St. Rose Middle School Middle School Summer 2021 Assignments “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein Hello Middle School Students, We hope that you had an incredible 2020-2021 school year, we sure did! It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and we can’t wait to get to know you better next year! Throughout the summer, please work through the following assignment pages to prepare for the next school year. Hard work will be rewarded come the start of the 2021-2022 school year this September. This year, we want to keep it simple! We have included checklists so that you can check your work off as it is completed and turn the packet into Mrs. Volkman (Miss Rosenkranz) at the start of the school year – don’t worry, I’ll get your checklist for each teacher to where it needs to go! All reflections, writing, and projects that are expected of you should be turned in with the packet to Mrs. Volkman. There will be a sweet back to school surprise IF there is 100% compliance with these expectations! We can’t wait to see you this September, have a lovely summer! -The Middle School Teacher Team Math Expectations Over the summer, to prepare for math in the coming school year, we will be completing some IXL practice. You can find your new grade level under “Math” at the top under the “Learning” tab, and scroll down until you see your new grade as listed below. These should all be review problems to keep our skills fresh over the summer. If you run into something you don’t know, don’t shy away! Do your best to push through and learn it, your hard work will pay off during the school year. This is worth 20 pts per topic that is completed to 100% (for example, topic A, all skills at 100% = 20 pts). This will be added as an assignment at the beginning of the school year (completion starts you off with an A)! Incoming 6th Grade: ❏ 6th Grade IXL ❏ 100% on all skills under topics A-D Incoming 7th Grade: ❏ 7th Grade IXL ❏ 100% on all skills under topics A-D Incoming 8th Grade: ❏ We will be working on Algebra One Math ❏ 100% on all skills under topics A-D Math Checklist: Grade Level: ___________ Skills: ❏ Section A ❏ Section B ❏ Section C ❏ Section D Science Expectations We have spent a lot of time this year inside and on the computer, so this summer, I would like for you to get outside and make a mess (as much of a mess as your parents will allow, that is). Here are three fun experiments for this summer, if you have time to do one or three, that’s fine, each is worth 10 extra credit points if it has a reflection. 1. Oobleck: Create the non-Newtonian fluid on any scale/size that you like. Then take videos explaining what happens when different force is applied to the fluid (for example: blunt force with a hammer or your fist versus slowly pushing your hand toward the bottom) 2. Slime: What is the perfect formula for your slime? What did you add to it (write a recipe)? What resources did you use to find your formula? 3. A Classic – THE VOLCANO: Take a video and create the largest baking soda volcano you can! Think about the explosion, what will make it more explosive (i.e., not a slow overflow but some height)? The following write up is due on the first day of school for each experiment and will not be accepted late; it is worth 10 extra credit points (per experiment) so completing this will start you out with an A+! Please limit your response to one page per experiment. Please use Times New Roman font size 12. 1. Name, Date, Experiment Number 2. Procedures 3. What did you learn related to chemical reactions? Science Checklist Grade Level: ___________ ❏ Oobleck ❏ Oobleck Reflection ❏ Slime ❏ Slime Reflection ❏ Volcano ❏ Volcano Video ❏ Volcano Reflection Social Studies Expectations Please pick one activity from each column. Each completed activity earns 12.5 points of extra credit in the fall (maximum of 50pts) Watch 1 documentary on Take a virtual tour of the 6th Grade: Record a video Write a letter to a family History (NOT ONE WE Metropolitan Museum of of your singing the 5 member you haven’t seen WATCHED IN CLASS.)45 Art in NYC Art at home Themes of Geography in a while to ask about your minute minimum duration: OR any virtual or in-person family tree The Story of India, The museum. Local and private 7th Grade: Make a Coat of Story of China, Ken Burns collections too. (ex: Arms for yourself with your Three skills in IXL Social Civil War, PBS American Huntington Library, Frick themes Studies (Economics or Marvels, etc) Museum) Civics only) Create one papier mâché, Watch 1 Historical Drama Visit the American or Air dry clay, artifacts Write and send an email to with your family. (NOT ONE Battlefield Trust and watch inspired by technology of me WE WATCHED IN 3 videos the Ancient World. ([email protected] CLASS.)(80/90 min ex The (irrigation, terrace farming, ) telling me about your Last of the Mohicans, Watch 3 82nd and Fifth aqueduct, water wheel, summer or something you Master and Commander, Web series of 2 min talks wheeled chariot/cart/war would like to learn about in Gods and Generals, How about an artifact in the wagon, trireme, viking long Social Studies next year the West Was Won, etc.) MET. (NOT ONE WE boat.) WATCHED IN CLASS.) 8th Grade: Read Animal Farm by George Orwell Paint something using a YouTube tutorial (ala Shibasaki) (NOT ONE WE WATCHED IN CLASS.) Social Studies Checklist: ❏ Yellow ❏ Green ❏ Red ❏ Blue 8th Grade Family Immigration Story Summer Project Dear Students, Willa Cather once wrote, “The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman.” All of us are Americans because of the heartfelt journey of our families. As we begin looking at the history of our country, let us look at our own ancestral trek to this particular point in our personal history. I will start you off by relating part of my own story. My ancestors come from Europe; I am Swedish, English, Scottish and Dutch. My great-great grandfather came to this country to escape the coal mines of England, where he claimed he only saw the sun on Sunday because he went into the mines before it rose and didn’t leave until after sunset. He was also seeking religious freedom and the ability to own his own land; after reaching America, he pulled his belongings in a handcart across the plains – twice, the second time pulling a cart with his mother. My great grandmother, at the age of five, was brought against her will from Scotland. Her mother abandoned her husband and other children to become the second wife of a Mormon missionary and my great-grandmother never saw her father or siblings again. Another great-grandparent came from Amsterdam, Holland. On my father’s side of the family, my great-grandparents came from a small island off the coast of Sweden. My maternal families settled in the West, they went to Utah, Idaho, and Canada and became farmers. My paternal family came from Michigan and points east. A great-grandfather who fought for the Union army during the Civil War was held prisoner and escaped from a Southern prison camp. One was a photographer, one a WWI fighter airplane mechanic, and another, a Vaudeville song and dance man. My parents became part of the post WWII migration to Southern California and moved into a suburb of Los Angeles where this baby-boomer was born. I went to college at UCLA studying Theatre Arts and Cal State LA College of Education. I married, had two sons, and my family and I became “urban refugees” from Los Angeles eleven years ago. We came to southwest Washington to visit relatives and stayed. The rest, as they say, is history. Some traditions that came to the United States from Europe are food related. My father used to make Ugnspannkaka, Swedish pancake, because that is what his grandmother made. All brought their “work ethic”; they had to work hard to immigrate and they brought this ability to the U.S. We are a nation of immigrants, a melting pot of cultures and religions. The history of the United States of America really did begin in the heart of a man or woman; please tell me about the men and women in your history. Relate your own immigration story with a minimum of 400 words. This assignment is due the first day of school, so this should give you enough time to do your research. -Mrs. Swift Grading information: Rough Draft of Written Report /15 Diagram of Family Tree: Information clearly and logically presented, aesthetics /15 Written Report (30 pts): ❏ English Conventions: Spelling, grammar, clear and concise composition /10 ❏ History of the First Immigrants: Place of birth, what brought them to the U.S. /20 ❏ Summary of their life in their original country and in the U.S. (Think: customs, dress, music, religion), and a short history of the country that they came from with emphasis on the time period they immigrated Presentation (15 pts): ❏ Oral /10 ❏ Artifacts /5 Total /75 Extra Credit is available if you create a companion digital presentation for this project in addition to the regular written report, family tree and oral report.