Math, Science, and Technology

1999-2000

Middle School Literacy
Tier 1, 7^th grade

Brief description:

Our overall theme for the year will be "Dreams". Specifically, the students will explore the Essential Question, "Are Dreams Worth Having?" The students will start the year off with a look at their own dreams and the goals they have set for themselves. They will look at the lives of different individuals and create a "dream quilt". The history potion of the literacy class will lead the students through a study of Native Americans. Target population: 7^th grade students

Goals and objectives:

Students will Understand the dreams and contributions of different individuals from the Native American Community through the reading of Folklore, historical accounts, the creation of original myths. Major topics/theme: Native Americans culture, community, artifacts, myths. Narrative writing, interview media, timelines. Alignments to standards: Curriculum is based on New York State Learning Standards for 7^th grade including reading twenty-five books of the quality and complexity in the State�s reading list.

E1,2,3,4,5, S.S. 1,3,5, V.A. 1.2.4

Resources and materials to be used: 7^th grade American History text, Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum, Four Ancestors: Stories, Song and Poems from Native North America. Assessment measures: Daily individual and group presentation, in-class tests, frequent student-teacher conversations, formal Exhibitions to classmates, parents and outside guests.

Middle School Literacy
8^th grade

Brief description:

The overall theme for the year is "Dreams". The students will explore the Essential Questions, "Are Dreams Worth Having?" The firs area of study will be a look at the students� won dreams and the goals they have set for themselves. They will look at the lives of different individuals while creating a "dream quilt." During the history portion of the literacy class the students will study the Reconstruction Period of American history. Target population:

8^th grade students

Goals and objectives:

Students will understand the dreams and contributions of different individuals who led in the Reconstruction by reading historical accounts, viewing films, conducting research. Major topics/theme: Reconstruction Period, restoring the Union, The South, reshaping the Nation, westward expansion, new immigrants. Alignments to standards: Curriculum is based on New York State Learning Standards for the 8^th grade including reading twenty-five books of the quality and complexity in the State�s reading list, producing a response to literature and preparing and delivering an individual presentation. Resources and materials to be used: 8^th grade American History text, The House on Mango Street, The Pearl, Who�s Carrie?, Junior Scholastic, Scope. Assessment measures: Daily individual and group presentations, in class test, frequent student-teacher conversations, formal Exhibitions to classmates, parents and outside guests.

Middle School Math
7^th grade

Brief description:

Using the Mathematics: Applications and Connections by Glencoe, the 7^th grade students will spend the first 6-week cycle investigating tools for "Problem Solving". Students will work on different approaches to understanding problem solving strategies. They will connect to the overall theme of "Dreams" by creating a personal garden while estimating and classifying materials. Target population:

7^th grade students

Goals and objectives:

Students will understand how to estimate, round and strategize data in order to solve problems. Major topics/themes: Estimation strategies, rounding, patterns, computation, classifying. Order of operations, decision making, variables and expressions Alignment to standards: Mathematics: Applications and Connections integrates all thirteen curriculum standards outlined in the NCTM Standards. NCTM Standards 1. Resources and materials to be used:

Mathematics: Applications and Connections, Junior Scholastics Math

Assessment measures:

Daily individual and group presentations, rubric with on-going assignments, in-class tests, final projects, formal exhibitions to classmates, teachers, parents and outside guests.

Middle School Math
8^th grade

Brief description:

Using the Mathematics: Application and Connections, Course 3 by Glencoe, the 8^th grade students will spend the first 6 �week cycle investigating tools for "Problem Solving". Students will build on prior knowledge and apply additional and different approaches to understanding problem solving strategies. They will connect to the overall theme of "Dreams" by applying some of these strategies in their study of Westward expansion, for example. Target population:

8^th graders

Goals and objectives:

Students will understand how to estimate, use mental math strategies, and eliminate possibilities in problem solving. Major topics/themes: Plans for Problem Solving, reasonable answers, guess and check, eliminating possibilities. Mental Math Strategies, Decision Making, the Metric System, Customay Measures, Spreadsheets. Alignments to standards: Mathematics: Applications and Connections integrates all thirteen curriculum standards outlined in the NCTM Standards. NCTM Standard 1. Resources and materials to be used:

Mathematics: Applications and Connections, Junior Scholastics Math

Assessment measures:

Daily individual and group presentations, rubric with on-going assignments, in-class tests, final projects, formal Exhibitions to classmates, teachers, parents and outside guests.

Middle School Science
7^th Grade � Cycle 2

Description:

Using Life Science by Glencoe, the 7^th grade students will spend the first six weeks in this class investigating diversity within the five major kingdoms. They will identify organisms by their common names and scientific names as well. The kingdoms that will be covered this cycle will be: Monerans, Protists and Fungi. The class will also be required to do a unit project. Target Population:

The target population is for 7^th Grade students

Goals and Objectives

The students will understand how to: use a dichotomous key, microscope, the scientific method, design and carry out an experiment, name certain organisms by their scientific names. Major Topics /Themes: The major topics that will be covered are: Differentiation between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, Classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, family, Genus and Species), Monerans and Protists, and Tuberculosis Alignment to Standards: Curriculum is based on the NYS Education Department and SUNY, Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science and Technology Resources and Materials: The following resources and materials will be used for this class: Textbook: Glencoe Life Science by Daniel, Ortleb, & Biggs, we will use the computer lab for research on the internet and to write science journals and lab reports, Glencoe Life Science software, Study guides. Assessment Measures: Mini quizzes, daily individual and group presentations, lab reports, homework assignments, unit project, journal writings, and formal exhibitions to classmates, teachers, parents and outside guests.

Middle School Science
8th Grade � Cycle 2

Description:

Using Earth Science by Glencoe, the 8^th grade students will spend the first six weeks in this class learning about the tools required in order to study the Earth and the other planets. They will connect to the theme of "Dreams" by using the dreams of other scientists and applying their theories, and laws through laboratory investigations. Target Population:

The target population is for 8^th Grade students

Goals and Objectives

The students will understand how to:1 keep a scientific journal 2.understand what Earth Science is 3.understand and use the scientific method 4.know how to measure in the SI system 5.have a good understanding of matter 6.Atomic structure 7.know what minerals are and how to assess them 8.design their own laboratory experiment and carry it through its entirety. Major Topics /Themes: The major topics that will be covered are: Scientific Method, Conversion factors, Temperature, Ions, and Chemical reactions, Density, States of matter, Minerals, and Crystals Alignment to Standards: Curriculum is based on the NYS Education Department and SUNY, Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science and Technology Resources and Materials: The following resources and materials will be used for this class: Textbook: Glencoe Earth Science by Daniel, Ortleb, & Biggs, we will use the computer lab for research on the internet and to write science journals and lab reports, Glencoe Life Science software, Study guides. Assessment Measures: Mini quizzes, Check Your Brain activities, daily individual and group presentations, lab reports, homework assignments, unit project, journal writings, and formal exhibitions to classmates, teachers, parents and outside guests.