Contents
Important Dates
| March 16 – Parent- Teacher Conferences | |
| March 24 – End of 2nd Quarter | |
| April 6-14 – Spring Recess School Closed | |
| April 19- 20 – NYS ELA exam | |
| April 21- School Closed | |
| May 2-3 – NYS Math Exam | |
| May 29 – School Closed – Memorial Day | |
New Voices Guidance and Counseling
The New Voices Guidance and Counseling team is looking forward to offer continued support to all students through any new or ongoing Social and Emotional challenges that may arise. As we head into March, and hopefully some brighter days, we will continue to act as pillars of support for all students as they navigate ongoing challenges and changes. It is also our hope that with increased awareness efforts, that students continue to seek out any support they may need.
High School Information from Ms. Miller
Email Ms. Miller with any high school questions or concerns via Jupiter.
Jupiter
Parents: Are you registered in Jupiter? Administration and Teachers use this to message parents. Please stay informed. If you need assistance reach out to Enid Parra, Parent Coordinator, eparra2@schools.nyc.gov. Please confirm and set a password so that you can receive emails and updates. Please note that some information is only sent to parent accounts.
Math
Help Sites:
6th Grade
Understand and Use Ratio and Rate
At the end of the unit the students will be able to:
- Understand Ratios
- Use ratios to describe the relationship between two quantities
- Use bar diagrams and double number line diagrams to model ratio relationships.
- Generate Equivalent Ratios
- Use multiplication and division to find equivalent ratios.
- Solve problems by finding equivalent ratios.
- Compare Ratios
- Use ratio tables to compare ratios.
- Compare ratios to solve problems.
- Represent and Graph Ratios
- Use rates to describe ratios in which the terms have different units.
- Use rates and unit rates to solve problems
- Understand Rates and Unit Rates
- Use rates to describe ratios in which the terms have different unites
- Use Rates and unit rates to solve problems
- Compare Unit Rates
- Use ratio reasoning to compare rates and solve problems
- Solve Unit Rate Problems
- Use unit rates to solve problems involving constant speed.
- Use unit rates to solve problems involving unit price.
- Solve unit rate problems using an equation
7th Grade
Solve Problems Using Equations and Inequalities
At the end of the unit the students will be able to:
- Write Two-Step Equations
- Analyze word problems to write two-step equations
- Understand the relationship between the terms of the equation and the values they represent.
- Solve Two-Step Equations
- Use models to solve two-step equations.
- Compare algebraic and arithmetic solutions.
- Solve Equations Using the Distributive Property
- Solve equations using the Distributive Property
- Solve Inequalities Using Addition or Subtraction
- Graph the solution of inequalities on a number line.
- Solve inequalities using the Addition and Subtraction Properties of Inequality
- Solve Inequalities Using Multiplication and Division
- Write inequalities and solve them using Multiplication and Division Properties of Inequality
- Graph the solutions of an inequality on a number line.
- Solve Two-Step Inequalities
- Write and solve a two-step inequality to solve a problem
- Solve an inequality by multiplying or dividing by a negative rational number.
- Solve Multi-Step Inequalities
- Explore the relationship between two-step inequalities and multi-step inequalities
- Apply the Distributive Property to simplify and solve multi-step inequalities.
8th Grade/Algebra
Unit 5: Exponents & Exponential Functions
In unit 5, students will distinguish between arithmetic and geometric sequences. In a previous unit students explored arithmetic sequences which are sets of terms that are a fixed amount away from each other. In this unit students will explore geometric sequences which are sets of terms that can be found by multiplying a previous term by a constant factor. These concepts will serve as a foundation for distinguishing, constructing, and analyzing exponential functions. Soon after, students will interpret these functions given numerical, verbal, graphical, and symbolic representations. Translating between the four forms, identifying key characteristics, and understanding the limitations of exponential functions are a priority before moving on to contextual situations. By the end of Unit 5 students will have a collection of tools and skills to use for interpreting real world situations and solving real-world problems involving exponential data.
Art Electives
STEM (Mr. Burnworth)
6th Grade
Finishing our scratch video games and moving on to 3D printing!
7th/8th Grade Majors
Continuing our rotations with micro controllers, learning python, 3D printing, laser cutting, physical coding with robots and more! As we learn more about the tech and machines we will begin developing projects that utilize multiple tech/machines to solve a problem or develop a new product.
Chorus (Ms. Kahn)
6th Grade
Students will begin their final songwriting project of chorus class. Additionally, they will polish their repertoire to prepare for their concert.
7th/8th Grade Majors
7th grade chorus majors will practice three-part harmony in their new piece, “Stodola Pumpa,” a Czech folk song. In 8th grade chorus, students will practice singing in the key of Ab Major using the Beatles songs, “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry that Weight.” The chorus majors will continue working on their film scoring projects and will prepare to showcase their compositions to the class. The composer of the month will be Ruth B., a young woman of Ethiopian descent who became famous through TikTok’s predecessor, Vine.
Graphic Arts (Ms. Eisenberg)
6th Grade
The sixth-grade graphics arts students will be drawing a self-portrait using Adobe Photoshop. They will learn the meaning of a self-portrait and how it can be made to look abstract or realistic. They will observe different styles of self-portraits from the 16th Century up to the present. The students will learn how to draw with a Wacom drawing tablet, and how to create shading in a digital painting.
7th Grade Majors
The seventh-grade graphic arts majors will be working on the second part of their endangered species project. In February they worked on completing the portrait of their endangered species, and designing a cover design for the New Voices 2022-2023 school planner. In March they will be using the endangered species portrait they illustrated in a packaging design project. The students will be designing and inventing a line of cookies for the company named Endangered Species Chocolate. Like a real Graphic Designer, they will learn how to design a cookie bag using the elements and principles of design. They will learn how to play the roles of an Illustrator, Copywriter, and Graphic Designer.
8th Grade Majors
The eighth-grade graphic arts majors will be introduced to the style of Pop Art and the artist named Andy Warhol. They will learn about propaganda artwork and how the Pop Art era emerged during the 1950’s. The students will design a vector portrait using Adobe Illustrator in the style of Andy Warhol.
Dance (Ms. Herlinger-Thompson)
6th Grade
Classes 603 and 604 will be refining and rehearing their small group collaborative dances while developing their whole class ensemble dance sections. Both class will soon be deciding and creating a simple dance costume which they will be wearing for their informal dance presentations at the end of the marking period.
7th and 8th Grade Majors
In celebration of Black History Month 7th and 8th Grade Dance Majors have been researching the lives and legacies of black dance professionals who have made profound contributions to the field of dance. Each dance major has selected a black dance professional of his/her choice to celebrate and will be preparing a poster board presentation to be shared in class during the month of March. Our dance majors are also in the process of creating, learning and rehearsing dances are upcoming informal dance presentations.
Visual Arts (Ms. Herrity)
6th Grade
Still life drawing project is in full-swing – first sketching the forms lightly onto 9×12″ drawing paper and then slowly adding detail and shading in stages to show value of the forms as well as attention to cast shadows. Students will be encouraged to incorporate their own unique creative twist to the artwork and will finish it off with their signature. As both a full class and in small groups, students will peer-critique each other’s artwork by describing, analyzing and interpreting without judgment.
7th Grade Majors
Art majors will be learning how to put the human figure into action by studying gesture drawing technique. A gesture drawing is a quick drawing of the figure from observation in less than 2 minutes, a quick sketch to capture the movement of the pose. This will put their studies of the 16-unit, 7-head tall figure into practice.
Pictured are several final compositions from the Future in Perspective project. Students titled their work and did a creative writing piece to accompany their work.
8th Grade Majors
Students are getting to know Ms. Caraballo, our student teacher that will be working with us from Brooklyn College for the next month or so. Students will begin a project that incorporates their knowledge of the figure in motion and will be working three-dimensionally, learning about structural balance, pattern-making, architecture and attachment techniques.
Theater (Ms. DiRenzo)
6th Grade
We’ve completed our ensemble unit and have now moved into our Stage Pictures & Tableau Unit. We will begin the unit by exploring various ways we communicate or express emotions and ideas with our bodies, especially with our faces and gestures. We will soon be sharing personal stories that we’ll be using to create and stage dynamic tableaux that we will present out to each other at the end of the unit.
7th Grade Majors
We have completely switched gears this month to begin our playwriting and Shakespeare units. Students will be given a wide variety of writing prompts that range from personal experiences to open ended, blank scenes. Students will work individually, in pairs and in small groups to write and workshop monologues and scenes about topics of their choosing. Additionally, we will learn about the Elizabethan Era in history and life and works of William Shakespeare. Students will learn how to read, understand and interpret the Elizabethan style of writing and speaking as well as produce and perform selected scenes from his works, including Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet.
8th Grade Majors
Following our literary study of Antigone by Sophocles, students are diving deeper into the study of theater design. Our focus will be on costumes and set, though we will explore lighting and sound design as well. Students will work in groups to produce a scene from the play, design both the set and costumes and perform it for recording and sharing.
Science
6th Grade
States of Matter
Students will focus on the different states of matter and how thermal energy change the arrangement of molecules causing matter to change state and undergo constant transformations.
7th Grade
Ecology
In March, the 7th graders will begin by examining the levels of Ecology, focusing on the significance of each level. We will discuss how living things interact with each other and the abiotic factors in the environment. There will be a focus on several different ecosystems and how energy is transferred throughout the ecosystem. We will then identify the carrying capacities and limiting factors and the impact of each. This information will be used to determine the most conducive environmental factors needed in our classroom for brine shrimp hatchlings.
8th Grade
Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
The Unit of study for March, in Living Environment, will be Asexual and Sexual Reproduction. Mitosis and Meiosis, cell division, will be a core understanding for this unit. Students will also develop an understanding of the Male and Female Reproductive systems. The unit will conclude with a Lab on the Menstrual Cycle. As always all lessons, review sheets, supporting videos and online textbook reference pages are included on Google Classroom.
Humanities
6th Grade
Essential Questions:
· How are changes in the world’s oceans affecting people and animals?
· How can we be better stewards of our oceans and waterways?
Sixth grade students will closely read informational texts exploring the ways our oceans are changing: “Tiny Plastic, Big Problem,” “Sea Level Rise,” and “Plenty of Fish in the Sea? Maybe Not.” They will discuss how the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink are all connected to our oceans and those oceans are changing. Students will choose one topic to research further: plastic pollution, overfishing, or sea level rising. They will gather credible evidence that will help them develop an argument.
7th Grade
Essential Question: Is the Constitution a living document?
Students will create a Google Slide presentation on one of the many Supreme Court cases that have affected the lives of teenagers over the course of American history. Their presentation will address the following:
· What are important facts about the case?· Which amendment do people involved in the case believe is being violated?
· What are the two opposing opinions?
· Based on the Constitution and facts of the case, what should the Supreme Court rule in this case? Why?
8th Grade
Essential Questions:·
How do we redress the wrongs of the past?
·Should the U.S. pay reparations to redress the injustice of slavery and its legacy?
Eighth grade students will continue studying the Civil Rights Movement. They will closely read nonfiction articles and watch videos to understand the acts of injustice that led to the growth of the movement. They will learn about events such as the murder of Emmett Till, March on Washington and Sixteenth St. Church bombing. They will also understand the role individuals and groups played in fighting for justice and equality such as the Little Rock Nine, SCLC, Black Panthers and John Lewis. As a culminating task, they will synthesize all the information they have learned about slavery (7th grade), Reconstruction, Jim Crow Laws and the Civil Rights Movement to discuss the following: “How do we redress the wrongs of the past? Should the U.S. pay reparations to redress the injustice of slavery and its legacy?
French
8th Grade only
8th Grade
For French, we will begin a thematic unit based around family. Students will have the opportunity to practice the following “I can” statements :
- I can tell someone about my family.
- I can ask simple questions about others’ families.
- I can present information about myself and members of my family, such as our personalities and what we like to do.
- I can list my family members, their ages, their relationships to me, and what they like to do.
- I can understand some supporting details from a news report about families.
- I can understand when someone gives information about members of their family.
- I can recognize words for family members, personality traits and physical characteristics.
The thematic unit is guided by the following essential questions:
- What are families like in Francophone cultures ?
- What members of a family live together ?
- How common are divorced and blended families ?
- What are the roles of each member of the family ?
- What role do pets play in the family ?
NEW VOICES | MS 443 