Team Paramaribo
Friday, April 3rd
English and Language Arts with Mr. Winston
We are now one month away from the ELA CAPE assessment (May 4th, 5th, and 7th), and our focus continues to be on building the reading and writing skills students need to be successful.
This week, scholars worked on final drafts of their Literary Analysis Essays for The Giver, responding to the prompt: How does Jonas change from the beginning of the novel to the end? This assignment asks students to develop a clear thesis and three body paragraphs, each with a claim, 2–3 pieces of relevant textual evidence, and reasoning that explains how the evidence shows Jonas’s growth over the course of the story. The final draft of the essay is due Tuesday and will count as a Summative Assessment grade in Aspen. It will also serve as the first assessment grade for Term 4.
I understand that Class Notebook can be prone to glitches when editing at home, so please encourage your scholar to send me a message on Canvas and write their draft on paper if they are unable to access Class Notebook. The following resources are available on Canvas to support students in completing their final drafts:
- The Giver LAT (Literary Analysis Essay) — Microsoft Education > Class Notebook
- PDF copy of The Giver — Announcements > The Giver: Digital Copy
- Note-Taking Graphic Organizer — Homepage > Term 3 | Week 9 > [Complete] Unit 3 Graphic Organizer
Next week, students will complete a Research Simulation Task (RST) as part of our CAPE preparation. Students will read multiple informational texts and view a short video, answer comprehension questions, gather evidence, and write a structured four-paragraph response. This work will focus on strengthening students’ ability to analyze sources, organize their thinking, and clearly express their ideas in writing.
Please continue to encourage your scholar to complete their essay by Tuesday and to read for at least 20 minutes each night. After-school tutorial remains available this week for additional support.
Math with Mx. Gomez
I will be accompanying one of the 8th Grade World Language trips during next week, and likely will not have access to DCPS communications. I look forward to seeing the kiddos after Spring Break, well rested and ready to tackle DC CAPE! ALL Students will receive a DC CAPE Review to work on.
6th Grade Accelerated Math
Students wrapped up this week with Histograms and Bar graphs. They have a BCR covering area and complex figures this weekend. Next week students will work on Dot Plots, Line Plots, they will have a Formative on Thursday and wrap up the week with Box and Whiskey plots practice on Pear.
7th Grade Math
Students ended this past week with a focus on statistical questions, including mode, median, and range. This week they will build on those concepts with mean, as well as interpreting histograms, bar graphs, and dot plots.
Please encourage students to take advantage of afterschool support if they need help completing review assignments or preparing for retakes.
World Geography and Cultures with Ms. Wesselhoft
Almost to a much-needed break! Students have been doing excellent work in Geography. We wrapped up Unit 6: The Americas and completed our Global Citizen portraits and letters. I will include a link to view all student projects in next week’s newsletter—there is a lot to be proud of!
We ended the week with a Geo Bee Round 1 – the top 5 will compete against the other 6th grade teams on Tuesday, April 7th during 6th and 7th period. Top 5, in order: Florence, Carrick, Teddy, Vincent, Aaron.
Next week, we will begin Unit 7: Europe. Students will identify countries, explore key physical features, learn relevant vocabulary, and analyze thematic maps of the region. I am hoping to wrap up the week with a quiz, but we will adjust as needed based on pacing.
Over the break, I will be chaperoning the 8th grade World Language trip to Costa Rica and will return on Friday, April 24th. Please support me by reminding your students of classroom expectations so that the substitute teacher can maintain a positive and productive learning environment.
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!
This past week, students examined and explored weather maps and the information they convey. They made observations of the weather in their weather diaries and interpreted daily weather maps to understand what was causing the weather each day. By applying the concepts of heat transfer, density, and the water cycle, students are now able to understand why the weather is always changing and that these changes can be predicted. They showed this by forecasting the path of warm fronts and cold fronts across the US. We ended the week with students preparing a presentation for a 3-day forecast for a location of their choice in the US, which will be presented on Tuesday.
Next week, students will complete their weather forecasting presentations, take their Amplify post test, and show their understanding of a sea/land breeze with an exit ticket.
Alice Deal Middle School
☎️ 202-939-2010