7TH GRADE NEWSLETTER
October 26, 2018
LANGUAGE ARTS (MS. NUHANOVIC/MRS. MCGEE)
Students are working on their Community Research Paper which is due Friday, November 2. On Monday, October 29, students will be visiting the Public Library during their LA block.
SOCIAL STUDIES
We are completing our study of the Mayan Civilization. Students will be using work they have completed such as the Mayan Background Essay, Documents A,B, and D, and the notes from their Mayan web-day to answer the question: What was the most remarkable achievement of the Mayans? A grading scale will be placed in Canvas. This assessment will be Tuesday and Wednesday. We will be having a food day Thursday and Friday of next week. Students may bring a dish to share with ingredients native to Mesoamerica such as avocado, tomatoes, corn, beans, pumpkins and of course, chocolate. We could use donations of napkins, plastic silverware and paper plates.
SCIENCE
In science, we are working on how the Earth, Sun, and Moon work together to affect moon phases and seasons. As we move on, we will also be looking at solar and lunar eclipses. This week, we are working through a lab about the seasons and looking at how the tilt of Earth affects the seasons.
ADVANCED SCIENCE
We have been working on mutations and how they affect an organism. Last week, we practiced a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) assessment. Students made the claim that mutations can have a beneficial, harmful, and neutral effects on an organism. Then, they had to support that claim with data (evidence) and explain why it was important to the claim (reasoning). This week, we are reviewing cell parts and talking about cellular respiration. We are starting the topic of how energy flows through an ecosystem.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Welcome to computer science! We’ll be using the renowned CS Discoveries curriculum from Code.org. Seventh graders will be:
Practicing typing
Making multi-page websites with HTML & CSS in WebLab
Making interactive animations in GameLab
In addition to (and in support of) technical skill building, our underlying, yet explicit, focuses will be on problem-solving process, perseverance, creativity, communication, and collaboration.
McKinley Middle School
Email: jmason@cr.k12.ia.us
Website: http://mckinley.cr.k12.ia.us/
Location: 620 10th Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Phone: 319-558-2348
Twitter: @CRMcKinleyMS