Middle School
Lead Teacher :: Richard Walker :: rwalker@mdpsc.org
Classroom Assistant :: Lisa Duncan :: lduncan@mdpsc.org
Weekly Update
We have started week 2 of the cycle and the students are doing great! Last week approx. 90% of the class was at goal. This means that 90% of the students completed ALL of their work for the week. This is a great achievement!
Middle School would like to bring attention to the number of absences and tardies that we have been getting as of late. Class begins promptly at 8 a.m. If a student arrives after that they are LATE! We have also had an abnormal number of absences. When a student is absent, they miss out on lessons and work that needs to be completed. We stress that if a child is sick, he/she should stay home and get well, but we also emphasize the importance of getting better quickly. When lessons are missed, they can be very hard to make up. If a student has missed a day, it is his/her responsibility to find out what they have missed and catch up any missing work. An absence does NOT excuse a student from an assignment.
There is NO SCHOOL this Friday. It is a district in-service day. There will be NO extended care offered.
This Weeks Music
Composer: Igor Stravinstky Composition: Concerto in D Major
Curriculum
Cycle 4 “Changes”: January 30th – March 9th
Personal World (Health): This cycle students will be learning about the changes that they go through as they change from being a child to being an adolescent. We will explore cognitive changes that lead to changes in psychosocial and moral development. Students will explore how they have changed over the years and how many differences there are in their lives now. The guiding questions for this cycle are: What is adolescence and what are the biological, cognitive, moral and psychosocial changes that are taking place at this time? What are ways adolescence is and can be celebrated?
Social World (History): In Social World, students will be studying the Industrial Revolution. They will be looking at how the United States and the world began to change as manufacturing became popular and the United States expanded. They will be looking at the positive and negative effects of the Industrial Revolution, including the living and working conditions that factory workers faced during this time. The guiding questions for this cycle are: What is the Industrial Revolution and what factors contributed to it? What did the Industrial Revolution cause to flourish in the U.S. between 1850 and 1920? What positive and negative developments came out of the Industrial Revolution?
Natural World Science): This cycle the students will be learning about machines, force and work. Students will be learning about simple and complex machines and how they affect forces needed to do work. They will be building simple machines with K’nex and using them to move an object a given distance. The guiding questions for this cycle are: What is a machine and how does it affect forces needed to do work? What are the six simple machines and how do we use them? What is a compound machine, and what factors need to be considered when designing a compound machine?
Homework
Vocabulary
Week 1 Unit 10
Monday – Definitions and Completing the Sentence
Tuesday – Synonyms
Wednesday – Antonyms
Thursday – Choosing the Right Word
Friday – Test – Unit 10
Week 2 Unit 11
Monday – Definitions and Completing the Sentence
Tuesday – Synonyms and Antonyms
Wednesday – Choosing the Right Word
Thursday – Test – Unit 11
Friday ******* No School – Teacher Inservice
Week 3 Unit 12
Monday – Definitions and Completing the Sentence
Tuesday – Synonyms
Wednesday – Antonyms
Thursday – Choosing the Right Word
Friday – Test – Unit 12
Grammar
Chapter 6 The Base Sentence
Week 1 Direct Objects, Indirect Objects, Subject Complements
Monday Exercises 1 ____ Adv Exercise 3
Tuesday Exercises 4 & 5
Wednesday Review Exercise A
Thursday Exercise 8 & 9
Friday Test (ex 1,2,4,5,Rev A)
Week 2 Subject Complements, Chapter 7 Sentence Structure
Monday Review Exercise B
Tuesday Exercises 1, & 3 (Chapter7) ____ Adv Exercise 2
Wednesday Exercise 5
Thursday Test (Chapter 6–ex 8, 9, Rev B)
********* . Friday No School Teacher In-service
Week 3 Simple, Compound, Complex, and Conpound-complex Sentences; Chapter. 8
Monday Exercise 7
Tuesday Exercises 1, & 3 (Chapter 
Wednesday Exercise 5
Thursday Exercise 6 #’s 1 – 10, and Review Exercise A #’s 1 – 10
Friday Test (Chapter 7 ex 1, 3, 5, & 7)
Literature
Anthology “Becoming Myself”
Week 1
Monday - “The Sun and the Moon” pg 12 – 13
Tuesday - “Who Am I?” pg 14 – 15
Wednesday - “Young Ladies Don’t Slay Dragons” pg 16 – 23
Thursday – “74th Street” pg 36 – 37 and “The Olympic Games” pg 38 – 43
Week 2
Monday – “Through the Tunnel” pg 44 – 59
Tuesday – “Raymond’s Run” pg 62 – 73
Wednesday – “What a Boy Can Do” pg 74 – 75 and “Thumbprint” pg76 – 77
Extra Credit “Pictures on A Rock” pg 78 – 81
Week 3-5 NOVELS
This cycle students will be reading a novel of their choice from this cycle’s novels. It is up to them to create a reading schedule so that they complete the novels on time.
Writing
Week 1. Choose one of the topics for your three paragraph paper. Your paper must be at least 200 words long.
A decision that changed my life. (narrative)
An exciting sports event. (descriptive)
My favorite hobby (expository)
Why read the news web sites. (persuasive)
Travel: where I would like to go, what I would like to do. (expository)
Choose one topic for your paper. _________________________________
Monday Prewriting:
Complete an organizer that is the correct type for the type of writing you are doing.
Use the 9 questions on the handout to start your first draft.
Tuesday 1st Draft and Peer revision:
Handwrite your first draft and complete the checklist on the handout and make revisions.
Read your draft aloud to a peer for content, unity, and flow of ideas. Have your peer make a list of 3 things they like about your paper and a list of things that might improve it. Who helped you? _____________________
Wednesday Word Processing and Revision:
Type your edited draft on the computer.
Edit your own paper. Before you begin your final draft, show the teacher your copy with the edit marks.
Friday Final Copy: Make changes and print your latest draft. Turn in your finished work for grading.
Week 2 Sentence Fluency – Combining Sentences
Monday – Week 1 – Day One and Two -Analyze and Revise
Tuesday – Week 1 – Day Three – Rewrite
Wednesday – Week 1 – Day Four – Prewriting
Thursday – Week 1 – Day Five – Write to the Prompt
Friday No School – -Teacher In-service
Week 3 Sentence Fluency – Writing Complex Sentences
Monday – Week 2 – Day One -Analyze
Tuesday – Week 2 – Day Two – Revise
Wednesday – Week 2 – Day Three – Rewrite
Thursday – Week 2 – Day Four – Prewriting
Friday Week 2 – Day Five – Write to the Prompt
Math
Week 1
Monday – Set# 69
Tuesday – Set# 70
Wednesday – Investigation# 7
Thursday – Set#71
Friday – Set#72
Week 2
Monday – Set#73
Tuesday – Set# 74
Wednesday – Set# 75
Thursday – Test# 14
Friday – NO SCHOOL – In Service
Week 3
Monday – Set# 76
Tuesday – Set# 77
Wednesday – Set# 78
Thursday – Set# 79
Friday – Test# 15
Upcoming Events
February 10th: NO SCHOOL – Teacher In service
February 14th: “Child as Teacher”
February 16th: President’s Day – NO SCHOOL
February 25th: Early Release 11:30am
THANK YOU!!
Thank you to all of the parents that have been supporting the class this year. Mr. Walker and Ms. Duncan greatly APPRECIATE YOU!!
CLASSROOM NEEDS
We will keep you posted!
HELPFUL LINKS