Middle School Weekly Communicator for Week of 11/16-11/27

The MS Weekly Communicator is a weekly communication intended to keep families updated on each class’s academic focus. It provides an overview of what each class focused on last week and will be focusing on for the current week. If you need specific information about a class, please contact that teacher directly.

 What we did last weekWhat we’ll be doing this week
Language Arts
6thWe started reading The Lightning Thief and set up vocabulary and gist (summary) logs.We will continue to read The Lightning Thief (ch. 2-3), continue with vocabulary and gist (summary) logs, and discuss point of view.
7th  Students read A Long Walk to Water, focusing on how the setting shapes the characters and plot, and how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters in the text.Students will be reading chapters 4 & 5 of A Long Walk to Water.
8thBegan to read Summer of the Mariposas, gaining a sense of setting and knowledge about characters, as well as some insight into Mexican History and Folklore.Read Chapters 3 and 4 of Summer of the Mariposas with a special focus on characters’ points of view.
Math
6thMah: Understand and represent exponentsMah: Write and evaluate numerical expressions
7thBisagna: Describe and Graph Proportional Relationships with a constant of proportionality Mah: Understand Proportional Relationships: Equivalent Ratios Peterman: Describe and Graph Proportional Relationships with a constant of proportionalityConference Week!
8thBisagna and Ferguson: Compare proportional relationships represented by graphs, tables, equations, and descriptions Mah: Solve multi-step equationsConference Week!
AlgebraBegin Part 3 of the Algebraic Properties Unit: Polynomials. This week: Classify Polynomials and Add and Subtract PolynomialsConference Week!
GeometryExplore Properties of Isosceles Triangles and 3 Triangle Inequality ConjecturesConference Week!
Science
6thStudents: Reasoned about evidence about helpful and harmful bacteria in the gut microbiomeDrafted initial scientific arguments for the benefits of fecal transplants.Students will: Write final scientific arguments for the benefits of fecal transplants.
7th(Alston) Students: Continued to study the conglomerate rock found near the Mars ChannelReasoned about evidence from MarsDrafted initial scientific arguments about the Channel on Mars   (Blea) Continued with the Ch. 1 of Plate Motion “Earths Outer Layer” : Exploring Earth’s Plates using the simulation to look for patterns on earths outer layer: Analyzing Patterns at Plate Boundaries(Alston) Students will: Write final scientific arguments for which geologic process formed the channel on Mars.       (Blea) Continued with the Ch. 1 of Plate Motion : Analyzing Patterns at Plate BoundariesSimulating Earthquake 1.4.2a Reconsidering the ClaimsModeling a Plate Boundary
8th1:3 Investigating Direction of Force Working with the Sim, and Modeling tool to explain motion   1:4 Explaining Force and Velocity What is the difference between Force and velocity, and how does that change an objects direction?: Finish reviewing friction and effect on velocity: Test Force Strength and Velocity Change – Run simulations to experiment with force: Evaluating Claims and Thruster Forces – write end of chapter review update Unit overview (evidence tracker and vocabulary)
Social Studies
6th11/16 – 11/20 – We’re setting up our online textbook, and continuing to learn about the geography of the Nile River and the area around it. Students will explore the features of the online textbook and consider how the Nile affected daily life in ancient Egypt.11/23 – 11/27 – Conference Week
7th11/16 – 11/20 – Rotton: We’re going over a very brief overview of the Aztec Empire and learning about some of their incredible innovations, including the chinampa.11/23 – 11/27 Conference Week
8thHouse – Students learned about citizenship in the U.S., engaged in an online discussion about the removal of racist language and symbolism from state flags and constitutions, and the 1st presidential administration. Hill: We read and discussed citizen rights and responsibilities.House – Conference week Hill: We will look at the founding of our first government and the complications that arose.
Electives
MESABegin new topic of Engineering/makerspace Design solutions to everyday problemsConference Week
CodingPrinciples: Begin coding VR Units 1 and 2 Discoveries: css classes and pairing up to create websites with multiple pages.Conference Week
Spanish  
Environmental ScienceIntro to course – discussion of hydrosphere and human caused problems.What do humans do to harm or help the hydrosphere?
MultimediaTheme: Joy – how can you show “joy” in a photograph?Launching larger project: Student choice theme. Students choose their own theme to guide them as they create a body of 5 to 10 photographs.
Tech  
PEIntroduction to the skeletal system – Functions, what does it provide, how to take care of through exercise and nutrition . Bones classified in to 4 catagories based on their shape . A few facts , and beginning to identify 12-15 major bones.Review norms , expectations, Schoology , best practices, Q&A. Continue with the skeletal system ; identifying bones , makeup of bones, and learning more about the skeletal system in general .
ArtStudents worked on the Pet Portrait assignment. Introduced the artist Hilma af Klint for Abstract painting.Students working on Abstract Nature-inspired painting.
Drama  
ChoirWarming up by singing scales then counting out our rhythms. Discussing the music then going to our breakout rooms for sectionals.Warming up on vocal exercises, singing our scales and rhythms. Listening to the recording of sheet music then going to breakout rooms for sectionals.
OrchestraPlaying/ warming up on scales then rhythms. Discussing/talking about the sheet music then going to breakout rooms for sectionals.reminder about vocab quiz coming up. Warm up on scales and rhythms then go to breakout rooms to have sectionals.
BandPlaying/ warming up on scales then rhythms. Discussing/talking about the sheet music then going to breakout rooms for sectionals.reminder about vocab quiz coming up. Warm up on scales and rhythms then go to breakout rooms to have sectionals.