Autumn is in the Air!


For many of us, October marks the beginning of autumn. Fall break, crisp mornings, Halloween, and changing leaves give my midwest heart loads and loads of joy. During a conversation with a few fifth graders, we were discussing our favorite parts of fall – all of which had the underlying theme of fall colors. The fall color-scape is one of the most diverse of the year, and we love being surrounded by it.


This is exactly how I’ve felt about the students here in the first few months of the year – so overjoyed and lucky to be surrounded by such uniqueness and diversity. October is bound to be full of new life, diversity, and uniqueness in the TCS middle school! Like the changing seasons, I am stoked to continue to watch these students grow into the amazing humans they are destined to be.


-AG




Here’s a look at what is happening in each of the classes:


What’s happening in Science?
Seventh graders explored how models help scientists learn about terrestrial planets. They modeled how the surface of the Earth changes by using a water table, sand, and water source. They were able to observe how water erodes the land and creates channels. They were able to utilize that information after actively reading about a model a scientist created to learn more about terrestrial planets. By correlating their experience with the article, the seventh graders considered the importance of scientific models to help us understand phenomena that can’t be observed directly. Next week, they will continue their study about terrestrial planets, as well as finish up their Ted Talk projects.

What’s up in Math?
Students continued studying figure dilation this week! They applied their understanding of dilations to analyze the similarity of two polygons, specifically triangles. Next week, students will begin learning about the slope of a line on a coordinate plane, what the slope means, and how to write an equation for a line.

What’s happening in ELA?
Seventh graders worked hard on the heart of writing this week: rewriting. We considered how to elaborate on important parts and add more meaning to revisions. Writers tackled writing techniques like playing with syntax and pacing, and even adding symbols and imagery to our realistic fiction.

Next week, students will make final touches to their stories after returning from Fall Break. We’ll celebrate our original narratives by publishing them to the google classroom, sharing them with our peers, and displaying them in the classroom.

What’s going on in Social Studies?

This week seventh graders began the week prepping for their colonial assessment that they took on Tuesday. Students then were introduced to the Revolutionary War unit by discussing the French and Indian War leading into the causes of the American Revolution.

Next week, the students will dive into the Revolutionary War and be asked to analyze portions of the Declaration of Independence. Students will also be challenged to compare the readiness of war from the Continental Army and the British Army and debate on who was more ready to begin this war.

Important Dates:
October 9-10 – Fall Break (No School)
October 11 – Cooper Clusters
October 18- Parent Lemonade (2:00-2:45)
October 31 – Halloween Carnival (½ Day)
November 1 – Teacher Work Day (No School)