Class Updates

Mrs. Fox

7th Grade: Students are in a unit titled “Let Us Entertain You,” which is about the behavior and properties of waves. We will learn that whether a wave is in water, a sound wave or a light wave, all waves transfer energy and have a repeating pattern of a specific wavelength, frequency and amplitude. We use graphs to describe and compare wave properties and relate them to real world phenomena such as how we communicate and how technology has changed from analog to digital. This unit should be very “entertaining.” :)  

8th Grade: Students are in a unit titled “Overstepping Our Resources,” which focuses on how humans depend on and use natural resources as well as how this use impacts Earth’s systems. Throughout the unit, students will evaluate various strategies to mitigate the impact of human activities on natural resources and ecosystems. We will move from a global perspective on the use and sustainability of natural resources to a local context, as students develop an action plan to mitigate human impact on their ecosystem.   

Earth Systems: Students are exploring the hydrosphere and its effects on other Earth systems. Students will use mathematical representations, models and real-life phenomena to investigate the importance of water resources, its management and water properties. As the unit continues, students will analyze the health of aquatic systems and evaluate the sustainability of mitigation strategies on a local water quality issue.   

Mrs. Horgan

6th Grade: As we kick off the 4th quarter, your student is diving into understanding how our awesome planet works! We're currently exploring how Earth's surface changes over time. We're learning about cool stuff like convection currents, tectonic activity, and how continents move around (yes, they actually move!). We're getting really good at spotting clues in rocks and fossils to figure out Earth's history. Plus, we're discovering how energy and stuff like rocks and water shape our world, from big mountains to tiny pebbles. And get ready, because in our big project coming up, we'll use all this knowledge to imagine how famous places like the Grand Canyon will change in the future. It's going to be super exciting to see what we come up with!

Earth Systems: In the Maryland Changing Hydrosphere unit, your student is exploring the hydrosphere and its impact on other Earth systems. They're using a local tributary and its watershed as a real-life context to understand how natural and human forces affect water flow and aquatic life. They'll start by studying water resources in Maryland and how they support both people and nature. Through mathematical modeling and the design process, they'll develop plans to manage water resources at home. They'll dive into the properties of water and its role in shaping the Earth's surface, supporting life, and transporting materials. Your child will also learn about human activities that disrupt natural water systems and ways to minimize these impacts. Using investigations and models, they'll explore patterns in water flow and how humans can either speed up or reduce their impact on natural processes. Towards the end of the unit, they'll focus on aquatic biodiversity and evaluating tributary health. Finally, they'll brainstorm solutions to local water quality issues, consulting with experts and creating action plans. Your student's learning will culminate in evaluating existing mitigation strategies and developing an action plan to improve the health of our local tributary. They'll have the opportunity to involve stakeholders and implement their plans, mobilizing our school community to take action. I'm excited to see the positive impact they'll make!

Living Systems: In our Living Systems course, we're currently diving into the fascinating world of top predators in our fifth unit. Our big question for this unit is: "Should top predators be reintroduced to their native ecosystems?" We're starting by exploring the conservation of matter and energy. Your student will investigate how matter, like carbon, moves between living and non-living parts of the environment. They'll also learn about the flow of energy through food webs and ecological pyramids, using math to compare energy levels and understand why some energy is lost as it moves through different levels.  They'll also explore factors that affect population size, like species interactions and resource availability, and how these factors contribute to the ecosystem's stability. Your student will also learn about the importance of biodiversity and how disturbances, like natural disasters or human activities, can impact ecosystems. They'll investigate how ecosystems can recover from these disturbances and consider how introducing or removing species can affect ecosystem stability. For the big finale, students will use what they've learned to analyze whether reintroducing top predators to the Eastern United States could help control overpopulation. They'll create a public service announcement, blog post, infographic, or another approved product to share their position and back it up with evidence and reasoning. It's an exciting and thought-provoking journey, and I am looking forward to seeing your child's insights and creativity shine!

Mrs. Levin

Living Systems: Students are learning all about energy in their new Unit, Unit 2 You are What You Eat. Students will also be learning about photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

IPC: In the last learning cycle of Unit 1, students are learning about velocity and momentum of fireworks.

Earth Systems: Students are entering the final frontier of the Space Unit, learning about Kepler's laws and planetary motion.