Humanities 7th & 8th Grade

7th & 8th Grade Humanities

Why Humanities?2

Students will:• Make connections between human events and literature• Think both logically and creatively• Develop a sense of empathy• Become informed and critical citizens• Consider all sides of an argument and weigh evidence critically• Recognize causes and effects related to history

Why “Milbert” WorksMrs. Anne Gilbert

● Masters of Education: Leadership in Administration

● Certification Areas: Principal, K-8 Elementary Education, General Special Education, Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

● Years of Experience as an Educator: 25

● Team Leader for Grade 8

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Mrs. Jennifer Miller● Master of Arts with a focus on Government

and Law

● Certification Areas: K-8 Elementary Education, Secondary English Education, Secondary Social Studies Education

● Years of Experience as an Educator: 11

● Team Leader for Grade 7

How Does this Class work?Groupings

• Locations for each group are posted daily outside classroom doorsLearning Targets/Daily Plan

• Each day, students review the learning target for the day, which outlines the goal for the lesson

• The Daily Plan is an outline of the activities in each lessonSmall Group Instruction

• Students often work together in small groups in order to promote collaborative skills, and to model various problem solving skills to achieve a goal

Whole Group Instruction• At times, the whole group will receive instruction together, in a seminar style

lesson. This is often paired with short activities to complete in groups

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Discussion Based Approach• Often, the students are given a question and must determine the answer using

various types of text, prior knowledge, and information learned in class. Students are encouraged to discuss the question with each other, and use all their collective knowledge to address the question.

Personalized Learning Implementation• Instruction usually centers around a time period or a theme, with a culminating

project tying all information together.

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How Does this Class work? (Continued)

New Hampshire Supreme Court Field Trip7th Grade Humanities Partnered with the NH Institute for Civic Engagement.

Students worked with a former federal prosecutor to create original arguments in the landmark case, Tinker vs. Des Moines.

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Students received advice and feedback from law clerks7

Students represented both tinker and the school district8

Oral Arguments from the attorneys

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Participation from the Gallery

Questions with Justice Donovan11

ela/social studies standards addressedStudents identify and produce evidence for each ELA/SS standard addressed after every unit.

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Social Studies Standards addressed with Court ProjectD2.Civ.4.6-8. Explain the powers and limits of the three branches of government, public officials, and bureaucracies at different levels in the United States and in other countries.

D2.Civ.5.6-8. Explain the origins, functions, and structure of government with reference to the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and selected other systems of government

D2.Civ.7.6-8. Apply civic virtues and democratic principles in school and community settings.

D2.Civ.8.6-8. Analyze ideas and principles contained in the founding documents of the United States, and explain how they influence the social and political system.

D2.Civ.9.6-8. Compare deliberative processes used by a wide variety of groups in various settings.

D2.Civ.10.6-8. Explain the relevance of personal interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic principles when people address issues and problems in government and civil society.

D2.Civ.11.6-8. Differentiate among procedures for making decisions in the classroom, school, civil society, and local, state, and national government in terms of how civic purposes are intended.

D2.Civ.12.6-8. Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as a means of addressing public problems.

D2.Civ.13.6-8. Analyze the purposes, implementation, and consequences of public policies in multiple settings.

D2.Civ.14.6-8. Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies, and promoting the common good.

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ELA Standards addressed with Court ProjectCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1I can refer to the text several times to support my thoughts and inferences about a piece of informational text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8 I can locate and judge arguments or claims in a text and can determine whether or not there is enough relevant evidence to support the argument.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 I can write arguments and use clear reasons and relevant evidence to support my claims.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.A I can write a claim and recognize opposing views to my claim.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.A I can logically organize reasons and evidence to support a written claim.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.B I can support my written claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.D I can establish and maintain a formal style in presenting my written arguments.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.E I can write a conclusion that follows from and supports the arguments I presented.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.A I can organize my writing with a clear introduction and use appropriate strategies and formats to help explain my topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.C I can use appropriate transitions to present clear connections between my ideas and concepts.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.F I can write a conclusion that follows from and supports the information and explanations I presented.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4 I can produce clear writing with appropriate development, organization and style to suit my task, purpose and audience. I can plan, revise, edit, rewrite or try a new approach in my writing with some help from peers and adults.

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ELA Standards addressed with Court Project (Continued)CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 I can effectively participate in different types of discussions and with different people about 7th grade topics, texts and issues.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 I can build on others’ ideas and express my own ideas clearly in discussions with others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.A I can come to discussions prepared to share my ideas because I have read or studied the required material.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.A I can participate in discussions more effectively by using examples and evidence from the text to help me reflect on the ideas in the discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.C I can ask questions and comment about a topic to encourage others to respond and stay on topic during discussions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.D I can consider other points of view that may change my own understanding during discussions with others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.3 I can outline specific claims and link them to a speaker's argument.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.3 I can determine whether or not there is enough relevant evidence to support an argument.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 I can give a presentation that makes claims using relevant descriptions, facts, details and examples.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 I can use appropriate eye contact and volume, as well as speak clearly, when I present ideas to others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.6 I can change my way of speaking for a variety of situations and tasks and show that I can use formal English when necessary and appropriate.

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Civics InstructionWhat we’ve done:

• Explored the U.S. Constitution

• Examined the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government

• Identified how the Bill of Rights applies to real-world situations

• Crafted argumentative essays supporting claims

Where we’re going:• Analyze how to affect change in local,

school, and/or national communities

• Meet with representatives to start initiatives

• Connect with community members for authentic experiences

• Use student-conducted research (Math/Humanities PBL Unit) and informational texts as data to support positions

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Literature connectionWhat we’ve done:

Jerry Spinelli’s “Stargirl”• Literary comprehension

• Understanding author’s purpose

• Connection to informational text

• Vocabulary acquisition

• Character development

• Literary devices: foreshadowing, word choice

Where we’re going:Mock School Board meeting:

• Students will adopt roles (school administration, school board, concerned citizens)

• Students will write an argument supporting a claim

• Incorporate details from the text and information from RSD policies

• Conduct a meeting reviewing a student’s eligibility

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What’s Coming Next?7th Grade

“How can we promote positive changes in ourselves, school, community, and country?” - using our understanding of participatory citizenship to become more civically engaged where we live and learn.

8th Grade“Who I Am, What I Believe”- using To Kill A Mockingbird and instruction on the Civil Rights Movement to examine and evaluate societal beliefs and norms, and work with outside instructors to prepare students to work in a diverse culture.

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So Again, Why Humanities?19

“The arts and humanities define who we are as people. That is their power - to remind us what we each have to offer and what we all have in common. ”

- Michelle Obama

“The arts and humanities teach us who we are and what we can be. They lie at the very core of the culture of which we’re a part.”

- Ronald Reagan

“The calling of humanities is to make us truly human in the best sense of the word.”

- J. Irwin Miller