Term 1 Course Descriptions
2022-23 School year
(scroll down for Terms 1, 2, 3 & 4)
TERM 5
QUESTS:
Lindsay and Abigail’s 6/7 STEM Quest: What Can I Control?
In this Quest, we are tackling the question, "What Can I Control?" Students will design and conduct a controlled experiment to explore a scientific question related to impact of screens on us. Our Quest will culminate in students' original experiments being featured in the Millennium Scientific Journal, after being peer-reviewed by members of the Millennium community. Along the way students will apply neuroscience to learn about physiological and psychological impacts of screens, explore potential biases and assumptions in scientific research, design a series of controlled experiments to test hypotheses, and learn how to report scientific data and information with objectivity and integrity.
Competencies covered in this quest:
STEM Communication (SC)
Constructing Explanations (SC1)
Engineering, Technology, and Applications (ETA)
STEM and Society (ETA2)
Mathematics (M)
Measurement and Data (M2)
Statistics and Probability (M4)
Michael’s 6/7 HUM Quest: What Makes Me Happy?
In this Quest students will learn to think about happiness from a variety of perspectives. Beginning with Aristotle and Buddha, we examine how philosophies of happiness have changed over time and influenced our lives, often in invisible ways. Students will lead weekly Harkness discussions on a wide range of articles, and as we move into the science of happiness, they will consider some of the recent research in positive psychology, centered on gratitude, compassion, and kindness.
Competencies covered in this quest:
Written Communication
Analytical writing (WC1)
Philosophy and Ethics
Happiness and wellness (PE1)
Living the examined life (PE3)
Thinkers and schools of thought (PE4)
Simon’s 6/7 HUM Quest: How Do I Form my Opinion on the News?
In this Quest, students will research, discuss and debate current events which might have a deep impact on the future of the United States or the world. We will explore the impact of media bias on the information we receive, and how we can evaluate information on controversial topics. Students will contrast proposals against values and determine their own opinion on the issues we explore.
Competencies covered in this quest:
Written Communication
Narrative writing (WC1)
History
Current Events (H3)
International Relations (H4)
Philosophy and Ethics
Good and harm (PE2)
Becki and Taylor’s STEM/HUM Capstone Quest: What Will I Contribute to the World?
This double STEM/Humanities Quest centers on the Millennium Capstone Project, a self-driven project which explores the driving questions of Millennium School: "Who am I?", "How do I relate to others?", and "What will I contribute to the world?" Following the arc of the Hero’s Journey, students will begin the term by investigating big questions like "What are my unique gifts and passions?" and "What issues do I care about?", which will guide them to a more focused project. Students will present a proposal and once approved, embark on a culmination project to be presented at the end of Term 5.
Competencies covered in this quest:
Written Communication
Argumentative writing (WC1)
STEM Communication (SC)
Constructing Explanations (SC1)
Term 4
STEM QUESTS:
Abigail’s Quest: What happens if the world stops spinning?
7th grade
In this quest, students will explore various natural cycles as well as what would happen if those cycles were interrupted or altered in some way. The first half of our term will take us to space to learn about how the sun, moon, and Earth are responsible for cycles we experience all over the world such as day and night, the four seasons, the phases of the moon, and the tides. For the final culmination, students will research a natural cycle of their choosing, creating both a scientific packet of information about the cycle and a creative work exploring what would happen if the cycle were interrupted or altered.
Lindsay’s Quest: What does success in conservation look like?
8th grade
In this Quest we are tackling the question "What counts as success in conservation?" The quest will culminate with a wildlife conservation magazine, with students in the roles of art director, copy editor, editor-in-chief, photo editor, fact checker, and staff writers. Each student will submit case studies in wildlife conservation to be featured in the publication. In class this term, students will learn about biotic and abiotic factors influencing population dynamics, patterns of inheritance, conservation methods, while investigating the case studies of the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone, California condor, and leatherback sea turtles in Costa Rica.
Taylor’s Quest: How do rockets fly?
6th grade
In this quest, students will act as engineers to construct a bottle rocket designed to stay aloft for the greatest amount of time while carrying a payload that survives impact. Students will design, test, and improve designs based on data collected during test launches. Students will explore physics and motion including Newton’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Laws of Motion as they strive to improve their rocket designs. Their final rocket launch will serve as the culmination of their iterative design process.
Humanities quests:
Becki’s Quest: What is school for?
6th grade
In this Quest with Becki, learners will ask themselves, “What is school for?” They will dive into a brief history of schooling, current-day educational models, and their own experiences in pursuit of an answer. After exploring numerous models and approaches to learning, students then design their own framework for learning and design aspects of their own school. Throughout this Quest, students grapple with issues of equity within the education system and practice questioning the meaning and purpose behind learning.
Michael’s Quest: How should we travel?
8th grade
As we prepare for the 8th grade trip to Costa Rica, this quest asks students to think about travel in terms of ethical decision-making and global citizenship. We will explore the politics, history, and economies of Central America with a focus on the role colonialism has played in shaping the region. Students will share their learning by co-creating short podcasts, which we will structure according to the NPR Student Podcast Challenge guidelines.
Simon’s Quest: Who deserves a state?
7th grade
Students will explore whether Washington, DC, should become the 51st state of the United States of America. Next, we will explore political equality and the concessions our federal government can demand in favor of stability and security. Finally, we will hold a series of formal debates where students will represent current political actors to settle this question.
Spanish:
Spanish 6 (Stephanie Ponce & Kyle):
Students will be looking closely into sports and pastimes vocabulary. Students will end the term by reviewing the present tense of ir and stem-changing verbs e →ie, o→ue with irregular YO form.
Spanish 7 (Stephanie Ponce):
Students will be starting the term by learning health vocabulary while learning the difference between the preterite and imperfect. The students will have the opportunity to learn about the construction of se.
Spanish 8 (Kyle):
In this unit students will be investigating different games and sports throughout the Spanish speaking world, specifically, the historical and cultural importance of domino. The class will practice explaining the rules of games and its objectives using game vocabulary. Throughout the term students will continue to review narration in the past while incorporating the use of reflexive verbs to express different emotions. The unit will conclude with students having to explain the rules of a specific game in Spanish.
Math:
Math 6 (Colleen):
In Term 4, the 6th grade math class continued on their self-paced journey. A few students considered their overall middle school math goals and set about on a course of study to be considered for Algebra next year, while the rest continued to challenge themselves with the Desmos 6th and 7th grade curriculum. Those working through the 6th grade curriculum finished their work with decimals and then began their pre-algebra work, exploring expressions, equations, and a visual called tape diagrams that helped them make sense of the abstract nature of upper level mathematics. They ended the term learning about negative numbers. Those working through the 7th grade curriculum finished their work with negative numbers and moved on to exploring equations and inequalities. They ended the term beginning a short unit on geometry that introduced them to some of the important theorems about triangles, angle nomenclature, and reviewed volume of 3-dimensional objects. Students continued to work on their ability to be convincing with their solutions, not only to themselves, but to others.
Math 7 (Colleen):
This term in Math 7 the students in Colleen's Crew explored some pre-algebra concepts, like equations and inequalities while also taking a detour into some geometry ideas involving angles, triangles, and 3-dimensional solids. For the students working on self-paced math, many worked on finishing up the 7th grade curriculum and proceeding to 8th grade work in order to be eligible for Algebra next year. Others worked on finishing up their pre-algebra and geometry work so they would be ready to finish up the year with probability and statistics next term. Along the way, everyone continued to work on their self-reflection skills, their self-compassion, and their ability to convince a skeptic that their math reasoning is valid.
Math 8 (Taryn):
Our unit of study this term is: Linear Equations and Systems of Equations. Students will write and solve linear equations in one variable. We will build on their understandings gained from Math 6 and Math 7 as we learn to solve more complex linear equations, including ones with variables on both sides of the equal sign and equations with no solutions, one solution, and infinitely many solutions. We will then apply those skills to solving systems of linear equations using the graphing and substitution methods. Throughout the term, we'll practice representing real world situations using these mathematical models.
Algebra (Taryn):
This term, we begin our deep dive into our study of functions. Prior to this term, students have gained familiarity with one type of function: the linear function. This term, we begin by expanding our understanding of what it means for a relationship to be a function. We'll learn how to represent function relationships using function notation and learn how to interpret function notation in graphs. We will also learn how to calculate the average rate of change of a function. Once we've gotten grounded in what functions are, we will begin our exploration of various types of functions. This term, we will study absolute value functions, piecewise functions, inverse functions, and conclude with a deep dive into exponential functions.
In the second portion of the term, we'll engage in deeper study of one particular type of function: the exponential function. We'll learn how to identify exponential growth patterns and write function rules to represent them.
Geometry (Anna):
Unit 6, Coordinate Geometry, brings together students’ experience from previous years with their new understanding from this course for an in-depth study of coordinate geometry. Students encounter a new coordinate transformation notation, which connects transformations to functions. Then they build equations of various functions and shapes. Students apply these ideas to proofs, such as classifying quadrilaterals. Finally, students use weighted averages to partition segments, scale figures, and locate the intersection point of the medians of a triangle.
We will begin Unit 7 on Circles, toward the end of the term. Students will analyze relationships between segments and angles in circles, which leads to the construction of inscribed and circumscribed circles of triangles. Students solve problems involving arc length and sector area, and they use the similarity of all circles and ideas of arc length to develop the concept of radian measure for angles.
CE:
Art as Identity (Portraiture): Candace
How do you see yourself, and how does that image compare to the ways that others see you? Join Candace in exploring these questions as you create ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ portraits. Working with digital or traditional media, you’ll create a representation of your inner self. And, using graphite you’ll learn to draw a more detailed image of your face (and outer self!). You’ll examine different aspects of yourself, but rather than your physical appearance alone, you’ll include things that others might not see at first glance.
Art as Identity (Vocal): Matteus
Join Matheus in exploring your identity through song, singing, and song lyrics. How can music help you learn, accept, and express your unique identity? Starting with the fundamentals of song and voice, you will build an understanding of the basics needed to sing well. From there, you will apply our new skills and knowledge to developing and improving your unique voice. All the while, we will use music to explore our sense of ourselves.
Social Media: Am I a Positive Influencer? Daniel
Want to change the world? Let’s be ‘positive influencers’! Join Daniel Rechtschaffen and Steph K in creating media for a positive change. We will be creatively exploring podcast, video, and other forms of social media, all aimed at healing and raising awareness about important topics. We will bring in expert guests to support you in visioning and developing your own positive influencer media, including real influencers, an NPR broadcaster, and prominent folks in the world of mindfulness. You will create media that can be shared with our community and beyond.
PE:
Team Handball & Functional Training
Term four our students learned how to play Team Handball and perform Functional Training workouts. Handball is a form of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, to help enhance agility and flexibility, muscle tone, stamina, and promote cardiovascular health. Handball combines the skills of running, jumping, catching, and throwing all into a fast-moving game. Functional Training means doing movements that mimic everyday actions, incorporating multiple muscle groups at the same time. This builds strength, stability and mobility across the body, making us more efficient human beings not only inside gym class but outside as well. Functional training exercises equip you for the most important type of physical fitness, the kind that preps you for real-life, daily living stuff like bending, twisting, lifting, loading, pushing, pulling, squatting and hauling. It is helpful for athletic performance and injury prevention.
TERM 3
STEM QUESTS:
Abigail’s Quest: Can we hack for good?
7th & 8th grade
In this cybersecurity Quest, students will learn how to protect their information from hackers while exploring more about computer systems and the internet. They will learn how to use their tech skills for good, culminating in a live event in which they must protect the school from a simulated network attack. After an initial overview, students will choose one of five areas of focus: web exploitation, cryptography, reverse engineering, digital forensics, or general skills. They will work in teams to deepen their knowledge of their content area and fend off virtual evildoers. Along the way, they will explore relevant cybersecurity topics such as creating strong passwords, recognizing phishing attempts, and identifying the security strength of a public wifi network.
Lindsay’s Quest: How do we transform?
6th grade
This STEM-centered Quest with Lindsay explores the driving question, “How do we transform?” The Quest culminates in an art gallery opening, with students in the role of artists, depicting body systems and transformations through a variety of media. Students present their final art pieces and artist statements to the broader Millennium community, and manage all aspects of planning and executing a gallery opening event. In class, students will explore the human body as interacting systems, including the respiratory, digestive, circulatory, nervous, reproductive, endocrine, and musculoskeletal systems. Students learn how each of these systems are connected and interrelated. We explore issues of puberty and rites of passages to mark the transformation of children to adults throughout the world. Formal individual assessments include writing an artist statement explaining the vision, process, and themes of the artwork, creating an original art piece that represents body systems and transformations, submitting an art proposal for approval and funding, studying for and taking body systems quizzes, and participating in the dissection of a frog, our model organism to learn about the human body.
Taylor’s Quest: What are we building?
7th & 8th grade
"What are you building?" is an interdisciplinary quest that will push students to question the who, what, and why of designing a city. This quest will cover topics across cartography, civil engineering, urban renewal, and gentrification to better understand the histories of select US cities. Through an investigative lens, students will study city maps to recognize how and why cities change overtime. Employing the basics of urban planning and engineering design process, students will design and propose reimagined plans for a city or community they are connected to. Additionally, students will study and employ geometry and physics to design, build, and test a freestanding structure from their proposed city plan. During culmination, students will present their city plans and freestanding structures to the school community.
Humanities quests:
Becki’s Quest: Why do we tell stories?
6th & 7th grade
Why do we tell stories? Come on a journey around the world through the myths, legends, and folklore from a variety of cultures. We will work to understand how stories are a part of culture, to recognize the hero’s journey, and to find connections between stories from different parts of the world. Students will not only compose their own myth, but for the culmination, you’ll be adapting your myth to a picture book to share with children in our community.
Michael’s Quest: Who am I?
8th grade
This term we will dive deep into the fundamental question, “who am I?”, examining different aspects of our identities, personal experience, and life philosophies. This journey will integrate psychology, art, and creative writing, culminating in a final Who Am I? Multimedia Art Piece, which students will feature at our end-of-term gallery event.
Simon’s Quest: What is a nation? (Canada)
6th & 7th grade
In this Quest, students will explore what it means to be a nation by studying Canada. We will explore the history that creates a nation, what binds people in the present, and why they seek a future together. We will also delve into politics, culture, economy, and social issues by simulating committees of the Canadian Parliament. We will debate bills, resolutions, and proposals while representing a Minister of Parliament, culminating by holding a full session of the Parliament.
Spanish:
Spanish 6 (Stephanie Ponce & Kyle):
Students will learn how to talk about family members and friends. Focus on writing how to describe people and things by using descriptive adjectives. We'll look into "vener" and "tener" and review family vocabulary.
Spanish 7 (Stephanie Ponce):
Students will be looking into the preterite and imperfect, the constructions with se, adverbs and health vocabulary.
Spanish 8 (Kyle):
In this unit students will be investigating different games and sports throughout the Spanish speaking world, specifically, the historical and cultural importance of domino. The class will practice explaining the rules of games and its objectives using game vocabulary. Throughout the term students will continue to review narration in the past while incorporating the use of reflexive verbs to express different emotions. The unit will conclude with students having to explain the rules of a specific game in Spanish.
Math:
Math 6 (Colleen):
This term, students continued their self-paced work through the math competencies. They continued to work on their own and with their peers through guided note packets at a pace and level that was just right for them, while still being guided by a pacing schedule that allows them to complete the entire curriculum by the end of the year. Once they felt they had a solid understanding of whatever concept they were working on, they completed assessments, read feedback, and chose to move on or re-assess. The group achieved at all different levels, but most either completed their work with percentages, worked to make sense of dividing with fractions and operations on decimals (6th grade math) or completed their work with circles, percentages as proportional relationships, and operations with negative numbers. We also came together as a whole class periodically to discuss different strategies for the math they are learning, to learn more about why math helps us to understand the world, and just have some fun together.
Math 7 (Colleen):
This term, students continued their self-paced work through the math competencies or were part of Colleen's Crew, which provided a little extra support. The self-paced group worked on their own and with their peers through guided note packets at a pace and level that was just right for them, while still being guided by a pacing schedule that allows them to complete the entire curriculum by the end of the year. Once they felt they had a solid understanding of whatever concept they were working on, they completed assessments, read feedback, and chose to move on or re-assess. Students in Colleen's Crew completed their unit on percentages as proportional relationships (which they began in Term 2) and learned all about negative numbers and how we work with them in mathematics and in life. The self-paced group achieved at all different levels, but most completed their work with negative numbers and solving equations. We also came together as a whole class periodically to discuss different strategies for the math they are learning, to learn more about why math helps us to understand the world, and just have some fun together.
Math 8 (Taryn):
This term in Math 8, our unit of study this term is: Linear Equations and Systems of Equations. Students will write and solve linear equations in one variable. We will build on their understandings gained from Math 6 and Math 7 as we learn to solve more complex linear equations, including ones with variables on both sides of the equal sign and equations with no solutions, one solution, and infinitely many solutions. We will then apply those skills to solving systems of linear equations using the graphing and substitution methods. Throughout the term, we'll practice representing real world situations using these mathematical models.
Algebra (Taryn):
This term, students will expand and deepen their understanding of expressions, equations, and inequalities gained in previous courses. They will reason about equations, inequalities, and systems of equations and inequalities as ways to model situations involving constraints, and they will interpret the process of solving equations and inequalities in terms of finding values that satisfy those constraints. The process of finding solutions may involve rewriting and manipulating equations. Students learn to explain and validate the steps they use to solve equations, with a focus on justifying why these steps make sense. Throughout the unit, students practice reasoning about situations and mathematical representations, interpreting expressions and numbers in context, and using mathematical tools to model quantities and relationships. We will end the term by applying our understanding of linear equations to situations that can be modeled using two-variables statistics.
Geometry (Anna):
In Unit 4, Right Triangle Trig, students build an understanding of ratios in right triangles which leads to naming cosine, sine, and tangent as trigonometric ratios. Practicing without naming the ratios allows students to connect similarity, proportional reasoning, and scale factors to right triangles with a congruent acute angle before the calculator takes over some of the computation. In Unit 5, Solid Geometry, students practice spatial visualization in three dimensions, study the effect of dilation on area and volume, derive volume formulas using dissection arguments and Cavalieri's Principle, and apply volume formulas to solve problems involving surface area to volume ratios, density, cube roots, and square roots.
In both units challenge and extension concepts will be explored when students have demonstrated mastery of the foundational concepts.
CE:
Mandala Art: Candace
This Mandala Art CE course taught by Candace is designed to free our artist’s minds from distractions during the school day. This class will give each student the opportunity to learn about the history of mandalas in different cultures. Students will then learn about patterns and how to grid their own personal mandalas with intention. Through this act of creative expression, each artist will leave this class with enhanced artistic skills and higher levels of self-awareness.
Art & Observation: Candace
This Art and Observation CE course taught by Candace is designed to build your confidence in drawing. In this CE class, students will learn to apply mindful approaches to enhance our observational skills. Students will investigate The Five Basic Elements of Shape to help them perceive and interact with the world in new ways. Appealing to students at all skill levels, each artist will walk away from this class with a better understanding of how to draw what they were seeing, using different tools. Their culmination will include creating a composition with multiple observed objects.
Theater & Improv: Laura
Students will join Laura for this Theater and Improv Creative Expression elective, which will explore the mediums of improv, theater, movement, and mild stage combat. Together each class will craft an original script using the tool of improvisation while also weaving in the craft of stage blocking/movement, character development, mild stage combat and costume design. All students will perform in an informal setting as a collective.
PE:
Term three our students will learn how to play Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in America, and Rugby, one of the world's most popular sports. Pickleball is a racquet sport that helps with balance and agility, which is great for overall fitness. The rules are simple and the game is played by all ages and levels. As the students become skillful at pickleball, they will have the potential to become skillful at many other racquet sports like tennis, racquetball, and badminton.
Rugby is a continuous fast paced, team game played with an oval ball that may be kicked, carried, and passed from hand to hand. All players play both defense and offense at any given time during a game. Rugby is a social sport that praises competition but demands good sportsmanship.
TERM 2
STEM QUESTS:
Abigail’s Quest: Can we code beauty?
6th & 7th Grade
In this quest, we will learn how to use code to create art, while also pondering the ways in which code itself can be beautiful. After exploring the foundations of geometry, students will use coding concepts such as variables, loops, and functions to create their own masterpieces using the Turtle module of the programming language Python. The Quest will culminate in a Code+Art Competition, with judges critiquing the artistry of their final pieces as well as the style of the code that created it.
Lindsay’s Quest: How can we prevent natural disasters?
6th & 7th Grade
In Lindsay's quest, we are taking on the question, "Can we prevent natural disasters?" The quest will culminate in a Natural Disaster Innovation Fair, where students will present research and an innovative solution to help a specific community during a natural disaster. Additionally, students will build and program LEGO Mindstorms robots to accomplish missions during a final robotics competition on a playing field, simulating a natural disaster relief effort. Along the way students will learn about the movement of water through our geosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere, as well as how to predict weather patterns and explain regional climate trends and severe weather events.
Taylor’s Quest: Can we engineer the way we tell history?
8th Grade
In Taylor’s quest “Can we engineer the way we tell history?” students will explore the engineering design process and apply each step to create historically inspired miniature golf courses. In conjunction with Simon’s "Can we play with history?" quest, students will decide on a historical period or topic and leverage building skills and project management principles to deliver functional and stable structures. Students will conduct research, make blueprints, and test and improve their original designs in teams. All teams will present their final projects in a public facing showcase at the conclusion of the term.
HUMANITIES QUESTS:
Becki’s Quest: What is the power of your voice?
6th & 7th Grade
In "What is the power of your voice?" with Becki, we will be exploring the written and spoken words of poetry! We will listen to and read what others have written to study the craft of a poem. How do words work to convey feelings? What poetic devices have an impact on listeners and evoke a response from the audience? Through journaling, we will dive into the issues we're passionate about and learn how to express our own feelings and create awareness through spoken word.
Michael’s Quest: Can we bridge the divide?
6th & 7th Grade
In "Can we bridge the divide?" with Michael, we opened with the history of partisanship in America from 1860 to 2020. By looking at the current midterm elections in historical context, we begin to see how the Democratic and Republican parties have changed over time, and why the electoral map looks the way it does today. We will then follow the 2022 midterm elections and research what the results mean for the country going forward. By engaging others, even those we disagree with, with respect and curiosity, we will practice effective communication and hopefully reach across the divide.
Simon’s Quest: Can we play with history?
8th Grade
In this Quest, students will explore how we document our past, why we tell ourselves the stories we do, and how to view past events from different perspectives. Students will draft an essay on a chosen historical event based on evidence and in conjunction with Taylor’s STEM Quest they will create a mini-golf structure to represent it.
Spanish:
Spanish 6 (Stephanie Ponce & Kyle):
Students will be looking closely into classroom and school-related vocabulary. Students will start the term by reviewing the present tense -ar verbs and present tense of “estar”. They'll learn about forming questions.
Spanish 7 (Stephanie Ponce):
Students will be looking closely at reflexive verbs, indefinite and negative words, preterite of "ser" and "ir"and daily routine vocabulary.
Spanish 8 (Kyle):
In this unit, students will explore different modes of transportation throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Students will study different transportation vocabulary in Spanish as well as learn about two unique modes of transportation -- trajineras in México and vintage cars in Cuba. Lastly, students will continuing practicing the past tense and be introduced to the imperfect tense when expressing on-going actions in the past.
Math:
Math 6 (Colleen):
This term the students started off with their test over area and surface area. Then they completed a diagnostic that helped guide, along with their individual preference, what level math they would be studying for the remainder of the year. Although we often started class with an opener together (like Number Talks and Visual Patterns), students worked for the remainder of the block in groups or independently on appropriately challenging material. Some students answered the question “What are ratios, rates, and percentages and how do we use them?” while others examined what it means for a relationship to be proportional in math by studying scaled objects and circles. With my guidance, students began to set goals for themselves, working both in and out of class to meet them.
Math 7 (Colleen):
This term the students finished up the unit on proportional relationships and scaling by creating a scaled grid drawing of a Candy Wrapper that they enlarged or shrank. Then they embarked on an educational journey where some students chose to continue self-paced math (like they did in 6th grade) while others chose to work through the curriculum in a more traditional way. They learned about circumference and area, then continued to push their knowledge of percentages. While working on all of this new material, students continued exploring their mathematical genius by engaging in Number Talks and other opener activities that opened all our eyes to the many ways humans have to make sense of mathematics. With my guidance, the self-paced group set goals for themselves and worked both in and out of class to meet them.
Math 8 (Taryn):
This term in Math 8, students will build on their understanding of proportional relationships as they learn how to represent and analyze linear relationships. We will learn how to calculate slope and write equations of linear relationships in both slope-intercept and standard form. In the second half of the term, students will complete their first major Math 8 project as they seek to answer the question: "How can I graph my name in a graphing calculator?" Throughout this project, students will build their skills at writing equations of all types of linear functions and begin an exploration into the Algebraic concepts of domain and range.
Algebra (Taryn):
This term, students will expand and deepen their understanding of expressions, equations, and inequalities gained in previous courses. They will reason about equations, inequalities, and systems of equations and inequalities as ways to model situations involving constraints, and they will interpret the process of solving equations and inequalities in terms of finding values that satisfy those constraints. The process of finding solutions may involve rewriting and manipulating equations. Students learn to explain and validate the steps they use to solve equations, with a focus on justifying why these steps make sense. Throughout the unit, students practice reasoning about situations and mathematical representations, interpreting expressions and numbers in context, and using mathematical tools to model quantities and relationships. We will end the term by applying our understanding of linear equations to situations that can be modeled using two-variables statistics.
Geometry (Anna):
In this term, students begin with a unit on congruence. They use transformations as tools for reasoning and generalizing. Students use transformations to prove three theorems about triangle congruence. As students prove new theorems, they apply those theorems to prove results about quadrilaterals, isosceles triangles, and other figures. Students have a chance to apply their skills to conjecture and explore congruences and properties of quadrilaterals. Following congruence, students complete a unit on similarity. Students use dilations and rigid transformations to justify triangle similarity theorems. They explicitly build on their work with congruence and rigid motions, establishing that triangles are similar by dilating them strategically. The unit balances a focus on proof with a focus on using similar triangles to find unknown side lengths and angle measurements.
CE:
Contemporary Dance: Join Dallas, dancer and co-founder of SF's studio 121, for this creative expression elective on new genres of dance. No matter your current level of dance ability, you will be welcome in this class, which will teach the basic skills in street jazz, hip hop, contemporary dance, or choreography. Students will have choice in which style they pursue as they prepare for our CE winter showcase.
African Art, Dance and Drums: Bongo and Candace will co-teach this course, where you'll explore expressive African art through pattern and painting one day per week. On the second day, learn the expressive potential of African dance and drums. In both cases, you will prepare to showcase your visual art and performance-worthy talents in our CE winter showcase!
Stage prep and performance: Whether you are excited to create props and sets or ready to take to the stage, join Candace for this Stage prep and performance course. Here you will create visual elements (props, backdrops, programs), and/or create a compelling performance of our Thanksgiving address for the audience at our CE winter showcase.
PE:
During term 2, our students will learn two different activities; Tsegball and Boxing. During Tsegabll, our students will be learning passing, throwing, communication, and teamwork. The game emphasizes good strategy rather than physical prowess and generates a lot of creativity. There is no jumping and players can only use their hands, so they’ve got to rely on quick thinking and fast reflexes in order to win. Boxing will encourage physical fitness and discipline, as well as provide students a way to build confidence and self defense. Support cognitive brain health, practice to relieve tension, boost positive mood, and release feel-good hormones that work as an antidepressant.
TERM 1
STEM QUESTS:
Abigail’s Quest (6th): How do we learn?
In this introductory STEM quest, students will explore topics such as neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science in an effort to answer the question, "How Do We Learn?". We will test different strategies for learning new concepts and skills, culminating in a self-directed learning project that will take place during Intersession week. Inspired by the summer read Tune It Out, we will discuss learning differences and disabilities, emphasizing acceptance and self-advocacy. Along the way, students will also gain familiarity with various technological tools and skills that will help them succeed as learners. Students will apply growth mindset as they seek to improve our typing skills and nurture curiosity as they practice proper email format with pen pals who have careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.
Taylor’s Quest (7th, 8th): How can we leverage technology to emulate the human body?
In this quest, students will investigate how technology is used in the biomedical engineering field to make medical devices. Students will explore anatomy and biology while learning how technology can work to improve human physiology. Students will employ the engineering design process and create prototypes of medical devices. During culmination, they will present their prototypes and describe the device's functionality and biocompatibility.
Lindsay’s Quest (7th, 8th): How can I be an agent of change?
In this STEM Quest we will take on the question "How can I be an agent of change for the environment?" The quest will culminate with an action project designed and implemented entirely by students, followed by a blog post to document the process and raise awareness about their chosen environmental issue. Along the way students will learn about ecosystem dynamics, invasive species, climate change and the global carbon cycle, photosynthesis and respiration, ocean acidification, endangered species, and human consumption. Over the 6 weeks, each student will commit to Do One Thing (DOT), as a small act to help fight climate change as we learn about the science behind today's environmental issues.
HUMANITIES QUESTS:
Becki’s Quest (7th): Who makes history?
In this quest, students will explore events throughout history to discover what makes something or someone important. They will practice reading strategies to improve fluency and comprehension while also determining fact from opinion and recognizing bias. They will use multiple viewpoints to examine memorials and monuments and design their own monument for an event from history that they deem worthy. This quest will also prepare students for their Washington, DC trip in the spring.
Simon’s Quest (8th): How do I explain that?
Students will plunge into the world of analytical writing while exploring the situation in North Korea, China, and South Korea. We will practice each step in the analytical writing process and delve into creating a piece of work that illustrates the reader or listener from a chosen, informed perspective. Students will culminate by presenting their written or recorded work.
Michael Q1(6th): Does mindfulness work?
In this quest, students will explore the meanings and uses of mindfulness, from practical and theoretical perspectives. The goal is for them to gain comfort and autonomy with practices that resonate with them personally. For their culmination, students will share what “works” with other students in the form of an online library of curated mindfulness practices.
Spanish
Spanish 6 (Stephanie Ponce & Kyle):
Students will be learning the alphabet and different letter combinations that will focus on Spanish pronunciation. Students will also practice introductions and greetings with one another. Finally, students will learn numbers 0-30 along with the verb “ser".
Spanish 7 (Stephanie Ponce):
Spanish 7 students will be learning the verbs “saber” and “conocer”. Students will review the preterite tense while practicing shopping vocabulary.
Spanish 8 (Kyle):
Students will investigate the cultural, historic and nutritional significance of popular dishes throughout the Spanish speaking world. Students will improve upon reading, listening, speaking and writing skills pertaining to the unit topic by taking an in depth look at two particular food items -- ceviche and mate. The unit will, also, contain a review of the past tenses while focusing on irregular verbs.
Math
Math 6 (Colleen):
This first term in math, students answered the question "How do we ‘math’ at Millennium?.” Along with learning what it means to be a mathematician (noticing, describing and generalizing patterns) the students began developing a growth mindset. They flexed their problem-solving muscles and realized that struggle is a vital component to learning math. They also experienced what it feels like to be part of a community of learners, gaining insight from and with each other. The main math skills that were developed this term were geometry (specifically finding areas of complex polygons and surface area of polyhedrons) along with ratios and proportions . Students had lots of opportunities to challenge themselves with optional extension opportunities (like Parallel, Exploding Dots, Polyup, Khan Academy, Art of Problem Solving, and more!) during our Google-inspired, self-directed 20% Time™. Above all, students began to view mathematics not just as a fixed set of facts to learn, but a playful, creative, worthwhile human endeavor.
Math 7 (Colleen):
This first term in Math 7, students revisited the question "How do we ‘math’ at Millennium V2?.” As older, more experienced students, they continued to hone their intrinsic motivation with our self-paced approach while nurturing their curiosity in pursuit of their own math goals. Building off of the skills they developed in Math 6 last year, they cleared up misconceptions and continued to solve more challenging problems. They studied the ins and outs of scaling, an extension of ratios, and learned about proportional relationships. They ended the term by completing the Scaling Project, where they chose an object in the real world and created a scaled model. Throughout this process they discovered that scaling lengths is quite different from scaling areas and volumes. Through it all they worked to sharpen their mathematical practices while also building a supportive learning community.
Math 8 (Taryn):
In our introductory unit, we will seek to answer the questions: “In what ways can we represent numbers?” and “How can their representations help us understand their properties?” We will study the ways that different cultures have represented numbers throughout history, and through this work, we’ll learn how to work with exponential expressions in bases 2, 10, and 20. We will formulate rules for performing operations on numbers with positive integer exponents, and then use the rules we develop to interpret negative integer exponents. We will then extend our understanding of exponents in base 10 to interpret scientific notation and use it to solve problems. Throughout the unit, we will consider the benefits and limitations of each different type of number system as a tool for mathematical modeling.
Algebra (Taryn):
In our first unit, we will discuss the difference between statistical and non-statistical questions and classify that data as numerical or categorical. We will represent and interpret data using data displays, and describe distributions using the appropriate terminology. We will also create data displays and calculate summary statistics using technology, then interpret the values in context. Then, we will learn how to interpret standard deviation as a measure of variability in context, how to recognize outliers, investigate their source, make decisions about excluding them from the data set, and understand how the presence of outliers impacts measures of center and measures of variability. In addition, we will compare measures of center and the standard deviation and the interquartile range for different data sets. In the culminating activity, students will pose and answer a statistical question by designing an experiment, collecting data, and analyzing data.
Geometry (Anna):
Geometry is a rigorous course based on the California state standards for Geometry, which require a new way of thinking about, and reasoning through, concepts and problems. This term, students first informally explore geometric properties using straightedge and compass constructions with geogebra - a dynamic geometry software. This allows them to build conjectures and observations before formally defining concepts. Students connect and apply the defining characteristics of circles to reason through informal proofs of congruence and construct and define regular polygons. In previous math courses, students studied transformations of figures in the coordinate plane. In this unit, they transition to more formal definitions that don't rely on the coordinate plane, and the focus shifts from transforming whole figures towards a more point-by-point analysis. Students make observations and develop conjectures that lead to formal definitions of the three rigid transformations - rotations, reflections and translations. Students then begin to use the rigorous definitions they develop to prove statements involving angles and distances, preparing them for congruence proofs in the next unit. Throughout the term students work on communicating their understanding with exact mathematical language. Through experimentation, investigation, and observations students come to see geometry as a dynamic discipline of mathematics that simultaneously requires creative and exact thinking.
CE & PE
Creative Expression (Candace):
"Creativity as a Personal Journey" gives students an authentic opportunity to explore different methods for making a visual art journal. The activities in this unit challenge individuals to be courageous in their abilities to express their true selves and lead with curiosity while gaining a deeper understanding of the creative process. Through the creation of multiple pages and layers of heart, body, mind, and spirit, students will also practice compassion. Each day there will be a different prompt that will inspire creative expression; and students will engage in art visualizations to help their work evolve.
Physical Expression (Isaac & Briana):
Ultimate: Ultimate is a non-contact invasion sport played with a flying disc. The sport was created in the 1960s by a group of high school students in New Jersey before spreading throughout North America — and the world. By 2010, there were over 5 million players in the United States alone. Students will learn the fundamental skills necessary to play Ultimate. Students will gain knowledge in playing strategies, rules, and terminology. Purpose: Ultimate gives the students an opportunity to combine the fundamental motor skills of running, passing, throwing, and offensive and defensive strategies similar to soccer, basketball, and team handball.
Book Group
(6th & 7th Grade) Newbery Medal winning book, Island of the Blue Dolphins, has been called one of the best novels ever written. In 1960, American writer Scott O'Dell, told this story of a 12-year-old girl named Karana, who is stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island during the 19th century. This term, students will read this text over five weeks, annotating the text and making notes as preparation for a (student led, Socratic-style) Harkness discussion. While book group this term is a space for silent reading, there are also optional activities available to engage students more deeply and creatively in their understanding of the text.
