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Mr. Nye
8th Grade Science
We have completed or will be completing the Energy Transformations Unit. Students created effective catapults, paper airplane launchers, or rubber band cars. After days of designing, testing, and redesigning students will show off their work to see if it met their group goal.
Next, students will be determining the best method for heating Bellefonte Area Middle School. They will choose either a groundwater heating system or a water heater. Students will be investigating heat transfer and thermal energy with several hands-on experiments and simulation activities.
As an aside, conferences for ELA, Math, and Science will occur in February with Science being done in core classes and/or Skills. The student will discuss the easy problems and the challenging ones from the Science test, and then, the teacher will conduct mini-lessons on the topics students found difficult in order to prepare them for the Science PSSA Test in early May.
Online Source: https://hop.concord.org/h1/phys/h1p.html
Mrs. Bucha
8th Grade Social Studies
It has been a busy and exciting month in our Social Studies classrooms as we dive deep into the structure of our government. Our 8th graders have been hard at work transitioning from the halls of Congress to the responsibilities of the White House.
Wrapping Up the Legislative Branch We recently concluded our unit on the Legislative Branch. Students explored the "Power of the Purse" and other Expressed Powers specifically listed in the Constitution. To challenge their critical thinking, we also dove into Implied Powers, discussing how the "Necessary and Proper Clause" allows Congress to adapt to modern times.
Stepping into the Executive Branch We have officially moved into our study of the Executive Branch! We kicked things off with an Article II Scavenger Hunt, where students hunted through the Constitution to find the specific duties and powers of the President.
Some highlights from the past two weeks include:
The Basics & Qualifications: Students learned the three strict requirements to be President (Age, Residency, and Citizenship).
The Perks of the Job: We had a great time discussing the salary and benefits of the office—from Air Force One to the White House chef!
Presidential Choice Simulations: To put their knowledge to the test, students participated in simulations where they had to make tough decisions, simulating the high-pressure environment of the Oval Office.
The Road to the White House Most recently, we have been using infographics to trace the long and difficult road to the presidency.
What’s Next? As we continue through the Executive Branch, we will be looking at the President’s Cabinet and how the executive departments impact our daily lives.
As promised, enjoy a look at some of the amazing creativity the 8th graders displayed in making their Historic Holiday Sweaters back in December.
Mr. McManus
8th Grade Math
Now that it is February, 8th graders will begin the process of scheduling classes for 9th grade. Please look back to last month’s newsletter for details on 9th grade math classes. As this time approaches, please feel free to reach out to the 8th grade math teachers if there are questions or concerns. As we approach the end of winter and beginning of spring we are looking forward to the standardized testing windows. All 8th graders will take the PSSA and all Algebra 1 students will be taking the Keystone Exam. Look for more information on this moving into March and April.
As for now, the Intro to Algebra classes are finishing up linear relationships and will be progressing into the geometry portion of the course. This will entail volume of three dimensional shapes and the Pythagorean Theorem. In Algebra I we are discussing and solving systems of equations & inequalities.
Before we get into the busyness of “testing season” a reminder about Get More Math is probably due. Your students complete the majority of their math work in Get More Math, which is an online program for providing problems in place of traditional worksheets or book work. All students have a unique login and password and the program can be accessed from any device. If you need that login information please contact your student’s math teacher. Also, their homework is usually done in this program. The homework is usually achieving a certain number of points for the week, and if you have your student login to the program it will be easily viewed at the top left of the screen.This is an easy way to track progress for your student on a daily and weekly basis. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your student’s math teacher.
Mrs. Morris
8th Grade ELA
This month, our students have been diving deep into the art of persuasion. We will start by looking at the power of visual arguments and end in the world of academic research, where the students will learn about the importance of facts and how to identify reliable resources.
Our journey began with a creative challenge: Create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for which they have to identify a social or environmental cause they support and create a compelling visual argument to encourage others to join with them. To prepare for this task, the students analyzed multiple examples of PSAs to see how logos, ethos and pathos could be used and discussed the pros and cons of each persuasive technique.
Once their visual messages are set, they will dive into the research phase of the unit. The focus will be on learning how to find reliable resources in an era of digital noise. The goal is for them to learn how to critically evaluate sources of information and identify any potential biases. To do this, they will learn about the CRAAP Test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) and how to use the school’s databases.
At the end of February, they will apply information they found from the reliable resources to write an argument that supports the stance they took in their PSA.
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