There is a thrill of uncertainty and emotion that comes with planning a civil discourse curriculum for our middle school students. Adding this new element to our ELA classes has certainly kept me up at night. I feel the urge to engage their minds with issues and conversations that have a direct impact on their lives. I’m also attune to the tumultuous hearts and brains of middle schoolers. Can I trust them to handle hot button issues? I definitely felt my own hands clam up when we approached topics of who’s responsible for the environment, men’s roles in women’s rights, and how to navigate election reporting.
My own bundle of nerves made the resulting conversations taste even sweeter – these kids crushed it. I watched them hear each other’s opinions clearly, disagree in ways that sought to understand, and come to a closer picture of the truth. It made me wish I had a middle school heart and mind. As I placed different pieces of media in front of them, waiting for their response, I was so relieved to see them focus on things that the news often leaves behind or ignores completely. Depoliticized, humanized. They saw everything from a compassionate Cooper School lens, a lens that could admit to being unsure of the answer and commit to learning more, a lens that just wanted to slow down, understand, and help. They bravely requested further discussions on topics most adults would not touch (at least not without the online security of a brazen social media comment on a stranger’s post!).
I urge myself and this whole community to applaud these kids loudly. Ask them about the conversations they are having at school and help them unpack anything that might seem heavy. Let them impress you and teach you and give you the hope you’ve probably been looking for.
-MK
Math:
This week, we reviewed for and took our Unit 1 test on area and surface area. Next week, we’ll begin unit 2 on rates, ratios, and percentages by creating diagrams that will help us better understand ratios!
ELA:
This week, 6th grade readers came to the end of Boy, reflecting on what their annotations revealed about the value and thematic messages of this autobiography. They used their critical conversation skills in civil discourse to discuss the responsibilities we have for the environment and engage in a conversation about media literacy in the news.
Next week, readers will use their annotations from Boy to answer evidence-based short answer questions that demonstrate their deep knowledge of literary concepts. They will take part in their final civil discourse discussions with topics based on student requests.
Social Studies:
Sixth grade had fun learning about the birth of law and order and the beginning of cultures in human civilization. We learned about the first writing system and read the world’s first epic poem about Gilgamesh. Next week we will be moving into the growth of the city-state into empires and how human populations grew and helped trade and ideas grow during this time.
Science:
This week, sixth graders took a quiz on what they have learned thus far in science. They demonstrated their understanding about air being matter, what meteorologists study, and layers of the atmosphere. The sixth graders also started to present their research about the influential scientists that they choose to learn more about. Next week, they will investigate density, air pressure maps, and the difference between mass and weight.
Important Dates:
September 7th – Family Fun Night @ The Charleston Battery
September 13th- Parent Coffee (8:15-9:00)
