Mrs. Leah Class Update – Term 1, Week 4

Another week down, and a five day little break for Chuseok!

This week everyone worked very hard on completing their 5 paragraph essays. We planned, we rough drafted, we found quotes, we cited with MLA conventions, and finally we typed them up and submitted them! I was able to get through some making edits and suggestions, so some students started to rectify these issue. Others will receive their essays back next Thursday to make the final revisions. In all I am very pleased with the hard work and effort put into these essays! I will hold everyone to the standard of this first work the rest of the year.

In math year 8 and 9 finished their units on multiplicative change and forming and solve equations, respectively. Year y students have the misfortune of having their unit test on algebraic notation next Friday after the break. Year 7 students received a steps 7-12 review to work on over the 5 day break, as well as linked lesson videos on the classroom to help them feel practiced and prepared!

In IMCY we started our science unit of the Characteristics of Life. Students used the acronym MRCHEDDR to remember the eight characteristics generally agreed upon by scientists: metabolism, reproduction, cellular structure, homeostasis, evolution, DNA, development & growth, and response to stimuli. We had a fairly in-depth overview and students were instructed and guided in taking notes. Then on Wednesday students needed to use those notes to complete comprehension questions – many were surprised how difficult it was to complete their assignment without adequate notes! Hopefully a lesson was learned and there will be more diligent focus and recording in class information.

Our PSHE lesson was a fun one; we talked about body image and how through out history the ‘ideal’ body has changed. We then focused on how social media and technology have made this ideal even more impressionable with young people, and how AI has already started creating images that reflect unrealistic ideals. We looked at a series of AI generated images made from basic prompts that demonstrated how easily terms like masculine, feminine, teen girl, teen boy, health and unhealthy can create highly idealized ‘people’.

In Design and Technology we started our unit on transportation with an overview of the history of transport and how it has developed and changed overtime. We focused on the advent of the automobile and how Henry Ford’s production line made automobiles affordable for more people than ever before. Our second class was postponed for the Chuseok event, but we will pick back up next week!

Finally, there is only math review homework for everyone so it shouldn’t take too much time during this school break. Take care and see you next Thursday!

Mrs Leah