7th Grade Social Studies In social studies we discussed Internet safety and ways to browse the web in a safe and efficient manner. Students played online games to better understand the concepts. They loved the games, and many have repeated the lesson at home because it was fun! Students also worked to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it when writing an essay or presenting a research project. In order to understand this, students completed exercises in summarizing, paraphrasing, using direct quotes, and applying MLA citation style. They first practiced with example essays and then completed a short research project independently. They took notes and identified whether they summarized, paraphrased, or quoted the author’s words on their notecards. After completing the research, students organized their notecards by topic and began writing a short essay utilizing proper MLA citation. The understanding they’ve gained in the project will be applied to future presentations and essays in class. Students in both classes put together their first portfolio for the school year. They spent time reflecting on their learning over the course of the trimester and created goals for the next. They enjoyed sharing their work with parents and demonstrated pride in their progress. It’s always fun to look back and see how each child has developed over the course of the trimester. Thank you to parents for attending student-led conferences and supporting your child! The 5th through 7th graders took part in a team challenge to build a Christmas tree using only toothpicks and gumdrops. They worked in groups to plan their tree, begin constructing it, and measuring their progress with a ruler. It was impressive to watch the groups come together and solve problems that arose during the construction of their designs. In the end, they all found that working together to complete the challenge resulted in the best design and end product. The 7th grade class had a fun and exciting holiday party. They played a game to exchange White Elephant gifts after learning about the origin of this type of gift exchange. Afterwards, they unwrapped a plastic wrap ball filled with prizes in a fast-paced game and enjoyed yummy treats. Thank you, parents, for supplying the treats! 16
18 Publizr Home