Week 6: What is Energy?

Topic:  What is Energy

Objectives: 

Describe how energy, work, and power are related.

Name and describe the two basic kinds of energy.

Essential Question:

What does it mean when you say someone has “a lot of energy”?

This week the kids will create their own lab using the Scientific Method to discover how potential and kinetic energy work.  

Differentiated Instruction:

Observing

Kinesthetic

Data Interpretation

Graphing

Upcoming:

Next week we will explore what the words energy, work, and power mean scientifically.

***This week kids will begin selecting their Science Fair project ideas.

"PE Shorts" Tuesday 9/30/2014

Hi 7th Grade Parents,

As the school year carries on we have completed soccer skills in 7th grade PE and are now moving on with Ultimate Frisbee. Soccer was fun and I have a lot of funny pictures of all the kids practicing soccer headers, just like Ella below. Each class starts with a warm up activity such as juggling (practice at home with your kids), Spikeball, or Atom Ball. In frisbee we are working on a lot of the fundamentals of throwing and catching before we start games. We learned how to throw a backhand first and next class we will learn a forehand or "flick" throw.   We will continue going outside when the weather remains nice enough (frisbee is really difficult in the wind!).

-Mr. Hirsch

New Unit on Algebra

In 7th grade we just started our new unit on algebra.  This week we will begin working on simplifying variable expressions and identifying equations.  We will then begin to solve simple one step algebra equations.  We have a quiz coming up on Thursday.

7th Grade Language Arts: Steppenwolf for Young Adults Opportunity

Steppenwolf for Young Adults is featuring a stage adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel Animal Farm.  The production runs from October 15, through November 9, 2014.  Although we will not be attending this play as a class (since it is not part of the Language Arts curriculum), I wanted to post information about the play for families interested in attending the play on their own.

Here is the play summary:

“George Orwell's revolutionary masterpiece comes to the stage with Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ world premiere adaptation of Animal Farm. After revolting against the reign of their negligent human master, the animals of Mr. Jones’s farm create their own ideal society in which all animals are equal and rules are set by democratic vote. It's all working pretty well, until the allure of power leads the animals to a chilling fate. Animal Farm illustrates how new tyranny replaces old and power corrupts even the noblest of causes.

Here is the link to buy tickets:

http://www.steppenwolf.org/Plays-Events/productions/index.aspx?id=631

7th grade students are continuing to read and analyze classic short stories and they are in the process of writing their own strange and mysterious short stories.

Upcoming 1st Quarter Assessments & Due Dates:

Literary Elements and Techniques Final Test: Thursday, October 9th, 2014

Short Story 1st Draft Due: Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Short Story 2nd Draft Due: Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Short Story Final Draft Due: Friday, October 17, 2014

Language Arts Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:45-8:15 a.m.

Coat of Arms

This week in 7th grade, the students have been hard at work on their Coat of Arms project.  Students learned about how Coat of Arms were used in the Middle Ages as a type of signature and family identifier in an age where few could read.  Students learned about the symbolism behind the colors, symbols, and divisions used in each family crest.  Then, students created their own.  Every part of their Coat of Arms has some sort of symbolism.  Later in the week, we will discuss the Crusades and their effect on the culture of Europe.

Questions for your 7th grader:
-What colors and symbols did you choose for your Coat of Arms?
-What motto did you choose to represent our family?

In library, 7th graders learned how to search in our new online catalog which can be found at npeslibrary.goalexandria.com.  We ran into some technical difficulties but eventually each student will be able to login and reserve books, rate books and review books.
Meanwhile, this week is Banned Books Week.  Brought to you by the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, Banned Books Week celebrates our freedom to read.  Because of the shortened week, we will be paying most of our attention to banned Books Week next week; 7th graders will hear an excerpt by Lois Lowry about the widely varying reactions to "The Giver" when it was first published.  From it begin required reading in several schools in France to it being ordered off the shelves in some California schools, people had a lot to say about this book.  Because the kids have read it themselves, it makes for a very good discussion.  More info can be found here: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org

The 7th graders just finished their first unit on operations with integers.  They need to get their tests signed by Monday.  Next week we will start our next unit on Algebra.  We will begin with number properties and simplifying algebraic expressions.  We will have a quiz Thursday the 2nd of October.

Week 6: 7th Grade Science

Hi Everyone,

The 7th graders just completed their unit on Matter.  Being a short week we will begin our unit on Energy and start discussing "Project Fair."  The unit project for Energy is to design a "Roller Coaster."

More to come next week.

Early Middle Ages

  Last week, students learned about feudalism in Europe.  They each played a role in a simulation where we acted out the parts that each member of the system played in society.  This week, students are finishing up their unit about the early Middle Ages.  They took their test on Monday.  Next week, students will work on their Coat of Arms projects.  Each student will create a shield that represents themselves and their family based on what they learn about medieval family crests.  Check back next week to see their progress.

Questions to ask your 7th grader:

-What part did you play in the feudalism simulation?

-Who do you think benefitted most from feudalism?

7th Grade Language Arts: Short Stories

Seventh graders started writing their own strange and mysterious short stories today.  They are using their knowledge of the literary elements and techniques to craft their own original stories.  Students are continuing to read and analyze classic short stories each week to study the literary elements.

Upcoming 1st Quarter Assessments & Due Dates:

Literary Elements and Techniques Quiz: Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

Literary Elements and Techniques Final Test: Thursday, October 9th, 2014

Short Story 1st Draft Due: Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Short Story 2nd Draft Due: Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Short Story Final Draft Due: Friday, October 17, 2014

Language Arts Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:45-8:15 a.m.

Butterflies and Recorders

We are in the midst of our recorder unit in 7th grade.  As the students are studying Medieval and Renaissance times in Social Studies, we are also studying an instrument that was popular among the people: the recorder.  Students have been learning introductory notes, and in order to have a little fun, they learned a piece called "Butterflies."  Most if not all of our music classes contain some sort of movement, so our class created their own butterfly movements within small groups.  To perform our movements and for me to assess the students' recorder playing thus far, half the class performed their butterfly dances while the other half of the class played. The students then switched roles.  This activity worked on the following skills: playing a wind instrument, recorder technique, following an accompaniment, creative movement, and group collaboration.

Chuck Close in Art

Self-Portraits
The 7th graders are working on their Portraits in the style of Chuck Close. They learned how to enlarge an image in math last year using a grid and we revisit that technique so they can enlarge their photos.  They draw themselves going square by square and next week they will start to paint in the squares. They need to choose a color palette that is either complimentary, warm and cool or analogous colors and they are required to choose one area of their image to fill the squares in with a pattern. 

Chuck Close working on his large scale paintings.


Here are some works in progress and a partially finished portrait from a couple of years ago.

The results for this project are usually very good and students learn a lot about drawing and color.  

Operations with integers and basic algebra

The 7th graders are finished with their unit on operations with integers and basic algebra number principles.  We will continue to work on the codes projects for the rest of the week.  We have a test coming up on Friday the 19th and the alternative assessment is due Friday as well.  There are also two problem of the weeks due on Thursday the 18th.  We will begin a new unit next week.

7th Grade Science: Measuring Matter

Measuring Matter

Objective:  

• Differentiate between weight and mass.
• Identify the units used to express the amount of space occupied by matter.
• Describe how the density of a material is determined.

Key Terms:

• mass 
• weight 
• volume 
• density

This chapter is a review from last year and is preparation for our next unit on Energy.  In the energy unit the kids will be creating a Roller Coaster.  More information to follow.  This Thursday 9/18 there will be a test on Sections 1 and 2.

Office Hours:  Monday 3:30 to 4:30.

Geography of Europe

This week in Social Studies, the students discussed life in the Middle Ages.  We started the unit by reviewing the geography of Europe.  Students used resources all around the classroom to find important places.  The 7th graders then learned about how Christianity was spread throughout Europe by missionaries and monks.  The students also practiced their note-taking skills.  We talked about how to condense information, but still make it useful for studying later.  Later on this week, the students will learn about the social structure of feudalism in Europe.  They will also begin their Coat of Arms project.

Questions for your 7th grader:

- What is life like for the monks on Mt. Athos?
-Of all of the places that you put on your Europe map, where would you like to travel and why?
-Why are the Middle Ages also called the Dark Ages?

7th Grade Language Arts: Descriptive Food Project

The final Food Description Projects were presented and turned in on Monday.  The 7th grade did an amazing job challenging their descriptive writing skills during this project.  Students were feeling super hungry after hearing descriptions of all of the delicious foods.  Some students even shared samples of their food items with the class.  

We are continuing to read and analyze new short stories each week during this unit.  Students will start planning and drafting their own strange and mysterious short stories next week.

Language Arts Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:45-8:15 a.m.

7th Grade Science: Introduction to Matter

Describing Matter

Objectives: 

• Identify the properties used to describe matter.
• Explain how elements relate to compounds.
• Describe the properties of a mixture.

Essential Question:  Why is mass, volume and density important in defining matter?

Learning Modality: 

• Forming operational definitions through labs
• Logic
• Observation
• Kinesthetic
• Math Integration/Ratio
• Visual/Verbal

Differentiated Instruction:

• Classifying Matter

Key Terms:

• atom
• element
• molecule
• compound
• mixture

This week the 7th Grade began their unit on Matter by describing its key components.  This week we will continue with how to measure matter.    Don't forget to review their Ipads for dinner discussions.

Office Hours: Tuesday 3:30-4:30.

Fall of Rome

Last week in Social Studies, the 7th graders picked up where they left of last year and learned about the Roman Empire at its height.  They discussed how the Roman Empire reacted to religions like Judaism and Christianity.  Then, the students learned about the reasons that the Empire came to an end.  Students are spending the first few days this week creating projects about the Fall of Rome.  Students were given a menu of projects that they could choose from.  Later this week, we will discuss the early Middle Ages.

Questions to ask your 7th grader:

• How is the Roman Empire similar to a balloon?
• Show me the video that shows the rise and fall of Rome on a map.
• Which menu product about the Fall of Rome are you working on?

"PE Shorts" Tuesday 9/9/2014

School is now in full swing and 7th grade is enjoying our soccer skills and drills. We have been working on our dribbling and control of the soccer ball. In the next few weeks we will work on passing, shooting, and playing full games of soccer at Welles Park or the playlot when the weather is nice. 

-Mr. Hirsch

All operations with integers

This week in Math the 7th graders will be reviewing adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing negative and positive numbers.  We will be showing visual representations of each of these concepts on number lines, using chips, and real world situations.

We will have a quiz next Tuesday the 16th and a test next Friday the 19th.

My office hours will be Tuesday and Thursday of next week.

7th Grade Language Arts: Elements of Stories Unit

Students are studying the literary elements and techniques during our first quarter Language Arts unit.  The 7th grade unit will focus on strange and mysterious short stories.  We will be reading classic short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, Ray Bradbury, and Roald Dahl.  Students will write their own strange and mysterious story during this unit as well.  

Our first story, “Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed” by Ray Bradbury, required students to think about what life would be like in the future if we had to leave Earth and move to Mars.  Students had to think critically about how they would adapt to the new Martian environment.  Additionally, how would they deal with the changes that are happening to them the longer they stay in the Martian environment?  Ask your child how they would handle life on Mars if they were in the same situation as the characters in the story.

Students will present their Descriptive Food Projects on Monday.  Check back next week for pictures!

Language Arts Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:45-8:15 a.m.

7th Grade Science: Week 1

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend.

This week in science we reviewed our usual "First Day of School" or FDOS stuff, talked about our summer vacations, created our portfolios, and reviewed safety.   The kids did a fun activity called  "Classmate Search" to find out what they will be studying this year.  The first quarter's main emphasis will be on "Energy" its forms and how it works.  Finally, we began defining and describing "Matter."

Something New:  My office hours are on Friday from 3:30 till 4:30.

Something Old:  You and/or your child are always welcomed to see me before or after school (except on Wed. afternoons during Science Olympiad.) Please let me know two days in advanced and what you would like to talk about so I can prepare.  I am still offering test review during recess/lunch period.

One week down and a few more to go.

Sincerely,
Mr. T

Hello From Math Class

Welcome back to another year at NPES!  Last week in Math we reviewed and practiced many of the new procedures that will be in place this year as we are not using Everyday Math in 7th grade.  We also started learning some new math vocabulary and learned about expressions.  This week we are going to be reviewing order of operations, learning how to evaluate expressions, reviewing absolute value and reviewing addition and subtraction of negative and positive numbers.  We will also begin to do some work on our unit project on codes.

Upcoming assignments:

Quiz on sections 1.1-1.4 on Thursday 9/4
Problem of the Week (POW) Due 9/11
Quiz on sections 1.5-1.9 on Tuesday 9/9 or Wednesday 9/10

My office hours are from 7:45-8:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Please send me an email if your child is planning on coming.


                                             WORKING ON A SAMPLE POW IN GROUPS

Welcome to Music!

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Seventh Grade Music!  Within the music classroom, students will be able to show expression and creativity through movement, performance,  and interpretation of music.  The course is cumulative, meaning that we build upon knowledge and revisit topics throughout the year.  We begin the school year introducing basic concepts which we will continue to build on until the students graduate in 8th grade.  Every year we will focus on the five basics of music: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Form and Timbre.  Within the music curriculum, we adhere to the Orff-Schulwerk teaching philosophy which is that children learn through play. (http://aosa.org/)  At any given moment within music class, students will be playing some sort of game, movement activity, or musical instrument.  These exercises are catalysts for creativity and compositions.  Students in all grades will learn improvisation whether it is on an instrument or through movement.  By utilizing the Orff-Schulwerk teaching philosophy and our music curriculum, students are able to achieve the National Standards for Arts Education - Music Content Standards.  

In order to give our students a more well-rounded educational experience, the music curriculum is parallel to the Social Studies curriculum.  While the student are exploring cultures and world events with Mrs. Wells, they will also be experiencing how music is/was used.  The curriculum outline is as follows:

• Medieval and Renaissance Music - Recorders, Hand Drumming, May Pole, and Court Dance

• Baroque Music and Composers - Music Structure, Ornamentation, Story Telling
• Classical Music and Composers - Theme and Variation, Music Structure
• Romantic Music and Composers - Ballet, Orchestration, Use of Dynamics

I am looking forward to a great year in music class!  Please contact me if you have any concerns.  

Sincerely,

Tiffany LaGorio

NPES Music Teacher and Band Director

¡La clase de español!

Dear Parents,
¡Hola y bienvenidos! The 7th grade expectations and curriculum will be more challenging this year. We will begin building on students' previous skills and focusing on the essentials to learning a language: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Students are expected to come to class prepared with a positive attitude, actively participate, listen carefully, work hard, help each other learn, and have fun. Here is a link to see what your child will be learning this year- Curriculum Overview.

My office hours for students to receive additional help in Spanish are Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at anytime- yanics@npeschool.org. I am looking forward to another great year at NPES!

Señora Yanics