MS Newsletter
Here's what's happening in MS this week!
March 20, 2017
Dear Parents,
Please check PowerSchool to see if your child has any missing or late work.
ENGLISH
6th Grade: We will continue our work with internet literacy this week, focusing on bias and objectivity.
7th Grade: We will finish our work with arguments of fact/probability this week, culminating in an argumentative in-class essay.
8th Grade: Students are working on a culminating assignment for Soul Surfer. They can either write an essay or give a speech that discusses overcoming obstacles. Each student was asked to research an inspirational figure and find three quotes to use in the assignment.
SOCIAL STUDIES
6th Grade: We wrapped up our Ancient China unit with a test on Friday. Next week we will be brushing up on our geography skills as well as comparing some of the world’s major religions.
7th Grade: We wrapped up our Ancient China unit with a test on Thursday. Next week we will be brushing up on our geography skills as well as comparing some of the world’s major religions.
8th Grade: This week the students studied Jacksonian Democracy, also known as the presidency of Andrew Jackson and his policies concerning the Native tribes. We also learned the sad history of the Trail of Tears. We ended the week with learning about the Texas Republic and the Mexican-American War. On Monday we will continue learning about Westward movement and finish with the test on Wednesday. If your student is in band and traveling to Charlevoix on Wednesday, they have the option of taking the test on Tuesday or Thursday. They should have their complete list of vocabulary words on Friday and they will get a study guide on Monday. They get to use their notebooks for free on the test but have the potential to earn extra credit by not using it during the test.
MATH
6th Grade: We are learning about exponents and how we can write numbers using exponents. We will explore prime factorization and how to use factor trees to find the prime factorization of numbers.
7th Grade: We have moved onto a new unit this week...geometry! Students will be learning how to create scale drawings of objects.
8th Grade: 8th graders are learning how to solve systems of equations. Last week and this week we are exploring how to graph two equations and find their intersection, or the solution, to the problem. Students will have a quiz on Tuesday. Also, if your student would like to retake their last test, Wednesday and Thursday during seminar are re-takes as long as all homework has been completed for this unit.
SCIENCE
6th Grade: We shared our Plate Tectonics Projects this past week and explored different types of volcanoes. We will be wrapping up our study this coming week by discussing what Earth’s surface may look like in the future. We will also be watching Ice Age: Continental Drift before break to critique it from a scientist’s point of view. After break we will be looking at Fossils and Geologic Time.
7th Grade: We are learning about the water cycle and water availability around the Earth. We will study issues such as droughts caused by climate change and pollution from nonpoint and point sources.
8th Grade: Our quiz over Geologic Time will be on Tuesday. The students will be presenting their adopt-an-extinct life form project this week before break.
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