Its a wrap!

Quite a bit of catching up (a bit over due!) on the amazing and busy busy things going on in middle school!

For starters, we have been working with our fellow middle school/upper elementary peers down the hall on a comprehensive map of the Island of the Blue Dolphin. Each group received a specific location of the island that they used to recall from the book and also any descriptive words/figurative language corresponding to their designated location. Each setting illustration incorporates textual evidence correctly cited with a paragraph symbol (to note the paragraph number) and page number. Our process and finished product below!

We have also finished our second novel and have taken our second novel “test” for How I Became A Ghost. Novel “tests” are cumulative with comprehension multiple choice and short answer questions recalling text evidence to prove questions on theme, character analysis, and paired text connections. This might have been a fast-pace read however, it was a meaningful extension of the “Trail of Tears”, “Indian Removal Act” and “Jacksonian Era”.

Was Andrew Jackson a common man? The students have been researching main events during the seventh presidency of the United States for a mock trial hosted earlier this week. Andrew Jackson’s role in events such as the Spoils System, National Bank Veto/Pet Banks, and Indian Removal Act are examples of some evidence the students were required to incorporate for witness questions and opening/closing statements. Our witnesses: Davy Crockett, “Two Moons” (fictional name, Cherokee leader) and the defendant Andrew Jackson.

The students are working on their personal narratives or “tiny moment” they often think about. Prompted from the New York Times “Learning Network”, it is to be 100 words and a memorable personal moment. Students 13 years and older are allowed to submit their narratives November 1st!

Exponents, Ratios, and Inverse Operations! As some of our students are preparing for high school placement tests each morning all of the students participate in practice test questions from previous years/2023 test prep textbook. Today all students took their first math mid-term (we will have two before the final in December). In deeper extension, we continue to practice our algebra work, currently inverse operations and simplifying division with exponents (variables as base). We have started our first “youcubed” unit, “What is variability, data, and models?”. Our first task was to analyze postcards used throughout a year between two friends with data of variability/frequency represented in intricate drawings.

Our Biology book has taken us to atom structure, common elements and bonds, and the periodic table (how to read it too!). We will take a brief “detour” into a project for this over the next two weeks before we start cell structure and function.

Congratulations to the 8th grade members of Room 214 that have reached their highest record in winning 2 out of 4 rounds in the Scholastic Academic Bowl at St. Viator! We are on to the next one at Loyola Academy on November 11th.

Our next novel unit (Monday) will be The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, leading us to our next extension: The Constitution and American Revolution.

Reminders:

• All students should be reading their chosen novel, and have permission to peruse through approved study guides to help guide their individual reading (minimum 30 minutes a day).