Team Berlin Update 31
March 28, 2025
Earth Science with Ms. Ballantine
Hello scientists!
This past week students explored heat transfer in air, water, and land and how heat transfer and density cause ocean currents with several labs. They also completed their Term 3 Roots summatives! This wrapped up our mini Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate unit. Next week we will begin our Weather and Water unit by learning about how heat transfer causes phase changes, which is key to understanding the water cycle. Students will complete an activity following water throughout the water cycle and will end the week with a reading. Term 3 is ending soon on April 4th. Students need to complete ALL late work for the term by this date or sooner in order to receive credit for the work.
If you are curious what Ms. Ballantine was up to the week before last in Costa Rica, you can check out the blog from the trip (which has lots of pictures!) here.
Math with Mr. Brown & Mr. Gawthrop
Math 6
This week students worked on solving and graphing one step inequalities as well as comparing integers. This week students will work on comparing and converting positive and negative integers and fractions. Included in our virtual classroom is a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics website curriculum dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home. Students will continue to be provided the opportunity to retake recently taken assessments during iRecess at their request.
Math 7
This week students worked on identifying statistical questions, and also calculating mean, mean, and mode. This week students will work on drawing and interpreting box plots and interquartile ranges (IQR) Students will continue to be provided the opportunity to retake recently taken assessments during iRecess at their request. Included in our virtual classroom is a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics website curriculum dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home.
Please encourage students to utilize the “Parking Lot” in class to leave questions or requests (ie. retake requests) Notes and videos on current/previous/upcoming concepts as well as supportive platforms can be found in the virtual classroom (www.framevr.io/brownmath)
Any questions or concerning SMAC Program invitations should be sent (and will be forwarded) to DealSummerMath@k12.dc.gov
Language Arts with Ms. Byrns & Mr. Gawthrop
This week students read a huge chunk of Inside Out & Back Again while also working on writing narratives. Students practiced using complex sentences in our writing (see Winter’s notes in the picture to the right).
Next week we will finish Inside Out & Back Again and students will complete a narrative extension.
Looking forward to May/June, I’d love to end the year with some book groups. We will be focusing on fantasy or science fiction that follows the “Hero’s Journey.” If you have any of the following titles at home and ready to be donated (or spot any in a little free library) we would appreciate as many copies as we can get our hands on! Thanks so much!
The Sisters Grimm, Michael Buckley
Keepers of the Lost Cities, Shannon Messenger
Aru Shah and the End of Time, Roshani Chokshi
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Percy Jackson & The Lightening Thief, Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson & The Sea of Monsters, Rick Riordan
The Wild Robot, Peter Brown
Land of Stories, Chris Colfer
The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau
Amari & the Night Brothers, B.B. Alston
Katy Byrns
Geography with Ms. Trenkle
This week in Geography we continued our study of economic systems through stations, case studies, formatives and feedback, and review games! Students took their Unit 6 Summative on Friday.
On Tuesday, during advisory, the 6th grade had the Geography Bee! Team Berlin Geo Bee participants were: Alex EM, Owen G., Kieran R., Konstantine K., and Zain A. All did a great job in answering local, national, and global geography questions! A special congratulations to Geography Bee winner: Konstantine K.!!!
Next week we will start the week with a virtual field trip with the National Portrait Gallery. We will be working on looking at portraiture and global citizenship as part of our next unit the Americas. Students will ultimately create a portrait of a global citizen and write a letter to them. All 6th grade students will have their virtual pre and post lessons before spring break and will have a due date of their portrait and letter after spring break.
We continue with our CEA endeavors. We have now had 20, so next week students will look at the last 10 that they did and analyze them for trends and connect them to our IB framework. Students will have a day in class next week to write and what isn’t finished will be due on Friday, March 4.
Last year I was asked by a parent for a list of books that her daughter might read if interested in other parts of the world. This summer I started, and over break I finished, a list of books. Students are welcome to use the list, but it isn’t required. Students who would like to can participate in our Geography Passport Reader Assignment and collect stamps for reach of the continents they read a book about. I’ve attached the list here, as well as the passport (which I will give a print out of if a student is interested). Happy reading! :) Geography and Young Adult Books.pdf
Please find Team Berlin photos of our students in action here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1g5IRuBxGAvG9 It will be updated as we go along!
Team Berlin’s Playlist can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6XGJMmooyuna2fwFQ9pj9A?si=416e41ad228f4c11
German Club @ Deal
Would you like to learn German and find out more about German-speaking countries? The German Club meets every Thursday from 3:30 -4:30 pm in W103. Please contact igenzel123@gmail.com if your student is interested.
Library Corner
Learn about the great things happening this month at Deal's library. Check out great books and media, read about events at Deal and around the city, and stay connected with Deal's Library:
