The giant push for my little ELA department of one every year is Spread the Word. This year presented a new opportunity to create distinct poetry focuses for each grade that were meant to align with both their grade level standards and developmental interests! It was such a gift to find the heart and humor in 5th grade illustrated poetry, find the bridge between art and words in ekphrastic poetry with 6th, find ourselves in 7th grade identity poetry, and find meaning in rhythm in 8th grade sonnets. No matter what each grade studied, a common thread in Spread the Word is always the golden opportunity to see into the minds of middle schoolers. They are creatures often accused of being unknowable, but I would argue they are longing to be known and offering to be known all the time if we just make the space for it. Adolescent vulnerability can sometimes be veiled in awkward gestures, generational trends, jokes, moodiness, and more, but sometimes it comes sailing profoundly towards us in the form of a middle school poetry share. I was personally reminded of the joy, pain, perfection, peace, chaos, beauty, and fun of being “in the middle.” Thank you for supporting the thoughts, feelings, and imaginations of this tender age simply by showing up and listening.
-Ms. Maggie
Upcoming Dates:
- May 14th – Pass It On at 5:00PM (11:30am Dismissal)
ELA: This week in 6th grade, readers discussed themes about gender, freedom, religion, and history as they were explored in Catherine, Called Birdy. Students began studying the facets of illuminated manuscript making–planning their own spreads that followed the rules of content and form from medieval times! We wondered how themes of the novel could be “illuminated” in our own illustrations and writings. 6th grade also began their final vocab unit of the year!
Next week, readers will finish their novels and finish their manuscript mini projects. Students will take their vocabulary test on 4/30.
Science: This week in Science, 6th graders explored how body systems work together to supply cells with the resources they need. Students measured their resting and active heart rates and paid close attention to their bodies, identifying the different systems involved in delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells.
Next week, students will deepen this understanding by exploring aerobic cellular respiration, examining how cells use oxygen to release energy.
Social Studies: Sixth grade has finished our unit on Greece and Rome and will be taking our test next Friday. We discussed the importance of both in present day society and how the collapse of the empire impacted the world for centuries. We also began working on end of year research papers. This year is a cause and effect paper in which students had to choose from a topic we studied this year. I am looking forward to seeing their growth as writers from last year to now!
Math: This week in math, 6th graders wrapped up their final unit by reviewing for and taking their unit 8 assessment. This assessment tested their mastery of data analysis strategies such as mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, mean absolute deviation, and more! It also tested their understanding of different ways to represent data. Next week, they’ll crush their end of year ERB assessments!
