MS Newsletter
Here's what's happening in MS this week!
April 10, 2017
ENGLISH
6th Grade: This week, students will conduct research on the topic of cellphones in school. After compiling sources, students will present their findings in a research paper that follows MLA citation.
7th Grade: This week, students will continue reading and discussing The Giver. There will be a vocabulary test on the words from chapters 1-6 early next week.
8th Grade: 8th grade English will be wrapping up speeches/essays on Overcoming Obstacles. They are practicing using quotes to provide evidence to back up their claims.
SOCIAL STUDIES
6th Grade: We began our study of Ancient Greece with learning how to spell our name in Greek. We also explored the geography of the area and the challenges that early people faced in surviving there. Next we will be looking at early city-states and different type of government in ancient Greece.
7th Grade: We began our study of Ancient Greece with learning how to spell our name in Greek. We also explored the geography of the area and the challenges that early people faced in surviving there.. Next we will be looking at early city-states and different type of government in ancient Greece.
8th Grade: This week we started learning about the economy and culture in the North prior to the Civil War. Next we will be studying the economy and culture of the South, with a focus on slavery.
MATH
6th Grade: 6th grade had a quiz on Friday over exponents and the order of operations. Ask your child what the acronym Pemdas stands for in our classroom. We will be reviewing on Monday and taking our Chapter test on Tuesday. Next we will be starting a unit that involves writing algebraic expressions.
7th Grade: 7th graders took a quiz on Friday over scale drawings. We will continue to look at scale drawings and how they are used in real life, for example in blueprints. We’ve been using protractors to measure angles and to create triangles. We will continue using protractors next week and begin talking about cross sections and special kinds of angles.
8th Grade: The 8th graders had a quiz on Friday on solving systems of equations using substitution. This week we will be taking the 8th grade M-Step Math (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) on Wednesday. Later in the week we will be solving systems of equations using the elimination method.
SCIENCE
6th Grade: We started to learn about fossils by looking at some examples and discussing how they are made. We will continue our study of how fossils are made and what we can learn from the past by studying them like a paleontologist.
7th Grade: We are studying water quality and how humans use water. Each student group did research on a different water contamination issue in Michigan. Students did an excellent job presenting their research and showing what they have learned. We will soon dive into studying Food Webs. 7th grade will take the Science Mstep next month.
8th Grade: We are studying the layers and composition of the atmosphere. We are learning how temperature and air pressure changes with altitude. Students enjoyed doing hands-on activities these properties of air masses.
SINCERELY,
The Middle School Team
6-7th English: Nic Dziadosz ndziadosz@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
8 English: Amanda Terryberry aterryberry@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
6 Science, 6-7th SS: Sue Goslee sgoslee@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
8 SS: Michele Hinkle mhinkle@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
6-8 Math: Erica Stuck estuck@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
7-8 Science: Clayton Faivor cfaivor@ellsworth.k12.mi.us