February 2017
In our continued efforts to keep families informed and updated about the curriculum at Blake, each month we will be 'highlighting' updates from the different departments. We hope this will help facilitate conversations at home and maintain a bridge between home and school. Below please find the updates for the month of February 2017.
Art
Grade 6 students are finishing up their watercolor unit. Next up, the artists are studying the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. She used close observation as a point of departure for abstraction. How can we alter our observational drawings to alter our perception of subject matter? Sixth grade artists will explore the possibilities by working independently and collaboratively on drawings that approach the abstract.
Grade 7 students are nearing completion of their surreal compositions. In this lesson, students have reappropriated photos cut from magazines and produced surreal creatures in imaginative settings and have imagined narratives about these characters. Image below by 7th grader, Anna G.
In our continued efforts to keep families informed and updated about the curriculum at Blake, each month we will be 'highlighting' updates from the different departments. We hope this will help facilitate conversations at home and maintain a bridge between home and school. Below please find the updates for the month of February 2017.
Art
Grade 6 students are finishing up their watercolor unit. Next up, the artists are studying the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. She used close observation as a point of departure for abstraction. How can we alter our observational drawings to alter our perception of subject matter? Sixth grade artists will explore the possibilities by working independently and collaboratively on drawings that approach the abstract.
Grade 7 students are nearing completion of their surreal compositions. In this lesson, students have reappropriated photos cut from magazines and produced surreal creatures in imaginative settings and have imagined narratives about these characters. Image below by 7th grader, Anna G.
Grade 8 artists are putting the finishing touches on their OP art pieces. The technique of creating the illusion of form on a flat surface is being demystified by these artists once they learn to use color, shape, and line to create spatial depth on paper. This newfound knowledge will be useful in the upcoming unit on acrylic painting.
Art Opportunities after school:
Set Design with Mrs. Deveno---Get involved in the Drama program by working on the set design crew. This group meets after school. See Mrs. Deveno for details.
Blake Open Studios---- The Blake Art room will be open after school on Thursdays, until 3pm. All students are welcome to participate in studio activities of their own choice. Ms. Deveno and Ms. Jones will be on hand to provide materials and informal instruction.
There will be no formal registration, it is on a first come, first served basis and limited to 15 students. We are looking forward to seeing you in the Art studio, room 208 !
English
Grade 6: Sixth graders continue to read Fever 1793, a historical fiction book by Laurie Halse Anderson. Once we complete our journey into the past, we will practice open response writing and begin our study of poetry.
Grade 7: The seventh grade is wrapping up our nonfiction unit by having students research and create public service announcements about climate change, deforestation, and other global threats that could lead to extinction. Students will be able to make solid connections to the story they just finished about the extinction of the ivory-billed woodpecker. Upon completion of this project, students will begin the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This story focuses on the Logan family and their struggles with both the Great Depression and racial prejudices that exist in Mississippi in the 1930's. Students will be able to show their understanding of the skills we have worked on throughout the year such as analyzing character, figurative language, and mood during this unit.
Grade 8: Grade 8 students completed their Fahrenheit 451 unit with final in-class discussions and continued work on claim paragraphs. On Monday February 27 and Tuesday February 28, Grade 8 students will get some “dress rehearsal” time with Chromebooks in preparation for their “Next Generation” Grade 8 ELA MCAS that will be taken online. This week’s practice time will familiarize students with the nuts ‘n bolts of using Chromebooks to take their MCAS tests.
Guidance
Both 6th Grade Group Guidance and 8th Grade Group Guidance welcomes the third rotation this school year. The 6th Grade Group Guidance is discussing how to strengthen our capacity to empathize and the value of reflection. The 8th graders are completing their examples of resume writing and we are moving onto empathy discussions following the February break. The 7th Grade Group Guidance class is continuing their exploration of different ways to be mindful. This week, they started with three minutes of seated silence. The students in Embracing Diversity are examining Maurice Ogden's allegory "The Hangman" and the consequences of apathy.
Library
Teachers and students have spent time during February in preparation for the big day, Thursday. March 2, where Blake, along with thousands of other school across the nation, will be celebrating Read Across America, which takes place every year on Dr. Seuss’ Birthday.
Staff and students have been thinking about favorite books from childhood – what memories do they evoke? Why the book was important to them? Do they still carry any message from the story etc.? Each Advisory will spend their Sustained Silent Reading period on the 2nd sharing their favorites. Please feel free to reminisce with your sons and daughters about books you've read together during their younger years. Please also encourage them to bring their favorite book with them to school on March 2 if you still have a copy around the house.
To build spirit, 22 teachers and 1 principal developed a book matching contest. After choosing their favorite childhood books, they posed for a picture containing a clue to the book’s title. A video game allows players to attempt the matches. Feel free to click on this link and give it a try! https://quizlet.com/189102134/match
Donna Knott also put together a beautiful display board located at the entrance to the LMC which offers a paper version of the contest.
Art Opportunities after school:
Set Design with Mrs. Deveno---Get involved in the Drama program by working on the set design crew. This group meets after school. See Mrs. Deveno for details.
Blake Open Studios---- The Blake Art room will be open after school on Thursdays, until 3pm. All students are welcome to participate in studio activities of their own choice. Ms. Deveno and Ms. Jones will be on hand to provide materials and informal instruction.
There will be no formal registration, it is on a first come, first served basis and limited to 15 students. We are looking forward to seeing you in the Art studio, room 208 !
English
Grade 6: Sixth graders continue to read Fever 1793, a historical fiction book by Laurie Halse Anderson. Once we complete our journey into the past, we will practice open response writing and begin our study of poetry.
Grade 7: The seventh grade is wrapping up our nonfiction unit by having students research and create public service announcements about climate change, deforestation, and other global threats that could lead to extinction. Students will be able to make solid connections to the story they just finished about the extinction of the ivory-billed woodpecker. Upon completion of this project, students will begin the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This story focuses on the Logan family and their struggles with both the Great Depression and racial prejudices that exist in Mississippi in the 1930's. Students will be able to show their understanding of the skills we have worked on throughout the year such as analyzing character, figurative language, and mood during this unit.
Grade 8: Grade 8 students completed their Fahrenheit 451 unit with final in-class discussions and continued work on claim paragraphs. On Monday February 27 and Tuesday February 28, Grade 8 students will get some “dress rehearsal” time with Chromebooks in preparation for their “Next Generation” Grade 8 ELA MCAS that will be taken online. This week’s practice time will familiarize students with the nuts ‘n bolts of using Chromebooks to take their MCAS tests.
Guidance
Both 6th Grade Group Guidance and 8th Grade Group Guidance welcomes the third rotation this school year. The 6th Grade Group Guidance is discussing how to strengthen our capacity to empathize and the value of reflection. The 8th graders are completing their examples of resume writing and we are moving onto empathy discussions following the February break. The 7th Grade Group Guidance class is continuing their exploration of different ways to be mindful. This week, they started with three minutes of seated silence. The students in Embracing Diversity are examining Maurice Ogden's allegory "The Hangman" and the consequences of apathy.
Library
Teachers and students have spent time during February in preparation for the big day, Thursday. March 2, where Blake, along with thousands of other school across the nation, will be celebrating Read Across America, which takes place every year on Dr. Seuss’ Birthday.
Staff and students have been thinking about favorite books from childhood – what memories do they evoke? Why the book was important to them? Do they still carry any message from the story etc.? Each Advisory will spend their Sustained Silent Reading period on the 2nd sharing their favorites. Please feel free to reminisce with your sons and daughters about books you've read together during their younger years. Please also encourage them to bring their favorite book with them to school on March 2 if you still have a copy around the house.
To build spirit, 22 teachers and 1 principal developed a book matching contest. After choosing their favorite childhood books, they posed for a picture containing a clue to the book’s title. A video game allows players to attempt the matches. Feel free to click on this link and give it a try! https://quizlet.com/189102134/match
Donna Knott also put together a beautiful display board located at the entrance to the LMC which offers a paper version of the contest.
Mathematics
Mathematics Placement Process
Math teachers at Blake will soon start the process of course placement for the 2017-2018 school year. The goal of the process is to see that every student is placed in a class that allows for them to learn math well while feeling good about their efforts. For current 6th and 7th grade students, decisions on student placement are made by considering current class grades, placement test grades, PARCC scores and teacher recommendations. For current 8th grade students, placement is determined by success in their current class level and teacher recommendation. We are very mindful during this time to consider the whole child while making these decisions. Additionally, it is important to us that parents feel they have a voice in this process. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher. If your questions involve long-term planning for math, do not hesitate to email Susan Bycoff, Math Department Chair at [email protected]. Thank you!
6th graders have finished their work with ratios and proportions and are moving to a more focused work on their pre-algebra skills. They are beginning their work on expressions and equations. Students will learn tried and true techniques of how to deal with variables when problem solving. All twenty-six letters of the alphabet will be used as they represent quantities that occur in their life. Students realize that math is not all about the letter x and take the time to bring meaning to the variables they choose. Let h = the height of the basketball players in feet, let t = the time (hours) it takes for a plane to travel at an altitude of 20,000 feet, and the most favorite variable for our students to work with of all time: let a = the amount of your allowance in dollars! Don’t be surprised if they start graphing their earnings to justify a raise!
7th graders are investigating statistics. Data is all around us and they are taking full advantage of this. In addition to working with visual representations of data such as pie charts and histograms, mathematicians are learning about box and whiskers plots. Those plots tend to be a Blake favorite as it allows students to look at the spread of data. They are using their knowledge of proportions, additionally, to work understand how biologists use tag and release to estimate and predict animal populations in the wild.
8th grade students are working with are finalizing their work with the large unit of equations. All students in Math 8-1 are experiencing a trimester with Standards Based Reporting. This method of reporting on students’ work allows teachers to give specific feedback about a student's performance on the equations unit relative to the MA Math Curriculum Frameworks content standards. When students take an assessments, the content standards for that assessments are listed on a cover sheet. We encourage all students and their parents to carefully review these cover sheets so they may learn more about what their child has been able to learn over the unit. For example, “Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output.” is an important standard that was taught and assessed. Look for that standard in more in your child’s binder from school. In the future, all 8th grade students in math will experience this form of reporting.
Music
Mrs. Oxholm - Chorus
With the wonderful Choral Extravaganza behind us, the Blake Chorus students are preparing for several great events in March. Our Sixth Grade Chorus will be performing at The Big Sing on Saturday, March 18th. This is a regional choral concert which will be held at Saint Paul’s Parish, 29 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The concert is from 1:30 to 3:00 and parents are encouraged to come and hear the performances. Grade 6 Chorus will sing two selections for the adjudicators as well as a grand finale with all 250 of the other attending students. This experience of singing together in a larger community of young singers will validate and encourage your child and their love of singing in ensemble.
Grade Seven and Eight Choruses are preparing for the MIICA festival on March 31, 2017 at the Norwood High School. They will be performing three selections together. This is the first time in many years these choruses are participating in this adjudicated festival. Their performance is from 3:00 to 4:00 that afternoon and parents are welcome to attend the performance. The students will be listening to other area junior high and high school choruses. Being a part of such a festival always uplifts the students, encouraging them to strive for higher standards. Seeing and hearing other young musicians who choose to sing together is also encouraging to our vocal performers. Hope to see you at both of these events!
Mrs. Evans - Orchestra
Bravo to the Blake Orchestras for their Side-by-Side performance with the Berklee World Strings on February 15th! It was a wonderful 2 days of stretching our musicianship through improvisation, new styles and bow techniques like chopping!
Science
Many of our Blake science students are busy preparing for the second annual science fair. This event will be held in the library/cafeteria on Friday March 6th at 4:00pm. Students participating will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts to answer a question that has perplexed them and we are excited to see their work!!
Grade 6 science students participated in a self-guided tour of the school's hallways to illustrate the Earth’s 4.6 billion in existence, while learning about the key biological and geological events of that time through QR scanned videos. After having ventured into the virtual world of Earth’s Geologic Time Scale, we are now "digging a little deeper" into the geological aspects of Earth's timeline. Using Explain Everything activities students explored the concept of Continental Drift. Currently students are beginning to write scientifically, using a cross curricular graphic organizer, to analyze the evidence supporting continental drift
Grade 7 science has finished exploring the structure and function of DNA, as part of our study of heredity. We enjoyed making both two and three dimensional models of DNA, dissecting a flower and completing Punnett Squares to predict the probability of outcomes of different traits in the offspring. We even examined some of our own dominant and recessive traits and also identified some of these in our families. We are moving on to the study of the digestive system, with a focus on interactions between this and other human body systems. As part of this unit, students will have the opportunity to do a comparative anatomy study of the digestive systems of worms, dogfish and rats. Students will focus on form fitting function in the digestive system.
Mathematics Placement Process
Math teachers at Blake will soon start the process of course placement for the 2017-2018 school year. The goal of the process is to see that every student is placed in a class that allows for them to learn math well while feeling good about their efforts. For current 6th and 7th grade students, decisions on student placement are made by considering current class grades, placement test grades, PARCC scores and teacher recommendations. For current 8th grade students, placement is determined by success in their current class level and teacher recommendation. We are very mindful during this time to consider the whole child while making these decisions. Additionally, it is important to us that parents feel they have a voice in this process. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher. If your questions involve long-term planning for math, do not hesitate to email Susan Bycoff, Math Department Chair at [email protected]. Thank you!
6th graders have finished their work with ratios and proportions and are moving to a more focused work on their pre-algebra skills. They are beginning their work on expressions and equations. Students will learn tried and true techniques of how to deal with variables when problem solving. All twenty-six letters of the alphabet will be used as they represent quantities that occur in their life. Students realize that math is not all about the letter x and take the time to bring meaning to the variables they choose. Let h = the height of the basketball players in feet, let t = the time (hours) it takes for a plane to travel at an altitude of 20,000 feet, and the most favorite variable for our students to work with of all time: let a = the amount of your allowance in dollars! Don’t be surprised if they start graphing their earnings to justify a raise!
7th graders are investigating statistics. Data is all around us and they are taking full advantage of this. In addition to working with visual representations of data such as pie charts and histograms, mathematicians are learning about box and whiskers plots. Those plots tend to be a Blake favorite as it allows students to look at the spread of data. They are using their knowledge of proportions, additionally, to work understand how biologists use tag and release to estimate and predict animal populations in the wild.
8th grade students are working with are finalizing their work with the large unit of equations. All students in Math 8-1 are experiencing a trimester with Standards Based Reporting. This method of reporting on students’ work allows teachers to give specific feedback about a student's performance on the equations unit relative to the MA Math Curriculum Frameworks content standards. When students take an assessments, the content standards for that assessments are listed on a cover sheet. We encourage all students and their parents to carefully review these cover sheets so they may learn more about what their child has been able to learn over the unit. For example, “Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output.” is an important standard that was taught and assessed. Look for that standard in more in your child’s binder from school. In the future, all 8th grade students in math will experience this form of reporting.
Music
Mrs. Oxholm - Chorus
With the wonderful Choral Extravaganza behind us, the Blake Chorus students are preparing for several great events in March. Our Sixth Grade Chorus will be performing at The Big Sing on Saturday, March 18th. This is a regional choral concert which will be held at Saint Paul’s Parish, 29 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The concert is from 1:30 to 3:00 and parents are encouraged to come and hear the performances. Grade 6 Chorus will sing two selections for the adjudicators as well as a grand finale with all 250 of the other attending students. This experience of singing together in a larger community of young singers will validate and encourage your child and their love of singing in ensemble.
Grade Seven and Eight Choruses are preparing for the MIICA festival on March 31, 2017 at the Norwood High School. They will be performing three selections together. This is the first time in many years these choruses are participating in this adjudicated festival. Their performance is from 3:00 to 4:00 that afternoon and parents are welcome to attend the performance. The students will be listening to other area junior high and high school choruses. Being a part of such a festival always uplifts the students, encouraging them to strive for higher standards. Seeing and hearing other young musicians who choose to sing together is also encouraging to our vocal performers. Hope to see you at both of these events!
Mrs. Evans - Orchestra
Bravo to the Blake Orchestras for their Side-by-Side performance with the Berklee World Strings on February 15th! It was a wonderful 2 days of stretching our musicianship through improvisation, new styles and bow techniques like chopping!
Science
Many of our Blake science students are busy preparing for the second annual science fair. This event will be held in the library/cafeteria on Friday March 6th at 4:00pm. Students participating will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts to answer a question that has perplexed them and we are excited to see their work!!
Grade 6 science students participated in a self-guided tour of the school's hallways to illustrate the Earth’s 4.6 billion in existence, while learning about the key biological and geological events of that time through QR scanned videos. After having ventured into the virtual world of Earth’s Geologic Time Scale, we are now "digging a little deeper" into the geological aspects of Earth's timeline. Using Explain Everything activities students explored the concept of Continental Drift. Currently students are beginning to write scientifically, using a cross curricular graphic organizer, to analyze the evidence supporting continental drift
Grade 7 science has finished exploring the structure and function of DNA, as part of our study of heredity. We enjoyed making both two and three dimensional models of DNA, dissecting a flower and completing Punnett Squares to predict the probability of outcomes of different traits in the offspring. We even examined some of our own dominant and recessive traits and also identified some of these in our families. We are moving on to the study of the digestive system, with a focus on interactions between this and other human body systems. As part of this unit, students will have the opportunity to do a comparative anatomy study of the digestive systems of worms, dogfish and rats. Students will focus on form fitting function in the digestive system.
Grade 8 science students have been investigating the molecular structure of matter. Students analyzed molecular models, and learned how to describe and approximate the molecular composition of everyday materials and substances such as brass, salt water, and chex mix. This activity helped students understand that different materials possess different properties and characteristics because of differences in their molecular compositions. As a culminating activity, students created molecular models using lego that were captured via 'stop motion' movies on their iPads. The movies were impressive in both the mastery of the content they exhibited as well as the creativity imbued within, and the students really enjoyed making them.
Social Studies
Sixth grade students in World Geography classes recently completed their second standards based essay this year on the impact rivers have on the environment and people. Students focused on the negative and positive impacts humans have on rivers through adaptation. Many students researched topics including hydroelectricity, pollution and aquaculture. The next unit to be studied is desertification and deforestation, and students will research and learn about the positive and negative effects of each of these on the planet. Additionally, students will discuss what humanitarian aid and environmental groups are doing to combat these problems.
In Ancient Civilizations classes, students took part in the annual Geography Bee upon returning from Winter Break. Students had a lot of fun answering geography questions in their Social Studies classes. Winners from each class went on to compete against each other in grade wide competitions. Please see Nat's principal blog for full details. 7th graders will now move into the study of mythology, a unit that will be team taught with the English department. It’s exciting to have students engaging in a fun and interesting topic from the perspective of two different (but closely linked) disciplines. Students created trading cards for Greek Gods and Monsters and played a game in class where they ranked cards and traded them to earn points. Soon, students will be immersed in the most interesting Greek unit.
Winter has come and so students go back in time to the Middle Ages. In 8th grade World History I classes this month, students will study Europe from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. Students will explore how the feudal system worked, and how it ultimately ended. Students will also study the rise of England, and learn how the Magna Carta (1215) eventually impacted the development of the United States. 8th graders will get to use their imaginations and create using historical thinking, as this unit is packed with much group and project work.
Wellness
Health Education
6th graders are continuing to work on the skill of decision making. We are focused on the decision making process, and have practiced applying this process to a variety of scenarios. Part of our study includes looking at the difference between passive, assertive and aggressive personalities. Students are evaluating their own assertiveness and are practicing how to make assertive statements. We have discussed the importance of the decision making process and making good decisions to our health and overall happiness.
7th grade students have continued their focus on the D.E.C.I.D.E. model of decision making where they look to Determine, Examine, Consider, Identify, Decide and Evaluate all aspects of making important, healthy decisions. After discussions about the many decisions a middle school student makes on a daily basis, we have looked at the more challenging decisions to be made with regard to social media, hygiene and peer pressure. Students have created comic books and comic strips to demonstrate using the D.E.C.I.D.E. model with one of these topics.
8th graders are learning about healthy relationships through the practice of decision making and effective communication skills. Activities and topics discussed have included: elements essential to a healthy relationship, how to effectively communicate boundaries, sexually transmitted infections, abstinence, and a review of the reproductive systems. Next, the students will begin a project using the BookCreator App to create a short-story about a decision-making scenario.
Physical Education
February was an exciting month at Blake as our volleyball unit culminated with a grade-level playoff tournament and our student vs staff championship game! Students developed their skills in serving, forearm passing, and setting, all while working on many aspects of teamwork, responsibility, and cooperation through the Sport Education Model.
Social Studies
Sixth grade students in World Geography classes recently completed their second standards based essay this year on the impact rivers have on the environment and people. Students focused on the negative and positive impacts humans have on rivers through adaptation. Many students researched topics including hydroelectricity, pollution and aquaculture. The next unit to be studied is desertification and deforestation, and students will research and learn about the positive and negative effects of each of these on the planet. Additionally, students will discuss what humanitarian aid and environmental groups are doing to combat these problems.
In Ancient Civilizations classes, students took part in the annual Geography Bee upon returning from Winter Break. Students had a lot of fun answering geography questions in their Social Studies classes. Winners from each class went on to compete against each other in grade wide competitions. Please see Nat's principal blog for full details. 7th graders will now move into the study of mythology, a unit that will be team taught with the English department. It’s exciting to have students engaging in a fun and interesting topic from the perspective of two different (but closely linked) disciplines. Students created trading cards for Greek Gods and Monsters and played a game in class where they ranked cards and traded them to earn points. Soon, students will be immersed in the most interesting Greek unit.
Winter has come and so students go back in time to the Middle Ages. In 8th grade World History I classes this month, students will study Europe from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. Students will explore how the feudal system worked, and how it ultimately ended. Students will also study the rise of England, and learn how the Magna Carta (1215) eventually impacted the development of the United States. 8th graders will get to use their imaginations and create using historical thinking, as this unit is packed with much group and project work.
Wellness
Health Education
6th graders are continuing to work on the skill of decision making. We are focused on the decision making process, and have practiced applying this process to a variety of scenarios. Part of our study includes looking at the difference between passive, assertive and aggressive personalities. Students are evaluating their own assertiveness and are practicing how to make assertive statements. We have discussed the importance of the decision making process and making good decisions to our health and overall happiness.
7th grade students have continued their focus on the D.E.C.I.D.E. model of decision making where they look to Determine, Examine, Consider, Identify, Decide and Evaluate all aspects of making important, healthy decisions. After discussions about the many decisions a middle school student makes on a daily basis, we have looked at the more challenging decisions to be made with regard to social media, hygiene and peer pressure. Students have created comic books and comic strips to demonstrate using the D.E.C.I.D.E. model with one of these topics.
8th graders are learning about healthy relationships through the practice of decision making and effective communication skills. Activities and topics discussed have included: elements essential to a healthy relationship, how to effectively communicate boundaries, sexually transmitted infections, abstinence, and a review of the reproductive systems. Next, the students will begin a project using the BookCreator App to create a short-story about a decision-making scenario.
Physical Education
February was an exciting month at Blake as our volleyball unit culminated with a grade-level playoff tournament and our student vs staff championship game! Students developed their skills in serving, forearm passing, and setting, all while working on many aspects of teamwork, responsibility, and cooperation through the Sport Education Model.
Following postural screening, our next unit will be ballroom dance. The three dances our students will be learning are swing, grade 8; salsa, grade 7; and foxtrot, grade 6. You can follow action from health and physical education classes throughout the year on Twitter @BlakeWellness.
Consumer Science
Class routines and basic measuring and cooking skills have been established, and students are now putting them all together to create wonderful meals which can be prepared for nutritious after school snacks or dinners for the family. Ask your child to share their recipes with you, and consider helping them to recreate your own versions at home!
World Language
Sixth grade
In sixth grade French, students are wrapping up their learning on the French calendar, and will soon be starting up the seasons and weather. By the end of this unit, students will be able to give a weather report on French cities around the world.
In sixth grade Mandarin, students are finishing Unit 2 Lesson 3. At the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the nationality of a group of people and obtain basic information about people from a reading.
In sixth grade Spanish, students are ending their study of weather and how to say what they like or don't like to do in certain weather. Frequent viewing of accuweather.com's Spanish language forecast has improved listening skills! In class activities such as "mindreading" (Can you guess how your partner will answer!?) have given our students many different opportunities to show what they are learning!
Seventh grade
The students in seventh grade French have been working with Sports and Activities vocabulary. They can tell which Sports or Activities they participate in, and how often. The students are currently creating puppet shows in groups to incorporate all of the vocabulary in which they will be making weekend plans...I can't wait to see their creativity!.
Seventh grade Mandarin students just finished Unit 6 Lesson 1. At the end of this lesson, students are able to ask and respond to questions about one’s age and grade level, provide basic information about someone’s appearance, and understand schooling in China.
In seventh grade Spanish, students are happy to finally unlock the mystery of verb conjugation! The verb "conjugar", after all, simply means "to play with", and we are definitely playing with these verbs! Our students are enjoying being able to tell what "we" or "they" are doing, and they are solidifying their understanding of the four different ways to say you. We love how easily they are able to extend their thinking at this point in the year telling WHY, with WHOM, WHEN, WHERE and HOW often different people in their lives do a variety of activities.
Eighth grade
In eighth grade French, we are finishing up a unit on "Life in a City", with a focus on Québec. Students are working on a culminating activity where they are creating tourist pamphlets, highlighting some events and places to visit Québec. They will present their brochures to classmates at a "travel fair" in class. Our next thematic unit will be about clothing and shopping.
In eighth grade Mandarin, students are finishing Unit 10 Lesson 3. At the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare drinks and foods and express personal preferences for breakfast foods and drinks.
In eighth grade Spanish, students are really enjoying the clothing unit, they love talking about what they are wearing! Everyone was impressed at how easily they could navigate a Spanish website with our virtual shopping spree to a department store in Madrid and we also enjoyed great class discussions on what a school uniform might look like if we could design one for Blake.
To learn about and celebrate Chinese New Year, our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders made dumplings, sweet rice balls and spring rolls. Dumplings and spring rolls represent wealth, sweet rice balls represents family togetherness. All three foods are must -eat foods during Chinese New Year. Please go to www.medfieldchinese.weebly.com for the videos of making those three foods by our students.
Consumer Science
Class routines and basic measuring and cooking skills have been established, and students are now putting them all together to create wonderful meals which can be prepared for nutritious after school snacks or dinners for the family. Ask your child to share their recipes with you, and consider helping them to recreate your own versions at home!
World Language
Sixth grade
In sixth grade French, students are wrapping up their learning on the French calendar, and will soon be starting up the seasons and weather. By the end of this unit, students will be able to give a weather report on French cities around the world.
In sixth grade Mandarin, students are finishing Unit 2 Lesson 3. At the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the nationality of a group of people and obtain basic information about people from a reading.
In sixth grade Spanish, students are ending their study of weather and how to say what they like or don't like to do in certain weather. Frequent viewing of accuweather.com's Spanish language forecast has improved listening skills! In class activities such as "mindreading" (Can you guess how your partner will answer!?) have given our students many different opportunities to show what they are learning!
Seventh grade
The students in seventh grade French have been working with Sports and Activities vocabulary. They can tell which Sports or Activities they participate in, and how often. The students are currently creating puppet shows in groups to incorporate all of the vocabulary in which they will be making weekend plans...I can't wait to see their creativity!.
Seventh grade Mandarin students just finished Unit 6 Lesson 1. At the end of this lesson, students are able to ask and respond to questions about one’s age and grade level, provide basic information about someone’s appearance, and understand schooling in China.
In seventh grade Spanish, students are happy to finally unlock the mystery of verb conjugation! The verb "conjugar", after all, simply means "to play with", and we are definitely playing with these verbs! Our students are enjoying being able to tell what "we" or "they" are doing, and they are solidifying their understanding of the four different ways to say you. We love how easily they are able to extend their thinking at this point in the year telling WHY, with WHOM, WHEN, WHERE and HOW often different people in their lives do a variety of activities.
Eighth grade
In eighth grade French, we are finishing up a unit on "Life in a City", with a focus on Québec. Students are working on a culminating activity where they are creating tourist pamphlets, highlighting some events and places to visit Québec. They will present their brochures to classmates at a "travel fair" in class. Our next thematic unit will be about clothing and shopping.
In eighth grade Mandarin, students are finishing Unit 10 Lesson 3. At the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare drinks and foods and express personal preferences for breakfast foods and drinks.
In eighth grade Spanish, students are really enjoying the clothing unit, they love talking about what they are wearing! Everyone was impressed at how easily they could navigate a Spanish website with our virtual shopping spree to a department store in Madrid and we also enjoyed great class discussions on what a school uniform might look like if we could design one for Blake.
To learn about and celebrate Chinese New Year, our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders made dumplings, sweet rice balls and spring rolls. Dumplings and spring rolls represent wealth, sweet rice balls represents family togetherness. All three foods are must -eat foods during Chinese New Year. Please go to www.medfieldchinese.weebly.com for the videos of making those three foods by our students.