Middle School
Lead Teacher :: Richard Walker :: rwalker@mdpsc.org
Classroom Assistant :: Lisa Duncan :: lduncan@mdpsc.org
Weekly Update
Internships and term papers are here! Over the next two weeks, students will be either interning on/off campus or writing their term papers. Presentations (poster boards) will be due on or before May 22nd. On May 22nd, students will be displaying their researches to the rest of the school.
You’ve probably received a communication from the office about upcoming ‘Land Experience’ trips to New Mexico. The one specifically for Middle School students is scheduled May 18 thru May 21. The trip offers a comprehensive community and nature experience, furthering classroom studies in the physical and biological sciences as well as in ecosystems and sustainable living. Montessori is about learning by doing, and this experience supports that outcome. Parent drivers are needed to support the trip: please let us know that you can participate – and contact us with any questions!
Graduation time has been set! 8th graders will be graduating at 11am on Thursday, May 24th. We look forward to seeing you there!
This Week’s Music
Composer: Franz Schubert Composition: Piano Quintet in A major
Curriculum
Cycle 5 “Balance”: March 19th – May 4th
Personal World (Health): This cycle students will be learning about being a balanced human being. We will be discussing what it means to have balance in our lives. We will be looking at how to keep a balance in our social interactions and our relationships. One lesson will be on Assertive, Aggressive, and Non-Assertive behavior and how they affect balance. The guiding questions for this cycle are: What are the characteristics of a balanced person? How can I establish balance in my relationships with other people? How can I achieve greater balance in the physical, cognitive, and social areas of my life?
Social World (History): In Social World, students will be studying peace. The way that we examine what it is to have peace is by looking at all of the armed conflicts that the United States has been involved in beginning in the early 1900s. We will discuss the characteristics of war and what it takes to make peace. We will be studying some of the great peace writers of the time. Also, Students will be making up a list of the things they can do to revere life and be peacemakers within themselves, with their friends, in their community, in our nation, and in the world. The guiding questions are: What are the characteristics of war? What are the details of an American War? How can we prevent war in the future?
Natural World Science): This cycle the students will be learning about chemistry. There are two areas of chemistry we will be studying this cycle. The first is the properties of chemical solutions and the second is the study of chemical reactions. In one facet of chemistry we look at the reaction of two substances. Then we will be writing an equation that represents that reaction. Then we will balance the numbers of atoms of each of the substances. This balanced equation will best represent how the substances combine and react. The guiding questions are: What is a solution? What is chemical change? How do you balance a chemical equation?
Homework
Vocabulary
Week 1 Unit 13
Monday – Definitions and Completing the Sentence
Tuesday – Synonyms
Wednesday – Antonyms
Thursday – Choosing the Right Word
Friday – Test – Unit 13
Week 2 Unit 14
Monday- Definitions and Completing the Sentence
Tuesday – Synonyms
Wednesday – Antonyms
Thursday – Choosing the Right Word
Friday – Test – Unit 15
Week 3 Unit 15
Monday – Definitions and Completing the Sentence
Tuesday – Synonyms and Antonyms
Wednesday – Choosing the Right Word
Thursday – Test – Unit 14
Friday – No School – April Holiday
Week 4 Review Units 13-15 and Cumulative Review Units 1-15*
Monday – Analogies
Tuesday – Identification
Wednesday – Shades of Meaning and Antonyms
Thursday – Completing the Sentence, Words Families
VOCAB HOMEWORK COMPLETE
Grammar
Chapter 9 Correct Use of Verbs
Week 1 Parts of Verbs, Regular & Irregular Verbs
Monday – Exercise 2
Tuesday – Exercise 4
Wednesday – Exercise 5
Thursday – Rev Exercise B (#’s 1 – 10 only) optional: Adv – Rev Ex B (11 – 20)
Friday Test (ex 2,4,5,Rev B)
Week 2 Sit & Set, Lie & Lay, Rise & Raise
Monday Exercise 7
Tuesday – Exercise 10 & 13
Wednesday – Review Exercise C (#’s 1 – 10 only) optional: Adv- Rev C (11 – 20)
Thursday – Exercise 15
Friday – Test (ex 7, 10, 13, Rev C)
Week 3 Consistency of Tense, Chapter 11 Modifiers – Good & Well, Comparisons
Monday – Review Exercise D
Tuesday – Review Exercise E (1-15) ____ Adv Rev E (16 – 25)
Wednesday - Exercises 2 & 3 (Chap 11)
Thursday – Test (ex 15, Rev D, Rev E)
Friday No School – April Holiday
Week 4 Comparison of Modifiers, Double Negatives
Monday Review Exercise A
Tuesday – Exercise 4 ____ Adv Exercise 5
Wednesday – Exercise 6
Thursday – Review Exercise B
Friday – Test (ex 2, 3, Rev A, 4, 6)
VOCAB HOMEWORK COMPLETE
Literature
Anthology: Future Directions
Week 1
Monday “The Naming of Names” Ray Bradbury pg 12-29
Tuesday “Song of the Earth Spirit” Navajo Poem pg 30-31
Wednesday “Paradise Lost” Elizabeth Litton pg 32-39
Thursday “Harrison Bergeron” Kurt Vonnegut Jr pg 40-51 and “Orbiter 5 Shows How Earth Looks from the Moon” May Swenson pg 52-53
Week 2
Monday “If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth …” Arthur C. Clarke 54-61
Tuesday ”Homecoming” Stephan David 62-77
Wednesday “So You Want to Be an Astronaut” Michael Ryan 78-83
Thursday “User Friendly” T. Ernesto Bethancourt 84-99
“Where the Rainbow Ends” Richard Rive 100-101
Week 3 Novel Reading
Three Novels are: I am a Star(Star), All Quiet on the Western Front(AQ), and Hiroshima(H)
Monday – Star: pg 1-9 AQ: pg 1-30 H: pg 1-16
Tuesday – Star: pg 10-16 AQ: pg 31-60 H: pg 17-30
Wednesday – Star: pg 17-27 AQ: pg 61-90 H: pg 31-45
Thursday – Star: pg 28-36 AQ: pg 91-120 H: pg 46-60
Week 4
Monday – Star: pg 37-46 AQ: pg 121-150 H: pg 60-75
Tuesday – Star: pg 47-55 AQ: pg 151-180 H: pg 75-90
Wednesday – Star: pg 56-64 AQ: pg 181-210 H: pg 91-105
Thursday – Star: pg 65-76 AQ: pg 211-240 H: pg 106-120
NOVELS FINISHED
Writing
Week 1 Voice – Identifying Different Writing Voices
Monday – Day One -Analyze
Tuesday – Day Two – Revise
Wednesday – Day Three – Transitions
Thursday – Day Four – Prewriting
Friday Day Five – Writing a Short Response to the Prompt
Week 2 Voice – Using Different Voices for Different Purposes
Monday – Day One -Analyze
Tuesday – Day Two – Revise
Wednesday – Day Three – Add To
Thursday – Day Four – Prewriting
Friday Day Five – Writing a Short Response to the Prompt
Week 3 Voice – Using Voice in Poetry
Monday – Day One And Day Two-
Tuesday – Day Three – Add To
Wednesday – Day Four – Prewriting
Thursday – Day Five – Writing a Short Response to the Prompt
Friday No School – April Holiday
Week 4 Voice – Writing from Different Points of View
Monday – Day One -Analyze
Tuesday – Day Two – Revise
Wednesday – Day Three – Add To
Thursday – Day Four – Prewriting
Friday Day Five – Writing a Short Response to the Prompt
WRITING WORKBOOK COMPLETE
Math
Week 1
Monday – Set# 91
Tuesday – Set# 92
Wednesday – Set# 93
Thursday – Set#94
Friday – Test# 18
Week 2
Monday – Investigation# 9
Tuesday – Set# 95
Wednesday – Set# 96
Thursday – Set# 97
Friday – Set# 98
Week 3
Monday – Set# 99
Tuesday – Set# 100
Wednesday – Investigation# 10
Thursday – Test# 19
Friday – NO SCHOOL – April Holiday
Week 4
Monday – Set# 101
Tuesday – Set# 102
Wednesday – Set# 103
Thursday – Set# 104
Friday – Test# 20
Week 5
Monday – Set#105
Tuesday – Set# 106
Wednesday – Set# 107
Thursday – Set# 108
Friday – NO MATH DUE
Week 6
Monday – Set# 109
Tuesday – Set# 110
Wednesday – Investigation# 11
Thursday – Set# 111
Friday – Test# 21
Week 7
Monday – Set#112
Tuesday – Set# 113
Wednesday – Set# 114
Thursday – Set#115
Friday – Test# 22
Upcoming Events
May 4th – SPRING FLING 5-5:30 “Picnic” Dinner 5:30-6:30 Invention Convention 6:30-7 Ice Cream Social
May 18th – May 21st – Middle School Camping Trip
May 23rd – Castles and Coasters field trip
May 24th – 8th Grade Graduation: 11am
THANK YOU!!
Thank you to all of the parents who have been supporting the class this year. Mr. Walker and Ms. Duncan greatly APPRECIATE YOU!!
CLASSROOM NEEDS
We need drivers for the Middle School Camping trip. Please contact Mr. Walker or Ms. Duncan if you are interested in coming with and driving students.
HELPFUL LINKS