Learning Previews - Grade 8 - March 2018

Learning Previews - Grade 8 - March 2018
Posted on 03/20/2018
Math (On-Grade Level): 
Mr. Jose Oliveira
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We have been working on our short exponent unit. Students have been learning about the properties of exponents and how to apply them to various situations. Over the next week our focus will turn to geometry, more specifically the Pythagorean Theorem. Students will find the Pythagorean Theorem to be applied and more hands-on. Students will take a cumulative assessment on March 28. Review/extra help is available before school and on Tuesday after school. Be sure to ask your student what it means to have a base raised to a power/exponent.

Accelerated Math Pathways: 
Mr. Jose Oliveira
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Last week we finished up our polynomials unit. Students now have a good foundation of factoring as we dive deeper into our quadratics unit. We will learn the various forms that a quadratic function can be represented. Students will take a cumulative assessment on March 28. Review/extra help is available before school and on Tuesday after school. Be sure to ask your student what happens to a factored polynomial when the greatest common factor isn’t found.

Science: Mr. David Suchy 

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8th graders are continuing their study of genetics. Students will now investigate the importance of variation in populations through the lense of natural selection and evolution. We will continue to have our scientist volunteers from the Broad Institute helping us deepen our understanding every Wednesday. Students will also be looking ahead to the Harvard science showcase and start planning their projects. You can start brainstorming ideas with your child or ask what in class projects they could use for the science showcase.

English Language Arts: Mr. Saveriano 

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Before MCAS takes hold (the week after April break), our 8th graders will navigate through the pages of John Steinbeck’s controversial and captivating novella entitled Of Mice and Men. Since this novella is blanketed with profanity, racism, and violence, we are currently enhancing our background knowledge of America in the 1930s in order to be informed and educated readers. As explorers of the past, we are examining the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, segregation, and the plight of migrant farmworkers. As readers of the novella, we will analyze the following lines of thinking: Why are dreams important to live successful and fulfilling lives? Is the “American Dream” just a dream and not a reality? What constitutes a genuine friendship? How important is it for human beings to have a place where they belong? How is the world designed to prey on the weak? How can innocence be a form of corruption? Does society encourage or discourage loneliness or isolation? Engage your reader with these thought provoking questions.

Social Studies: Mr. Trainor 

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8th Grade historians are fully engaged in our exploration of Mesoamerican civilizations. Students will evaluate characteristics of different civilizations to better understand other cultures and our own. We are currently working on our second analytical essay unit of the year. Students are grappling with the question: Should historians emphasize agriculture or human sacrifice when presenting the Aztecs? 8th Grade historians will write a historical argument with a clear thesis statement and evidence from primary and secondary sources. Additionally, we are investigating the contributions of the Mayans and Incas to our modern world. Ask your student what they think should be emphasized when studying the Aztecs.
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