Nathan Hale School
December, 2012 Issue
7th Grade Newsletter
Math
Science
In 7th grade math we will be studying numerical and
proportional reasoning. This includes prime
factorization, simplifying fractions, changing fractions
to decimals and percents and our favorite factor
trees.
Pre Algebra will be concentrating on numerical and
proportional reasoning as well as geometry and
measurement. Students will be working on rational
numbers. They will be solving equations with rational
numbers. They will also be working with the mean, median
and mode of sets of data. They will have their second
benchmark the week of January 22nd, 2013.
Hot Question. Ask your child to explain the differences
between mean, median and mode.
Spanish
The theme for the unit is Mis amigos y yo (My friends
and I) and this chapter is called Y tú,¿Cómo eres? (What
are you like?).
Upon completion of this chapter, your child will be able
to:
Talk about personality traits
Ask and tell what people are like
Use adjectives to describe people
Understand cultural perspectives on what makes
a good friend
Write a letter to pen pal
Have your child write down the names of all the
members of your family. Then have him or her write
down an adjective from the chapter to describe each
person
Remember that additional help is available online at
phschool.com by using the web codes in the Student
edition. Students may also access their textbook online.
They already have a username and password.
Please remember that homework can be found on
eboard.com. The username is nathanhale.
Upcoming Events
December 3rd – Toy Drive Begins
(Until December 17th)
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December 7 – Starry Night
December 21st – 12:00 Dismissal
December 24th – Christmas Break
Begins
Developmental Pathways: Physical
Language
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In 7 Gra d e Sc ienc e w e w ill c ontinue to stud y
a nima l c ells a nd a ll of the struc tures a nd func tions
of the org a nelles. They w ill c omp a re a nima l c ells to
p la nt c ells. Stud ents w ill b eg in d esc rib ing how
sp ec ific c ells c omb ine to form tissues, org a ns a nd
org a n systems. They w ill b eg in d isc ussing p otentia l
sc ienc e fa ir/ ind ep end ent sc ienc e exp eriments.
HOT QUESTION! How does cell research affect
health/medical fields?
Social Studies
This month the students will be learning about North
Africa and Southwest Asia. Our focus will extend to
the ancient peoples who lived in those regions and
benefited from the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
We will concentrate on the evolution of huntergatherers into farmers who created the first complex
civilizations. Students will ultimately be working with
their classmates to construct a model of either ancient
Egypt or ancient Mesopotamia. Classes will compete
for a prize.
An essential question you might ask your child is:
What is the relationship between a land’s climate and
its natural resources.
Language Arts
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In December, 7 grade students will continue working with
their nonfiction core text, Phineas Gage. While reading the
second half of Phineas Gage, students will learn even more
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about brain science and the true story of on 19 century man
who, unexpectedly, defied what the world knew about how
the brain works. Also in this second half, students will dive
deeper into decoding and understanding nonfiction texts. To
do this, students will analyze the parts of nonfiction texts, like
text features, vocabulary, and visual information, in order to
arrive at a more complete understanding of the text as a
whole. Lastly, students will continue their standard practice
of in-class writes, “Word of the Week” vocabulary
development, and independent reading, which requires
students to keep a reading log and practice the skills they
learn as a class on their own, and at their own pace.
Higher Order of Thinking (HOT) Question: If a person
receives a brain injury, and that injury impairs the victim’s
social skills, use of common sense, and ability to logically
reason thing out, does the victim become less human? Are
humans defined by their ability to interact and understand
one another? If they are, is Phineas Gage less human after
his accident?
Psychological
Cognitive
Social
Ethical