7th Grade MP3 Campus

School Data is open on the 1st for parent reviews. These are due by the 5th. We hope the cut and paste grade level newsletter will be helpful to supplement your remote learning plan reviews. Thank you for submitting in a timely manner and if you need help, please reach out to your SLPC.

Topics: Number Sense

Activities: For September, students completed their iReady diagnostic assessment for Fall, and we started our first unit. This month, we revisit the concept of integers (positive and negative numbers). We started off by reviewing order of operations and adding and subtracting rules for integers. We practiced both skills in multiple variations. Next month, we will continue the unit, looking at multiplying and dividing integers.

Teacher Tip or Reflection Questions:

Teacher Info: Mrs. Alexander, halexander@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: About Me, Dear Mrs. Oscarson, Acrostic Poetry, Fall Cinquain Poetry, Ten Things I Did NOT Do This Summer, iReady Testing

Activities: Writing classes are off to a great start at MP3! We spent our first day talking about classroom routines - emphasizing our overarching goals for the year to BE BRAVE and BE KIND. As the ‘big kids’ on campus, we talked about ways we can be a good example for the younger grades. Then we dove right into our first writing project called About Me. This provided an opportunity for students to write about themselves and learn about the people they share tables with. To practice our letter-writing skills, we replied to an introductory letter from Mrs. Oscarson. Next, we created acrostic poem banners with our names as the anchor word to describe ourselves and brighten the room. An important part of narrative writing is brainstorming ideas so we practiced by making a list of ‘Ten Things I Did NOT Do This Summer’. We shared our lists with classmates and then picked one to develop into a story. Then we tackled the challenge of learning the pattern of a cinquain poem. The topic was ‘autumn’ and it was a good way to practice descriptive writing and follow a poem sequence. Students drafted 2-3 examples in their notebooks and then picked their favorite to share on the poetry wall. Two days were spent on the iReady diagnostic test. Students worked hard and now their iReady lessons contain personalized instruction that focuses on the specific skills they need to learn. Adding these lessons to your at-home practice can be a great way for students to concentrate on particular areas of need.

I am thrilled to partner with you in your child’s learning. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Teacher info: Mrs. Oscarson, roscarson@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics:Classroom Agreement, Expectations in the art room, Art Discussions, Elements of Art: Color, Value, Line, Shape, & Texture; Principles of Design: Movement & Pattern; Techniques: Chalk pastels

Activities: This first month of art class has been a busy one! We began the year by touring the art room and discussing what we want our classroom to look, sound, and feel like. Students helped create specific definitions for the Meridian Mindsets—Caring, Open-Minded, Trustworthy, and Courageous—and agreed to follow these guidelines. Each student then added their name to our bulletin board, creating the message: “We shine brighter together!” (See the picture below!) Every Monday, during Masterpiece Monday, we examine a piece of art and discuss it together. Students share what they notice, consider what the artwork might mean, ask questions, and reflect on how they connect with it. Our first featured artist was Dan Tavis. After discussing one of his illustrations, we read Fluffy McWhiskers: Cuteness Explosion, a story about a character who struggles to make friends. Students explored the different emotions Fluffy expressed throughout the story before creating their own Fluffy McWhiskers with chalk pastels. Our wall is now a true “cuteness explosion,” covered with colorful Fluffys!

Teacher Tip: Ask your student to tell you about their experience with chalk pastels and what their Fluffy’s expression was showing.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Warnock, swarnock@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: 5 Regions of WA, Early Industries in WA, Tragedy at the Whitman Mission, The Treaty Period

Activities: We have gotten off to a strong start in WSH. Students have created a Google Doc that they use to record answers to each of the lesson reviews in the Washington Journey text. This doc will provide a detailed record of the most important people, events and ideas covered in the text. We have been working slowly through the ch. 1 lessons and students built a solid understanding of how Washington's geography has affected the history and culture of the people who call the place home. We created maps of the 5 regions of WA and students used symbols to represent industries and geographic features found throughout the state. We learned about the Native People in the region and compared coastal and plateau tribes. Using lessons from the textbook, we covered the early industries that drew people to WA, which were all based on the environment. Fur traders and missionaries were among the first white people to settle in the region and they were met with mixed reactions from the Native People. Fur traders managed to maintain a positive working relationship with the tribes until the market for fur collapsed. Missionaries had limited success with their mission work but their arrival, coupled with the belief in "Manifest Destiny," led to major changes in the PNW. The settlers brought diseases and new ideas about land ownership that often interfered with Native traditions. We used a terrific series of documentary clips to examine a flashpoint in the culture clash that was taking place, the tragic events surrounding the Whitman Mission. Using info from the video, the text and a reading passage, students were asked to record a series of short term causes and long term causes that led to the massacre at the mission. Examining cause and effect relationships is central to understanding history and in this case it helped us develop an understanding of the attitudes and beliefs that were common amongst early settlers and the Native People in the region.

As we move into ch. 2, students will build a deep understanding of the treaties that were signed with the Tribal People of WA and the mixed legacy of the treaty-making period. We examined the terms of the treaties that were signed by Governor Isaac Stevens and representatives from the various tribes in WA. Students read passages from the perspective of Native Leaders including Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce and Nisqually Chief Leschi. We discussed the false assumptions and broken promises that are associated with the treaties. Through this work, students will gain a sense for how the Native way of life was changed as a result of white settlement and build a more nuanced understanding of the people, events and ideas that make Washington unique.

Teacher Tip: Topics and work we do are shared in Google Classroom. Feel free to ask your student for a peek at what we have done so far. At the end of the semester, students will take a WSH final exam to earn an Educational Milestone so be sure to support them with work at home.

Teacher Info: Reach out if you have any questions.

Mr. Caraco, jcaraco@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Our learning objectives this month were the following:

*A substance is a form of matter with a unique composition and distinct properties.

*Substances can be represented with common names, chemical names, and chemical formulas

*A chemical reaction occurs when substances interact to form new substances (products).

*Demonstrating conservation of matter by balancing equations

Activities: We began an investigation to try and identify two substances that were mixed together in a “mystery mixture.” Students used observation and investigation to try and determine which two substances could be a part of the mystery mixture. Students used magnifying glasses to make visual observations of the properties of the mystery mixture (shape, color, texture, particle size). Students also observed what occurred when they added pipettes of water to the mystery mixture. They saw signs of a chemical reaction. Signs they observed were bubbling, fizzing, temperature change, and color change. Students began the practice of balancing equations to understand the concept of conservation of matter. This will become an independent activity.

Vocabulary: Substance, particle, reaction

Teacher Info: Mrs. DeWaard, hdewaard@meridian.wednet.edu