Grade 8 Update | May 2019
Posted on 05/02/2019
Math
Students are beginning their work with radicals and integer exponents. During this unit they will develop and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions. In addition, students will recognize that there are numbers that are irrational and approximate them by using rational numbers. By the end of the unit, students will be able to use scientific notation for real-world situations.
Science
Students are studying genetic variation and mutations and investigating their causes. We also had the opportunity to visit Biogen Community Lab, where students participated in a lab activity that required them to diagnose a mock patient with sickle-cell anemia by running hemoglobin gel electrophoresis. This lab allows for a nice follow up to what we are learning in the classroom and helped students to better understand the relationship between DNA and proteins. Later on this month, we will debate the ethics of using animal models for research with our BROAD scientists.
ELA
Students are concluding the final unit in our study of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students are either writing confessional narratives or creating video confessionals in small groups from the point of view of characters in the play. Later this month we will study short stories to practice test-taking skills before the start of MCAS at the end of the month and will also return to independent reading in the classroom as we begin to assess our progress towards meeting our goal of reading 20 books by the end of the school year.
Social Studies
Students are in the middle of our Prince Hall unit, which highlights how democratic citizens can respond when communities do not live up to our expectations. This unit will culminate in a project in which students create a modern petition that is directed towards a person or group that has not lived up to expectations and needs to be informed of its shortcomings.