Middle School Highlights
Red Hill Lutheran School
Trimester 1 ~ 2021
With Gratitude and Thanksgiving!
Among those blessings are YOU: the students and families that we serve each day. We feel that we are called to a ministry and work each day to provide the best learning experiences we can for our students and for the glory of God.
As we close the first trimester of the 2021-2022 school year, we would like to share some of the great lessons students have had so far this year. We encourage you to read to the end for a sneak peak of what's coming next!
We pray that you and your families have a Blessed Thanksgiving!
Blessings!
~Mr. Brenner, Mrs. Bridgman, Mrs. Coggins, Mrs. Jirjis, Mr. Smith, and Mrs. Tarkoff
Bible
3-Act Trifold
Creation, Fall, Redemption
Student Presentation
History
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Language Arts
6th Grade
7th and 8th Grade: Dystopian Literature
For a culminating activity, students applied for jobs and learned about freedom of choice in "The Ceremony of 12." This led to a comparison between Totalitarianism and Democracy and gratitude for our God-granted blessings of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Besides literature, students also developed their speaking, grammar, and writing abilities though a variety of hands-on, interactive learning experiences. They discussed literature through Socratic Seminar, argued for their Utopian Societies, used "brushstrokes" to paint pictures with words through Image Grammar, and wrote memoirs relating personal experiences.
Job Application and Interview
Novel Tie-In Simulation
Interview Activity
Social-Emotional Learning
Social Awareness: Philanthropy
Relationship Skills: I Messages
Self-Awareness: Word Portraits
Self-Management: Goal Setting
Self-Awareness: Short Story Connection
Self-Awareness: Spiritual Gifts
Math
6th Grade
Students worked on various operations with decimals during Unit 2, Lesson 5 in Math 6. They learned to multiply and divide positive rational numbers fluently and to solve problems involving multiplication and division of fractions and decimals.
As an extension activity at the end of the unit, students participated in writing their own real-world problem that included using any operation with decimals that included a multi-step problem.
7th and 8th Grade
Algebra students paired their understanding of linear relationships with their creative writing skills to create awesome (and sometimes hilarious) stories to match a graph. Students were given an opportunity to dramatically read their stories to their peers.
Pre-Algebra students explored the variety of God's creation as they created posters containing tables, equations, and graphs that illustrate an animal's top speed. Students shared their completed works and biblical integration pieces with classmates.
Robotics students have been busy all year but just recently wrapped up their first automation challenge: a sign for "Smith's Donuts" to help my company attract more customers. Students had an opportunity to display their unique creations with other students and parents before our Thanksgiving chapel.
We're looking forward to all that Trimester 2 has in store as we continue to explore God's wondrous creation!
Science
6th Grade
Understanding Earth
6th grade learns about God's Creation on Earth with movement and projects. With Tai Chi, students learn about Science (Convection Currents) and exercise mindfulness (Social Emotional Wellness). Students also learn about the beauty of God's creation with cross-curricular travel brochures about Earth's spheres that mix Science, Language Arts, and Fine Arts.
7th Grade
In recent studies of ecosystems, 7th Grade students learned about underwater ecosystems using a virtual reality experience that took them face-to-face with Great White Sharks, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Killer Whales, prehistoric Mosasaurs and more. Exploration includes visits to coral reefs, deep sea vents, and open ocean aquatic systems. A few brave students, even ventured outside of the Great White Shark diving cage. Yikes!
8th Grade
Learning Physics - Coding and Exploding
8th grade created, compiled, and ran programs in Python to calculate force, kinetic energy, and potential energy. However, as great as it is to learn science using a practical 21st century skill, actually seeing these concepts in action (and calculating kinetic and potential energy) with exploding watermelons, pumpkins, dragon fruit, pineapples, and coconuts is much more fun and tasty!!! FYI, the cycle was completed as leftovers were used for compost for the RHLS garden.
Coming Soon: The Global Gingerbread Project
We are pleased to share an exciting new project-based learning experience: "The Global Gingerbread Project."
Students will be working in Bible and STEM to research the theme: "Good People are Everywhere." Specifically, they will be looking for locations in Tustin where good work is done at nonprofits, civic organizations, and businesses.
Research and planning will be done in Bible and STEM class and will culminate with students building gingerbread models of important locations in Tustin where good is done by good people. The build will be during our middle Christmas Party in the CLC on Friday, December 17th.
We are excited to see what the students come up with!
Coming Soon!
Here is what students can look forward to in the second trimester!
- Biblical truths that will guide them for traits of wisdom with obedience, reverence, loyalty, and gratitude
- Evidence that God exists
- A closer look at the Trinity
History
6th Grade
- Ancient China- early dynasties and achievements (including the Great Wall of China)
- Ancient Hebrews- King Saul, King David & King Solomom; Jewish Beliefs, Traditions & Holy Days
7th Grade
- Asian Civilizations Unit
- China- Chinese Inventions, The Forbidden City
- Japan- Art & Culture, Samurai
8th Grade
- U.S. Constitution
Language Arts: Argumentative Writing and Debate
6th Grade
- "All Summer in a Day"
- Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief; Mythology Study
7th Grade
- The Christmas Carol, "The Gift of the Magi," "The Treasure of Lemon Brown;" Philanthropy Unit
8th Grade
- "Flowers for Algernon"
- The Diary of Anne Frank
Math/Robotics
6th Grade
- ratios and proportional relationships
- understand and solve percent problems
- generate equivalent numerical expressions
Pre-algebra: Probability Carnival Games
Algebra: Barbie Bungee Jump
Robotics: Annual Robotics Drag Race
Science
6th Grade
- Web page design, Intro to Code Design (Water Cycle Algorithm and Pseudocode)
- Weather and Art (JMW Turner, Storm Artist)
7th Grade
- Cell models
- VR Studies of Human Body Systems
- Web page design
8th Grade
- Google Site Web page design, Navajo Codebreakers and American Sign Language (Signals, History, and Communication)
- Career Studies (A Day in the Life of a Google Hardware and Software Engineer)
- Light and Faith with David Crowder's SMS Shine (Student/Parent Biblical Integration and Science/Art/SEL assignment)