This week we continued our intense preparation for standardized testing, but that didn’t mean we didn’t also have some amazing experiences. The coolest thing we did this week was an experiment to help us better understand how crystals form. Since crystals form out of super-saturated solutions, we created our own with borax and hot water. The crystals then formed around pipe cleaners suspended in the solution, with a couple groups experimenting with changing the conditions. Some increased the concentration of borax to create more crystals, while others reasoned that insulating the container to slow the cooling might affect the size of the crystals. These are the types of questions that motivate scientists to keep pushing the boundaries of our knowledge, so it was wonderful to see the class engaged in these pursuits.

The other highlight this week was wrapping up our novel My name is not easy. The end of the novel is unsurprisingly heavy, but it prompted really beautiful discussions about justice, death, and what it means to have a connection to your culture. We are moving from the novel to a non-fiction document that covers a lot of the same material, but this time from a historical perspective. I am interested to see how the class handles both the change in form but also the shift in perspective. I hope the connections we make here are rich and thought-provoking for the class.

The rest of the week was full of challenges and growth. We tackled the Pythagorean Theorem, the area of borders, probability, permutations, operations with decimals, grammar, vocabulary, and a whole host of other materials. It was a sprint, but I could not be more proud of the work the class is doing. We are on track for our learning goals and I cannot wait to see all of you next week for parent teacher conferences. Have a great weekend everyone!

If you want to see our quiz for the week, you can see it here.

 

This was another sprint of a week and I am so proud of the class’s growing and learning. They are continuing to push themselves and it shows. The highlight for this week was definitely the math and English work we have been working through. The class tackled over a dozen concepts this week and the scores were excellent. It really speaks to the deep conceptual foundations the class has developed, as their level of mastery is stunning, especially when talking about the 6th and 7th graders tackling 8th grade material. Whenever I get a whole class to roll their eyes at how easy absolute value and estimating square roots is, only to have to remind them that they are tackling INTENSE academic material, I count that as a source of pride for our classroom, our school, and the ways we are learning. Keep it up everyone, the hard work is paying off.

The other highlight for the week was the conversations that we had throughout the week. One of them was a student asking if a video series could be used in class, but then multiple students independently realizing that they should probably check the bias of the source first. They realized it skewed slightly left, so that prompted a discussion if the videos should still be shown and if the particular videos are biased. When I commented how wonderful it was for them to be having this discussion, one of the students asked “What, isn’t this what everyone does?” I didn’t quite laugh out loud, but we definitely discussed why this is important and how there are a lot of students (and adults) who don’t give it a second thought. We also had time discussing a news article about how kids can make their voices heard. I am honored to have a classroom where the students are engaged, thoughtful and advocates for their own rights. I only hope I can help them continuing growing in their civic mindedness and character.

As you might have suspected, the best but also most stressful part of this week was our test-prep session with the 7th and 8th graders. I know that it was a little stressful for the class, but it was a wonderful opportunity for them to experience standardized testing in a safe and controlled environment, with the knowledge that any problems they have will be addressed before the actual test. We are going through the ENTIRE test before it is administered in December and I cannot wait to see the confidence the class will have as a result. While I believe that our normal curriculum prepares students for success and is the best educational foundation for their lives, mixing it up and delivering this style of instruction will help the class be ready for later educational settings that are run differently. Until the day that everyone recognizes the true value of progressive education, striking this nuanced balance will be a part of the job and one I am excited to continue working through with the class.

The other highlight of the week was certainly getting to conduct our most intense science experiment yet; we were actually splitting apart molecules! We were able to use a battery, some pencils, and a few other standard supplies to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. While this was interesting enough, the class then took it to the next level, experimenting to see how they could alter the outcome. For example, could you wire two batteries in a series? What about adding more salt to the water? By observing how these changes altered the gas produced, they not only understood this particular experiment better, they also practiced using the scientific method to better understand the world. This, combined with a full discussion of elements, the periodic table, and atomic properties, led to a very rewarding science class. Great job everyone!

The rest of the week featured LOTS of mini-quizzes, close reading, and various small groups as needed. We read about a high school dance that was full of drama, revisited geometry and algebra, and even walked to the bank today. I don’t know how we fit all of this in a single week, and next week is going to be more of the same. Wish us luck and I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at conferences.