Cluster Four Update
February 17, 2023
Cluster 4 Math Class with Mr. Martin (updated 2/16)
Hello Cluster 4 Families!
We have started working with negative numbers! In this unit, students extend what they learned in Grade 6 to add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative numbers. This last week we focused on adding and subtracting.
Students use a variety of strategies and mental models to add and subtract negative numbers.
Lesson 1 builds on students’ intuitions as they explore how the position of a submarine changes if you add and remove floats and anchors.
Lesson 2 bridges from adding or removing individual objects to movement on a number line. Students also notice that starting at `4` and removing `3` anchors (`4-(-3)`) has the same value as starting at `4` and adding `3` floats (`4+3`).
Lesson 3 introduces decimals and fractions into the number line context as students complete a series of challenges that involve moving a bumper a specific distance in order to make a ball hit a star.
Lesson 4 asks students to create their own number lines to reason about and notice patterns in numeric expressions like `7-4` and `4-7` and variable expressions like `x+y` and `x-y`.
Lesson 5 is an opportunity for students to practice everything they have learned as they solve a series of puzzles.
When we come back from break we will focus on multiplication and division. Students extend what they learned in Section 1 to make sense of multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers. Sections 1 and 2 prepare students to solve equations with positive and negative numbers in Unit 6.
Lesson 6 uses the context from Lessons 1 and 2 to interpret expressions like `3(-5)` as three groups of `5` anchors.
Lesson 7 introduces students to a new context for making sense of multiplying with negative numbers: distance, rate, and time on a number line. Students answer questions about what a turtle’s position would have been in the past (negative time) or if a turtle is moving to the left on the number line (at a negative rate).
Lesson 8 extends the context of distance, rate, and time to introduce division with positive and negative numbers.
Lesson 9 asks students to reason more generally about the sign and value of expressions that involve each of the four operations. Students order different expressions from least to greatest based on values for different variables.
Lesson 10 incorporates a similar puzzle element to Lesson 5 as students aim to use positive and negative integers to create the greatest possible value of an expression.
Science with Ms. MacAulay
As we continue learning chemistry, students are researching a specific element and then creating either a Superhero or Supervillain based on their element’s physical and chemical properties. They are in the midst of the project right now, so ask them about their element! The final project is due this week and students will showcase their work with a project exhibition.
Chemistry Learning Targets:
Recognize that there are more than 100 elements that combine in a multitude of ways to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we encounter.
Differentiate between an atom (the smallest unit of an element that maintains the characteristics of that element) and a molecule (the smallest unit of a compound that maintains the characteristics of that compound).
Give basic examples of elements and compounds.
Differentiate between mixtures and pure substances.
Recognize that a substance (element or compound) has a melting point and a boiling point, both of which are independent of the amount of the sample.
Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
Social Studies with Ms. Lorigan (2/16/23)
We are finishing up our third unit of study in Social Studies class on religion and culture. The unit question is, “How do beliefs shape the way people live?” Students have completed a research project (just yesterday!) on ancient Greek mythological allusions. Students have looked for pop culture references, digitized books, and through newspaper databases and dictionaries, for how their allusion shows up in our modern language and the myths from which they originated. They have made Instagram-style carousels to inform viewers about their allusions. Check out IG@wmscl4 for some samples.
Students are continuing to work on many important social studies skills: executive functioning, nonfiction reading, map-reading, using multiple sources, using a table of contents in a book, and extracting key information as it relates to the learning targets. Students are able to access the social studies content through complementary texts and videos on Google Classroom.
Learning Targets:
I can explain how religion influences how people live.
I can recognize and explain connections from ancient Greek and Roman mythology to modern culture 🦉 ⚡️🔱
English Language Arts with Ms. McDonagh
Social Issues Book Clubs: To culminate our Social Issues Book Clubs, students shared their final projects in a showcase. What a great way to share all of the hard work, and symbolic thinking and inspire each other to read other book choices.
Narrative Writing: Last week, we started our narrative writing unit. Students previewed the unit standards and completed a self-assessment and reflection to be aware of their growth as learners. For each portion of this unit, we will begin with a mentor text, then write a short personal narrative emulating the author’s style, structure, and language. This week, we read “Showering with Spiders” and students began drafting their own true stories of an encounter with a critter. We are hearing about some funny and outlandish stories of students' interactions with snakes, caterpillars, ducks, bears, and more. It is a fun way to get to know each other as we play with creating students’ own voices in their writing.
Independent reading is a focus again this term. Every day, students' homework is to read for 20-30 minutes per day. With this pace, students usually complete close to 100 pages per week (which varies with how dense the text is on the page.) Students can use support at home with independent reading. Consider reading the same book as your student, reading your own book alongside them, or reading to them.
Mentor Texts RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning, tone, or mood, including the impact of repeated use of particular images. RL5 Analyze how aspects of a literary work’s structure contribute to its meaning or style Independent Reading RL10 Independently and proficiently read and comprehend literary texts representing a variety of genres, cultures, and perspectives and exhibiting complexity appropriate for at least grade 7.
Narrative Writing W3 Write narratives to develop experiences or events using effective literary techniques, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an appropriate narrative sequence. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and figurative and sensory language to establish a mood that evokes an emotion, to capture action, and to convey experiences or events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. W4 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W5 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. b. Demonstrate the ability to select accurate vocabulary appropriate for audience and purpose (as described in Language Standards 4–6 up to and including grade 7).
L1 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking; retain and further develop language skills learned in previous grades. a. Use phrases and clauses to communicate ideas precisely, with attention to skillful use of verb tenses to add clarity. L2 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing a. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., a fascinating, enjoyable movie). b. Spell correctly, recognizing that some words have commonly accepted variations (e.g., donut/doughnut).
Language-Based English Language Arts with Mrs. Sullivan
The class can identify adverbs and prepositional phrases in sentences through modeling, guided, and independent practice. Online text training reinforces these concepts by giving students the opportunity to attain mastery. Students continue to color-code topics, key details, and elaborations in a paragraph. This practice emulates CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) writing in all academic classes. As readers, the students monitor their understanding of the informational text by making predictions and asking questions to determine what has been answered (5 W’s). The students will continue to reread the text “Jazz: The Journey” to develop a critical understanding of non-fiction writing.
Learning Targets:
Demonstrate a sense of the purpose and function of adverbial and prepositional phrases.
Refer to details and examples in a text when answering specific questions about the text.
Cite text evidence in support of what the text is saying explicitly.
Follow multi-step directions.