all…..ITS MATH CARNIVAL WEEK! All middle school students were required to build a unique probability game that could easily be played by their peers. We spent the entire week gathering materials, creating blueprint sketches, and calculating the theoretical probability of winning their games. Students were creative with building games such as a ball toss, picking a specific card from a shuffled deck, spinning a colored spinner, or dropping a disc down a shoot. Students are asked to construct their physical game, make a title poster, and present their mathematical calculations on a Google Slides presentation.
We are excited to share that the official carnival will be on Friday, January 12th, from 10-11 am in the main gym. We invite all middle school and upper elementary families to attend and celebrate all the hard work put into this event. During next Friday’s event, students will record the experimental probability of having other students/staff/parents play their games. After the live carnival day, students will need to graph their results and compare the theoretical probability to the experimental probability. We hope to see you all next Friday at our carnival event!
If you have any additional questions, please contact Megan Sutherland (math teacher) at msutherland@fraserwoods.com

Middle School: See You in 2024!

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It’s time for a well deserved break for these Middle School students. We ended 2023 with a great week. We started with a wonderful presentation from Rotem Banay teaching the children about Hanukkah including the history, significance, and how it is celebrated. She also made a delicious dessert to share with the students. Additionally, the Holiday concert was joyful and a great community gathering. Leadership classes executed their first ever shop for The Fraser WoodShop before and after the concert. It was quite successful, almost selling out of items. Middle School Leadership will be making a donation to Ben’s Lighthouse with the money made from their store.

Thank you, families for a wonderful fall. We are grateful for you and wish you a peaceful and rejuvenating New Year. Thank you for your kindness and support with all Middle School happenings. See you in 2024!

Michelle, Megan, and Zak