Art, 7th and 8th grade

Seventh graders are currently working on self-portrait drawings that will eventually become a mixed media piece using several different materials for the final project. Currently students are learning to draw with a technique called "blind contour" drawing. This exercise focuses the attention on the subject rather than on the paper. Students look at themselves in mirrors but are "blinded" to their paper as their sketchbooks are inside of a paper bag. They draw themselves without being able to look at the actual drawing. While many of the students find this technique strange, their drawings actually show much more detail and visual interest. The goal is to learn the skill of observation, a necessity in being an artist!

Eighth graders have just begun a new unit focusing on one of the design elements, that of shape. Students are to chose an organic shape (a shape based on nature) , which will then be the basis for a "stained glass window" piece (although they will be using tissue paper rather than glass). Like the 7th graders, they are also practicing with blind contours drawings as a starting point. This type of drawing exercise is a review for them from last year. In the coming week students can expect to be transferring their drawings onto the "metal" (black paper).

Family and Consumer Education

8th grade -

In Family and Consumer Education we are building, designing, furnishing and decorating homes using (CAD) computer aided design software. Please ask your student to tell you about their progress.


7th grade -

In Family and Consumer Education we have just begun using the sewing machine and are preparing to begin our kit projects. Each child has ordered a project which they are to pay for as soon as possible. Look for some great projects to be coming home in aobut 3 weks.

Literature 8

Quiz on chapters 1-8 today. Enjoy your two days off...see you on Monday!

Science 8

Many students were on the Middle School Honor Roll Trip...the students who remained had extra research time and/or completed missing assignments.

Social Studies 7

Students not attending the ice skating event had another opportunity to work on their history research project. All students must complete an outline for the paper by the end of the day on Monday.

Science 7

Students not attending the ice skating event watched a video about the Grand Canyon.

Algebra, Pre-Algebra, 7th Grade Math

Most students went on a honor roll field trip today. The students that stayed back worked on extra-practice worksheets to hone their math skills on the previous lesson.

Algebra

Worked on graphing inequality linear systems. Homework: Lesson 7.6 Part 1, pages 435-436. Problems 9-29.

English/Lit 7

English -- See Social Studies 7

Literature -- Now that we have completed our investigation of characterization, we are now beginning to look deeply into setting. We began today by looking at the many different ways authors will clue readers into setting in various texts. We will then apply this knowledge of setting to the short story "Raymond's Run," by Toni Cade Bambara.

Literature 8

We corrected questions from Chapters 6-8 today and discussed the main character's adult influences. The students were asked to complete a comparison of Home, Values and Connections to teens for these supportive charcters.

Science 8

Today we went to the computer lab to do research on our "disease" of choice. The students are either working alone or with a partner. They need to find general information on the disease such as symptoms, prognosis, cause (viral or bacterial), duration, and treatment to name a few. We will have more time in the lab on Wednesday and next week. These projects should be finished by the end of next week.

Social Studies 7

Students continued researching their history report topics. By the end of the day students should have a good start on their report outline using the Inspirations software. All student notes and the outline should be saved into a file in the students Home Directory.

Science 7

Igneous and Sedimentary rocks were reviewed. Metamorphic rocks were discussed while students took notes. A review sheet was distributed, completed and collected at the end of the class.

7th Grade Math

Taught ratios today and how to simplified them. Homework: Lesson 7-1, pages 290-291. Problems 14-38 and 40-46.

Pre-Algebra

Went over the creation of rotating polygons 90 and 180 degrees. Homework: Lesson 6-9, pages 302-303. Problems 5-13 and 15-25. Chapter test and quiz next Tuesday.

Applied Math

Students reviewed Lesson 48 - Decimals to Fractions and Fractions to Decimals, then began Lesson 49 which reviewed all the ways we have learned to write division answers (with remainders, as mixed numbers, as decimals, with repetends, or rounded to a certain decimal place).

Today's Assignment: Due In Class - Problem Set 49 (all)

Social Studies 8

Students finished Chapter 3 Section 2 (finally!) with notes. An in class-assignment was given - the assessment questions on page 84.

Science 8

The class completed their Virus Crossword Scavenger Hunt and choose their disease topic for research. We will be in the computer lab on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Assignment: Reading and questions about Viral Structure, Host Cells and Replication. Due Tuesday

Literature 8

The students read chapters 7 and 8 in The Pigman and completed review questions 1-8.

Literature - 7

Today we completed our "Dear Abby" assignment. The students received letters from an anonymous member of the class and had to respond to them using characterization and the careful consideration of perspective.

Many students did an excellent job and finished in a timely matter. For students who did not finish due to an absence, I will allow students extra time to ask questions and complete the necessary work. For students who did not finish because they were not using their computer lab time wisely, they will now have these assignments as homework.