September:
9/17 - Angle Relationships Quiz (Period 3 Only) Math
9/19 - Angles and Triangles Unit Test (Period 4, 5, and 6) Math
9/19 -Assessment in Science (Modules 2-3)
9/ 23-27-Book Fair
9/25 - Angles and Triangles Unit Test (Period 3 only) Math
9/26 PIE Night (Parents In Education Night) 5:00-6:00pm
9/27 - Angles and Transversals City Project due (all classes) Math
9/30 2-Pager Project in ELA due
10/1 Quarter assessment in STEM
10/2 iFLY Field trip
10/2 Q1 Grades Due
10/3 Potluck in STEM
This week, students are working on their first 8th-grade lab report and preparing for their final assessment for Quarter 1. Our curriculum will then shift to Biology, beginning with the study of reproductive success. Organisms reproduce either sexually or asexually, passing genetic information to their offspring. Animals exhibit behaviors that enhance their chances of reproduction, while plants often rely on animals and specialized structures for successful reproduction.
Students will then be responsible for developing a detailed explanation of how genetic variations occur in offspring, either through inherited traits or mutations. The focus will be on thoroughly understanding how DNA is structured and functions as the blueprint for proteins, which ultimately determine an organism’s traits.
Each student was assigned a specific Old World or New World food. They will research their assigned food following the provided guidelines and present the information in the form of a food brochure. This brochure will be featured at the STEM potluck, where students will prepare delicious recipes using their chosen food item.
Our next food item will be Amazing Corn. Students will explore corn’s growth, composition, history, and uses through a close reading activity. They will discuss renewable and non-renewable resources and engage in hands-on exploration by creating bioplastics made from corn.
Over the next two weeks in 8th grade English Language Arts, we are excited to dive into Module 5, where our focus will be on closely analyzing texts to better understand characters, their motivations, and how they drive the story's action. Students will practice making inferences and explore cause-and-effect relationships within the plot.
Our reading journey will include an excerpt from "The Conjure Man Dies" by Rudolph Fisher, as well as a graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book." These texts will help us delve deeper into character analysis and plot development. We weren’t able to get to these texts this past week, but we are looking forward to jumping into them next week!
Additionally, please remind your student to continue reading Ender's Game at home. The study guide and their 2-Pager project on this novel are due by September 30th.
Students will be finishing Unit 2 over the next couple weeks. We will be taking a break from geometry and moving into algebra next. Our third unit is Linear Relationships. Students will be learning how to graph lines, write and read linear equations, and analyze graphs. This is a longer unit with multiple quizzes, a unit test and a project.
Upcoming Dates:
9/17 - Angle Relationships Quiz (Period 3 Only)
9/19 - Angles and Triangles Unit Test (Period 4, 5, and 6)
9/25 - Angles and Triangles Unit Test (Period 3 only)
9/27 - Angles and Transversals City Project due (all classes)
Last week was exciting as we ended Unit 1 with the Declaration of Independence. This week we will have our Fall DBQ, which I’m confident our students are prepared for and will do well! We will be getting into the Constitution and highlighting the Structures and Principles. We will be analyzing and answering: How does the Constitution further the ideals contained in she Declaration of Independence? We will be talking about many things including the Articles of Confederation, Amendments and the Bill of Rights.
8th Grade Team
Math ~ robyn.kindell@dvusd.org
Social Studies ~cody.rohlwing@dvusd.org
8th Grade Website: https://www.dvusd.org/Domain/5737