This unit in ELA is all about Shakespeare and sonnets for every grade! As students began sonnet writing this week, I thought it would be fitting to write a sonnet about learning at The Cooper School.

Shall I compare school to a big textbook?
Middle school has more pages to flip through.
It’s pages more than words with closer look
The final page turns, lessons stick with you.

One poor chapter may carry a dark stain,
It’s but bacteria ripe for study.
Another excerpt vandalized in vain,
S’deep knowledge hidden behind the muddy.

Once extra weight to a droopy backpack,
Now stored in one’s head, new knowledge so light.
I’m happy to share the greatest life hack;
Those gritty, dull pages when read, shine bright.

The great textbook that is course after course
is middle school magic gathering force.

We’re in the nitty gritty of February work. Spring Break still feels far away. We’ve all kept our heads down in the daily grind of learning, but so much new knowledge and wisdom is filling these kids’ brains, even if they haven’t yet ‘looked up’ to notice it! Their work is magical and lasting!

MK



What’s happening in Social Studies?
This week eighth graders completed their World War 1 unit with an assessment that challenged them to show their understanding of the content! This assessment led to the transition of the interwar period. We discussed the various Russian Revolutions that were taking place, and the Great Depression!

Next week, we will finish the Great Depression studies before diving into Facism! Students will get to understand the emergence of Fascism ideas around Europe.

What’s happening in ELA?
8th grade readers began the week interpreting Shakespeare’s “Sonnet #18.” We picked apart the elements of a sonnet like meter, foot, and iambic pentameter. This helped us prepare the initial parts of our own sonnets along with the rest of middle school! We continued to read Hamlet, as well, studying the elements of comedies vs. tragedies and stock characters.


Next week, writers will revise and polish their sonnets with poetry and traditional sonnet structure in mind. We’ll discuss Shakespeare’s themes in both sonnets and Hamlet.

What’s happening in Science?
Eighth graders worked so hard on their boards and reports this week! Like most big projects, the deadline kind of crept up when we thought we had more time to complete final details, which obviously took more time than anticipated. However, the eighth graders truly rallied and everyone finished one of the biggest and most rigorous projects of the year with smiles on their faces. We are so excited to share the work with you in the library during self assessment conferences!
What’s happening in Math?
This week, 8th graders compared quadratic functions when different parts of them are changed and how that affects their graphs. We also studied quadratic functions written in vertex form. Next week, we’ll finish up our quadratic functions unit by review for our test that we’ll take on Thursday, March 7th. We’ll then begin our final unit of study where we combine all of our
Algebra 1 knowledge and put it all together!

Important Dates:
March 4th & 5th- Self-Assessment Conferences (11:30 dismissal)