Cluster 3
If you know, you know!
January Update
To Parents, Guardians, and Care Takers,
What is even better? FOLLOWING THROUGH. We know all of our students are capable of completing work independently. We, as a Cluster, are trying super hard to take responsibility for completing work when it is due. We are trying to master this skill by the end of the year, preparing us for 8th grade!
Please let us know how your student is doing, especially at home. We are here to help via email or a quick talk at school. We understand the struggle of balancing social life and academic life is very tough. We are always here to help those struggling progress throughout the year!
Thanks! Cluster 3
Math with Mr. Casiano
Hello Cluster 3 Families!
We are in the middle of Unit 4: Proportional Relationships and Percentages. This unit is broken up into two sections. Section 1 is Percentages as Proportional Relationships and Section 2 is Applying Percentages. As usual, there will be a quiz after section 1 is completed and a test after section 2 is completed.
Here is a link to our Unit 4 Family Resource Information Sheet.
Below is a further breakdown of the lessons that will be taught in Section 2 of Unit 4: Proportional Relationships and Percentages.
Section 2: Applying Percentages (Lessons 8–12)
Students interpret and solve problems about real-world situations involving proportional relationships and percent change.
Lesson 8 begins by asking students to apply what they've learned in the first section of the unit to solve multi step percent problems in a common context: sales tax and tip.
Lesson 9 is the first of two lessons examining minimum wage. Students use their sense of fairness to decide whether or not existing systems for paying restaurant servers are fair. They then design their own pay system.
Lesson 10 continues to examine minimum wage as students analyze how costs have increased over time compared to wages and think critically about what it means for college and minimum wage to increase by dramatically different percentages over time.
Lesson 11 looks at a different aspect of applying percentages: percent error. Students consider why percent error is useful and practice deciding whether or not a measurement is within an acceptable percent error.
Lesson 12 is an opportunity for students to generate and answer their own questions using real-world data involving percent increase or decrease.
Social Studies with Mr. Kirkaldy
Learning Targets
- I can locate and label important physical features on a map of China.
- I can describe how the physical features of China determined where people settled.
- I can describe how the physical features of China isolated the earliest settlements in China.
This week students have been working in groups to create posters about China that include a relief map showing elevation as well as data charts that describe climate and vegetation of five different regions in China. Students are then using the evidence from this poster to support claims about how China's geography influenced human settlement in the region. Next week we'll be moving on to how we know about the past by "excavating" an ancient Shang Tomb and looking at various artifacts to see what they can tell us about this ancient civilization.
Check out our School Friends' Smores
EDL & PHONICS CLASSROOMS - https://www.smore.com/1a8k7
SPECIALIST'S CLASSROOM - The Specialist S'more
READING CLASSROOMS - https://www.smore.com/5r0sb-reading-classes
MS. SORENSON'S CLASSROOM - https://www.smore.com/enhsa
ELA with Ms. Fitanides
Term 2 ends soon. Please check your student's grades on PowerSchool. I still have several kids who have not completed the Outsiders final project and some haven't completed bell work quizzes.
Students are finishing up their social issues book groups and will complete a final project in class. The majority of students seemed to enjoy their book selections and some groups have been able to complete two books in the allotted time.
In February we begin with a personal narrative writing unit. We will read and analyze two mentor texts. Students will then emulate the writing strategies we identify in their own stories. Since this is a writing unit, students will be expected to read an independent book outside of school on a daily basis to keep up their reading skills. We still have a wide assortment of prizes for book bingo that no one has claimed yet, so if your kids are reading, encourage them to come in and see me for a book chat!
ELA Standards
I can contribute my ideas to a class discussion about a book I've read.
I can identify an author's messages in a text and apply the message to issues in society today.
Science with Ms. Smith
Science
We are deep into our chemistry unit and students can now identify an atom by its atomic number or number of protons. They can distinguish between atomic number and atomic mass and determine the correct numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons. Using this information, students can create an illustration of the atom! They showed what they know on a quiz TODAY. Next week students will be doing an investigation and becoming an expert on one specific element. Once we begin this, please ask them to tell you about their element.
Now that we are halfway through the year, students have settled into stronger academic habits and school behaviors. Encourage your students to continue this focus on their learning and growth!