Greetings TMSA 8th Grade Parents and Guardians -
TMSA's 8th grade team would like to begin by thanking you (our amazing parents) and all our 8th grade students for your unfaltering support! We look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the school year and providing the best educational experience possible for our students. We will use this newsletter to provide you with an update on what is going on in the classroom and what will be coming up in the future.
Social Studies – Mr. Lotfy
We are currently finishing our unit on Georgia in the American Revolution (SS8H2: SS8H2 Analyze the colonial period of Georgia’s history.) Students will take their exam this upcoming week. If students can spend 20-30 minutes a day going over their study guide, they will be successful on the exam. Once the students return and complete their exam, we will continue working on units (SS8H3, SS8H4, SS8H5, SS8H6). Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I hope everybody has a safe and wonderful Holiday season.
Math – Mr. Bailey
Math 8: We are currently working in Unit 4, section 1. Standards 8.F.1: Define and identify functions, and 8.F.2: Compare properties of two functions each represented in a different way (algebraically, graphically, numerically in tables, or by verbal descriptions). In Alg. 1 we are on Unit 3, section 1. The standards that are being covered are SSE. 3a & REI. 4b: Factoring and Solve quadratic expressions. Students are asked to complete practice in iReady weekly which shows that they spend 60 mins a week on practice.
ELA – Ms. Ward
Unit 2:
8th & 9th GRADE LEARNING STANDARDS:
CCSS: L.8.4, W.8.10, W.8.6, W.8.4, W.8.3, RL.8.10, RL.8.9, RL.8.4, RL.8.2, RL.8.1
CCSS: L.9.4, W.9.10, W.9.6, W.9.4, W.9.3, RL.9.10, RL.9.9, RL.9.4, RL.9.2, RL.9.1
Students will continue to read Summer of the Mariposas. The first half of the unit will focus on theme in Summer of the Mariposas, with students analyzing how the theme has developed over the text and writing a summary. In the second half of the unit, students write a new scene for Summer of the Mariposas in which they modernize a different Latin American folklore monster as a replacement for one of the other monsters chosen by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. In order to do this...
- Students will research and construct a monster from Latin American folklore to choose.
- Students will track the development of theme in Summer of the Mariposas and write summary paragraphs. Student will research a "monster" from Latin American folklore and will write an additional chapter for Summer of the Mariposas in which the Garza girls encounter a modernized version of this "monster."
- I show empathy. This means I understand and share or take into account the feelings, situations, or attitudes of others.
- I behave with integrity. This means I am honest and do the right thing, even when it’s difficult because it is the right thing to do.
- I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.
- I show compassion. This means I notice when others are sad or upset and try to help them.
- I can persevere. This means I challenge myself. When something is difficult or demanding, I keep trying and ask for help if I need it.
- I can collaborate. This means I can work well with others to accomplish a task or goal.
- I can take responsibility. This means I take ownership of my ideas, my work, my goals, and my actions.
- I can take initiative. This means I see what needs to be done and take the lead in making responsible decisions.
How can you support your student at home?
Watch films and research on the internet with your student to find out more about Latin American myths and legends. The novel your student is studying references a number of different mythological figures. Build background knowledge on this topic by discovering together the details of the figures named in the novel.
Read chapter books with your student and discuss the point of view of characters within the book. How does the point of view differ from your own perspective? What effect does that have on you as a reader? Discuss the themes that are revealed in the books and how the author has introduced and developed these themes.
Homework
- IXL – personalized each student learning to their academic level of understanding with comprehensive K-12 curriculum, individualized guidance, and real-time analytics that meets the unique needs of each learner.
- Write an objective summary for chapters 13, 14, & 15
- Write a narrative that shows a series of events that happens in a plot.
Research reading: When not reading the anchor text, your student is expected to independently research the topic by reading topic-related books of his or her choice for approximately 20 minutes each day and responding to a prompt of choice in the front of the independent reading journal. These are usually books your student will bring home from school; however, they may be topic-related books chosen by the student at the public or home library. Prompts for independent reading can be found in the homework materials provided.
Vocabulary Logs
Academic vocabulary: Words you might find in informational texts on many different topics. For example, the words evidence and rationale are words that could be found in books on any topic (See Interactive Notebook/Class notes).
Domain-specific vocabulary: Words about a particular topic. For example, the words tadpoles, frogspawn, and amphibian are some that would be found on the topic of frogs (See Interactive Notebook/Class notes).
CULMINATING ACTIVITY:
Project Based Learning (PBL) Task:
- Students will read different lyrics and analyze the meaningful work from a list of selected music artists.
- Students will develop a custom music playlist that portrays the development of themes and/or characters over the course of the created story (narrative storyboard).
Science – Ms. Stepp
In Science Class, students are in the middle of the Forces and Motion unit, where they are learning to identify Newton's Three Laws of Motion. The students have been in the Innovation Science Center, working through demonstrations on the Laws. At home, you can ask your student if they notice any of Newton's Laws in your home and they should be able to point a few things out! In the coming weeks, students are doing labs, choice boards and stations to further their understanding of Newton’s Laws and Gravitational force. We will be completing all physics concepts this semester including Energy, Waves, Electricity and Magnetism. Students will begin to use Progress Learning (formerly USA Test Prep) to practice standards-based GA Milestones style questions for each standard.
Check this activity out that you can do at home!- https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/popsicle-stick-chain-reaction/