Grade 8 Update: April 25, 2017
Posted on 04/25/2017
The 8th Grade Team has been busy in each of the core classes. In ELA, students have finished reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in class students will begin to do some writing with the play and watch part of the film version to do a comparison. In math, all of the 8th graders had a math review day where students were broken up in to different groups to go over math skills that will show up on the upcoming MCAS. In science class, students are continuing their study of genetics.
To finish off a unit on the Age of Ideas, eighth graders entered the "Shark Tank." After conducting research utilizing databases, students developed a pitch, cover letter, and résumé for a historical figure from the Age of Ideas (Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution). Pitches were created from knowledge of the individual then presented to "sharks," or wealthy figures from the time period that could fund the proposal. Galileo wanted funding for more telescopes; Martin Luther wanted to open a translating service for the Bible; and Leonardo da Vinci wanted to perfect his flying machine. Students learned the practical value of cover letters and résumés, built on their research and persuasion skills.