Cluster 6 Newsletter
February 19, 2023
Hello families and caregivers!
Hello families!
Our cluster will be going on a field trip to the Edward Kennedy Institute for the Senate at the John F. Kennedy Presidential library on Friday, March 24. More information will be sent home in early March.
In addition, student-parent-teacher conferences will be held Thursday March 23 and Tuesday March 28. Stay tuned for more information and a link to sign-up.
Best,
Cluster 6 Team
English
Civics
Civics students worked very hard over the past week and a half to practice their Social Studies CER writing. We answered the question, “How did the Iroquois Confederacy influence the U.S. Constitution?” by looking at three sources and drawing evidence from them. Students learned about modern indigenous people and the Iroquois Confederacy. They filled out graphic organizers, came up with reasoning to explain their evidence, and wrote a timed, on-demand five paragraph essay in class. Each student received specific written feedback on their work, and also individually conferenced with me. And all that was just for practice! When we return from February vacation, we’ll work on a graded CER that will be an assessment of the writing skills they practiced.
Now, we’re continuing our study of the Founding Documents by taking a close look at the Bill of Rights, and how those rights and freedoms apply to real-life situations. After break, we’ll look at how the Constitution was ratified, learn about the debate over ratification between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and do a small research project about Shays’ Rebellion, which took place right here in Massachusetts.
Math
8th Grade Math students just completed Unit 4, covering solving equations and systems of linear equations. After February break, we will spend Monday with some last-second review, and take our End Assessment on Tuesday/Wednesday. We will then begin our unit on functions, which is a nice crossover into more algebraic thinking.
The Algebra class just finished learning about difficult rate/time/distance problems, and converting/manipulating formulas. The manipulating and solving formulas is challenging, and will be very helpful for not just math in high school, but also physics. When we return from break, we will begin to learn to solve systems of linear equations, adding in the skill of solving by elimination.
Science
Last week we did a deep exploration of phylogenetic trees, a type of family tree that shows the evolutionary relationships between species, both living and extinct. When we come back after break, we will look more closely at different types of evidence that scientists use to track how species change over time and evolve.
Current Learning Objectives:
5.2 Evidence for Evolution and Phylogenetic Trees
- I can evaluate different types of evidence that show that life on earth has changed over time.
- I can evaluate transitional forms that show the steps from one species to another.
- I can explain how fossils, developmental similarities, homologous structures, and comparative DNA are all used to explain relationships between living things and those that are extinct.
- I can analyze different types of data to compare species and construct phylogenetic trees for many living and extinct organisms based on shared features.
Links to other Smores
Specialist Smore
Use this link to see updates from your students' specialist teachers on their classes!
Reading Smore
Use this link to see updates from the reading teachers on their classes!
Wilson Reading Smore
Here is the link for the Wilson Reading Smore with Ms. Sorenson
English Learner Smore
Check here for updates from our English Language Development teachers Ms. Rix, Ms. Gilmartin, Ms. Campos, and Ms. Schoenbeck.
Contact Info
Mr Cloherty, Guidance: thomas.cloherty@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms Kiernan, Special Education: kathleen.kiernan@watertown.k12.ma.us
Mr Manoukian, Math: aram.manoukian@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms P-K, Science: katherine.poulinkerstien@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms Rix, English Language Development: zara.rix@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms Shock, Civics: laura.shock@watertown.k12.ma.us