Team Paramaribo
Friday, May 8th
English and Language Arts with Mr. Winston
Congratulations on finishing CAPE testing, team Paramaribo! I know we are all proud of our scholars for their diligence in completing the Math and ELA sections of the exam over the past two weeks.
Next week in English class, scholars will continue our Unit 4 work on Our Changing Oceans by conducting research, gathering relevant information from multiple sources, and practicing how to use evidence to answer a question. On Tuesday and Wednesday, students will complete a Unit Skills Assessment focused on explaining how an article develops the idea that microplastics affect oysters. The multiple-choice section will be scored as a Practice and Application grade in Aspen, while the written response, which requires students to write a CERER paragraph, will be scored as a Summative Assessment grade.
We will also begin planning our Unit 4 Culminating Task. For this project, scholars will create an infographic/poster that raises awareness about one major issue affecting our oceans and proposes possible solutions. As we move into this work, students will focus on selecting strong evidence, paraphrasing important ideas, and designing an infographic that is both informative and visually clear.
I will hold after-school tutorial for English class next week on Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please encourage your scholar to drop in if they need support completing WS assignments.
As always, please ensure your scholar is reading for at least 20 minutes each night. Regular independent reading is one of the best ways to strengthen comprehension, build vocabulary, and reinforce the skills students need to be successful.
Math with Mx. Gomez
Math 6
Accelerated Math 6 Students will have RCT #5 this coming Wednesday and Thursday which covers Area of Parallelograms, Trapezoids, Surface Area of Complex Figures(Nets) and How Many Cubes fit in a Polyhedron. Students will have to explain their process with their understanding of a Net and the shape a net forms.
Math 7
We have began learning about angles in triangles and next week we will build with that for students to begin learning about complementary and supplementary angles, how to find missing angles using equations and learn more about angle relationships. Students will have their final RCT on June 3rd and 4th.
World Geography and Cultures with Ms. Wesselhoft
This week in Geography, students wrapped up our study of economic systems by creating their own original economic systems and exploring how those systems connect to society and government. We also began watching Animal Farm to help students identify and analyze economic ideas and systems in action through literature and symbolism.
We also introduced our next major assignment: the International Museum Project focused on Suriname. Over the next two weeks, students will research a Suriname-related topic of their choice, such as culture, geography, food, religion, wildlife, history, music, population, or daily life. Students will then create a museum-style “artifact” to display and present as part of our classroom museum experience.
This project will be completed both in class and at home. Students will have lessons on expectations, as well as class time to research, plan, and work on their artifacts. They should also expect to continue work outside of class as needed to stay on pace with project deadlines and expectations. Students will be provided with a checklist to help them keep track of important deadlines and project requirements.
International Museum Checklist:
Pick TOPIC and FOUR subtopics - Due: May 12
Did you fill in the topic spaces on the back of your project sheet?
RESEARCH/NOTES from AT LEAST THREE sources - Due: May 14
How many sources did you collect notes from? _______
PLAN – Draft/sketch/outline your project - Due: May 15
PROJECT - Due: May 20
Does your project meet all the MINIMUM requirements? (Title, photos, captions, info)
Does it make sense?
Is your work neat and tidy?
Is it well laid out?
- Completed Final Annotated Bibliography - Due: May 21
Turned in packet/notes with final annotated attached - Due: May 21/22
Here is the new wishlist link if you would like to donate to the Geography classroom.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/O9VNS5ZC4A1S?ref_=wl_share
Earth and Space Science with Ms. Sagan
Hello scientists!
Congratulations on making it through two full weeks of DC CAPE! Last week, students designed, planned, built, tested, evaluated, and presented their Wild Weather Design projects. I was so impressed seeing the different ways that students mitigated damage to their buildings and the creativity in their structures – fantastic job!
Next week, we will be diving into concepts of climate and our carbon footprints. This is a fantastic time to discuss the choices that your family makes to save energy, gas, and material resources with your student. Choices like wearing hand-me-downs, choosing fuel efficient or electric vehicles, using public transportation, and shopping for groceries thoughtfully are all ways that our carbon footprints may differ from one another, and it’s important for students to recognize the patterns in their own lives in order to talk about them during our upcoming Carbon Footprint Formative. This will culminate in a Tragedy of the Commons activity on Friday, May 15th, with the worksheet due on Monday, May 18th.
Alice Deal Middle School
☎️ 202-939-2010