Cluster 3

To Parents, Guardians, and Care Takers,

We hope you all enjoy the February Break! Below you will find information on the current curriculum of all subjects and classes. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate on reaching out to any of the cluster teachers.

Thanks!

Cluster 3

Hello Cluster 3 Families!

We have started working with negative numbers! In this unit, students extend what they learned in Grade 6 to add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative numbers. This past week we focused on adding and subtracting.

Students use a variety of strategies and mental models to add and subtract negative numbers.

Lesson 1 builds on students’ intuitions as they explore how the position of a submarine changes if you add and remove floats and anchors.

Lesson 2 bridges from adding or removing individual objects to movement on a number line. Students also notice that starting at `4` and removing `3` anchors (`4-(-3)`) has the same value as starting at `4` and adding `3` floats (`4+3`).

Lesson 3 introduces decimals and fractions into the number line context as students complete a series of challenges that involve moving a bumper a specific distance in order to make a ball hit a star.

Lesson 4 asks students to create their own number lines to reason about and notice patterns in numeric expressions like `7-4` and `4-7` and variable expressions like `x+y` and `x-y`.

Lesson 5 is an opportunity for students to practice everything they have learned as they solve a series of puzzles.

When we come back from break we will focus on multiplication and division. Students extend what they learned in Section 1 to make sense of multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers. Sections 1 and 2 prepare students to solve equations with positive and negative numbers in Unit 6.

Lesson 6 uses the context from Lessons 1 and 2 to interpret expressions like `3(-5)` as three groups of `5` anchors.

Lesson 7 introduces students to a new context for making sense of multiplying with negative numbers: distance, rate, and time on a number line. Students answer questions about what a turtle’s position would have been in the past (negative time) or if a turtle is moving to the left on the number line (at a negative rate).

Lesson 8 extends the context of distance, rate, and time to introduce division with positive and negative numbers.

Lesson 9 asks students to reason more generally about the sign and value of expressions that involve each of the four operations. Students order different expressions from least to greatest based on values for different variables.

Lesson 10 incorporates a similar puzzle element to Lesson 5 as students aim to use positive and negative integers to create the greatest possible value of an expression.

Learning Targets:

- I can explain the fundamental beliefs of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism.

- I can evaluate the effectiveness of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi

We recently learned about three Chinese philosophies and their impact on ancient China and even our lives today. Students also discussed which philosophy they thought would be most effective for a leader to use. Using these ideas, they wrote an argument paragraph about which philosophy they would choose to run the empire if they were an ancient Chinese emperor. This week we moved on to learning about Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi and his leadership style. Students will be evaluating whether they think he was an effective leader or not. This will continue after vacation.

EDL & PHONICS CLASSROOMS - https://www.smore.com/1a8k7

SPECIALIST'S CLASSROOM - The Specialist S'more

READING CLASSROOMS - https://www.smore.com/5r0sb-reading-classes

MS. SORENSON'S CLASSROOM - https://www.smore.com/enhsa

In ELA, students have just finished a rough draft of their first personal narrative. After break we will work on revision strategies and improve our writing in order to emulate our mentor authors.

W.7.3 I can write narrative stories with narrative techniques, appropriate detailed descriptions, and logical sequences.

W.7.5 I can plan, revise, edit, rewrite, or try a new approach in my writing with some help from peers and adults.

Students will be able to…

Describe how elements form bonds.

Investigate how valence electrons relate to chemical bonds.

Describe how elements form bonds.

Investigate how valence electrons relate to chemical bonds.