Final Summit and Menu

The 8th graders have really come so far with their final world affairs project.  They were able to use the knowledge of the country that they have been researching to advocate for their country about the issue of climate change.  They also presented their final menu projects.  The students came up with some very creative ideas, including newspapers, mini-lessons, videos, a children's book, and even a Japanese-style game show.  It has been a great three years with these students.  I am excited to hear about what they do in their history classes in high school.  Have a great summer!

Check out some of the great menus below and view a little bit of the negotiations from the summit:

Week 38: 8th Grade Science

Week 38

The End of Middle School and North Park Science

Wow! Can you believe it is over.  I hope that I have achieved my goal to prepare your child for high school science, but more importantly a new understanding of its wonderment and need for our future.  

You should be proud of all the hard work that your child has put forth not only in Science but throughout the whole middle school process.  It was a pleasure for me to be part of this process and its successes.

Lastly, Science Olympiad was a Blast!  Watching them grow into Regional Champions and once again for all your support.  I truly couldn’t do it without you.

Sincerely,

Mr. T

Trebuchets contest

This week in 8th grade math we had the Kiva experience and we are having the trebuchet competition.  We started the week yesterday with the Kiva/Fossil donation project.  It was really great to see the class thinking globally and deciding how to help others around the world.  For the rest of the week, we will have the trebuchet competition and watch a movie.

Tomorrow is the trebuchet competition.  The class has really done a great job with this project.  They collected a great deal of data and then they turned their data into accurate graphs and equations.  They then checked their equations to see if their equations were correct.  They all worked really hard and I hope it pays off for them tomorrow in the competition.  I buy the winning team burritos.

We will then finish the year watching one of my personal favorite movies Stand and Deliver.  I just love how this movie shows that anyone can do math and be good at math if they just work at it.

It has been a pleasure to get to know all of you and your children.  Good luck to everyone.

Trebuchets

This week in 8th grade math we are finishing collecting data for the trebuchet project.  For the last week the class has been going to the church gym and working in groups.  They are launching their trebuchet into the wall and collecting data about the height the projectile hit the wall at different distances.  We will do this for one more day and then we will spend the rest of the week using the data to create equations for the flight of the projectile through the air.

The 8th grade class will be participating in an exciting event on Tuesday, May 31st during math class.  A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Ashley Nelson about a great opportunity to work with her and The Fossil Foundation.  Fossil works closely with a company called Kiva that loans money to people around the world that are in need of help in some way or another.  Fossil is donating virtual loans to the students in the 8th grade class, and they will have the opportunity to pick a person or group to loan money to.  I think this is an exciting opportunity for the 8th graders to think outside the city of Chicago and more globally.

8th Grade Language Arts: Book Project

To conclude the eighth grade reading unit, students will present a character impersonation and reenactment of events in their novel.  This will be a similar activity to when professional actors dress up as historical figures and speak at schools as if they were the person telling stories about his or her life.  Students will choose main characters from their novel and create a five to ten minute presentation about themselves.  They will talk about important events from the novel they have experienced, what it is like to live in the setting from their book, what it is like to interact with the other characters, and any other relevant information that will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the book.  They will need to write their script, dress in character, and speak in character.  Students will present on Thursday, May 26th.

Final Essay and Menus

This week, the 8th graders are working on the final parts of their world affairs project.  They are writing essays that answer the essential question "Does the United States have the responsibility to act as the world's police?" with evidence that they have gathered throughout the unit.  They are also working on completing their menu items, which are due next Wednesday.  Next Tuesday and Wednesday will be our final model UN summit.  Students will use the knowledge that they have gained over the past few months to role-play delegates of their assigned country in solving an international problem.

Model UN Summit

The 8th graders have spent weeks researching different countries for our world affairs project.  On Monday and Tuesday, they got apply that knowledge during our practice model UN summit.  Students read a news article about the rise of ISIS.  Then, they had to create proposals of what action their country would like to take to solve the problem.  Students are currently working on creating a final resolution.  Later in the week, students will begin to write a position paper to answer our essential question (Does the United States have the responsibility to be the world's police?) from the perspective of their country.  They are also working on menu items.

Questions for your 8th grader:

• What resolution did your country make about how to deal with ISIS?
• Tell me about what you are creating for your menu.

Trebuchets

This week in 8th grade math we are continuing the trebuchet project.  The class has completed building and testing the trebuchets.  They are now collecting data.  We are going over to the church gym everyday and launching the trebuchets into the wall to collect data.

Final exam on Thursday May 19th

Week 34: 8th Grade Science

Week: 34

To end the school year the class will study the cell nucleus and explore mitosis and meiosis, genetics, and inheritance.

Topic: Cell Division

Students will be able to: 

Identify the events that take place during the three stages of the cell cycle.

Explain how the structure of DNA helps account for the way in which DNA copies itself.  

Essential Question:

What does it mean to be multiplying by dividing?  

This week:  This week we started our unit on Genetics.  We will start the unit with Mitosis, the structure of DNA, and replication of DNA.  

Key Terms:

cell cycle

interphase

replication

mitosis

chromosomes

cytokinesis

Differentiated Instruction:

discussion

model making

Upcoming:

Mendel’s work, probability, and heredity

Trebuchet

This week in 8th grade math we are finishing up our unit on quadratic equations and starting our trebuchet project.  So far this week, we finished the last sections on quadratic functions by learning about discriminants and how to identify a quadratic function from an x and y table.  We then started a great NOVA video on how trebuchets work and how to best build one.  We will finish the video tomorrow and then the class will break into groups and build their own trebuchets.  For the rest of the week we will work on how to launch the trebuchet and how to manipulate the different variables that can be changed in the trebuchets.  We will then start to record data.

The 8th grade final exam will be next Friday May 20th

Week 33: 8th Grade Science

Week 33

Topic: Moving Along the Evolution of Time

Don’t forget to ask to see the 8th grade paleontologists completed timelines.  You will be impressed with their keynote presentation.  To end the school year the class will move along the geological time line and see how life evolved.  During this evolution we will review what we have learned over the past three years covering concepts like respiration, photosynthesis, the cell, and explore the work of Darwin (evolution) and Mendel (genetics).

Week 32: 8th Grade Science

Week: 32

Topic: Earth’s Changing Surface

This week the 8th Grade paleontologist are using their iPad’s to create an electronic timeline/diorama to recreate their geological time period.  Each student selected a time period in which they researched how long ago was the period, how long did it last, the geological features of that time, its climate, life, and where there any mass extinctions.  To culminate this timeline, they created a travel brochure for their time period.  Each brochure was unique and creatively done.  Lastly, they wrote an essay about the essential question: Where did life come from?  A definite dinner time discussion.

Quadratic formulas

This week in 8th grade math we are starting our last unit of middle school on quadratic equations.  We will start the week off with graphing quadratic functions otherwise know as parabolas.  We will find the vertex points of parabolas and identify if the vertex is a maximum or minimum value.  Next, we will learn how to find the ordered pair of the vertex of any quadratic function and how to use the vertex to graph the equation.  We will end the week learning how to solve quadratic functions and what solving a quadratic function means.

Next week during lunch/recess we will begin our review of Algebra, to help those taking the Algebra test, to pass out for high school.  We will review material from the beginning of the year up until now using algebra placement tests.

History and Culture Podcasts

This week, the 8th graders are working on the next episode of the podcast series about their assigned country.  Students did research about the history and culture of their country and created a podcast about it.  The 8th graders are learning so much both about the country that they are researching and how to make a podcast that is both informative and entertaining.  I am excited to see where this project will take us.  Ask your 8th grader if you can listen to their most recent podcast.

Week 31: 7th Grade Science

Week: 31

Topic: Earth’s Changing Surface

The 8th graders started this unit by creating a timeline to see how long it took for the universe as we know it to be created.  This week using their iPads they will create a digital diorama/timeline for the geologic time scale.  Each student selected a time period in which they will research how lone ago their time period began, how long it lasted, the geological features of the time, its climate, life, and where there any mass extinctions.  To culminate this timeline, they will create a travel brochure for their time period. 

Factoring Polynomials

This week in 8th grade math we are continuing to work on factoring polynomials.  So far this week, we have been working on how to factor two types of polynomials.  The first one was not very difficult for the class, but the second one added an extra step which lead to a little more frustration.  We will continue to work with factoring polynomials and special cases for the rest of the week.

We have a quiz on Thursday.
Test and alternative assessment due next Monday

Next week will also probably begin our review week during lunch/recess for passing out of Algebra exams.

8th Grade Language Arts: Independent Reading Unit

The eighth grade students are working on an independent reading unit.  Students selected their own novel and are working on completing the book for the eight scheduled meetings.  They must complete their reading log reflection for the assigned reading and develop their own vocabulary list from the words in their novels.  They are working with a partner to discuss their book.  Be sure to ask your child about their book.  The final project for the unit will be a character impersonation/reenactment of important events in the novel.

Upcoming Presentation Date:

Demonstration Speeches on April 25, 26, 27, & 28.

Podcast Project

For the last quarter of the year, the 8th graders are starting a new project about American foreign affairs in the post-WWII world.  This is an exciting new project and I can't wait to see how it evolves over the next several weeks.  The students will be working towards a final "Model UN" style summit where each group or individual will represent a country that they will research over the next few weeks.  They will be looking through the lens of their country to answer the essential question, "Does the United States have the responsibility to be the world's police?"  Over the next few weeks, students will research their assigned country and create podcasts to teach their classmates about the topic.  We will be working closely with Mr. Riggs throughout this project.   Today, students started by creating a podcast about the basic information about their assigned country.

Question for your 8th grader:

• What country will you be researching for this project?
• How is podcasting going so far?

Polynomials

This week in 8th grade math we are continuing to work on our unit on polynomials.  Last week, we learned how to add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.  This week we are continuing to work on multiplying polynomials, but they are called special cases.  These special cases occur when two polynomials being multiplied are the exact same like (2x+3) squared.  We will then move onto learning how to factor polynomials.  Factoring polynomials can be a little difficult for some students, so we will be working on this a great deal this week.

The 8th graders will be taking the math MAP Test this Thursday.

We will have a second quiz early next week and we will have a test towards the end of next week.

8th Grade Language Arts: Speech Unit

The eighth grade students are currently working on a speech unit.  Students will write and present a demonstration speech.  In the past, possible topics included decorating cupcakes, doing yoga, throwing a curveball, and playing guitar.  On Thursday, each student will pick their demonstration topic and began planning their speech.  They will present speeches during the last week of April.  Students are encouraged to practice at home before their presentation day.  

Week 30: 8th Grade Science

Week: 30

Topic: Earth’s Changing Surface

Students will be able to: 

Discuss theories of how life began

State when and how the Earth was formed 

Essential Question:

Are we star children?  

This week:  This past month has flown by.  The 8th graders have started their next unit about geological time.  We began the unit by discussing the poem/song “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell and its relevance to how life was formed.  They have explored the Big Bang Theory, Oparin’s Hypothesis, Miller’s discovery of amino acids, and have discussed biogenesis and spontaneous generation.  

Key Terms:

biogenesis

spontaneous generation

Differentiated Instruction:

discussion

art integration

researching 

argumentation

Upcoming:

Geological Time Brochure

Middle School Advisory Update

On Friday, April 29th, middle school students will be participating in a "Day of Service.".  Throughout the year, the kids have been investigating four areas: Environment, Literacy, Social Services with a focus on Special Olympics, and Animal Welfare.  They researched the various organizations in Chicago that work in these areas, then partnered with several and have been learning about the local issues in these areas.  For our Service Day, a group of kids will be helping with the Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies, another group with the Open Books project in Pilsen, another group with habitat restoration in LaBaugh Woods, and the fourth group with the Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation.

By the way, the animal welfare advisory group has just launched a website featuring foster pets that need permanent homes.  Please check out their website an post it to your social media.  

http://fureverhomesforfurryfriends.weebly.com.

Middle School Students stuffed over 650 "goody bags" for participants of the
Polar Plunge fundraiser for the Special Olympics.


Books begin to fill up the floor of the Social Studies room
as donations come in for the Open Books Book Drive

Polynomials

This week in 8th grade math we are starting our next unit on polynomials.  This week the class will learn what a polynomial is and how to add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.  When we learn how to multiply polynomials we will learn about FOILing.  Many of you may remember this, but it is multiplying First, Outside, Inside, and Last.

Upcoming assignments:
Quiz on sections 9.1-9.3 on Friday April 8

Week 29: 8th Grade Science

Week: 29

We are back from Springfield and I hope you all had a fun and relaxing break.  This week the 8th graders are finishing their unit on Carbon Chemistry.  Next, we will dive into the world of Paleontology and begin our unit on Earth’s Changing Surface (geological time.)

MAP Testing After Spring Break

Spring MAP testing is coming soon. 8th grade will take the language test on April 5th, the reading test on April 12th, and the math test on April 14th. Should you have any questions about testing, please contact Kim Smith.

Week 27: 8th Grade Science

Week: 27

Topic: Carbon Compounds

Students will be able to: 

List properties of organic compounds.

Identify properties of hydrocarbons.

Describe the kind of structures and bonding that hydrocarbons have.

Identify characteristics of substituted hydrocarbons, esters, and polymers. 

Essential Question:

What does organic mean?

The 8th graders have put a great deal of time into their atomic and chemistry units.  Now we will take a look at the properties of carbon and what defines an organic and non-organic compound. 

Key Terms:

organic compound

hydrocarbon

isomer

saturated & unsaturated hydrocarbons

substituted hydrocarbons

hydroxyl & carboxyl group

organic acid

ester

polymer

monomer

Differentiated Instruction:

developing hypotheses

inferring

interpreting

creating models 

classifying

Upcoming:

Molecular structure of food

Exponential functions

This week in 8th grade the class is finishing up a unit on exponential functions.  This week, we are learning about exponential growth and decay.  Today, we did an experiment where we put M&M's in a box and shook the box to model half life's and exponential decay.  Tomorrow, we will apply this idea to other forms of exponential growth and decay.  We then have a test on Friday.  Then off to Springfield and then to Spring Break!

Upcoming assignments:
POW Bouncing Ball due tomorrow March 16th
Alternative Assessment due Friday March 18th
Test on Friday March 18th

Questions to ask at home:
Tell me about the M&M experiment in math.

Week 26: 8th Grade Science

Newton's Laws by the 8th Graders

I hope you enjoy the 8th grades presentations of Gravity, Newton's Three Laws of Motion, and Momentum.  Their integration of technology included Book Creator and Explain Everything.

Exponents

This week in 8th grade math we are continuing to work heavily with exponents.  The class has been doing a great job with reviewing the rules, but as we add more and more rules they are making small mistakes that throw of the whole problem.  We have spent a lot of time going slowly through the problems to develop a step by step process to come up with the answers.  Today, we finished reviewing the multiplication rules of exponents and tomorrow we will review the division rules of exponents.  On Thursday, we will go over geometric sequences and how to graph exponential functions.

Upcoming assignments:
Quiz tomorrow March 9th on sections 8.1-8.4
Quiz on Friday March 11th on sections 8.5-8.7
POW ABC's of exponents due Tuesday March 15th
POW Bouncing Ball due Wednesday March 16th
Alternative assessment due and test on March 18th

8th Grade Language Arts: Poetry Unit

Eighth graders are creating poems with Chicago and society themes.  On Monday, students will revise poems and prepare to present their favorite poem to the class on Tuesday.  As the Holocaust book club unit comes to a close, the concluding project will be a poem inspired by the events and emotions in their novels.  Be sure to ask your child to see their poems.

U-505 Field Trip

Today, the 8th graders went on a field trip to see a real German submarine from World War II.  Students took a tour of the cramped submarine and got a feel for what it might have been like to live on a submarine for months.  They also toured the exhibit and we had some extra time for them to explore other parts of the museum. (Ask them about the hall of mirrors!) For the rest of this week, students will be working on their World War II menu items.

Upcoming Dates:

• Wed. March 9 WWII Menu Due
• Thurs. March 11 WWII Test
• Fri. March 12  WWII in-class essay

Question for your 8th grader:

• What was your favorite part of the field trip?

Week 25: 8th Grade Science

Week: 25

Topic: Properties of Carbon

Students will be able to: 

Describe how carbon is able form a huge variety of compounds. 

Identify the four-forms of pure carbon. 

Essential Question:

Why is carbon the staff of life?

The 8th graders have put a great deal of time into their atomic and chemistry units.  Now we will take a look at the properties of carbon and what defines an organic and non-organic compound. 

Key Terms:

carbon

diamond

graphite

fullerene

nanotube

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

observing

creating models 

Upcoming:

Carbon Compounds

Properties of exponents

This week in 8th grade math, we are going to be reviewing exponents and their properties.  We started off today by reviewing anything to the power of zero equaling 1 and negative exponents being fractions.  For the rest of the week, we will be reviewing scientific notation and the multiplication rules for exponents.  We will also be starting the unit project which is trying to grow mold using cheese to measure exponential growth.

Exponents and Pythagorean Theorem

This week in 8th grade we are starting our next unit on exponents, square roots, and the pythagorean theorem.  We are starting the week of by reviewing square roots, how to solve square root equations, and how to graph a square root equations.  We will spend the rest of the week reviewing the pythagorean theorem and learning about how the theorem can be converted into the distance formula on the coordinate plane.  We will also be reviewing why anything to the zero power equals one and scientific notation.

Upcoming assignments:
POW Boxing Up Harry's Broom Due Monday Feb. 29th
Quiz 6.1 on March 3rd

Socratic Seminar and War in Europe

The 8th graders are studying World War II in Social Studies.  Last week, they read primary source documents about the treatment of different minority groups during the war. Then, during a Socratic Seminar, they asked each other provoking questions about what they had read. They discussed topics like women in the workforce, the desegregation of war industries, and the internment of Japanese Americans.  The conversation was fascinating and the students made a lot of interesting connections to current events. This week, the 8th graders have learned about specific WWII battles in Europe. On Monday, the students worked together to create post-it timelines.  Each group became an expert on the battles in one country.  Then, they shared the dates from their country with their classmates, who added them onto their existing timeline.  Later this week, students will learn about the battles in the Pacific.  

Questions for your 8th grader:

• Tell me about what you discussed during the Socratic Seminar.
• Do you think the allies had a good war strategy in Europe?

Week 24: 8th Grade Science

Week: 24

Topic: Chemical Interactions:  Observing Chemical Change and Reactions

Students will be able to: 

Describe how matter and changes in matter can be described.  

Explain how you can tell when a chemical reaction occurs. 

Identify what information a chemical equation contains.

Explain what a glanced chemical equation must show.

State the principals of the conservation of mass.

Essential Question:

Where is the evidence?

This week the 8th graders will put their atomic and Periodic Table knowledge to work in the form of chemistry.  They will observe both chemical and physical change by breaking the bonds of magnesium and oxygen to create magnesium oxide.  They will be mixing magnesium with hydrochloric acid to create a pop!  Finally, taking silver out of solution to create copper nitrate. 

Key Terms:

matter

chemistry

physical & chemical change

chemical reaction

endo and exothermic reactions

chemical equation

reactant & product

coefficient

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

predicting

observing

interpreting data

making a model

Upcoming:

Acids, bases, and solutions

8th Grade Language Arts: Research Reports

This week our focus was on the revision process.  Students worked hard to improve their research reports for the final draft stage.  Each student conferenced with Mrs. Payne and worked on making thoughtful revisions to their reports.  Students will submit their final research report draft on Tuesday.

Eighth graders started their new book club unit this week.  This unit will focus on both fiction and nonfiction books about the Holocaust.  Students received their books and will have their first meeting on Monday.

Week 23: 8th Grade Science

Week: 23

Topic: Chemical Interactions:  Chemical Bonding (Ionic Bonds)

Students will be able to: 

Describe ions and explain how they form bonds.  

Explain how the formulas and names of ionic compounds are written.

Identify the properties of ionic compounds.

Essential Question:

Two atoms are talking together.

Atom #1:  I am about to lose an electron!

Atom #2:  Are you sure?

Atom #1:  I’m positive. 

This week the 8th graders will work with the outer shell of elements and create ionic  bonds to understand the concept of ionization.  They will see how these reactions occur between metals and nonmetals. 

Key Terms:

ionic bonds

ion

polyatomic ions

ionic bond

ionic compound

chemical formula

sub and superscript

crystal

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

predicting

observing

interpreting data

Upcoming:

Observing chemical change

World War II Home Front

This week, the 8th graders will be discussing what life was like on the Home Front during World War II.  Last week, they read and looked at many different forms of propaganda that encouraged Americans to help out with the war in many different capacities.  Then, they used what they saw as inspiration to create their own propaganda projects.  This week, they will be learning about the impact of the war on different minority groups and will discuss them during a Socratic Seminar.  Next week, we will continue to learn about the war in Europe and in the Pacific.

Questions for your 8th grader:

• What kind of propaganda are you creating?
• Do you think the war had a positive or negative impact on minority groups?

Inequalities

This week in 8th grade we are finishing our unit of inequalities, absolute values, and graphing.  We are finishing the unit by learning about systems of linear equations.  Today we did an activity where we talked about appropriate dating ages and the half plus seven rule of dating age.  We used this to create equations and graphed them to come up with a dating range using systems of linear equations.  We will continue to work on systems of linear inequalities tomorrow.

Upcoming assignments:
Test and alternative assessment due on Friday Feb. 19th

At home question:

What is the RO-CO?  (It is the Romance cone that we learned about in class.)

World War II Timelines

The 8th graders have spent the last few weeks learning about the progression of World War II.  Today, students worked together to create "tension timelines" that tracked Hitler's movements in Europe and then discussed how America might react to each action.  Later in the week, they will learn about Pearl Harbor and about what life was like on the Home Front after the country went to war.  The students will read primary sources about how women and minority groups influenced the war and will discuss their roles during a Socratic Seminar.  

Question for your 8th grader:

Do you think the United States could have prevented the outbreak of World War II?

Inequalities

This week in 8th grade math we are continuing to work on our unit on inequalities.  So far this week we have learned how to to write and solve compound inequality problems.  For the rest of the week, we will be learning how to solve absolute value equations and inequalities, graph absolute value equations, and graph linear inequalities.  They will have a test next Friday the 19th.

Week 22: 8th Grade Science

Week: 22

Topic: Chemical Interactions:  Chemical Bonding (Covalent Bonds)

Students will be able to: 

Draw the Bohr’s electron shell diagram and the electron dot formula.

State what holds covalently bonded atoms together.

Identify the properties of molecular compounds.

Explain how unequal sharing of electrons occurs and how it affects molecules.

Essential Question:

What happens when we share something with our friend?

This week the 8th graders will work with the outer shell of elements and create covalent bonds to understand the concept of electron sharing.  They will use the electron dot formula to create these bonds and prove mathematically that they work. 

Key Terms:

covalent bond

molecule

double & triple bond

molecular compound 

polar & non-polar bonds

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

predicting

observing

interpreting data

Upcoming:

Exploring ionic bonding and why these valence electrons are given up or taken.  

Inequalities

This week in 8th grade math we are starting our next unit on solving and graphing inequalities.  We have been very busy lately, and in the last week we had a test on systems of equations and a comprehensive mid year final.  The kids did a great job on both tests and are continuing to work hard.  This week we started our 5th unit on inequalities.  The beginning part of this unit is review from last year on how to solve inequality equations.  After reviewing how to solve those equations we will be learning about compound inequalities and how to solve those equations.

Upcoming assignments:
Quiz on sections 4.1-4.4 on Thursday Feb. 4
POW A Variable Triangle due on Thursday Feb. 4

World War II

Today, the 8th graders began their unit about World War II.  Today, they will predict how the events of WWI, the 1920s, and the Great Depression might have led to another World War.   Then, they will research and present mini-lessons about each of the major nations involved in the war.  Later in the week, they will map Hitler's rise to power and debate America's neutrality decision.

Question for your 8th Grader:

• Is there ever a good reason to go to war?

8th Grade Language Arts

This month, we are wrapping up some big projects. The eighth graders have completed their WWII books and are currently working on their scrapbook project. This project requires a lot of collaboration as well as self-management. Mostly, the students will be working on it in class, but they may have to do some at home. This project is due Thursday, February 11th.

Next, the students are working hard on their research papers. They just turned in their outlines and works cited page, both of which are essential to the final draft. Any errors they make on these should be corrected for the final paper. The final paper is due Tuesday, February 23rd.

The most important thing to remember for this month is that the students need to balance their time between doing work in class and at home. I often give them a lot of class time, so they should be using it wisely!

Upcoming due dates:

Scrapbook Project due Thursday, 2/11

Research Report 1st Draft due Tuesday, 2/16

Research Report 2nd Draft due Friday, 2/19

Research Report Final Draft due Tuesday, 2/23

Week 21: 8th Grade Science

Week: 21

Topic: Chemical Interactions:  The Atom and the Periodic Table

Students will be able to: 

State what the Periodic Table tells you about the atoms and the properties of elements.

Essential Question:

How is the periodic table like a deck of cards?

This week the 8th graders will break down the Periodic Table into its major components and like Mendeleev find the many patterns it has. 

Key Terms:

atomic number

atomic mass

element and its symbol

isotope

period

group

family

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

predicting

observing

interpreting data

Upcoming:

Exploring valence electrons and the electron dot formula.

Week 20: 8th Grade Science

Week: 20

Topic: Chemical Building Blocks:  The Atom 

Students will be able to: 

Describe the structure of an atom.

Explain how models are useful for understanding atoms.

Create a timeline to portray atomic history. 

Essential Question:

How did they find the atom?

This week the 8th graders will break down the atom into its major components, create an experiment to find the atom, and create a timeline to see how the atom was discovered.

Key Terms:

nucleus

proton

neutron

electron

electron field/cloud

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

building

predicting

inferring

observing

interpreting data

Upcoming:

The patterns of the periodic table

Finishing systems of equations unit

This week in 8th grade math we are finishing our fourth unit of the year on systems of linear equations.  During this unit we have learned about what conditions are required for two lines to be parallel or perpendicular, how to solve systems of equations using graphing, substitution, and elimination, and real world application of systems of equations.  Next week we will begin our next unit on inequalities.

Upcoming assignments: POW The Custom of Customs due tomorrow, Wednesday Jan 26
Alternative assessment due Thursday Jan. 28
Test on Thursday Jan. 28
Mid-year Final Monday Feb. 1

Questions to ask at home:
What must be true for two lines to be parallel?
What must be true for two lines to be perpendicular?
What method do you like to use best to solve systems of equations? Why?

8th Grade Language Arts

As the semester comes to an end, we are moving forward in our World War II book clubs. The students are already halfway done with their meetings! I have really enjoyed witnessing the meetings in action.  It is amazing to see how engaged in discussion students become when they have strong feelings about the characters’ actions and the development of the plot.  Friday is book club meeting #5.

The students are currently working on completing their fact cards for Monday, January 25th.  Students should be reading through their sources to find the most important information about the topic they are researching.  They will keep track of the facts they find by filling out note cards.  Next week, we will organize the fact note cards into categories and focus on how to best structure and organize the research report before creating an outline.

Upcoming due dates:

Book Club Meeting #5 on Friday, January 22nd

Fact Cards due Monday, Jan 25th

Week 19: 8th Grade Science

Week: 19

COMING SOON!  This week the class will finalize their Newton Projects and I will be sending them to you to view.  I am very excited to see them.

Topic: Chemical Interactions:  The Atom and the Periodic Table

Students will be able to: 

State what the periodic table tells you about the atoms and the properties of elements.

Essential Question:

How is the periodic table like a music store?

This week the 8th graders will break down the periodic table into its major components and like Mendeleev find the many patterns it has. 

Key Terms:

atomic number

atomic mass

element and its symbol

isotope

period

group

family

Differentiated Instruction:

finding patterns 

predicting

observing

interpreting data

Upcoming:

Exploring valence electrons and the electron dot formula.

Greetings from an Absentee Blogger

My apologies for my negligence in keeping you up to date on Advisory.  

Our advisory program generally consists of seven components and they are:

Adolescent “hot topic” discussions and lessons

Team and trust building

1:1 meetings with the advisor with goal setting

Gender specific meeting times

Lil’ Buddies  - working consistently with a younger grade

Service learning - global citizenship

Study and organizational skills

This year is our Service Learning Project which is part of the global citizenship component of our Advisory program fits in well with the school-wide humans of Chicago theme.  Earlier this year, middle school kids chose an area in which to focus: environmental issues, Literacy issues. Social Services issues (with particular interest in Special Olympics amongst other things) and Animal Welfare issues.  The students researched some of the local organizations that are involved with these areas and we have discovered that we have great resources in our parent community.  To date, we have had two guest speakers come in to represent some of these organizations and we will hear from two more.  After that, the groups will work on in-school projects that can benefit these organizations, culminating with an off-campus Field Day devoted to making a difference in the community.  It is a work in progress but we are excited about setting up a model that will take us into future school years.

Also new this year is a Social Emotional Learning curriculum that we are using to guide us through topics of interest to young people.  The curriculum is called Overcoming Obstacles and can be found here: http://www.overcomingobstacles.org/middleschool_curriculum.

What this all means is fewer trips to Starbucks……but the kids are benefitting from being more engaged and interested.

Math Mania Night and Systems of Equations

Looking forward to seeing everyone this evening from 6-7 for Math Mania Night.  I think it will be a lot of fun for everyone.  If you didn't get a chance to RSVP you can still join us.

This week in math we are continuing to work on systems of equations.  Yesterday we learned about real life situations using systems of equations and we will continue to due that tomorrow.  Today we learned a second way to solve a system of equations using substitution.  We will continue to work on graphing and substitution to solve systems for the rest of the week.  Systems of equations also gives us a chance to review how to solve complex algebra equations.

Week 18: 8th Grade Science

Week:18

Don’t forget to ask your son or daughter how their project is coming along.  They have completed their research, rough drafts, and are beginning to put their projects in motion ( no pun intended).  It always amazes me the creative ideas that the kids come up with when they are learning through “Project Based Learning.”  Some of the ideas to illustrate Newton’s Laws are using a bowling alley, dance, soccer, football, and a simple apple falling from a tree.  I hope you are as excited as I am for the final project.

The Great Depression

This week, the 8th graders are continuing their unit about the Great Depression.  Today, they are creating menu items about the stock market crash and causes of the Depression.  Last week, they also learned about the basics of banking and credit.  Later in the week, they will research and teach mini-lessons about Roosevelt's New Deal programs.

Questions for your 8th grader:

• Was the Great Depression inevitable?
• Can Herbert Hoover be blamed for the Depression?
• What menu items are you working on?

Prohibition Party

The week before break, the 8th graders finished off their 1920s unit with a Prohibition Party.  Students researched an important figure from the 1920s and came dressed up as that person.  They each gave a biographical speech about their topic.  We turned the classroom into a speakeasy and students danced to 1920s jazz and had root beer and ginger ale.  This week, students began their Great Depression unit with a simulation about how the stock market works and the events leading up to the crash of 1929.

Questions for your 8th grader:

• Is investing in the stock market worth the risk?
• Tell me about the cycle that happened after the stock market crash of 1929.