7th Grade English Language Arts:

Happy New Year to our families of seventh graders. Seventh grade is a pivotal year in English Language Arts, as reading and writing demands are increased. The two seventh grade classes have successfully rotated between genre studies with Ms. Schiano and Ms. Collins.
Our students should be proud. They read a series of suspenseful short stories, studied the elements of suspense, and wrote their own masterpieces. In addition, they investigated how Greek and Roman mythology incorporates common literary themes. The students also celebrated a poetry reading where they presented their own works reflecting their exploration of poetic elements.
Students continue to advance their independent reading skills through a series of projects such as creating a book jacket and response journals. As an extension of our focus on reading and research, we look forward to a visit to the newly opened main branch of the Cambridge Public Library.
In the spring semester, we anticipate another series of MCAS exams where students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their language knowledge and skills. We look forward to a study of The Civil Rights Movement that will entail the reading of a biography of a Civil Rights Movement figure, a mock interview, and portrayal of that person. Students will also stage read plays, study dramatic literature, and write their own scripts.
    It has been such a pleasure getting to know your children. They show an enthusiasm for learning and language. They readily engage in stimulating discussions, seeking deeper understanding, and challenging one another to take risks and grow.

7th Grade Math

Happy New Year. It is good to be back and doing math with all of the enthusiastic 7th grade mathematicians. We are currently investigating ratio and proportion in the real world through our Comparing and Scaling Unit. In this unit we will look at problems involving many situations and learn to make comparisons using ratios, fractions, percents, and rates.
One goal of this unit is to develop students’ abilities to make useful comparisons of quantitative information using ratios, fractions, decimals, rates, unit rates, and percents. A second goal is to have students learn to use quantitative comparison information to make larger or smaller scale models. Students should also learn different ways to reason in proportional situations and to recognize when such reasoning is appropriate.
As your child studies this unit you can help with homework, and at the same time, encourage sound mathematical habits by asking questions such as:
• When quantities have different measurements, how can they be compared?
• When can a comparison be made by subtraction? When can division be used?
• Why is a ratio a good means of comparison? How can it be scaled up or down?
• Where can ratios be used in daily life to find unknown quantities or inaccessible measurements?
• How can we use proportions for solving problems?
In your child’s notebook, you can find worked-out examples from problems done in class and notes on the mathematics of the unit.
You can help your child in several ways:
• Look over your child’s homework and make sure all questions are answered and that explanations are clear.
• Ratios, proportions, and percents are found all around us. When you notice such a use in a newspaper or magazine, point it out to your child and discuss with your child what the numbers are telling them about the situation.
• Have your child share his or her mathematics notebook with you, showing you what has been recorded about ratios. Ask your child to explain why these ideas are important.
• Have your child pick a question that was interesting to him or her and explain it to you.
A few important mathematical ideas that your child will learn in Comparing and Scaling are given below. Our 7th grade mathematicians are capable of being excellent mathematicians. We will assign homework an average of three times a week. Homework completion continues to be a challenge for some students. If you would like some suggestions on additional strategies for helping you child complete and turn in their math homework, please feel free to email us.
Sincerely,

Ellen Davis
6-7-8 Mathematics
Herb Nipson
Title 1 Mathematics

[PDF] 7th Grade Math