2013 finished with The Boy of the Painted Cave and short readings. Short pieces help build background knowledge for our next novel reading and help students with lessons about nonfiction story elements. Short debate articles, samples of persuasive writing, and persuasive essays were used as models and resources to prepare students to begin with their own persuasive writing.
Academic vocabulary was pulled directly from the short readings as needed for activities and discussion around our reading and writing curriculum: examples are antagonist, protagonist, plot, conflict, resolution, pathos, ethos, logos. Student found themselves writing about which character they most related to, which then lead beautifully into their first persuasive writing exercise.
Grammar focused on continued review of proper nouns. Quotation marks were introduced.
Persuasive Writing: Students learned how to express an opinion, support it with evidence, and convey these thoughts using an intentional writing voice. This is a skill that is absolutely essential in middle school and beyond. Students felt the passion when practicing their persuasive writing on topics such as “should kids have cell phones” and “does dodge ball promote bullying in schools?”. Students took time to study the current debates through the website Time for Kids and vote on current issues.
Studying and writing persuasive essays increases the chances that students will leave MCS and be more thoughtful about the world in which they live.
MCS students completed two units on Paleolithic People, focusing on the use of tools and how they adapted to changing environments. This tied nicely into learning about how the earliest California people harvest fish, fishing off the coast of California, ocean eco systems after WWII; how fishing has changed for tuna and its impact on the eco system. Expository readings were supported with note taking strategies and graphic organizers. Culminating activities included individual student power points in which students selected one tool that they thought made the biggest change in the lives of the Paleolithic people. In a second presentation students created travel brochures to lure migrating Paleolithic people to a selected area. Continents were studied and migration routes were documented on paper globes.
Field trips included a visit to the Museum of the American Indian in Novato (http://museumoftheamericanindian.org/education.html), a fishing trip in the San Francisco Bay, and a trip to Chabot Museum to learn about climate change. Art was combined when students recreated cave paintings. Our first official test was given the beginning of December and with anxiety high, our MFT intern coached students before and after the test. You should congratulate your student – they all passed with flying colors!
December was an exciting month for Math. As part of the MCS cross-curricular approach, students made a 2.5 million year timeline of geologic and Paleolithic events in Earth's history. The timeline wrapped twice around our classroom and was a key element in a game we made up about populating the world in Paleolithic times. Students practiced math facts by determining how many hours they have been alive, how fast students could run, play soccer, hit baseballs or tennis balls. Timelines were created that dated back to paleolithic. Geometry began with Parallel and Intersecting lines, graphing coordinates which led into shapes and angles. We brought math into the kitchen and made a HUGE amount of granola which we packaged as Holiday gifts for our beloved teachers and Randall Museum staff. The granola gift was finished off with a note of appreciation in the shape of a snowflake. The note was group written in Language & Literacy while the snowflakes were a creation of math with a lesson on symmetry.
MCS students finished up the year in science by examine structures. They examined what makes them strong, how different materials affect strength and other factors related to structures and how structures specific to San Francisco, such as the Golden Gate Bridge use materials and design features to make them strong and stable.
Also in December students began a study into the nature of water. Everyone took a trip to the Exploratorium during which the students were challenged to find exhibits and ideas related to water. This trip was also an opportunity for everyone to practice the MCS core values that were being introduced during the week. Each person in the group did an excellent job demonstrating their understanding of these values and how they apply on a day-to-day basis.
My City School Values
Social emotional learning aspects are essential to success and stability in life. In December students worked on specific examples and a deep understanding of an MCS core value and how it manifests in and out of the classroom. Students defined and built their own MCS Core values book. Ask your student what their favorite core value is. My City School Core Values are:
- Respect and value yourself and others
- Build trust & be honest
- Engage and embrace diversity
- Be accountable
- Strive to learn
- Work hard and have fun