Grade 8 LC Quarter Two

Dear Parents

We hope you've had a wonderful and restful break. We are ready to share the exciting happenings in our classes for Quarter 2. As always please email us with any questions or concerns.

ENGLISH

As in the first quarter, students are expected to read at home for at least 2 ½ hours each week and complete two to four books per month. Students will continue to track their reading in their Reading Record, celebrating reading accomplishments and choosing texts that challenge them, but also bring them joy. We will explore plot and conflict in our Reader’s Notebooks.

Students will plan and write Flash Fiction stories. We’ll begin by reading mentor texts, noting the key narrative elements. Next, students will be guided through the writing process to create their own Flash Fiction stories. Mini-lessons will focus on the 6 Traits of Writing. Writing conferences will allow for targeted instruction. Finally, students will celebrate their completed stories in a Publishing Party with their classmates.

Lastly, students will enhance their oral communication skills by sharing a Book Talk with the class. They will be graded using the Grade 8 Speaking rubric.

MATHEMATICS

We’ll transition from Q1 to Q2 with our third unit of the year on linear relationships. Students will learn to understand and use the terms “rate of change,” “linear relationship,” and “vertical intercept.” They will deepen their understanding of slope, and they’ll learn to recognize connections among rate of change, slope, and constant of proportionality, and between linear and proportional relationships. They’ll represent linear relationships with tables, equations, and graphs that include lines with negative slopes or vertical intercepts, and horizontal and vertical lines. Our fourth unit will focus on solving equations. Students will write and solve linear equations in one variable as well as systems of linear equations in two variables. They will interpret the solutions in the contexts from which the equations arose. They will learn what is meant by a solution for a system of equations, namely that a solution of the system is a solution for each equation in the system. Students will learn to understand and use the terms “system of equations,” “solution for the system of equations,” “zero solutions,” “no solution,” “one solution,” and “infinitely many solutions.” Throughout our learning, we will continue to emphasize the value of struggle, making mistakes and learning with a growth mindset.

If you would like more general information about our Math 8 course, please read this course overview. Additionally, detailed information about specific unit learning goals can be found here, and family resources for supporting your child are available here. Last, if you’d like to learn more about how your child’s math education is likely different from your own, check out this helpful article.

SCIENCE

This quarter, we will be gazing up at the sky! We will connect our learning about waves to an Astronomy unit. Students will explore the observable universe, asking questions, finding patterns in data, developing models, and creating arguments. Students will grow in their understanding of gravitational forces and scale, and relate what they’ve learned about waves to understand how we know what we know about the stars and planets.

SOCIAL STUDIES

In the second quarter of Grade 8 Social Studies, students will build on the skills from Unit 1, but this time apply their thinking approach to the concepts of Conflict and Displacement. They will learn about the Dimensions of Conflict and explore one of 6 carefully cultivated case-studies to understand how conflicts around the world often result in large-scale displacement, and how individuals and communities can support refugees and advocating for their rights. Key skills students will work on are analyzing and interpreting graphical information (Information literacy), note-taking, and creating a curated museum exhibit on the case-study they have chosen to research and present.

PE

This quarter, all students will complete an Aquatics unit. They will master a range of strokes, such as freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and elementary backstroke, while developing their fitness and endurance. They will also focus on safety practices, including floating, water treading, and basic rescue skills, to foster confidence and comfort in aquatic settings.

Additionally, students will learn to play a variety of invasion games, specifically basketball and handball. There will be a focus on creating space and interpersonal communication skills. Students will also continue to improve their physical fitness through a variety of fitness circuits.

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