We are now into the second half of the year. My students are thinking about next year - middle school. Families are attending open houses and considering their options. Now and then I hear a student mulling over band or Art. I think EVERYONE is thinking about Spring. Meanwhile, I'm teaching in the heart of the year. A LOT of study and growth is happening in the classroom.
In Language Arts, we are turning from reading and interpreting great amounts of literature to drafting literary essays. Readers will identify themes - and the craft techniques authors use to bring them forward - across texts. February is Black History Month, and I continue to include texts by black authors, or portraying the black experience in America. We will re-examine the social issues present in the books we've read. We'll read nonfiction texts, including essays, op-eds, news stories, and informational articles, and watch snippets of video.
In Math, we are continuing a unit in the cooordinate system. At this point, most have mastered work in the first quadrant, and we will now begin to explore functions. In two weeks we will begin work with fractions, beginning with addition and subtraction. I'm using information from the assessment tools I spoke of in my last blog to see what we must do to strengthen students' understanding of fractions as we begin.
This month we began a Health unit organized around the skill of decision-making. This unit takes us into tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, and the effects of the chemicals in them. You should have seen one homework assignment go home about vaping. Although the vast majority of middle and high school students do NOT vape, it shows up on campuses.
In Social Studies, we continue to see how life for indigenous peoples of North America changed with the arrival of European explorers and the establishment of colonies. This takes us deeply into the social issues - and social JUSTICE issues - of that era, issues that remain unresolved today. In this way, our studies bridge with our work in ELA. The topics, the events, and all the details are not very happy ones; however, in this history there are stories of strength and resolve, fairness and cooperation, empathy and advocacy. There are heroes among the people of every age, gender and race, and I will ask students to keep a sharp lookout for them - and even seek them out.
Perhaps the change you will hear most about in February is the start to our drama residency. Each student will participate in thirty minutes of drama, four afternoons per week for the next five weeks. A big dent in our ELA and content areas time, for sure, but a big boost to the development of confidence and communication skills in our students.
Jonathon