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Seventh Grade Blog

December 17, 2021

HUMANITIES 7th graders have been working hard on drafting, editing, revising, and re-editing their literary analysis essays of the book, Chains. Students have embraced the writing process; they should be proud of the work they’ve put into their essays. Students have also created graphics demonstrating their understanding of the Triangular Trade, the economic exchange of goods and people between continents during the time of the Atlantic Slave Trade. We are finishing the semester with analysis of the Salem Witch Trials, focusing on why and how they happened and how the events in seventeenth century Massachusetts relate to our lives today. Enjoy...
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November 12, 2021

HUMANITIES On Wednesday, the students conducted mock trials in which they either defended or prosecuted British soldiers who were involved in the events of March 5, 1770, known to history as the Boston Massacre. The trials culminated weeks of research, collaborative work, and writing, all while weaving the events of 1770 Boston into the larger picture of Colonial America. Ask your children what they thought of their performances; odds are they are harder on themselves than the jury! We are almost done reading the historical fiction novel, Chains, which is narrated by an enslaved black girl during the American Revolution. We...
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October 15, 2021

HUMANITIES After weeks focusing on skills and ideas such as close reading and what it means to be a historian, we are starting two new units that integrate English Language Arts and Social Studies. We are starting the historical fiction novel, Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, a story told from the perspective of an enslaved girl living in New York City during the American Revolutionary War. We will discuss the different meanings of freedom while analyzing the literal and metaphorical use of “chains” in the novel. We are also starting a unit on Early America, centered around the Boston Massacre...
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June 7, 2021

HUMANITIES The students did a great job arguing their cases in the trial of Romeo and Juliet. Thank you to those of you who joined to bear witness to the trial; I hope you enjoyed seeing the product of the 7th graders’ hard work and preparation. We are finishing the year by studying the Bill of Rights and answering some final questions about Romeo and Juliet, such as: -Is Romeo and Juliet’s relationship an example of true love? –Does Romeo and Juliet belong in 7th grade? Should Sammy teach it again? –In Shakespeare’s time, should parents have taken their children to see this...
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May 6, 2021

HUMANITIES We are in the thick of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is in exile in Mantua, and Juliet is trying to figure out how to be with her new husband. Once we are finished, the seventh graders will actively argue over whether or not Romeo and Juliet were truly in love and who is to blame for their tragic deaths. In Social Studies, we are analyzing the US Constitution and the founding of the United States. Students are grappling with different sections of the nation’s founding document with rigor, questioning why the founders made certain decisions as well as how...
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April 15, 2021

HUMANITIES The 7th grade is finishing up our Holocaust and Human Behavior unit, in which the students are putting their final touches on projects ranging from illustrated timelines, fictionalized diary entries, and argumentative essays. I have been proud of the learning and growth students have shown during this unit. This week, we are starting to read Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We will be reading the play with an accompanying modern English translation, as well as watching selected scenes from the 1968 and 1996 film versions of the play to enrich the experience reading the play. I am looking forward to diving...
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March 11, 2021

HUMANITIES The 7th grade has been deeply engaged in our unit, Holocaust and Human Behavior. We are studying the Holocaust chronologically and analytically while reading and discussing The Diary of Anne Frank. This week, students analyzed Nazi propaganda, the Nuremberg Laws, and decisions average Germans faced under the new Nazi regime. The students have shown an impressive level of engagement, interest, and insight during this difficult unit. Sammy להורים שלום, אני מקווה ששלומכם בטוב. שבוע שעבר סיימנו לעבוד על יחידה מורכבת ומסועפת מפרקים שונים בהיסטוריה בנוגע להתפתחות ״זכויות הילד״. במסגרת היחידה התלמידים צפו בסרטים דוקומנטריים, קראו טקסטים, ערכו דיונים בכיתה,...
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February 11, 2021

HUMANITIES 7th grade has started our unit entitle Holocaust and Human Behavior. So far, students have engaged with the topics of identity, stereotypes, the consequences of groups, and antisemitism as we build a foundation for understanding the Holocaust. Students have also started reading the graphic biography of Anne Frank, whose diary we will start reading after the break. The students have done an excellent job grappling with difficult ideas, concepts, and facts. I encourage parents to ask their children about what we are studying in class and discuss these topics together. Sammy HEBREW Dear parents, These past few weeks, we...
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December 10, 2020

HUMANITIES 7th grade is finishing out the semester in a strong way. The students finished our unit on slavery by analyzing primary and secondary sources and responding thoughtfully to the documents. Students continue working hard on their analytical Animal Farm essays as well as their independent reading projects. The students have earned a break–which they will hopefully spend with a good new book! Sammy HEBREW Dear Parents, Over the last few weeks, we have been really settling into our learning routine. Our Accelerated group has been learning how to present their rooms, how to describe their schedule using exact times....
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November 12, 2020

HUMANITIES Recently, 7th graders have been learning about the first contact between European and Indigenous peoples, and analyzing and debating the consequences of the integration of cultures through the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. We will start looking at the origins of American slavery next week. In Language Arts, we just finished reading George Orwell’s allegorical novel Animal Farm. Next, students will begin writing analytical essays, which will strive to expose a larger significance to Orwell’s work. Students have been highly engaged in the Presidential Election, have a growing understanding of how our democracy works, and will be better equipped to...
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