Math:
The Marionettes started their unit on percents this week. They learned that a percent is always out of 100, and how to convert between fractions, decimals, and percents. The Saplings began the geometry unit. They had lessons over measuring angles, supplementary and complementary angles. Additionally the class read about Sir Cumference to discover pi, circumference, and area of circles. The Vroomshrooms graphed linear inequalities and systems of linear inequalities to finish up their unit. Next week they will begin exponential functions.
ELA:
After a long winter’s nap, we eased back into ELA with an activity that helped students understand all the tools a writer uses to craft a story. Partners were given a craft project and asked to list all the supplies and tools used to construct it. We then wrote the tools needed to craft stories, essays, and poems (sentence structure, imagery, punctuation, etc.) on pieces of construction paper and put them into our official Writers’ Toolbox. As we learn more tools we will add those.
A new quarter brings new literature! The students gathered around and opened the novels we will study in the first half of Q3. Marionettes and Saplings discovered they’ll be reading historical fiction called In the Reign of Terror, and the Vroomshrooms unwrapped a classic by French author Jules Verne–Around the World in Eighty Days. We all took time to organize our reading by chunking weekly assignments with sticky tabs, and then we set up the reading logs they’ll use each week to identify plot, character development, vocabulary, and other important details.
This week we watched a video about a historical event from the French Revolution involving a young woman named Charlotte Corday. After seeing this, students reflected on new knowledge and identified questions they still had. Was Charlotte the good guy or the bad guy? Every one picked a side and we debated the issue drawing on evidence from the video.
We ended the week by reading the first chapter of the nonfiction book we’ll study in class: Beware Madame Guillotine. Surprise! It’s all about Charlotte Corday and her role in the French Revolution. We dipped our toes into the concept of text structures–how authors build text–by making a bubble map, game show style, where teams filled in description details about our topic.
The Vroomshrooms went a step farther by reading a few quotes from the Enlightenment Philosopher, Voltaire. We connected these quotes written 275 years ago to recent and current events. We found one especially relevant and wrote it on the board to guide us through the entire quarter: “The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.”
Theme:
Theme classes started 2025 off with a shindig! Our new topic, Revolutions, will focus on the causes and effects of time periods of extreme, radical change by focusing on the French and Russian Revolutions.
The week began with focusing on the concept of revolution. Students considered the idea of actions that force changes in economic, politics, and social norms. They grouped up to list instances of these actions, including the end of slavery and segregation, the Jan. 6th riot, the industrial Revolution, car safety measures, and others small and huge.
We took a Tour of France, focusing on the diverse geographical regions, the unique cultural identities, and the varied economy of modern France. The students talked about parallels between modern France and the U.S. today. They also considered what life might have been like in pre-revolutionary France. On Wednesday, we prepped to simulate the lifestyles of French nobility through a “Lavish Soiree”. The party would give students the experience of the elaborate dances thrown for French monarchs at Versailles. Decorations, banners, and a fancy menu were created. Students learned the basic box step of the waltz to further the experience.
Thursday was party day! We gathered with food spread out, classic waltz music playing, and a visit from the King (Mr. Steve!), who proceeded to kick out the “peasants” from the party, leaving just four “aristocrats” to enjoy the party. In our social experiment, the students learned what the class system of France was like: a powerful noble class on top of the 95% peasant class. After everyone joined, a debriefing meeting was held to reinforce the exercise.
Sapling students practice Waltz dance steps while others research for Theme project ideas. The dance moves were part of the preparations for our Lavish Soiree, a simulation of a pre-revolutionary party for the French monarchs to kick off our study of the French Revolution.
Top: Vroomshrooms list and share the tools needed to make their craft. Bottom: Vroomshrooms open a box labeled “In which the 8th graders read a new novel.”
Top left and bottom: Marionettes work in small groups to act out a scene about Charlotte Corday. Top right: Marionettes chunk novels into weekly reading assignments.
Top: Marionettes estimating percents
Bottom: Saplings solving task cards
Top: Marionettes estimating percents while (right) Saplings work on task cards.
Bottom: Marionettes use colors and boxes to estimate percentages.
At top, Theme students work out characteristic words that relate to the concept of Revolution. Above, our SEL focus on collaboration and communication was on full display as students worked to pass through a hoop together.
Students prep for our Lavish Soiree, a simulation and social experiment to understand the causes of the French Revolution.
Our new Theme on Revolutions gave students the opportunity to have a big party, a Lavish Soiree! The activity was a social experiment in understanding the disparity between the classes in 18th-century French. At top, students learned to Waltz and enjoyed a snack they prepared. Above, the “Aristocrat” students danced while the “peasant” students were kicked out.
