Week of December 15th

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn:

In Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn, the students took their Unit 6 assessment on Wednesday. They received their results today. Overall, I was very pleased with the outcome. I handed out a cumulative review which is absolutely optional for them to complete. We will have a cumulative assessment over the first six chapters on Tuesday, January 6th. 

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

In Pre-Algebra II, we spent the week working with percents. We started with talking about what "percent" means, and looking at models of various percents. We then spent some time converting between percents, decimals, and fractions, before analyzing very large or very small percents. On Thursday we reviewed these skills online. Optional math review packets were put in parent boxes, and students will return in January to a mid-term assessment on the first five chapters.

Pre-Algebra III with Emily:

We continued practicing scale factors with models and maps, measuring indirectly using similar triangles, and learned two trigonometric ratios for the lengths of the sides of a right triangle - cosine and sine.  We reviewed for the test and took the test today.

Algebra I with Molly:

This week in Algebra, students learned to find terms in an arithmetic sequence using an equation they derived from finding the common difference of a function. This completed Chapter 5. We reviewed for the test and students chose to take the test either Wednesday or Thursday. When we return, we will spend a couple of days reviewing, then take the mid-year assessment. An optional Review Packet will be sent home over winter break.

Geometry with Holly:

This week we finished the study of quadrilaterals by discussing how to complete quadrilateral proofs using coordinate proofs.  After a review game on Tuesday, the students took the chapter test on Wednesday.  On Thursday the students began their "Bridge Project" by observing the differences in stability between triangles and quadrilaterals.  They will be using this information to create their bridges over the holiday. Their bridges will be due the Tuesday after we return from winter break.

Language Arts with Jared:

Students finished reading their novels this week, and then wrote a brief essay on the evolution of the main character throughout the novel. They also took a vocabulary quiz and their grammar test on verbs.

World Studies with Emily:

In U.S. History this week, students reviewed on Monday for Tuesday’s test on U.S expansionism at the turn of the century, the Progressive Era, and a bit about some early civil rights leaders: Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. DuBois. Students focused and worked hard during their tests. We started reading about World War I and watched a very well done cartoon video about relevant European history and the lead up to the Great War. It’s a series, so we will watch several more of them in the new year as we continue our unit. For NHD, students continued looking for primary sources and turning in their notes from those. We looked at an excellent example from each category: documentary, website, performance, exhibit, and paper, and examined the thesis from each project. Students are taking home over the vacation a folder of how to make/write etc. the category that each of them selected.

Earth Science with Molly:

This week was focused on presentations and peer scoring of students’ science fair projects and finishing up their Solar System Celestial Body research and posters.

Spanish A with Rebecca:

On Monday, the students spent some time reading about the history and culture of Mexico and then watched a short documentary about El Yunque, a beautiful national park in Puerto Rico comprised of rainforest. On Wednesday, we started Chapter 2B in their textbooks, which will focus on classroom objects and how to express the location of things. They watched a fun video that goes along with the chapter about an escaped hamster in a classroom, learning some useful prepositional phrases. Happy holidays and see you after the New Year!

Spanish with Olga:

Spanish B

On Monday, we reviewed for the assessment and watched an episode of the miniseries "¿Eres tú, María?"  On Wednesday we had the assessment.  

Spanish C

On Monday, we reviewed for the assessment, which we had on Wednesday.

Spanish D

This week we studied how to divide words in syllables in Spanish. This is in preparation for learning rules for placing orthographic accent marks, and helping learn how to pronounce words that we have not seen before.

Art with Patti:

Whew! Students have been working very hard to finish the ceramic projects. They gained experience learning to throw on the wheel, practicing to throw a cylinder. They brought those pieces to life by adding a face. This will count as a sketchbook grade. While taking turns on the wheel, students also worked on hand building techniques. For their ceramic project, they were to create a set of votive candleholders. They came up with a theme to build their set around. They had several options of building: a tall lantern with a small votive, a medium piece with two small votive holders, or four small holders. I was seeing some great sculptural pieces during the process. I’m excited to see how they all turned out. 

Computer Lab with Holly:

This week the students completed creating their income and income/expense/profit spreadsheets for their restaurants.  On Wednesday, the 7th and 8th graders learned to create greeting cards.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

This week we did not have regular Life Skills classes, due to the short week. We will continue focusing on puberty in January. 6th grade students will be using the books respective gender, What’s Happening to My Body, while 7th and 8th grade students will be using the books, It’s Perfectly Normal.

Thank you from, The Purple Team

Week of December 8th

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn:

In Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn, the students continued to work on multiplying and dividing fractions, solving fraction equations with multiplication, and the customary unit. We completed this unit today and will review on Monday and Tuesday next week with an end of unit assessment on Wednesday. There will also be a notebook check. Upon our return from Winter Break the students will be having a cumulative review test. Optional packets are available for students to work through over the Winter Break should they desire. Please have you student check in with me if they or you would like to have a packet.

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

In Pre-Algebra II, we spent the week reviewing for Friday's test. We continued exploring scale models, and finished making our scale drawings of the Purple Room classroom. We used IXL online to practice solving proportions and finding unit price. Then on Thursday we used a Jeopardy game to review the entire chapter. We ended the week in Patti's Art Room (our new location), where we took our chapter test.

Pre-Algebra III with Emily:

This week students wrote equations to solve word problems involving rates and ratios, solved proportions using the Cross Products Property, identified similar polygons by checking to see if the corresponding angles are congruent and the corresponding sides are proportional, as well as found unknown lengths in similar figures. The class took a quiz on the first five sections of the Chapter Five. We started locating dilation images and finding the scale factor of a dilation. Next week we will continue to work with scale factors via models and maps. Our chapter test will be on Thursday.

Algebra I with Molly:

This week in Algebra, students continued working with functions. They graphed functions, including graphs for variable with absolute values and square roots. They learned to write function rules from a set of data and to determine whether a function is a direction variation. They’ve calculated the constant of variation in a set of data as well. We will complete chapter 5 next Monday and take the chapter test by Wednesday of next week.

Geometry with Holly:

This week we continued work on the study of quadrilaterals.  On Monday we discussed the differences in special parallelograms, followed by a discussion on kites and trapezoids on Tuesday.  On Wednesday the students used Geogebra to explore what happens when we connect the midpoints of the sides of any quadrilateral.  We changed emphasis on Thursday and discussed ways to place quadrilaterals on the coordinate plane.  The week finished with the students taking a quiz over the week's material.

Language Arts with Jared:

This week students finished the final drafts of their Compare/Contrast essay, and each took an individualized spelling quiz, focusing on 10 words they've misspelled this fall. Students continued reading in their novels (Sixth graders are reading No Promises in the Wind and Seventh and Eighth graders are reading The Truth About Sparrows). We had many discussions on how the authors explained to the readers the physical character traits, as well as the emotional traits of the characters, which may change throughout the story.Students also reviewed for a grammar test on verbs at the end of next week.

World Studies with Emily:

In U.S. History, students finished their muckraker-inspired poster or political cartoon about social, economic, or political issues that led to many reforms during the Progressive Era. We finished watching the film we started, reading, and taking notes about the Progressive Era. 7^th and 8^th graders started a reading about Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. DuBois on Thursday. We will have a U.S. History test mostly on U.S. Imperialism and the Progressive Era this coming Tuesday. In World Studies, students began working on their NHD theses statements, which we will continue to work on next week and after break. I have asked the students to review the guidelines about each style project (exhibit, paper, website, documentary, and performance) on the NHD website and choose one. I will send home a “how-to” folder of information over the holidays for students to read at their leisure, if they so choose. Lastly, students shared 2014 political cartoons for the current event assignment this week.

Earth Science with Molly:

This week was focused on presentations and peer scoring of students’ science fair projects and work on their Solar System Celestial Body research and posters. We also read aloud the book Starry Messenger by Peter Sis about Galileo Galilei.

Spanish A with Rebecca:

The week, the students spent time reviewing chapter vocabulary, subject pronouns, and how to conjugate regular -AR verbs. They practiced conjugating verbs according the subject in a sentence and figuring out which subject pronouns would best replace other nouns. They also reviewed how to express what classes they like or don't like and why. They took the test on Chapter 2A on Friday. They should relax this weekend and be excited for some fun activities next week!

Spanish with Olga:

Spanish B

This week we have been talking about gifts, shopping, and places to shop.  We have been practicing the past tense forms of the verbs and saw some spelling changes that happen to keep the sounds of the original verbs. We also studied the direct object, and the use of direct object pronouns.  Finally, we talked about how we need to be careful about translating from English. I explained to the students that they are now at a point where things will not translate literally because of language structures. We will have an assessment next week, on Wednesday.

Spanish C

This week we've had an exciting time. We are learning to follow and give directions in Spanish. We studied vocabulary and looked at maps. We learned how to direct someone to turn left/right, continue on a street, etc. We revisited the direct object pronouns and the informal, positive commands. We will have an assessment next week, on Wednesda.

Spanish D

This week we reviewed and had an assessment on the future tense and vocabulary for careers and professions. I gave the students their tests back. Some have to complete revisions. We also finished the video series we were watching.

Spanish D+

This week the students continued working independently.

  

Art with Patti:

Students are continuing to work on hand building votive sets out of clay and rotate turns throwing on the wheel.

Computer Lab with Holly:

This week the students completed the floor plans for their restaurants.  After a lesson on using formulas in Excel, the students began creating spreadsheet to document the earnings from their restaurants.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

This week students wrote a New Year’s Letter to their future selves. It asked them to think about what kind of person they want to become, where they think they’ll be in 5, 10, 15 years, and what kinds of things they’d like to see or do to make the world a better place. They also worked on completing their portfolio feedback, so these can go home for parent feedback after the break. We will continue focusing on Puberty in January.

Thank you from, The Purple Team

Week of December 1st

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn:

In Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn, the students received their Unit 5 tests back on Monday and most completed the corrections the same day. There are some who are having continued difficulty making those corrections. Please check in with your student to see how they are doing. We began Unit 6 this week. The students have been working on multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers. We will have an end of unit test the week of December 15th. The exact day has not been determined yet. There will not be any homework over the winter break, but if your student would like an optional math packet to work on over the break please have them (or you) ask me.

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

In Pre-Algebra II, we began the week reviewing the material that we had covered before Thanksgiving break. We had our chapter quiz on Tuesday, and discussed how drawing diagrams can help solve word problems. We then looked at solving proportions, and then used this skill to find missing sides in similar polygons. We then ended the week by working in partners to create a scale drawing of our math classroom. This way we'll be able to remember what it looked like, as next week we'll be relocating to the Art room as the Purple Room construction project expands.

Pre-Algebra III with Emily:

Students finished up Chapter Four: Real Numbers, spending a couple days on the review after some time off for Thanksgiving. They took their chapter test on Wednesday and did quite well. We started Chapter Five: Applications of Proportions on Thursday, beginning with learning about ratios and rates, and choosing and converting units. We will focus and work hard to finish this chapter before winter break.

Algebra I with Molly:

This week in Algebra, students did an activity with the game of Scrabble. They calculated the probability of drawing the letters “ALGEBRA” as their first 7 tiles. This required some calculations with large numbers and was found to be very unlikely. Students reviewed chapter 4 and took a test on Wednesday. Thursday, we began chapter 5, which is focused on graphs and functions. Students learned to test whether a relation is a function and had a fun time labeling and interpreting graphs.

Geometry with Holly:

This week we started Chapter 6 and the study of Quadrilaterals.  We started the week by discussing the types of quadrilaterals, which they already knew, but with emphasis on the specific detail of what makes each type of quadrilateral unique.   On Tuesday and Wednesday we discussed the qualities of a parallelogram and then how to proved a figure is a parallelogram.  On Thursday the students took a quiz over the weeks material, and then we finished the week with a Geogbra lab exploring the relationships between a parallelogram and its diagonals.

Language Arts with Jared:

This week we worked on wrapping up our short story unit, with students working on writing a compare-contrast essay. They took their rough outlines they had made before Thanksgiving break, and turned it into a rough draft. We then discussed in class where areas could be improved and modified. We'll work in class on finishing the final draft next week. Students also began reading their first novel of the year. Sixth graders are reading No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt. Seventh and Eighth graders are reading The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale. We'll be using these books to analyze characterization. Students are also preparing for an individualized spelling quiz on Monday, and are working on reviewing for a grammar test on verbs at the end of next week.

World Studies with Emily:

This week in U.S. History students finished up reading about turn-of-the century U.S. imperialism and read about the Progressive Era. Students took notes on the major problems of the late 19^th century that led to the social, political, and economic reforms and consumer protections of the early 20^th century, and took notes on those reforms as well as the “muckrakers” (investigative journalists) who exposed various corruptions to the public and inspired reform. We watched part of a movie about the Progressive Era. Students are working on political cartoons, posters, or story plans from the perspective of a muckraker about a reform they take seriously. In World Studies, we are starting to quickly move into the next stage of NHD research. Students did some thinking about the big picture of their topic – what they know at this point, immediate impacts, long-term impacts, and what they still need to find out. We began discussing annotated bibliographies and theses. Next week, students are required to turn-in primary source research checks with a couple sentences about the relevancy to their project. We will work on thesis statements next week. 

Earth Science with Molly:

This week students brought the rough draft of their lab reports in on Tuesday. They made editing and revision marks, catching their own mistakes and omissions, then passed them over to a peer for feedback. 7th and 8th grade students wrote abstracts for a peer’s science report, which they were able to build upon for their final version. Thursday they turned in their final science fair lab report. They received their display board rubrics and display boards, which are due next Tuesday. Students are expected to attend the Science Fair to present their information on Thursday 7pm 12/11. Parents, relatives, and friends are welcome to attend. When not working on the science fair this week, students read about Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors and worked on their celestial body posters. Students were very excited that our PongSat experiments were returned from California. Students are completing any tests for this experiment and describing their findings for the last week of school before break (this project is optional for 6th grade students).

Spanish A with Rebecca:

This week, the students reviewed subject pronouns, figuring out which ones could replace different names and nouns in a sentence. They also learned how to conjugate regular -AR verbs in the present tense and have been using these in different conversation and writing activities. This is review for those who were in Turquoise last year. On Friday, they practicced interviewing each other about which activities they do, using the new -AR verb endings they learned on Wednesday. The test on Chapter 2A will be on Wednesday, December 10th. Monday will be a review day for all vocabulary and concepts.

Spanish with Olga:

Spanish B

This week we revisited stem changing verbs in the present tense. We also started the past (preterite) tense! This is very exciting, as it is a brand new verb form and tense!!

Spanish C

This week we revisited direct objects and direct object pronouns. We also revisited some irregular past tense verbs. On Friday, we started the "videomisterio" miniseries for this year.

Spanish D

This week we practiced the future tense and the vocabulary for professions and fields of study.  We learned irregular verbs in the future tense.  Our assessment is next Wednesday.

Spanish D+

This week the students continued working independently. They had an assessment on the future and conditional tenses.

Art with Patti:

Students are continuing to work on hand building votive sets out of clay and rotate turns throwing on the wheel.

Computer Lab with Holly:

This week the students have been using the skills they learned last week in PowerPoint to create a floor plan for their restaurants.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

This week we began our focus on Puberty. I introduced the topic, then we split into gender groups. Each group separately watched a video called Straight Talk About Puberty for Girls (or Boys). While one group watched the video, the other group worked on completing portfolio feedback. Next week we will focus on a New Year’s Letter to their future selves. We will continue focusing on Puberty in January.

Thank you from, The Purple Team