Week of August 21, 2017

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with Seema:
We started the year with a pre-assessment so that I could gain a better understand the needs of my students. After that, we started Chapter 1 - understanding the properties of whole numbers, comparing them, order of operations, and estimates using mental math. The first few chapters will be review for the majority of students and I have asked them to work carefully through homework to demonstrate mastery of basic facts. Next week we will start with decimals: ordering them and addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of decimals. I also discussed notebook organization and note taking strategies with the students and emphasized the importance of showing their work and checking their work in order to be successful math students.

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

We started off the year last week with a skills survey, in order to better understand what skills students retained over the summer. We began this week by looking at estimation strategies, which we'll use to double-check future work. We then talked about proper way to set up math homework, how to show work in a neat and organized fashion, and how to show all of their work in their problems. We then looked at how to multiply and divide using decimals, and the proper way to set up these problems. On Friday we practiced these skills on the laptops, using the online math review program at http://www.ixl.com (each of the students has their own account, and they can use this for further practice at home if they'd like).

Pre-Algebra III with Ann:

We began Pre-Algebra III by discussing our expectations of the class including my expectations of the students, their expectations of me, and their expectations of each other.  The students completed a Skills Review so we would know where best to focus our attention as we began Chapter 1 in the textbook! While mostly review, this chapter has reintroduce the students to writing and solving algebraic expressions, choosing problem solving strategies, and working with integers.  Everyone seems to enjoy the challenge problems at the end of the homework assignments so expect to see more of them!

Algebra I with Molly:

During our first two days of Algebra, students learned about the expectations and how the class is structured. We began working through the first few lessons in the book, which are review for all of the students. During the second week, we focused on using variables and reviewed exponents and order of operations. By the end of the first full week, students were ready for a quiz on the first two sections of the book, but put it off until Monday, due to the late baseball game night for some of them. 

Language Arts with Jared:

We began the year with a brief overview of the course. Then we started our first vocabulary unit (we'll have a new unit about every two weeks), and began our first grammar unit on prepositions. We also started our unit on 19th century American poetry, and looked at some of William Cullen Bryant's poetry. Students should have done some reading this summer, and will be turning in a summer book review by September 1st.

World Studies & U.S. History with Ann:

Each class has spent time this week discussing what it means to be a historian and "do" history.  We learned about historical thinking and added some tools to our critical thinking tool boxes including: Close Reading, Contextualizing, Corroborating, and Sourcing.  These tools will help students began to think like historians as we dive further into historical content and current events.  The sixth graders also spent time this week differentiating between primary and secondary sources- something that will help them greatly on their National History Day projects.  The seventh and eighth graders have been working a History Detective activity to help solidify the concepts of corroboration and contextualization when using primary and secondary sources.  Next week, we will begin preliminary research and topic selection for National History Day projects.  The theme this year is Conflict and Compromise in History.    

Earth Science with Molly:

This week science time was spent on beginning of the year activities and setting up organizational systems such as binders and planners. We reviewed science news magazine articles from over the summer. Students shared what they found so we could catch up on science advances and discoveries. We also hosted elementary classes in a walk to the YMCA Greenhouse which serves as our off-campus emergency meeting place. Will finish these tours up on Monday with the seventh grade class.

Spanish with Corinne:

Sunshine Spanish

Sunshine A

This week in Spanish we began working with the textbook and workbook. Students learned about greetings, date and numbers, parts of the body, weather, and addressing people. We will have a short quiz about these topics on Wednesday August 30. The purpose of this quiz is to help students develop good study habits this year. 

Sunshine B
This week in Spanish we started with a grammar review. We covered conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense, as well as irregular verbs. Students worked with these verbs in a short, in class writing prompt. Students then started research for their potential Latino Night projects (I will be sending more information about Latino Night soon).

HS Spanish I, part II

This week in Spanish we started with a review of the material covered last year in the first part of High School Spanish I. On Thursday and Friday we started working with the new vocabulary in Chapter 5A, fiestas and familia.

HS Spanish II, part I

This week in Spanish we started with a review of the material covered in Spanish I, primarily focusing on grammar and verb conjugations. On Thursday and Friday we started working with the vocabulary from Chapter 1A, talking about school and school rules.

HS Spanish II, part II

This week in Spanish we started with a review of the material covered last year, primarily focusing on conjugation and verb tenses. On Thursday and Friday we started working with Chapter 4A, talking about childhood and past events.

Art with Patti:

Purple room students have started the year in art working on portraits for their Rainbow Reflection books. We walked trough the steps of how to set up the framework of a face proportionally. Students then started using mirrors to adjust for specific details, as well as adding value to imply dimension. We also watched two video clips about portrait artists Mary Cassatt and Chuck close.

*Reminder to bring in white shirts for next week.

Check out art room happening here- http://bnsartstudio.weebly.com/

Computer Lab with Lorraine:

This week in the computer lab, we will review Computer Lab rules and make sure students are comfortable logging on to  Google Classroom, cover Procedures and start learning about  image files. If time allows, students will make their own GIF file.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

Students were introduced to the Life Skills topics this week and completed a self-evaluation about their skills. Next week, 6th grade students will learn about hormones, 7th grade students will discuss changes in your body during puberty, such as perspiration, and 8th grade students will discuss hygiene and acne.

Thank you from, 
The Purple Team