Stuck In The Middle!
What's happening in 7th Grade
ELA
This past week, we practiced our close reading skills we are going to be using throughout the year using a news article from the LA times written about Pokemon Go. We even got to come up with an idea for our own Augmented Reality Games! Ask your student about what game idea they created!
Looking ahead to next week, we will be talking all about setting. We will work on a shared reading assignment all week titled "All Summer in a Day", by Ray Bradbury. We will also be introducing our first set of vocabulary root words: hydr, aqua/aqu, mar/mer. Pre-test over setting/plot & vocab words will be given on Monday. Quiz over vocab words will be given on Friday.
We are also beginning a new read aloud in class titled, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Themes that are prevalent in the text include family relationships & loss. This book follows the journey of a 13 year old Native American Girl on the journey to find her mother.
This week we will also begin to discuss expectations we will have when we are in class & meeting in small groups. We will put these expectations into practice by working in small groups throughout the week.
Monday: Pre-test, begin read aloud, Introduce setting & Shared Reading
Tuesday: Setting, hydr-, practice group rotations
Wednesday: Setting, aqua/aqu-, practice group rotations
Thursday: Setting, mar/mer-, practice group rotations
Friday: Shared Reading Assignment Due, Vocab Quiz, setting
Remember, feel free to contact us at anytime if you have any questions.
lthrasher@fulton58.org Ms. Thrasher
mhapner@fulton58.org Mrs. Hapner
tsargent@fulton58.org Mrs. Sargent
Table Top Twitter
Mrs. Sargent dressed up as Ash Ketchum for our first Close Read
Annotating text
Science
My name is Joan Graham and I have just returned to the US from China! I am very excited to be your student's Science Teacher this year! This is my first year at FMS but my fourth year teaching. I graduated from Westminster for my undergraduate and Missouri Baptist University for my graduate degree.
I love the Sciences and am so excited to be teaching Life Sciences to seventh grade! I love the way our bodies work and I can't wait to share that excitement with the students! I am very excited to be making the switch to Standards Based Grading and look forward to all of the hands on activities that will go along with that.
Feel free to follow me on twitter @sciencemsgraham to see what we are up to in the classroom.
Ms. Joan Graham
FMS 7th and 8th Grade Science Teacher
Hi families! This week we jumped into to our Metric Measurement Unit, exploring our previous knowledge about the Standard System and retraining our brains to think like scientists by using Metric measurements! After putting in the hard work and practice of notes and worksheets, your students can look forward to a hands-on Station Rotation on Monday, where they even enjoyed a few treats along the way! Check out some of the pictures on Monday by following me on Twitter @FMSDavison. Here’s next week at a glance: 8/29- Station Rotation Lab Students will put into practice their knowledge of measuring length, mass, and temperature as they rotate through several stations, even getting to EAT some of the things they measure! 8/30- Liquid Volume Notes / Paper and Practical Practice Tuesday will be focused on finishing up the Metric Measurement Notes and then practicing those skills on a worksheet and with a graduated cylinder. Homework might be possible if student does not finish the practice worksheet in class. 8/31- Rainbow Test Tubes This lab will provide a hands on experience with using test tubes and graduated cylinders to find the correct proportion of water and food coloring to create the colors of the rainbow! No homework! 9/1- Reasonable Estimates (Metric vs. Standard) / Paper Practice Thursday will begin with classroom notes to teach strategies to students about making reasonable estimates, such as which metric measurement is most related to a standard measurement. During the notes and after students will practice these skills. Homework might be possible if student does not finish the practice worksheet in class. 9/2 - Bouncy Ball Lab and Metric Measurement Reading Packet This day we will be making our own bouncy balls out of Borax and glue- making sure to use the correct measurements! After mixing together our bouncy balls, we’ll get to see how high the balls bounce and record other quantitative data (mass, volume, etc.). If students finish early with the lab they will begin reading the Metric Measurement Reading Packet, but it will not be assigned as homework.
STEM
Hi families!
My name is Morgan Davison and this is my first year in the Fulton Public School District. I am originally from St. Joseph, MO, just north of Kansas City, and I attended Northwest Missouri State University to study Middle School Math and Science. I’m certified in both math and science, so teaching STEM and Life Sciences is basically the dream! I can’t wait to teach your students how to observe and think like scientists!
Follow me on Twitter @FMSDavison for pictures of #ChalkTalks and our other fun labs and activities!
STEM class is near the conclusion of our Egg Drop Experiment! We took several days this week to develop prototypes and learn the forces of motion at play that we needed to protect the eggs from. After lots of trials, of both failures and successes, today’s Egg Drop was the week’s culminating factor! We had lots of fun crossing our fingers to see if anyone’s design would work!! Check out some of the pictures!
Here’s next week at a glance:
Monday: Wrap up Egg Drop Experiment
Tuesday: Why Do Boats Float? Introduction
Wednesday: Why Do Boats Float? Experiment Day
Thursday: Building Bridges Introduction
Friday: Building Bridges Construction Day
The activities we do in STEM class will be focused on in-class work and very rarely will have a homework assignment to go with it. Sometimes, I do challenge students to try out the activities at home and see what new contraption they can create using materials from home. During these times, I encourage you to partner with your student and see what you can come up with together!
Social Studies
Hello FMS Parents and Guardians!
Seventh grade Social Studies has been the place to be this year! In the first three days, Mr. Krankowski's class focused on teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity. We created balloon towers, guessed what was in a mystery bag, and created trading cards about ourselves. Mrs. Windmann’s class traveled through mission possible stations to learn about growth mindset (GRIT), critical thinking, goal setting, and getting to know one another. We wrapped up the week looking at an artifact (penny) to see what it says about society.
In week two, Mrs. Windmann and Mr. Krankowski's classes focused on map skills. Students reviewed the Five Themes of Geography and depicted them in a comic or illustration. They also got outside into the community to create a map of the area around FMS. Remember to make sure those maps and comics get turned in!
Our focus for week three is finishing up map skills and determining the difference between primary and secondary sources. Check the schedule below for more details.
Monday, 8/29/16-Students will use large dry erase maps to find key map components and locations. Students' will also be completing an activity called "Match 'Em Up". It is homework if it is not finished in class.
Tuesday, 8/30/16-Students will complete activities at different stations around the classroom to help them distinguish the differences between primary and secondary sources.
Wednesday, 8/31/16-Students will complete activities at different stations around the classroom to help them distinguish the differences between primary and secondary sources.
Thursday, 9/1/16-Primary and Secondary Sources Review. Kids will review the importance of the activity from the past two days. The "Identifying Primary and Secondary Sources" worksheet is due today.
Friday. 9/2/16-Students will learn to log into TCI, which is their digital class resource. They will be using it to begin their Geography Challenge, which we will continue in class on Monday.
Best regards!
Mr. Krankowski & Mrs. Windmann
Please like the FMS Social Studies page on Facebook!
Math
My name is Maggie Jackson and I am new to the district. I am so excited to be an FMS Hornet! I am originally from Belle, Missouri and went to college at Mizzou. My goal for students this year is for them to succeed in, and appreciate, mathematics!
Guess what? I’m back guy and gals, my name is Mr. Lorentzen you can call me Mr. L for short. After spending the last two years in the 8th grade teaching math I’m back to where it all started, 7th grade math. This will be my 4th year here at FMS and I have to say I think it will be the best year yet. Not only get to teach this 7th grade group this year, but I’m also the boy’s basketball coach. With a new look and new books there will be a lot of learning on both ends throughout year. Please remind your student to complete homework and remember to have their booklet everyday. Thank you so much Mr.L
Hey folks Mr. Yates here, this is my 11th year teaching math at FMS, 7th year coaching high school cross country, 8th year coaching middle school track. I have an amazing wife with 4 kids and I love fitness and playing music. My goal is by the end of the year is for the students to have a deep understanding of the 7th grade math concepts and have fun during the learning process. They will find practical applications of what they learn in class and be able to use those skills outside of school, as well as carry them into 8th grade and beyond.
What does math class look like?
Class will always start with a bell ringer. Instructions for this will always be on the board. Students are expected to come to class and get started on this immediately (they should be able to complete it in 2-3 minutes). Students should also have their assignment from the day prior out on their desk, so I can check if independent work has been completed.The expectation during this time is for the class to be quiet.
The lesson will begin with a real-world application scenario which students explore and engage with the objective. After that, we will move to the examples, in which the teacher will lead discussion (“I do”). This will last about 7-10 minutes. The expectation during this time is for the class to be quiet.
Guided practice will be set up as “we do,” which means students will be working in small groups or with partners as the teacher moves from table to table to check in with students. Students will also complete the “rate yourself” scale.
Independent practice will be set up as “you do,” meaning students will work on their assigned problems individually. This is based specifically on what certain students need depending on how they did on the guided practice. Students should have time to work on this in class and if they don’t finish it, they are expected to complete it at home. We will check for it at the beginning of the hour the following day. Three incomplete assignments result in a minor infraction.
We will also be doing ALEKS for 25-30 minutes everyday. The objective for each student is to reach their goal on ALEKS. This is also a good time to pull students who are still struggling with the concept of the lesson.
What materials should be brought to class?
-Math book: This book will be needed everyday. They are brand new and students can actually write in them, so it’s important that they don’t lose it because it acts as their notes! This book CAN be taken home and is a great resource if your student needs more practice with the content we learn. We do not want students ripping the pages out of the book. Keeping the pages in the book will prevent lost pages/notes. A picture of the book is located below.
-Composition Notebook: This can stay in the classroom. It is for ALEKS purposes.
-Dry Erase Markers: This was on the back to school list. Students need markers for the personal whiteboards we have in the room.
-Chromebook: Students are expected to bring their charged Chromebooks to class everyday.
-Pencil: Since the books are write-in, students will need a pencil to write with!Monday:
1.3
Converting unit Rates
H/w
Pg.29
Choose any 3
Tuesday:
1.4 Proportional Relationships
H/w
W/s
Pg.18 reteach
Pg.19 Skills
Pg.20 Apply
Wednesday:
PSI
4-step plan
H/w
NA
Thursday:
Quiz
1.1-1.4
H/w
NA
Friday:
1.5
Graphing
H/w
Pg.49
Various problems
Educating, Engaging, and Empowering ALL Learners at Escalating Levels!
#BestYearYet
Email: bhouf@fulton58.org
Website: http://www.fulton58.org/
Location: 403 East 10th Street, Fulton, MO, United States
Phone: 573.590.8200
Facebook: facebook.com/FMS58Hornets
Twitter: @FMS_Hornets