Week of October 19, 2015

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with Bina:

I continue to teach the concepts in chapter 4 on factorization and fractions. Over the past week we have covered exponents, prime numbers, factorization, and equivalent fractions. I gave the student the first checkpoint for chapter 4. These checkpoints have been returned to them in their mailboxes along with suggestions of how to study and reinforce concepts before the test. We will be completing chapter 4 this week by covering mixed numbers, fraction comparison, the least common multiple, and fraction to decimal comparison. Because these concepts are complex, I will use both Friday and Monday of the following week for review and will also be providing a study packet. If we stay on schedule, the test will be November 3. 

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

We spent this week looking at fractions. We practiced simplifying fractions, comparing and ordering fractions, and looking at mixed numbers and improper fractions. We spent some time on IXL, working on more challenging problems. We also learned a new technique for solving word problems by first solving a simpler problem and finding a pattern we could use to extrapolate to solve the more complicated problem.

Pre-Algebra III with Emily (Alex):
Students took their first quiz covering slope, the coordinate plane, and linear equations this week (and did a fantastic job!) as we continued our discussion of slope-intercept form and its usefulness in solving word problems. Later, students used graphical, algebraic, and tabular solutions to linear equations and discussed their effectiveness. As we continue our study of linear systems, students also reviewed critical arithmetic skills including the manipulation of fractions, decimals, percentages, and integers.

Algebra I with Molly:

This week in Algebra, students completed Chapter 3. They learned to solve absolute value equations and inequalities. They have needed to do quite a few revisions to their homework and we spent some time working on these during the week. We reviewed the chapter and had a Chapter 3 test.

Geometry with Holly:

We began the week by reviewing for the Chapter 3 test which the students took on Tuesday.  Then on Wednesday, we began Chapter 4 and the study of congruent triangles.  So far we have discussed congruent triangles in general and the four rules for proving triangles congruent: SSS, ASA, SAS, and AAS.  In this chapter we will be spending a lot of time focusing on creating proofs.

Language Arts with Jared:

Students had their first spelling quiz this week. They also worked on their new vocabulary unit, but we will not have a quiz on these words. Students read a few chapters in their novels, and we focused on learning about the stories’ setting, learning about the various Egyptian gods and goddesses that are continually referred to in the stories. We also talked about NaNoWriMo, exploring the program’s website, as well as continuing to brainstorm the plot arcs of the stories the students will be writing next month.

World Studies with Emily (Alex):
Concluding our unit covering early civilizations in the Fertile Crescent, students completed their study of early empires, discussed Hammurabi's Code and its legacy, and were introduced to the ancient Phonetician and Israelite societies and their contributions. As classes examined the cycles of exile and conquest experienced by these cultures they explored the role geography and resources played in the development of these histories. In preparation for next week's test students received a study guide and online vocabulary flash cards have been made available.

Our NHD research checks have been going well as students become familiar with their topics and their relation to this year's theme: Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange. Next week classes are not required to completed their usual in-class research checks or current events. Students have been encouraged to continue their note-taking, however, as research checks will be evaluated for thoroughness beginning in November.

Life Science with Molly:

Students continued taking notes from the classification of organisms powerpoint and received a study guide for the Life and Classifications test (next Tuesday). 8^th grade students worked on our group engineering design project. They carved their tire tread designs into clay. By the end of the week, we tested each design measuring the percentage of water that flowed to the center versus the sides of the tread. Next week students will evaluate their prototypes. For the science fair, students were given a guide for writing a proposal for their science fair project. Their proposals were turned in on Friday. 6^th and 7^th grade students learned about the importance of controlling variables in their projects. Friday’s science classes were spent at the VT Duck pond where students sketched examples of the four Eukaryotic Kingdoms. We were not certain which protists were observed, but we speculated and collected water samples from the pond to later examine under microscopes at school. We will be using these observations in a classification poster in the following week. In the process of learning more about protists, we found some fascinating research about slime molds.

Spanish with Olga & Corinne:
Morning Spanish

We have been working on sentence formation, vocabulary and verbs.

Spanish B

We continue learning vocabulary to describe our bedrooms and the things in it. We worked on sentence structure for comparatives and superlatives. We started looking at irregular verbs where there is a stem change. We also watched another episode of "¿Eres tú, María?" and the students need to go online to Edmodo and take a quiz about the two episodes we have watched. They also have a short project. They have the directions.

Spanish C

We are working on conjugating reflexive verbs to describe daily routines. We are also learning possessive adjectives and revisiting possessive pronouns.

Spanish D

This week we started a new grammar unit, where we are venturing into the subjunctive, a different verb mood that is new to the students.  We talked about three types of dependent clauses (nominal, adjectival, and adverbial) and started looking at the use of subjunctive in nominal clauses.  On Friday we got to sample several typical dishes from the Hispanic world.  The students did an amazing job cooking and presenting their dishes.  Their posters will be up in the Spanish bulletin board in a few weeks.  Thank you for your help with the project.  The students enjoyed sampling the food that their classmates made.

Spanish D+

We finished a grammar unit about the past tense by turning in a practice packet. We will be reading a short story and some poems, before getting back to more grammar. On Friday we joined Spanish D to sample several typical dishes from the Hispanic world.  The students did an amazing job cooking and presenting their dishes.  Their posters will be up in the Spanish bulletin board in a few weeks.  Thank you for your help with the project.  The students enjoyed sampling the food that their classmates made.

Art with Patti:

This week students continued to think about artist behaviors and reflected on how they have been engaging in art making. Students have been finishing their Representation/Non-representational projects, and then have moved into working on a color-mixing project. We also talked about paper making and clay slab options for applying their ancient civilization language.

 

Computer Lab with Holly:

This week has been our second week of trading in our Stock Market simulation.  The MS Excel focus this week has been on entering their data into tables, formatting those tables, and creating formulas to simplify their work.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

With 6^th grade, in the spirit of the coming week’s tests, we discussed academic stress and stress management. In coming classes, we will be looking at how hormones initiate puberty, during which the students will be broken into gender groups.

7^th grade students were introduced to philosophy by guest speaker, JC Wright, through story-telling and Socratic discussion. He presented the story of the Ship of Theseus for the students to discuss. In future sex. ed classes, the girls will discuss breast growth and changes during puberty. Boys will discuss male breast changes and male genital changes and growth during puberty.

8^th grade students were split into gender groups, working independently on homework when not in sex. Ed class. The boys focused on the function of the male reproductive organs, particularly in the production of sperm. Next time we cover sex ed. topics, they will focus on ejaculation and in the future, wet dreams and masturbation, before moving on to female sex organs. The girls focused on the function of the female reproductive organs, specifically on recognizing the different functions of the exterior parts of the vulva. They played the “comfortable game.” In this game, they write down any body parts or sex ed terms they are uncomfortable thinking or talking about (I limited this to female parts at this time). We then pass out the cards with these terms on them and simultaneously say the words and pass them rapidly along to the next person. It has been my experience that making them more comfortable with the terminology itself helps them feel more comfortable learning about and advocating for their own bodies. In upcoming sex ed. classes, the girls will learn about masturbation and review menstruation before moving on to male sex organs.

Thank you from, The Purple Team