Advisory Update

In Middle School Advisory, the students continue to focus on food and food related issues.  After a highly successful potluck lunch, in which kids contributed dishes that were either cultural traditions or family favorites, we went on to discuss local issues such as food deserts and food swamps.  We read this article: http://theweek.com/article/index/218167/americarsquos-food-deserts and discussed the following question:

Meet the Madisons—a family of five with three young children. Mrs. Madison wants to make dinner for her family and decides she wants to make a fresh and healthy meal of barbeque chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, and a side salad. She does not currently have any of these items in her home. Think through the following questions, then write your responses in your journal.

This produced some good conversation about access to food when considering that not everyone has money, transportation, or even utensils to cook a meal.

To follow this discussion, three speakers from Common Pantry talked to the kids about the services that they provide for people in need right here in the neighborhood.  NPES has run several food drives for them and plans to be further involved.   The speakers were impressed with the excellent questions that were asked by the students.  

Scott Best, Common Pantry Director, speaks to middle schoolers about the services that the pantry provides.

Gorgeous Gourds in Art

The 7th graders recently finished a one day drawing of autumn gourds. They worked from several color photos of gourds and learned how to use a view finder to isolate a portion of their photo to further abstract the image. They used chalk and oil pastels to add volume and color and were encouraged to use some surrealistic colors. I think they are beautiful!

 This week we will start Illuminated Letters and hopefully be able to squeeze in another Renaissance project in preparation for the Renaissance Festival in late November.

The Renaissance

This week, the 7th graders began their Renaissance unit.  We will begin the unit by discussing the causes of the Renaissance in Italy.  Next week, students will learn more about their projects for Renaissance Festival.  Each student will be working on biographies of an important person or city during the Renaissance.  You will get to see their hard work at the Renaissance Festival on November 21.

Week 10: 7th Grade Science

Week: 10

Topic: Project Fair

Dear Parents,

For the four next weeks the 7th graders will concentrate on their Project Fair experiments.  I will keep you posted each week of their progress.  My goal is to have the experiments completed by Thanksgiving, enjoy the holiday, use the remainder of the time to create the project board, and their presentation.

Sincerely,

Mr. T

7th Grade Fall MAP Testing 10/23 and 10/29

The 7th graders will participate in MAP testing on 10/23 and 10/29. The reading test will be given in Language Arts on Thursday 10/23. The math test will be given on Wednesday 10/29. Mrs. Smith will proctor the math test since Mr. Hotaling will still be out. Scores will be available for parent teacher conferences.

"PE Shorts" Tuesday 10/21/2014

Hello 7th Grade Parents,

As the first quarter is wrapping up we are finishing up our unit in football.  Frisbee ended a few weeks ago and since then we have spent a lot of time working on running football routes, and throwing and catching footballs. Last week the kids were split into small groups where they had to create their own football skills drill and then teach it to the rest of the class. As this week wraps up we will be heading out to the playlot to play some football games in the nice Autumn air.

-Mr. Hirsch

Week 9: 7th Grade Science

Week: 9

Topic:  Energy Transformation and Conservation

Objectives: 

Describe the transformation of energy between potential and kinetic energy.

State the law of conservation of energy.

Essential Question:

If energy isn’t created or destroyed, then where does it go??  

Key Terms:

energy transformation

law of conservation of energy

matter

friction

This week the kids will use the motion of a pendulum to reinforce their knowledge of mechanical energy and how it related to their roller coaster project.  

Differentiated Instruction:

visual

Upcoming:

***Project Night***

Completed 

Project Selection

Journal Materials

Key Terms

Observation, Problem &Problem Question

Note Cards

Bibliography

Title Page

Table of Contents

This Week

For Next Week

Hypothesis

Materials and Procedure

End of the Middle Ages

The 7th graders are finishing up their unit about the Middle Ages.  Last week, the class learned about major events like the Hundred Years War, the Magna Carta, and the Black Death.  This week, they learned about the Spanish Inquisition and the Reconquista.  They will take their chapter 18 test on Thursday.  Next week, we will start our Renaissance unit.  That unit will conclude with a Renaissance Festival.  Mark your calendars for Friday, November 21 at 1:30.  All families are invited to attend.

Questions for your 7th grader:

• What caused the Black Plague?
• What event of the Middle Ages do you find the most upsetting?

In Europe, 1/3 of the population died from the Bubonic Plague.  To show what that fraction looks like, 1/3 of our class found black dots underneath their desk.  These students acted out the symptoms of the plague.

7th Grade Language Arts: Personal Narrative Writing Project

Dear 7th Grade Families:

Your student is about to embark on a Narrative Writing Project, during which he or she will write a personal narrative based on a family member’s life experiences.

Your student will create a series of questions and then use those questions to interview an older relative. Once the interview is complete, the student will create a personal narrative essay to help tell the relative’s story. 

In class, students will develop questions for the interview, review each other’s work, and share what they have learned.  

I am asking you to help your student select a family member for this project and provide assistance in arranging the meeting. This meeting can take place in person, over the phone, or by using Skype, FaceTime, or email. While it is not your responsibility to conduct the interview, you may assist by recording the interview with a video camera or tape recorder.

When students learn about the memories of other people, it can help them become more thoughtful readers and writers in other contexts. With this activity, students will also gain a better appreciation of how daily life has, and has not, changed over the years.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Payne

Advisory Potluck Lunch

Thank you to the middle school parents for supporting the Advisory Potluck Lunch today. The advisors and kids had a great time sharing culinary experiences and dishes. Each advisory group had their own wide variety of food. From stuffed clams to eel, cupcakes to popcorn, Tzatziki to samosas, Packzis to pigs in a blanket, and red beans and rice to pizza, students ate experimentally and enjoyed one another's treats. #NPESSharkPride

 

Maypole

In 7th grade we are continuing with our Renaissance music unit by learning the Maypole. The Maypole was used in Germanic Paganism to celebrate the new spring.  Typically performed on May 1st, or May Day, the colors represent the new colors and vegetation that are woven together every spring.  The class first learned five basic moves; then, they created new moves for our upcoming routine.  To the left is the ribbon result of a basic move called the "Gypsy Tent" or "Gypsy Tent."

The 7th grade Maypole dance will be performed at our 7th grade Renaissance Festival on November 21 at 1:30.

Week 8: Making a Roller Coaster

Week: 8

Topic:  Design and Build a Roller Coaster

Objectives: 

The objective for the students is to design and construct a roller coaster that uses kinetic and potential energy to move an object along the entire track without stopping.

Essential Question:

What is energy and how can it be transformed?  

Key Terms:

energy transformation

law of conservation of energy

matter

friction

This week the kids will plan, build, and analyze a roller coaster no wider than 2 meters, include 3 hills, and a curve or twist.   

Differentiated Instruction:

creating plans

making modifications

data collection

data interpretation

video and oral presentation

Upcoming:

***Project Night***

Completed 

Project Selection

Journal Materials

This Week

Key Terms

Note Cards

Bibliography

Title Page

Table of Contents

For Next Week

Begin planning the experiment

Late Middle Ages

This week, the 7th graders are learning about several major events in the Middle Ages that changed the social and political landscape of Europe.  They learned about how the Magna Carta influenced government in medieval England and about how it still impacts us today.  Later in the week, they will learn about the Hundred Years War and the Black Death.

Questions for your 7th grader:

-What does Habeus Corpus mean?
-What rights did the people of England gain as a result of the Magna Carta?

Students got into groups and discussed the benefits of the new rights granted in the Magna Carta:

¡La clase de español!

The theme for 7th grade's Spanish unit this quarter has been Mi comida favorita- My favorite food.  We have been mastering new vocabulary related to food and interrogative words and learning how to say foods we like and do not like using the verb gustar.   

Last week the class practiced their speaking skills by surveying their classmates about whether they like certain foods or not.  This week we've practiced using the vocabulary and verb gustar in context by reading a dialogue about shopping in the grocery store. Additionally, the class is learning how to conjugate -er and -ir verbs. 

Today we had several visitors for Grandparents and Special Friends Day.  The class showed the grandparents what we like to do best in Spanish- play games!  

First the students played Matamosca- Flyswatter.  In this game 2 people have their backs against the board, when I count to three they turn around, I say a Spanish vocabulary word and the person to slap the correct picture first receives a point for their team.

Then our grandparents joined the 7th graders and played a game of Papa Caliente- Hot Potato.  During this game the class is separated into small groups and each group is given an item. I turn on music and when the music stops, the person holding the item has to say what the word is in Spanish. Here are some pictures of 

Next week the 7th grade will begin reviewing for their unit test which will be in 2 weeks!

Gender Groups in Advisory

In Advisory last week, girls and boys were separated for two sessions in which we discussed the definition of "Bystander," Upstander," and "Whistle Blower" in reference to various situations.  The kids were given scenarios and discussed what they might do - stand by and do nothing, approach the person/intervene themselves, or talk to an adult.  Next week, the advisories will be doing a similar activity with their "Little Buddy" groups (without being divided by gender.)  The middle schoolers have already created scenes that they will act out for the younger kids and discuss their various roles.  This lesson is helping to bring home the point that even if a situation is not happening to them, they can still help.

Chuck Close portraits almost done!

The seventh graders are winding up their self-portraits in the style of artist Chuck Close. Everyone has a very different color scheme and painterly style. They really represent both the appearance and the personality of the artist. They look great and now we are ready to move on to get ready for the Renaissance festival.

Week 7: Energy: What is work and power?

Week: 7

Topic:  What is Energy?

Objectives: 

Identify when work is done on a object.

What is power?

Calculate work and power.

Essential Question:

What is the difference between work and power?

Key Terms:

work

power

joules

This week’s labs will allow the kids to build on their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy and discover what work and power are and how they are calculated. 

Differentiated Instruction:

Developing hypotheses

Kinesthetic

Logic/Math

Data Interpretation

Graphing

Upcoming:

Next week we will explore the pendulum and the transfer of energy. 

***This week kids will begin to prepare for their  Science Fair project research.

7th Grade Language Arts: Elements of Stories Unit

The 7th grade strange and mysterious short stories are really coming together.  Students have been enjoying the opportunity to create creepy stories just in time for Halloween!  Students will participate in a revision and editing writing workshop on Wednesday to improve their stories.  This unit will come to a close within the next week with the final draft submission and the final test.

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.

The Crusades

The 7th graders are now in their late Middle Ages unit.  We spent last week discussing the growing power of the pope in Europe.  This week, students are learning about the Crusades.  This morning, the 7th graders experienced the 4th Crusade through a "choose your own adventure" style simulation.  Students choose what they would have done during several points of the journey.  Later this week, we will discuss other events in the Middle Ages such as the One Hundred Years War and the Black Plague.

Questions for your 7th Grader:
-What happened during the 4th crusade?
-Do you think the Crusaders made good decisions?

 Students discuss their decisions during the Crusader simulation

The completed Coat of Arms are hanging up outside the Social Studies classroom.  Stop by to see your child's shield!