Math
The stars aligned this week, because all four math classes took their first check-ins! Zoomshrooms also finished up their “Integers In Real Life” art pieces, signed them, and displayed them on the wall. In between check-ins, Shockwave completed error analysis task cards. Each task card showed the work of a pretend student. Unfortunately, the pretend student did each problem wrong and Shockwave students had to find the error. Before Algebra students took their check-ins, they were introduced to how to graph and solve inequalities. Then, finally, geometry students completed their city blueprint of Harold’s. They will be completing the city map in the coming weeks.
ELA
The Zoomshrooms read an article about penguins then partnered up to practice identifying topic sentences in paragraphs (so many P’s!). This will come in handy soon as they start writing their first essay of the quarter. We mapped out the first half of Bread and Roses, Too’s plot, identifying the exposition and rising action. Next week we’ll be able to finish it! Students also used text evidence from the novel to determine the demands of striking mill workers, why they wanted a union, how the Wobblies (IWW) came to help them organize, and some of the dirty tactics the mill owner used to prevent their progress. They ended their week by creating protest signs and picketing through the cafeteria.
The Redwoodz and Shockwave kicked off their week with book club discussions about Uprising which is about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. To get an idea of what the characters in their fictional story endured, we read an excerpt from the nonfiction book, Flesh and Blood So Cheap, that described the horrible conditions immigrants faced on their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. They watched PBS and History.com video clips about the Triangle Factory Fire, made notes about what led to it and what came from it, then learned to write generalization statements: “Lack of preparation caused the deaths of 146 people,” and “Public outrage leads to new laws about safer workplaces.” Finally, we walked around AHB, inside and out, identifying required fire safety equipment.
Theme
This week we learned about the first convention for women’s rights held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. At this convention the Declaration of Sentiments was introduced which stated grievances of women. One such grievance was “He has created a false public sentiment by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women.” Small groups worked together to read each grievance, modernize the language, discuss it, and decide how much progress society has made on that topic. Groups then sent representatives up to the board and plotted their table’s opinion on a scale from not redressed, somewhat redressed, to totally redressed. Each student had to explain and justify their opinion and plot on the scale. By the end of class Tuesday, students watched a Mary Poppins clip where she sings “Sister Suffragette” and wears a sash. Students were tasked to come up with their best modern day slogan and create a suffragette sash of their own. Wednesday and Thursday were spent creating the sashes and reflecting on school so far. We ended the week by marching around the school with our new sashes.
Friday Extension
Friday Extension students finished their first community service project for the year. They made no-sew flannel blankets for Project Linus. Project Linus’ mission is to: Firstly, provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.” Secondly, provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.
