Math:
7th graders tackled two-step equations this week including equations involving integers and writing equations. The 8th grade took the week to learn and practice solving equations with variables on both sides. Algebra had lessons over slope-intercept form and standard form, x and y intercepts, and horizontal and vertical lines.
Humanities:
What an exciting week as students started the final section of their Uprising novels! The fire was raging, and the students started to evaluate the characters to begin the writing process for their final projects: writing literary essays. We began by looking at the effects of the strike in the novel on each of the three main characters. This exercise served as a chink of their prep work for the project.
We also went over and built upon our language learning practicing with the vocabulary and defining the denotation and connotation of words. We used those terms to define the language usage in our poem the New Colossus. Students took that information and applied to revising their own sonnets about welcoming people to America. It’s a long process and students will be able to display their final results with their Theme paintings of the Statue of Liberty. The results showed great depth and wonderful ideas by all students!
Theme:
Our investigation into 19th and 20th century immigration took us to the last leg in the travellers’ journey: the move into ethnic neighborhoods and settlement patterns that affected the assimilation of new workers into US society. Students started the week by completing their final notebooks tasks and finishing projects from our Ellis Island experience. We then moved to outlining the characteristics of various ethnic neighborhoods in New York City including Chinatown, the Five Points, and Little Italy.
Student groups then planned and created “remnants” from those neighborhoods: items, sights, sounds, and experiences that would be seen, heard, tasted, smelled, or touched during the turn of the 20th century. We simulated the journey of “Lena”, a young Russian immigrant who joined her brother Isaacx in the United States, moving into a tenement building, and finding work at a garment factory. We are gearing up to complete our quarter one project focusing on the Immigration Journey, with partners making plans for their presentations on October 8th.
Humanities students, at top, transition to their work session while writing sentences from vocabulary. Above, students begin the process of sonnet revisions.
Research and debate dominated the beginning of the week in Theme class. At top, the 8th grade students work to finalize their team name in the traditional activity of community building. Above, students dive deep into the ethnic neighborhoods of turn of the century New York City as they investigate the lives of immigrants for their quarter projects.
At top, students recreate a 19th century map of New York City for our mini-project. Above, research led to the creation of neighborhood “remnants”, images of life in those locations.
At top, students recreate life in immigrant neighborhoods in New York City. Above, play at Brentwood park received rave reviews!
7th graders working on finding which pretend student was correct on a He Said, She Said.
