8th Grade Learning Previews - December 2018

8th Grade Learning Previews - December 2018
Posted on 12/18/2018
Science
Mr. Suchy | [email protected]
The 8th graders just wrapped up their climate change unit with presentations about how they would solve specific climate change problems in a country of their choice. Across the board students did an amazing job of coming up with creative and effective solutions that could help change the direction of our planet. Ask your student about their project, you will be impressed! Next we begin our investigation of Physics. Students will be studying Newtonian force and motion for the next 6 weeks. Students will be performing various hands-on activities to experiment and learn about how force and motion affect their daily lives and then engineer solutions to problems presented by forces in our world. Have your child point out the forces acting on you and your family everyday. 

Math (On-Grade Level)
Mr. Jose Oliveira | [email protected]
Last week we began our unit on solving linear equations. Students are learning how to solve an equation algebraically so that both sides of the equation remain balanced. We will continue our work on solving linear equations after the break and begin our unit on systems of linear equations. Be sure to ask your student what must be done to keep an equation balanced. Additional math help is available Tuesday-Friday mornings before school (starting at 8:00 AM) and after school (by appointment). 

Accelerated Math Pathways
Mr. Jose Oliveira | [email protected]
Over the last week students have been working on scatter plots and their best fit lines. We have been analyzing scatter plots to predict future and past values in our data. We will continue after break working on statistics before venturing into functions and volume. Be sure to ask your student about the different types of association bivariate data has. Additional math help is available Tuesday-Friday mornings before school (starting at 8:00 AM) and after school (by appointment). 

English Language Arts
Mr. Saveriano | [email protected]
Come 2019, 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 will enhance 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 to discuss with you these thought provoking questions. 

Social Studies
Mr. Thomas Trainor | [email protected]
8th Grade Social Studies will begin our exploration of the Middle Ages in the European context. Students will approach the reorganization of Europe as a challenging and necessary time of turmoil. The tenets of Christian belief and practice, in concert with the rigid social and political structures of the period, became the foundation of repression that catapulted Europe into an era of change. The birth of modern capitalism, rise of the university, and escalating holy wars have left an enduring and tumultuous imprint on our world today. Students will address and comprehend diverse historical narratives, value judgements and contexts. 8th Graders will write a historical argument with a clear thesis statement and evidence from primary and secondary sources. We will be grappling with these essential questions during the unit: What role does religion play in daily life and structures of societies? How can the time period between 400 and 1400 in Europe be considered a “dark” age? What is the legacy of this time period? Ask your student what their thoughts are about these questions.
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