7th and 8th Grade
PCCS Newsletter 12/04/2020
Good Evening and Happy Friday,
I hope everyone was able to have an enjoyable, socially distanced Thanksgiving. I know it’s cold out but let’s continue to make sure everyone is still getting plenty of off-screen time, whether they stay inside or bundle up and head outside. Just two more weeks until Winter Break!
Math with Mr. Hershiser:
7th Grade Math:
Students in 7th grade A and B math have both started new units recently and had their first quiz of the trimester today. 7A’s quiz was on addition and subtraction of integers and using number lines. 7B’s quiz was on finding the circumference and area of various circles.
8th Grade Math:
Students in 8th grade A and B math have both started new units recently and had their first quiz of the trimester today. 8A’s quiz was on transformations and translations of figures along a specific vector. 8B’s quiz was on solving two-variable equations and graphing inequalities.
Science with Mrs. Jackson:
7th Grade Science:
Your child has most likely been talking to you about intestines, stomachs, and other parts of the digestive tract over the past few weeks. This is because we are finishing up our digestive system portion of our human body systems unit. Students have been working hard over the past week and a half to create digestion stories in a format that works best for them. So far I have gotten comics, diaries, stop motions, animations, and more! I am really impressed at all of the hard work your kids have put into this project. Next week we will move into the cardiovascular system and respiratory system and will finish up with the nervous system before break!
8th Grade Science:
At this point, your child has probably been tinkering away with random strands of holiday lights and has been yelling at burnt out light bulbs. We are wrapping up the electricity portion of our electricity and magnetism unit. Your child has built a model of a home, gotten the blueprints approved, circuitry inspected, and had the stamp of approval by a realtor. These projects are due today, I am impressed with the work that I have seen thus far. Your kids have been really taking to the challenge of building at home! Next week we will start into magnetism which will end before break.
ELA with Mrs. Stewart:
7th Grade ELA:
The last two weeks will go by in a hurry! Students have chosen topics for their pro/con debate with their partners and are starting their research. We will be working on citing sources, choosing relevant evidence, counterclaims and rebuttals, and writing an introduction. Most of the work should be done in class. The rough draft will be due Monday, Dec. 14, and the final draft and our online “debate” will be Wednesday, Dec. 16.
8th Grade ELA:
Two more weeks and lots to do! Students will finish up their Holocaust unit books and discussions, and continuing their explorations of all three. This week, we learned about how Art Spiegelman uses graphic novel techniques to tell a story visually; next week we will take a virtual field trip to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, and we also will watch an interview with Elie Wiesel as he returns to Auschwitz. Finally, we will have our test on Monday, Dec. 14.
Social Studies with Mr. Flood:
7th Grade SS:
2/3 of the way done with the constitution unit! Students finished their second quiz and grades are starting to be posted. The last third of the unit will be over the amendments, and we will be focusing on how the amendments impact their lives! We will be finishing up the unit just before break with the third quiz and any needed retakes that may come up. Students are doing great with the mostly in-class assignments— most of what we do is completely in class, so hopefully they are able to keep up and turn them in!
8th Grade SS:
In 8th grade, we just wrapped up our WWI CER. This one was tricky— but many students took advantage of the resources posted online and time to work with teachers and did great! The next two weeks will be a whirlwind of World War One! (say that five times fast!) We will be learning about how World War I was such a different type of war, studying trench warfare, and learning about the consequences of WWI. We should be having a test right before break if everything works out nicely!
We’re off to a great start of this second trimester. Winter break is just around the corner and will give the kids a much needed break from all the screentime. Next Friday there will be one last materials pick-up of the year, a reminder email will surely be sent out. Take care.