Week of March 27, 2017

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn:
This week we have been very busy with learning to add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers. We  have also learned how to solve equations with integers and computing simple and compound interest. The students have had quizzes just about every day this week to reinforce the skills learned recently and in the past. You can see those results in their math notebooks. Our next unit test will be April 11th.

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

We spent the week wrapping up our unit on graphs. Students spent more time working on coordinate plane dot-to-dots, we practiced writing equations from word problems, and we practiced transforming equations to solve for a given variable. After reviewing these skills with handouts, book problems, and IXL problems, we took our chapter test on Friday.

Pre-Algebra III with Andrew:

This week was spent going over the formulas for surface area in several different types of geometric solids.  We learned about prisms, cylinders, pyramids, and cones.  We strengthened our skills at finding surface with some practice from the book and from ixl.com, and we had a quiz on Friday about surface area.  We began looking at volume formulas a little, and we will continue with that during the next week.

Algebra I with Molly:

This week we moved on to multiplying two binomials using two different methods. Students learned to factor simple trinomials into two binomials. We practiced this at the end of the week.

Geometry with Clare:

Its been a busy week as we wrapped up Ch. 9 and made a start on Ch. 10. The Ch. 9 test was taken, graded, discussed, and fixed as needed. Ch 10 is about Area, initially of polygons and the first quiz was taken Friday. It is notable that the material is extensively using strategies and knowledge gained in previous chapters, while introducing new formulae and concepts. Tough stuff!

Language Arts with Jared:

Students spent a lot of the week starting the rough draft of their Authors' Tea projects. They also took a short vocabulary quiz on Friday. In Literature, sixth and seventh graders continued reading in Weedflower. Eighth graders powered through a dry, descriptive section of the history of the dystopian world of 1984, and continued preparing for next week's group debate on privacy.

World Studies & Civics with Andrew:

This week in Civics, we started by looking back at the NHD competition, where we discussed some of the judges' feedback, and talked about what we learned from the experience.  We then continued our focused look at the Judicial Branch of the government.  We learned about some preliminary information on the structure and function of the Supreme Court, and really focused on the ideal of interpreting the Constitution.  We will look next week at the topic of judicial review, and will read through a couple of court cases on the issue.

Physical Science with Molly:

This week students took their polymer quiz and began studying Newton’s First Law of motion. They tested acceleration and distance of bocce and tennis balls on a ramp.

Spanish with Corinne:

Morning Spanish

Sunshine A

This week we continued to work with the vocabulary from Chapter 2B, and practiced with the conjugations and uses of the verb “estar” to talk about location and emotions.

Sunshine B

This week we worked with the three stem-changing verbs in the chapter. The students seem comfortable working with these verbs and the vocabulary, so next week we will start the next grammar point.

Spanish B

This week we reviewed for and took a test on Chapter 8A.

Spanish C

This week we started Chapter 3B, giving and asking for directions and talking about traffic. We are trying to move quickly through this chapter to make time for a project and studying for the end of year exam, so we will have a quiz on the vocabulary next Friday, April 7^th.

Spanish D

This week we continued to work with Chapter 9A, talking about professions and plans for the future. We learned how to conjugate in the future tense, and learned about irregular verbs in the future. We will have a test on Chapter 9A on Friday April 7^th.  

Art with Patti:

This week purple room students focused on working on various auction projects (Sixth grade - full length mosaic mirror, Seventh grade – a chair pair, Eighth grade – kitchen set). They also spent time revising sketchbooks to make sure that they are including the date, what project they are working on, what type of art activity they accomplished, as well as how much they finished.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

This week 6^th grade students continued our focus on body image and the media, this time with a focus on food. We continued watching the video Skills for Healthy Living Analyzing Media and Influences, which interviewed teens about food choices and advertising. 7^th grade students had a substitute this week, so they played a board game. 8^th grade students were separated into gender groups. Both groups diagramed the internal sexual organs of the female reproductive system.

Thank you from, 
The Purple Team