Cluster 2 News
May 2024
Cluster 2 News
Hello Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers,
It's hard to believe that the school year is coming to an end. We have lots of fun activities planned for the end of the year such as Field Day, Awards, an animal presentation from Southwick's Zoo, and of course, our annual field trip to Canobie Lake Park! Please return the permission slip by Friday May 24.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
DIVERSITY NIGHT
Thursday May 16, 5pm-7pm WMS cafeteria
WMS/WHS ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Wednesday May 22, 7pm
WMS Auditorium
MEMORIAL DAY, NO SCHOOL
Monday May 27
I-READY TESTING (ALL GRADES)
May 28- May 31
Grade 6 to Canobie Lake Park
- Thursday June 13
Best,
Cluster 2 Team
English with Ms. Soares
Hello!
We have finished Refugee by Alan Gratz! Students have analyzed the journeys of all three characters and make insightful connections and comparisons in the book and to the world at large. We will be finishing up the year by writing an essay about conflict and then read some Greek Mythology.
Thanks,
Ziza Soares
Social Studies with Mr. McDermott
Unit 6.3 Sub-Saharan Africa
Essential Questions
What evidence and methods help social scientists understand Africa’s past, and how does point of view affect their interpretations?
How much do people shape their environment and how much does the environment shape people?
What makes a society stronger, preserving tradition or adapting to change?
How do societies organize themselves to distribute power or resources?
Enduring Understandings
Students will begin to understand:
Africa’s complex societies engaged with oral and/or written literacies to preserve knowledge and pass along beliefs, creating continuity. At the same time, societies of ancient Africa showed notable flexibility to adapt to new influences. Many African societies contributed to and benefited from exchanges with other world regions and with neighboring and distant societies inside the continent. Openness fostered developments in art, religion, language & material culture, among others.
A diverse array of societies flourished in ancient Africa, characterized by distinct forms of organization and governance. In many societies known to historians, the power of leaders was moderated by communities’ ethical and religious traditions and the influence of social and occupational groups. Urban, agricultural, and localized societies were part of the mosaic in every region and affected one another.
Learning Targets:
Explain the point of view in three interpretations of Africa’s ancient history.
Analyze the characteristics of four complex societies of ancient Africa by applying relevant questions to four sets of primary and secondary sources and composing short answers.
Analyze the characteristics of four complex societies of ancient Africa by applying relevant questions to four sets of primary and secondary sources and composing short answers.
Explain and compare the characteristics of ancient societies in sub-Saharan Africa by citing evidence in a written paragraph.
Describe written and oral traditions of literacy in several societies of ancient Africa and analyze, in verbal and written responses, the power of scribes and storytellers.
Describe written and oral traditions of literacy in several societies of ancient Africa and analyze, in verbal and written responses, the power of scribes and storytellers.
Analyze civic values from diverse African societies by interpreting evidence from the oral tradition.
Analyze and make a judgment about the contributions of specialized occupational roles in ancient West African societies by applying questions to probe sources.
Analyze and make a judgment about the contributions of specialized occupations in ancient West African societies by applying questions to probe sources.
Argue a position about an occupational specialty of ancient West African societies by citing evidence to create a praise poem.
Math with Ms. Tammaro
Helpful Links: grading policies in Cluster 2 Math, an introduction to Desmos, family resource for unit 6, family resource for Unit 7, family resource for Unit 8
Congratulations to all sixth grade students for finishing MCAS! I saw a lot of hard work and focus and I’m so proud of what you’ve learned this year. We’re not quite done yet, though. We will be starting our 8th and final unit next week. It is all about data. Students will be learning about how to represent data with dot plots, histograms, and box plots. Students will learn about measures of center like mean and median, as well as measures of spread like mean absolute deviation and interquartile range. I’m looking forward to finishing the year strong and celebrating during the final week of school.
Thanks,
Ms. Tammaro
Science with Ms. Ferguson
This month we have been digging into Fossils! Students have been exploring different types of fossils and how we can use the evidence left behind on Earth to tell us how our planet has changed over time.
As we move into the last few weeks of the year we are excited to begin preparing for our yearly Squid Dissection! Here is the Squid Permission Slip (paper copies will also be handed out). Just like when we dissected owl pellets, students can participate at whatever level they feel comfortable. If they want to get hands-on in the dissection they can, or if they prefer, they can just watch or complete a virtual dissection! We are looking forward to this very fun lab! In case you missed it, here is more information about Science Class this year.
Standards
6.MS-ESS1-4. Analyze and interpret rock layers and index fossils to determine the relative ages of rock formations that result from processes occurring over long periods of time.
6.MS-ESS2-3. Analyze and interpret maps showing the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence that Earth’s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart.
6.MS-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret evidence from the fossil record to describe organisms and their environment, extinctions, and changes to life forms throughout the history of Earth.
Thanks!
Ms. Ferguson