The RCMS Magnet Newsletter

[email message sent out to 8th grade magnet families 4/20/2020]

7th Grade Magnet Computer Science

Welcome to Magnet Computer Science for grade 7.  Discovery, inquiry, design, creativity, problem solving, and evaluation are key tenants of developing an understanding of how to program hardware to perform a function or task.  In 7^th grade, students will evolve from engineering and programming Arduino circuits to making robots complete dynamic moves as they navigate the surface of Mars.  As we navigate the year, the students will learn Arduino circuits where they will use hardware, jumper wires, sensors, and breadboards to make their own circuits and program them to create their own hydroponics prototype.  They will transition to designing and developing mobile apps for Android devices using object-oriented blockly programming through MIT App Inventor.  Their programming knowledge will translate into the venue of designing, building and programming LEGO robots to perform a series of challenges and missions as if they were in Space or on Mars.    The students in computer science will be assessed in two different IB MYP subjects: Design and Arts. 

MYP Design	MYP Arts
Criterion A: Inquiring and Analyzing Criterion B: Developing Ideas Criterion C: Creating the Solution Criterion D: Evaluating	Criterion A: Knowing and understanding Criterion B: Developing Skills Criterion C: Thinking Creatively Criterion D: Responding

 

2nd Quarter Reflections – Arduino Hydroponics System

During second quarter, students took a deep dive into Arduino and building circuits.  The students learned to manage multiple sensors and components to make dynamic prototypes.  They used this knowledge to make a 21st century hydroponic system that utilized Arduino’s to either automate their system or create warning mechanisms to ensure that their hydroponics system is working correctly. 

Bella Vita Farms

We kicked off the project with a visit to Bella Vita Farms to experience a working hydroponics / aquaponics farm.  The students were able to see for themselves how aquaponics and hydroponics are grown using a variety of methods and practices where technology and classic hydroponic systems married into a great learning experience.  The students reflected on the visit and analyzed the different aspects of the process through pictures and writing.  This was the perfect preview to get their creative minds flowing as we were looking ahead to our interdisciplinary hydroponics project.

Arduino Hydroponics/Aquaponics Systems

The students worked in teams to make their system by going through the MYP Design Cycle to make their hydroponics  systems.  The students began the project by researching and inquiring about different hydroponic systems.  They then developed their own individual ideas and came together as a group for a final decision of their system.  Building, redesigning, testing, prototyping, and reflecting enable groups to navigate the construction and programming of their system.  The students then analyzed other student designed systems to reflect on the experience.  Students were extremely proud and I was super happy s this was the first time we have done the project.  I was blown  away at the variety and what the students were able to do together.  It is such a great interdisciplinary project for our course!  View some pictures below to get an idea of the projects. 

Unit 2 – MIT App Inventor

Students will be designing, creating, and programming Android mobile applications using MIT App Inventor.  Students will employ programming concepts of condition statements and multimedia into their mobile applications to make them dynamic and responsive.

Our interdisciplinary project focus on the students designing and programming a Human Anatomy Food App.  They will be creating a variety of screens covering the different topics that they have learned  in their science unit and apply it to their mobile app.

For their summative project for the unit, students will be working in groups of 2 or 3 to design, develop, program, and produce a mobile application to improve the global community utilizing the UN Sustainable Development goals.  

Unit 3 – LEGO Ev3 Robots

Students will build, program, and command a LEGO Mindstorm robot to complete the Space Challenge.  This unit provides rich opportunities for students to explore and create solutions to current space-exploration topics.  Students apply their knowledge of physical science and mathematics principles to investigate, observe, and calculate to solve specific tasks.  During the unit, the students apply and creatively adapt programming and problem-solving skills to make robots solve Space Challenge Missions related to space exploration.

7th Grade Magnet Science

Welcome to Magnet Investigations in Science for grade 7.  This curriculum is a unique problem/project based curriculum interwoven with skills learned in computer science and math class.  The learning is student-centered with the teacher acting as a facilitator.  Instruction is focused around one main problem within each unit of study, and   students will be presented a request for proposals (RFP) at the start of each unit.  Students engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in order to propose solutions to identified problems.  They will then use a design-folio throughout the unit to research, develop, design and evaluate their proposals.  The following assessment criteria have been established by the IB for science in the MYP.  The objectives of MYP science encompass the factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive dimensions of knowledge.  Criterion A: Knowing and understanding, Criterion B: Inquiring and designing, Criterion C: Processing and evaluating, and Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science.

 

Humanities English 8

We are reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which is a chore for some of them.  It’s almost 500 pages of not-easy text, but it’s an important piece of literature that really supports what we’ve been talking about all year long (what does it mean to be American and how does perspective affect our beliefs and opinions).   We are actually writing pages on this book, and we will participate in Socratic Seminars around it.  For the common writing task, in which the rest of the 8th grade writes about 12 Angry Men, we will write a 2-3 page dialogue between Uncle Tom and their choice of one of the people we studied (MLK, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, James Baldwin, Colin Kaepernick, Angela Davis, a few more).  The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is coming up, and while the rest of the eighth grade only reads 3 chapters, we read the whole book.  Shakespeare rounds out our year, and it looks like we will be doing a compilation of Shakespearean scenes this year, rather than one entire play.

To supplement 12 Angry Men as well as the essential questions framed above, we are reading about the Roger Stone sentencing, from both sides of the aisle.  It would be wonderful for parents to engage with their children in this, as parental perspective is always welcome when we have these types of discussions.  Our main point of inquiry with this is:

Does it undermine the jury system if the Attorney General interferes in prosecutors’ sentencing recommendations?

There are many nuances to this story, and information is still coming out, but it’s important and timely, especially given our focus.

Humanities US History 8

In Social Studies we are continuing to look at the United States Constitution. In this quarter we are seeing if the Constitution can handle the “stressors” put on it by economic and geographical expansion. The quarter requires students to know subject matter (1800-1865), thinking stills, specific to general sourcing and sourcing with a point of view, continue to work on using corroborating sources to define an argument, and develop a more holistic, accurate view of American History. 

The major writing assignment for this quarter is the Common Writing Task. This grade is more than 10 percent of the grade because of the many components involved in the completion of the writing sample. All material will be posted in Google Classroom and that will be a key location for students and parents to review content and assignment status. If it says missing in red, students will not get a grade for the assignment. 

Humanities Media 8

In Huumanities Media 8 we have just completed the C-Span Student Cam competition/project, and we are moving on to the Choose Respect Montgomery Campaign. The CRMC focuses on teen dating abuse and what  can be done in order to increase awareness and prevention of teen dating abuse. The CRMC will take up the first half of Quarter 3 ending right on interims. The second half of the quarter will find us re-focusing on our NYC media projects; we will be transitioning into the editing and post-production stages of the project, to get the students ready for the NYC Showcase in May.

Image credits: 

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” RIF.org, 5 June 2018, www.rif.org/literacy-central/book/uncle-toms-cabin.

In 8th grade Geometry, we are wrapping up our unit on Trigonometry.  They have mastered the “law of sines” and “law of cosines.”  Our next unit looks at two-dimensional as well three-dimensional geometry.  Students will see how cross-sections of prisms are used to determine volume and look at Cavalieri’s principle.  They will then finish the quarter studying conic sections. They will use this knowledge as well as their trigonometrical knowledge as they finish their interdisciplinary unit (IDU) which looks at depth and intensity of earthquakes at plate boundaries.  Students are plotting the data in Computer Science, and will finish with their results and conclusions in Science class.  This project ends our Science unit on geology; our next unit in Science is physics.  We will be studying motion, forces and energy. We begin by exploring speed, velocity and acceleration.  Our project for this unit will be building and launching a bottle rocket.  In Computer Science, the Earthquake IDU concludes the data visualization in Python. The next and final unit in python is Object oriented concepts using Python. For the rest of the year, we will be learning database concepts using Microsoft Access. Students will learn about creating tables, forming relationships, creating forms, reports and querying the database using SQL. There is a short unit for about 3 – 4 weeks on Processing (java mode) before their Boston trip in April.

Image Credits: (Top) “Boston.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 10 Nov. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/boston/. (Bottom) “File:Wfm Stata Center.jpg.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Dec. 2009, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology#/media/File:Wfm_stata_center.jpg.

Today, RCMS hosted a newscast and media crew from “CBS This Morning” New York. As part of a story on education for Black History Month, the national TV news show is featuring some of the excellent teaching here at Clemente. They are highlighting our eighth grade U.S. History program’s commitment to teaching the revised U.S. History curriculum, specifically focusing on how we teach topics of slavery and our deep analysis of how the experiences of free and enslaved persons living in the United States have been taught in schools throughout our history. 

The CBS crew videotaped classes and interviewed students, along with Mr. Assenza (Humanities and History 8 teacher) and Ms. Ani from the Social Studies curriculum office, regarding how they are approaching these topics, how the curriculum has changed in recent years, and other topics related to the curriculum. Among other topics, students explored the perspectives of visual artists, compared different regional publishings of “identical” textbooks, and analyzed how regional and temporal culture changes can affect the lenses through which we view history. 

We commend Mr. Assenza and the members of the RCMS Social Studies Department for their commitment to and engagement with the new curriculum, and for creating an environment where focusing a critical lens on America’s past is connected with the hope for a brighter future. The full news story is tentatively slated to air on February 19th.

Image credit: “National Portrait Gallery: Titus Kaphar and Ken Gonzales-Day Explore ‘UnSeen’ Narratives in Historic Portraiture.” Culture Type, www.culturetype.com/2018/03/28/titus-kaphar-and-ken-gonzales-day-explore-unseen-narratives-in-historic-portraiture-in-new-national-portrait-gallery-exhibition/.

Last night we welcomed 8th grade Math, Science, & Computer Science parents in the Media Center for a brief presentation followed by a Q&A session. There were lots of great questions, and we are excited to be getting closer to the Boston trip every day!

The slide deck from last night is available for you to review here. Paperwork will be coming home with students today, and more detailed information regarding the trip itinerary, packing list, etc. will be sent home prior to the trip in April to help families prepare. If you have questions, please contact Karen Rosemier at 301.284.4744.

Photo credit: “Boston.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 10 Nov. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/boston/.