This week students went down to work on their essays by writing a clear and concise thesis statement and drafting an outline. Students were required to write as much detail about ideas and information as they could on their own before using the laptop to research further information. Many students started a rough draft to formulate their outlines into full sentences and body paragraphs. I am really impressed at the level of focus and work being put into this hour; I look forward to reading some fine essays in a few weeks!
In maths all year groups completed their first learning unit. Year 7s had their unit test Thursday and years 8 and 9 on Friday. Our next unit is much longer in length and we will use the feedback and data from the first unit to ensure students continue to succeed in maths. Students have been given their packets to take home this Friday where you can see their final test on the last two pages.
In IMYC Brainwave students explored the changing brain as it enters the teenage years. We looked at the conflicting amygdala and prefrontal cortex and how the prior grows faster than the later causing emotional turbulence and impulsivity. Then, we looked for proven ways to calm down when overwhelmed or upset including breathing exercises, the 5-4-3-2-1 method, and body scanning to refocus our minds and let the frontal cortex take control again.
We also explored how we can turn failure in success by using grit and growth mindsets. These two concepts have been scientifically proven to be effective tools for overcoming difficulties and predicting long term success. This tied into our lesson in PSHE where we looked at ways to promote well being for ourselves and those around us during the school day.
For geography we are applying the five elements of geography study to a country report based on questions in each category. Students are doing in class research to answer each question, which is more challenging than a simple single sentence answer! This will remain an in class project for now, so it will take some time to complete.
Everyone have a great weekend and see you all on Monday!
Homework – Due Next Friday
Maths:
- 7s – Steps 5-8 Review Journal, complete step 1 Function machines from in class, and order of operations (BIDMAS) practice.
- 8s/9s – Steps 6-10 Review Journal
All:
- Reading comprehension on a Wellbeing article with comprehension questions
- Identifying parts of speech practice
- If you missed last Friday’s homework, you will also find the reading comprehension with questions about HandWriting.
- Included with homework is returned homework from last week as well as the completed first maths units for all year groups.
