Cluster 6 Newsletter (11/6)
Nov 7 - Nov 18
Cluster Announcements
Here is the link to the specialist S'more (Music, Tech Ed, Health, Art, Library)
Here is the link to the Reading S'more (for students in Reading classes)
Here is the link to the Wilson S'more (for students in Wilson classes)
ELA
Students are continuing with their whole class novel, Warcross by Marie Lu. I would ask that, if possible, you please check-in with your student regarding their at home reading progress and commitment to keeping up with the daily reading. We are hoping that students will arrive to class each day, prepared for class, by having completed the reading. Click here to see a graph explaining the positive impact of reading just 20 minutes each day.
As we continue reading through our novel, students are working on developing their strength in CER writing. They are using (direct) evidence from the text to support their claim and trying “to reason”- the skill of explaining to the reader how their evidence proves the claim that they have made in their writing. It is a skill that we will practice throughout the year in preparation for high school and persuasive/argumentative writing.
As students are reading, they are focusing on character and setting- but the focus will soon change to include deeper elements of the plot (including conflicts). They have done a fantastic job learning from the mini-lessons included in the unit and hopefully this enthusiasm continues with their learning. I’ve very much enjoyed their engagement during our classwork.
We will continue for the next few weeks with Warcross and finish with a CER for the students to show their mastery (or improvements) in their writing.
Science
Students have just completed an Earth Science Unit Test, a cumulative test which assessed their understanding of all the learning objectives for Term 1. Students had to opportunity to spend more time reviewing and then retake this assessment, if their initial performance did not indicate proficiency with these standards.
Our last assignment in the Earth Science Unit is called the “Landform Life Story.” Students are conducting research to become an expert on a particular landform and then creating a slideshow and model of their landform. Students will present their work to their class on Wednesday, Nov 9. The rubric, which explains how this project will be graded, can be seen at this link: Landform Life Story Rubric
Learning Objectives for the Landform Life Story project:
- I can explain and create models to show how the Earth is a dynamic system.
- I can explain how the movement of tectonic plates created a specific landform.
Math
Algebra students are also learning about rates of change, slope, linear relationships, and "graph stories." This is important material that leads us toward other types of math relationships, and also the topics of functions and predicting data. These math standards are helpful for not only future math, but also science and other fields that might not be immediately thought of as math subjects/fields.
Civics
It’s all about the Election in Civics. Our students have learned tough vocabulary including the words partisan, bipartisan and nonpartisan. They learned about the American political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, and defined conservative and liberal. Then, we learned about the 2022 election here in Massachusetts, making a list of all of the offices and candidates that we will be voting on next Tuesday, November 8. Students are also understanding the 4 ballot questions that we face. We encourage everyone to vote, of course!
We will finish up our Election 2022 unit by understanding presidential elections and analyzing their positions. Students will review the structure of government by creating presentations about people who serve in our government. Then, we shift from modern politics and government to history. Our next unit is all about the Origins of Democracy.
English Language Development (ELD) classes
Here is the link to the ELD Smore, with information about ELD and Phonics classes.