Middle School Family Session:

What to Expect During Distance Learning

September 17, 2020

5 PM - 6 PM

Session Overview

• The Ways of the Middle Schooler
• Distance Learning in Middle School
• What Will Your Student Be Learning this Year?
• Parent Strategies to Support Your Student in Distance Learning
• Q & A

The Ways of the Middle Schooler

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

The Ways of the Middle Schooler

• “What were you thinking?!” Middle schoolers sometimes don’t make sense! (but really, their brains are still developing). We need to be prepared for making mistakes, and building reflective skills.Reasoning, cause and effect are still forming. - Mr. Galvan, CMS
• “This doesn’t seem like you!” Middlers are testing boundaries (like when they were toddlers) to see what’s definitely ok, what’s definitely not ok, and what’s sometimes ok. - Mr. Zellman, BHMS

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• “You don’t want to go [to this place we always go to] anymore?” For maybe the FIRST time, a calling to social groups and peer acceptance is stronger than family attachment. So as students push, practice ‘being there.’

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• “But it’s only been an hour!” It’s okay if your kids need a break! We are all adjusting and adapting to what a “workload”should consist of. I think kids need love and understanding during this time more than anything else, even though they might not have the language to say it. - Ms. Martinez, MMS

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• “Where did you see that?” We are the strongest models. Our young people pick up on the way we navigate challenging times.

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CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

OUSD Family Central as a Resource

From the OUSD main page,

click here

OUSD Family Central as a Resource

General Overview of Daily Instructional Time During Distance Learning in Middle Schools

Middle Schools Are Using the Quarter System

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• Students rotate through their half of their courses each 9-week quarter
• Students can focus on three to four classes at a time
• Teachers can focus on a smaller number of students at a time

Example of a Middle School Schedule in the Quarter System

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English Language Arts

Priority Instructional Content — 11 Focal Standards

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WRITING

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Write arguments to support claims

• Gather information from multiple sources
• Draw evidence from text to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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SPEAKING AND LISTENING

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Talk about academic topics

• Participate in collaborative conversations
• Present information, findings, and evidence.

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READING

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Read and comprehend complex texts

• Read closely and cite evidence
• Determine central ideas and themes
• Interpret words and phrases

LANGUAGE

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Understand and use academic language

• Demonstrate understanding of figurative language and nuance
• Acquire and use a range of vocabulary

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English Language Arts

Talking about Texts

Reading Complex Texts

• Text-dependent questions
• Work with vocabulary

Writing about Texts

Supporting Ideas with Text Evidence

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Math

Priority Instructional Content

Prioritized Units from Illustrative Mathematics (IM)

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Math 6

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Unit 2: Introducing Ratios

Unit 3: Unit Rates and Percentages

Unit 6: Expressions and Equations

Unit 7: Rational Numbers

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Math 7

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Unit 1: Scale Drawings (excerpt)

Unit 2: Introducing Proportional Relationships

Unit 4: Proportional Relationships and Percentages

Unit 5: Rational Number Arithmetic

Unit 6: Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities

Math 8

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Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope (excerpt)

Unit 3: Linear Relationships

Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems

Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation

Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers

Click on the Family Materials to learn more about each unit!

Courtney Ortega, Secondary Math Coordinator courtney.ortega@ousd.org

Math

Math Practices

What students do

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Show their thinking using multiple representations

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Show their thinking using multiple representations

Make connections between concepts and representations

Explain their thinking verbally and written

Ask questions to deepen their own understanding and make connections to others’ understandings

Science

Next Generation Science Standards

(NGSS)

Priority Instructional Content

Phenomenon

Science

What kinds of tasks you should expect your student to be engaging in science this year?

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Example prompts:

• What is the relations between layering of fluids and density?
• All the solutions are make with same materials, water and salt. How is it that salt solutions can be heavy and some light if they are made with the same materials?
• Do you think density played a role in the layering activity?

Observations / Engagements

Sensemaking

Example from 6th Grade’s Weather & Water.

Example Phenomenon: California wildfires

Phenomenon

Herberta Zulueta

Secondary Science Coordinator

herberta.zulueta@ousd.org

History-Social Science

Priority Instructional Content - 3 Overlapping Categories

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LITERACY

Students read and analyze primary sources, making inferences about the past, figuring out what words and phrases mean, and comparing multiple accounts.

Students engage in discussion, presenting their own ideas persuasively and building on each other’s thinking.

Students write effective arguments that draw on multiple, reliable sources.

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DISCIPLINARY THINKING

Students explore history through inquiry, by:

• Investigating questions
• Comparing multiple perspectives
• Questioning the biases, reliability, and context of the sources they read

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CONTENT

Teachers prioritize course content that:

• Reflects our students and their communities
• Has clear connections to present issues

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Overall, we’re aiming for depth over breadth

History-Social Science

Priority Instructional Content & Recommended* Units by Grade

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CONTENT

Teachers prioritize course content that:

• Reflects our students and their communities
• Has clear connections to present issues

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Overall, we’re aiming for depth over breadth

6th Grade - Ancient Civilizations

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• Early Humans

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• Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt

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• Ancient China

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• Ancient India

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7th Grade - Medieval and Early Modern History

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• Origins and Spread of Islam

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• African Civilizations

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• Feudal Europe

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• Civilizations of Mesoamerica

8th Grade - U.S. History

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• The Constitution (and review past learning)

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• War and Westward Expansion

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• Abolitionist Movement and Civil War

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• Reconstruction

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*Actual units taught, and the sequencing of units, may vary from teacher to teacher

History-Social Science

What kinds of tasks you should expect your student to be engaging in history this year?

LESSON DESCRIPTION:

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Mansa Musa ruled the Malian empire from 1312-1337 CE. He is known for his extravagant wealth and trading networks.

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In this lesson, students:

• read a recent blog post
• then read two historical documents
• to answer the question: Was Mansa Musa the richest person ever?

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

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What evidence from the documents suggests that Mansa Musa was the richest person ever? What are the limitations of each of these documents?

What further types of evidence would help you to continue investigating whether Mansa Musa was the richest person ever? What are some challenges in locating such evidence?

EXAMPLE: Was Mansa Musa the richest person ever? 7th Grade Inquiry Lesson

from the Stanford History Education Group (google “sheg”)

SOURCES:

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Computer Science

Priority Instructional Content

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Essential Content

• Understand that code runs in a linear fashion
• Create and update variables
• Use conditionals to control programs

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Units

• Web Development
• Basic HTML & CSS
• Programming
• Block or Text based Javascript

Disciplinary Thinking

• Use the Problem Solving Process for both creating and debugging

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Computer Science

Students will create a website and interactive programs. These are examples that students created last year.

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CSS

HTML

Website

Interactive Program

Block and Text Javascript code

Sam Berg

Computer Science Coordinator

sam.berg@ousd.org

Priority Instructional Content

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Student Goals

• Develop a mind - body connection
• Motor skill development
• Improve health
• Develop positive social skills
• Live a healthy lifestyle
• HAVE FUN!!!!!!

What can you expect your student to do in PE class?

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• Exercise!!!
• H.I.I.T.
• Yoga
• Dance
• Tae Bo
• Calisthenics
• Written and Video Assignments:
• Sportsmanship
• Body Mechanics
• Exercise Form Techniques
• Video Discussions

Tips to help your student be successful in PE

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• Have a clear space for your student to workout (size of a yoga mat or beach towel)
• Encourage your student to workout with the camera on!

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Strategies to support your middle schooler

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Extracurricular Opportunities

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College Track: recruit first generation students determined to earn a 4-year college degree and support them with a * Link*

Self-ESTEM: Oakland based STEM program for Girls *Link*

Hidden Genius: Oakland based Coding & Technology program *Link*

All City Council: ACC seeks to create positive change in our schools *Link*

AAMA Student Leadership Council: SLC is made up of African American middle and high school males across the district *Link*