Upcoming events:
- Conferences coming up the week of February 10th-14th. Typically spring conferences are done as needed or wanted. More details to come.
Reading/Writing
Content
Students have chosen the section of The Omnivore's Dilemma they are most interested in, and they are working in literature circle groups to read and comprehend their chosen section. This week, students will look at author's point of view and tone in nonfiction.
Essentials Qs to ask at home
What type of meal are you reading about this week? What has surprised you from The Omnivore's Dilemma? How do you determine an author's tone? How can you tell if an article is informative or persuasive?
Math
Content
This week we're starting our Geometry unit. We'll start off on Monday with a review of finding area of composite shapes (triangles, rectangles put together) and then on Tuesday well look at shapes on a coordinate plane. Wednesday and Thursday we'll look at finding missing angles when lines intersect. Finally on Friday we'll look at what angles and lengths we need to create triangles. Phew it will be a busy week but I love teaching Gemetry! Sometimes students who have struggled with other units really get to shine in this unit.
IXL skills to do at home
IXL W.17 Find measures of complementary, supplementary, vertical and adjacent angles
Essentials Qs to ask at home
Explain the relationship between complementary, supplementary, vertical, and adjacent angles. Can you draw some intersecting lines and show me?
Science
Content
Scientists have started Week 2 of the Earth Science unit. Last week they set up their notebooks and read about the 5 layers of the Earth. This week we are investigating plate tectonic theory, looking at how the continents and ocean on Earth is changing. They will be examining evidence for Pangea, and writing an short argument for plate tectonic theory.
Essentials Qs to ask at home
What did the Earth look like in the past? How is it going to look in the future? How do we know this to be true?
Social Studies
Content
We are on week 2 of Unit 4, Diseases & Disasters. This week we'll be investigating historical pandemics, the written and archaeological record they left behind, and what lessons we can draw from their spread and impact. We'll be looking specifically at the Plague of Athens, Justinian's Plague, the Black Plague and its recurrences in Europe through the 1600s, and the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918.
Essentials Qs to ask at home
What pandemics have typically impacted humanity the most? How do humans respond in the face of disasters? What do you think you would do in a situation like the ones you studied in Social Studies this week?