Learning Previews - Grade 7 - March 2018

Learning Previews - Grade 7 - March 2018
Posted on 03/15/2018
All 7th Grade Math (On Grade Level and Accelerated Math Pathways): Mr. Devlin

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In our first unit of the month, students learn to understand and use the term “circle” to mean the set of points that are equally distant from a point called the “center.” They gain an understanding of why the circumference of a circle is proportional to its diameter, with constant of proportionality π. Students use the relationships of circumference, radius, diameter, and area of a circle to find lengths and areas, expressing these in terms of π or using appropriate approximations of π to express them numerically.

In our second unit of the month, students investigate whether sets of angle and side length measurements determine unique triangles or multiple triangles, or fail to determine triangles. Students also study and apply angle relationships, learning to understand and use the terms “complementary,” “supplementary,” “vertical angles,” and “unique” (Math Practice Standard 6). The work gives them practice working with rational numbers and equations for angle relationships. Students analyze and describe cross-sections of prisms, pyramids, and polyhedra. They understand and use the formula for the volume of a right rectangular prism, and solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume (Math Practice Standards 1 & 4).

ELA: Ms. Gonzalez

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7th grade readers and writers have been building their background knowledge around various aspects of identity through reading and writing about first person narratives. They then focused on how advertisements use gender roles to sell products. Now they will be reading the play, A Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and will explore how class, race, gender, and occupation can shape individuals’ identity. Readers will conduct several close reads of the text through whole class and small group readings. We will be reading it primarily in class. The study of A Raisin In The Sun will be accompanied regularly by informational texts to allow readers to understand the author’s intent in addressing the dreams of the African-American community in the 1950s (and prior) and the social injustices that got in the way. Readers will be taking notes along the way to write an argumentative essay around character change.

Two essential questions we will be exploring are:
How can individuals redefine themselves?
How does setting affect an individual’s sense of identity?

Ask your child about what they noticed and discussed during our class readings. For homework, readers are expected to be independently reading a book of their choice for 30 minutes and to write a weekly response usually due on Fridays. If your child is having trouble finding a book, our librarian Ms. Musher is a great source. Here is also a list of recent award winners from the American Library Association: www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/books/
top-awards-young-adult-and-childrens-literature-
newbery-caldecott.html

Social Studies: Ms. Motto 

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Students have begun working on their research papers. Students are answering the question “How can people persevere when they face persecution in their lives?” With the help of Ms. Musher students have researched a subject, created virtual notecards, and cited sources. Soon they will begin drafting an outline and study the structure of a research paper. By the end of the unit students will create a 3-5 page paper of their own. Please encourage students to come for help before or after school if they need it. Ask them what they think is most interesting about the person they are researching!

Grade 7 Science: Mr. Mahoney 

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This month in science we continue to work on our Physics unit and our NetPal Science Fair project. Students are now collecting data and will be producing a tri-fold presentation as we head toward April. The driving question of the unit Why do some things stop while other things keep going? We are finishing our first learning set which focused on what determines how fast or high an object will go. Students experience thermal and sound energy as they address the idea that energy can be transferred between systems. Students develop Energy Transfer Diagrams as models to represent and explain energy gained or “lost” in a system. Students conduct experiments that explore swinging pendulums and how different types of balls behave when they are dropped from height. Students will carry out an investigations of energy conversions/ transformations between gravitational, kinetic, elastic, and thermal energy of bouncing and colliding balls. They will analyze the relationship between temperature, thermal energy, and the kinetic energy of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases, identifying temperature and mass as the factors that determine the amount of thermal energy an object has. We are working toward an understanding as to why things eventually stop moving, which is part of the driving question for the unit.
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