Prince Andrew Public School
April News – 7/8VB
Language
April is poetry month! Students will read, write and analyze poems. We
will focus on figurative language and how it enhances poetry. Each
student will create his/her own poetry booklet. We will also create a
"Poet Tree" full of our favourite poems. We will end the month with a
"Poetry Slam"! More information will be sent home about this event.
At home
Music is poetry! Listen to songs with your child and see if there is any
figurative language in them, such as similes or metaphors. Discuss
imagery in the lyrics and the mood of the songs.
Mathematics
We are currently studying Powers and Exponents in math. Grade 7
students are learning how to write and evaluate powers, as well as
represent exponents using cubes. Grade 8 students are evaluating
Upcoming Events
April 4
Student of the Month
Assembly @ 9:30
April 8
Social Justice Field Trip
April 13
Reaching Ahead talk
April 25
Prince Andrew Family Night
(more info. to follow)
expressions with exponents using order of operations, as well as
discovering scientific notation. In class, we created exponent
foldables to help us understand the use of exponents and to
remember the meaning of exponential form, expanded form, and
standard form. Soon, we will be studying data management which will
involve collecting, organizing, and interpreting data in a variety of
charts and tables. Students will be asked to construct a variety of
graphs (line graphs, circle graphs, bar graphs, pictographs, etc.)
At home
Look closely at graphs you may come across in the newspaper
(stock market), in magazines, or even at the doctor’s office
Students in 7/8VB
working diligently to
hunt for figurative
language.
(growth charts). What kind of information is displayed?
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What does it mean? Have your child create graphs and charts to help organize useful information
(e.g. which family members should do what chores on what day?)
More News
To get a daily peek inside our classroom, remember to visit
our twitter account at www.twitter.com/8paps. You do not
need a twitter account - simply type in the web address.
Geography
We have explored "Blue Zone" communities - communities where people live longer due to diet, exercise,
and community with family and friends. Each student designed a poster about a community and its habits.
We will explore the correlation between factors such as life expectancy and health expenditures using
scatter graphs.
At home
Compare our community and it's habits to the "Blue Zone" communities. What are we doing right? Where
can we improve? What can we learn from these communities?
Science
In Science, we have been studying density and buoyancy of fluids. We conducted a demonstration to
show the different densities of a can of Coke and a can of Diet Coke. Students saw that a can of Coke
will sink in water, while a same sized can of Diet Coke will float. After measuring out what 32 g of
sugar looks like on a scale (wow!), we learned that all that dissolved sugar is what made the Coke can
more dense. It was a real eye opener!
Soon we will be starting the unit in science titled “Cells”. Students will be learning how to use a
compound microscope effectively to study and compare plant and animal cells. We will also learn about
the tiny organelles within each cell and the important job each one performs to help keep the cell alive.
At home
Talk with your child about how we determine if something is alive or not. What kinds of characteristics
must it possess to be considered living? If your child has a microscope or even a magnifying glass,
spend some time viewing various items under it. Take a closer look at a plant leaf, some soil from the
garden, or a small insect.
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