Diane's Previous Newsletters
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade May 27, 2008
FIELD TRIPS
Last week we had many special events. On Wednesday we went to the New Victory Theater to see a show called IJK. This show is a bit difficult to explain, but basically it is an exploration of sonic juggling (making different noises with balls hitting different surfaces) and balance. Done without words, 3 circus performers did amazing and funny things throughout the show.
On Thursday we had a rainy day at the ball park. We took the NJ Transit train with the 5th graders to the stadium in Newark. I think the students had a good time; it wasn’t my favorite trip ever, but I am not a huge baseball fan!
PIONEER SIMULATION
We continued our journey on the “Hacker Trail” last week. Wagon trains were delayed if they hadn’t packed enough water and they had to decide if they should spend money to buy more water or try to steal the water. 2 groups decided to buy it while the other two staged an attack on the people guarding the water. To find out the consequences of their decision, the groups had to either call a coin toss correctly five times (each incorrect call meant the death of a wagon train member) or roll the die to see if their group needed the money they had spent or if buying the water was a good idea.
On Friday the groups faced another trail decision: whether to take the shorter route that might be dangerous or the longer route that is rumored to be safe. For these trail decisions, the students take notes on what the problem is and then analyze possible actions and their consequences. Finally, each group meets to decide the best action to take.
CALENDAR
Thursday, May 29: School Play performance, 6:30 PM
Friday, May 30: School Play performance, 9:30 AM
June 2-4: Camp Mason overnight trip, 6th and 7th grades*
Wednesday, June 16 and Thursday, June 17: Half days
Wednesday, June 18: Last day of school (half day)
*If your child needs to take prescription medication during the Camp Mason trip, we MUST have a note from the doctor giving instructions as to how and when to administer the medication 3 days before the trip. Your child will not be allowed to attend the trip without this note.
DONATIONS
· Snacks
Thank you for any donations you can contribute!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade May 19, 2008
PIONEER SIMULATION
We began our social studies simulation last week. Working with Kate’s class, the 6th graders were put into 4 groups or wagon trains. They chose an identity from a given list (identities included family information, occupation, and what animals were accompanying the family on the trail). Each wagon train also chose a wagon master as their leader. On Wednesday, everyone had to write their packing list. They chose from a list of supplies that assigned a number to each item (based on how much it would weigh and how much space it would use). Since their total could not go over 1000, students had to make hard choices about what was essential to the trip. As you may have seen in the homework, students had to write a diary entry about their trip to Ft. Independence, the meeting point for the start of the “Hacker Trail”. These diary entries were scored according to a rubric. By earning points for various assignments and decision-making tasks, wagon trains are able to move forward on the trail.
MATH: OPERATIONS WITH DECIMALS
We have been learning to multiply decimals, having worked on adding and subtracting decimals last week. Instead of telling the students an algorithm immediately (count the digits after the decimal point for both factors and then make the same amount of digits after the decimal point in the answer), we had the students first translate the decimals to fractions. This was a terrific activity that highlighted everyone’s understanding (or confusion) about place value. Once, for example, .21 is changed to 21 hundredths and .2 is changed to 2 tenths, students can easily multiply and get 42 thousandths. Then, they change the fraction back to a decimal (0.042). We will eventually arrive at the algorithm for this operation, of course, but taking time to understand the process helps students to make reasonable estimates and understand when they get an answer that doesn’t make sense (because of a calculating error).
FICTION
We also began a new writing unit last week: fiction. We read a short story called “La Bamba” by Gary Soto. We looked at the different techniques Soto used to establish the personality of his main character. Some of the techniques we noticed were dialogue, motivation, and description. We also began a new read-aloud novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. This novel is set in the segregated South in the 1930’s.
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade May 6, 2008
GREAT SWAMP TRIP
We really enjoyed our trip last Friday. We went to the education center at the Great Swamp in Chatham, New Jersey. We learned about the first European settlers in that area, who were Dutch. We saw the different plants that they used for natural dyeing and got a chance to dye some wool yarn. Then we went outside on a nature hike. Our guide pointed out various trees that were used for different purposes, such as canoes or hammering tools. On a side note, we all got to smell skunk cabbage, and understood immediately why it has that name!
Finally, everyone got a chance to make a wooden shingle. Our guide held an iron tool over a slice of wood and each of us took a turn hitting it with a mallet until the shingle was sliced off. Back inside, we learned about other tools that pioneers used and saw how they would turn a tree into a log for their cabines. Overall, the trip was a great combination of science and social studies.
TEST PREP
We spent a lot of time preparing for the state tests that we are currently taking this week. We reviewed some math concepts and also practiced and evaluated language arts tasks. The students have been working very hard this week, but we will be glad when the tests are over on Thursday!
CALENDAR
Wednesday, May 21: New Victory field trip, IJK
Thursday, May 22: Newark Bears game (field trip)
Friday, May 23: 6th Grade Music Concert (all 6th
graders are performing)
Monday, May 26: No School
Friday, May 30: School Play performance, 9:30 am
June 2-4: Camp Mason overnight trip, 6th and 7th grades
DONATIONS
· Snacks
· Baby wipes
· Paper towels
Thank you for any donations you can contribute!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS April 28, 2008
TESTING SCHEDULE
Next week we will be taking the NJ ASK test. The testing will last from Monday to Thursday, and will take place in the morning of each day. The first two days will be language arts and the second two days will be mathematics. Students need to be well-rested and on time for all four days. There will be a small breakfast available in the kitchen for any student who has not had breakfast at home.
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Last week we continued to work on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Each student requested a character or characters that they would like to play and then I assigned them scenes to work on, based on their choices. We also began watching scenes from a movie version of the play (starring Michelle Pfieffer and Kevin Kline). The students are really enjoying the play, and I will see how far they would like to take their scenes.
MATH – CIRCLES
We finished our geometry unit last week. After learning how to find the area and perimeter of parallelograms and triangles, we focused last week on circles. Students measured the circumference of circles found in the room by wrapping a tape measure around them. They also measured the diameters of the circles and recorded them on a chart. We then looked for patterns and found that, in most cases, the circumference was a little bit more than 3 times the diameter. I explained that mathematicians use a word, pi, to describe the value of the circumference of a circle divided by its diameter. Pi means a little more than 3, or 3.14. With this information, we learned that you can calculate the circumference of a circle if you know the radius or the diameter.
We also examined how to find the area of a circle. Using specific circles, we made something called radius squares. In other words, if a circle had a radius of 6 cm, we made 6 cm X 6 cm squares. We then cut them to try to fit them all inside the circle. We discovered that four squares were too many but 3 squares were not enough to cover the inside of the circle. Again, we found that a little bit more than 3, or 3.14, was the value of how many radius squares could fit. From this, we could devise a formula: area of a circle = radius2 times 3.14.
We will have a math quiz on Tuesday (tomorrow).
CALENDAR
Friday, May 2: Field Trip, Great Swamp
May 5 -8: NJ ASK 6th Grade testing
Wednesday, May 21: New Victory field trip, IJK
Thursday, May 22: Newark Bears game field trip
Friday, May 23: 6th grade music concert
Monday, May 26: No School
Friday, May 30: School play performance, 9:30 AM
June 2 – 4: Camp Mason, 6th and 7th Grades
DONATIONS
o Snacks
o Baby wipes
o Paper towels
Thanks for any donations you can contribute!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS April 7, 2008
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Thank you so much for sending in your conference forms. Here are the conferences that are currently scheduled:
Monday, 4/7: Ana (12:30), Rachel (3:00), Leslie (3:30)
Sorry, I had to cancel the Tuesday conferences.
Wednesday, 4/9: Sam (9:00 AM), Gabby (7:00 PM)
Thursday, 4/10: Walt (7:45 AM), Ethan (11:10), Christian (3:00), Caroline (4:30)
Friday, 4/11: Allicia (7:45 AM), Samantha (8:45 AM)
CONSTITUTION
Last week we learned about the U.S. Constitution and the compromises that were made in order to agree on the document. We looked at the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and how the representatives compromised about how each state would be represented in Congress (The Great Compromise) and how to count enslaved people when tallying populations (The 3/5ths Compromise). We also examined the Bill of Rights and decided whether or not different situations were protected by it. On Thursday afternoon, we worked with the other 6th grade to act out how bills become laws. Students played the role of Representatives or Senators, and one person was the President. In committees, the congress people debated a proposed law and then tried to rally enough support for it. Ultimately, the laws were presented to the President who could sign it into law or veto. If vetoed, the Congress could try to over-ride the veto.
SPEEDWELL FIELD TRIP
Our Wednesday trip to Historic Speedwell in Morristown got mixed reviews. Most of us agreed that the first hour was excellent. Students were given a bag full of parts and told to try to make a model of a steam engine out of them. This was very challenging and the students were excited when they got their engines to work (powered by an air pump). The second hour, I think we all agreed, was pretty dull. Students had to read posters and answer questions about the building of a steam ship.
This newsletter is necessarily a bit shorter this week as I am getting ready to see all of you at conferences. Please let me know if you need to reschedule.
Thanks!
CALENDAR
Wednesday, April 9: Half Day
April 14 -17: No School, Spring Break
Friday, May 2: Field Trip, Great Swamp
May 5 -8: NJ ASK 6th Grade testing
Thursday, May 22: Newark Bears game field trip
Friday, May 23: 6th grade music concert
Monday, May 26: No School
Wednesday, May 28: New Victory field trip, IJK
Friday, May 30: School play performance, 9:30 AM
June 2 – 4: Camp Mason, 6th and 7th Grades
DONATIONS
o Snacks
o Baby wipes
o Paper towels
o Tissues
Thanks for any donations you can contribute!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS March 31, 2008
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Thank you so much for sending in your conference forms. Here are the conferences that are currently scheduled:
Monday, 4/7: Ana (12:30), Rachel (3:00), Leslie (3:30)
Tuesday, 4/8: Ethan (4:00), Caroline (4:30)
Wednesday, 4/9: Sam (9:00 AM), Gabby (7:00 PM), Allicia (7:30 PM)
Thursday, 4/10: Walt (7:45 AM), Christian (3:00)
Friday, 4/11: Samantha (8:45 AM)
If you haven’t sent in your conference form, please do so as soon as possible. Thanks.
LEARNING ABOUT PUBERTY
I was proud of how well the 6th graders handled our 3 sessions about puberty and sex education. On the first day, we took statements such as, “Voice deepens,” or “You might want to wear deodorant,” and decided if they applied to boys, girls, or both. In the end, almost all of the statements were in the “Both” section. On Wednesday, we watched the hour-long movie and then split up by gender to ask questions in an informal setting.
On Friday, the students were put in groups of three and we read different statements and asked each group to decide if the statement was true or false. For example, one statement read, “A girl can get pregnant even if she has not yet gotten her period.” [Answer: True! If she has ovulated (so there is an egg in the uterus), she can get pregnant.] Then we answered anonymous questions from the question box (with help from Diane the nurse). Then we did a fill-in-the-blank story about a sperm and egg meeting that made sure the kids knew the correct vocabulary for the male and female anatomy.
Finally, we asked the students to stand on one side of the room. They were told that they could not talk and that when they were tapped on the shoulder, they should simply walk to the other side of the room and turn around to face the rest of the students. I tapped one person first and then waited a while before tapping a second person. You can imagine that the first person to cross was very self-conscious. I also left one person for last who had to wait much longer than anyone else. Afterwards, I asked the students how it felt to do that exercise.
“I felt weird.”
“It felt better when my friends crossed the room.”
“When someone pointed at me and laughed, it didn’t help.”
“I thought something was wrong, like you had forgotten me.”
Then we related these feelings to how it feels to go through puberty: how awkward it can feel when you are experiencing a change, how good it feels to have a friend going through the same thing, and how they can find support when they need it.
The students will return to this subject again next year, as well as in 8th Grade. In the meanwhile, there was a lot of interest in the books about puberty that I put out, so you might want to find one for your child. They are particularly helpful if you feel uncomfortable (and who doesn’t?) discussing this topic with your child.
CALENDAR
Wednesday, April 2: Field Trip, Historic Speedwell
Wednesday, April 9: Half Day
April 14 -17: No School, Spring Break
Friday, May 2: Field Trip, Great Swamp
May 5 -8: NJ ASK 6th Grade testing
DONATIONS
o Snacks
o Baby wipes
o Paper towels
o Tissues
Thanks for any donations you can contribute!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS March 25, 2008
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Having finished reading The Giver, we turned to our next read-aloud, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. We are not reading the entire play. Instead, I have taken some of the scenes from the play and we are reading and acting them out. Last week we talked about how Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter and also noticed places where he does not use it. For example, in this play, the characters that are actors (buffoonish, uneducated characters) speak in prose and not in rhyme as the upper class and magical characters do. The students are very enthusiastic about the play and it warms my heart when they are able to find the humor in this classic, 500-year-old comedy!
FIXED AREA, FIXED PERIMETER
In math last week, we did a number of investigations involving problems with either a fixed area and changing perimeter or a fixed perimeter and changing area. We found a shortcut for finding all possible dimensions of a rectangle when given its perimeter: Take half of the perimeter and then find all the pairs of numbers whose sum is half of the perimeter. This works because the perimeter = 2 (length + width). Using tiles, we also examined how the perimeter of a shape changes when tiles are moved from different parts of the figure.
MUSCLES
We examined the difference between voluntary and involuntary muscles last week, and also watched a movie about the muscular and skeletal systems. This week, as you know, we will learn about the reproductive system and, more specifically, the changes that happen during puberty. I am sending home a hand-out for parents that may help you answering questions about puberty. The articles also give a sense of how this age group thinks about this topic and common questions they ask.
PERSUASIVE WRITING
Last week we also began a new writing study: persuasive essays. After reading several of them and describing things that we noticed about them, we came up with a list of the characteristics of this type of writing. We talked about the organization (5 paragraphs) and the use of transitional phrases (“In the first place”, “Last”, etc.) in particular. This week we will continue to hone our skills.
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS March 17, 2008
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
We did a number of science experiments last week to learn more about the digestive system. On Monday, we chewed a no-salt cracker and kept it in our mouths for a few minutes to see what the saliva would do to it. Although it was really hard not to swallow it, everyone noticed that the cracker became soft and broken into small pieces. For many people, the taste changed as well.
On Tuesday, we looked at how bile from the pancreas and gall bladder breaks up fat in our bodies. Using detergent to represent bile, we added detergent to oil and water and compared it to a container that had oil and water but no detergent. The detergent broke up the oil into small pieces the same way that bile breaks down fat.
On Thursday, we set up an experiment to see how the enzymes in our small intestines break down protein. We used meat tenderizer, which contains papain, an enzyme that aids digestion. In one bottle we put a piece of hot dog and water. In another bottle we put the same amount of hot dog and water and added a teaspoon of meat tenderizer. We left the bottles overnight to see what would happen.
Also on Thursday, we discussed what nutrients were and then tested various foods for fat and for starch. To test for fat, we rubbed the food against a brown paper bag. If the bag became translucent when held up to the light, fat was present in the food. To test for starch, we added an iodine solution to the food. If it turned the food blue-black, starch was present. The students had a great time doing this activity!
On Friday, we began our models of peristalsis, the movement of food down the esophagus. Working in a group of three, the sixth graders had to create a working model which showed both the circular muscle movements and the longitudinal muscle movements that push the food down to the stomach.
COVERING AND SURROUNDING
We began a new math unit last week about area and perimeter. For two days we worked at understanding the concepts of area and perimeter through a series of problems involving the design of bumper car rides. By the third day, students began to see shortcuts (length X width = area, for example) and those that hadn’t noticed such algorithms were forced to when the lines showing the boxes inside the shapes were removed. No longer able to count the squares inside a shape, they were ready to accept a new way of solving these problems.
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS March 3, 2008
COMMAS, COMMAS, AND COMMAS
We are in the midst of a short writing study about commas. Last week we looked at some “mentor sentences” to study different ways that commas are used. For example, we looked at sentences that used commas to set off modifying phrases, such as “Lily, barely awake, picked at her pancakes.” We also looked at sentences that featured commas after an introductory phrase such as, “Feeling rushed, Stuart hurried to gather his things.” Finally, we looked at how to use commas when writing a list of things, as in, “We packed apples, pears, and bananas for the picnic.”
Throughout the week, the students practiced crafting sentences using commas in these ways. They could work on any piece of writing, but they had to incorporate commas in the ways we were studying them. At the end of writing workshop, we shared the sentences, which really helped to clear up confusion. This week we will work on a quick draft that will be evaluated in terms of its effective use of commas.
DIVIDING FRACTIONS
Last week we solidified our understanding of how to multiply fractions and then studied how to divide a whole number by a fraction, a fraction by a whole number, and a fraction by a fraction. In each case we began with an illustration to show what the division meant, and then found an algorithm. A few students came in on Wednesday having been told to flip the second fraction upside down and then multiply (which is, indeed, the algorithm). However, when I asked them why they would do that, no one knew.
In this instance, we were looking at a situation in which 4 people were sharing equally one half of a bag of popcorn. To see what fraction of the bag each person would get, we drew an illustration like this:
Please see the hard copy of this newsletter for the illustration.
This Wednesday we will have a math quiz about adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions. Students will also need to be proficient at changing mixed numbers to improper fractions and vice versa, as well as simplifying or reducing fractions.
CIRCULATORY AND RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS
We concluded our study of these systems with two activities. To show how the diaphragm and lungs work together, I used a model of the lungs. The model consisted of a large soda bottle with the bottom cut off. Across the bottom was stretched a balloon. Inside the top of the bottle, a balloon hung down. When we pulled on the bottom balloon, the hanging balloon inflated. This demonstrated how the lungs inflate when the diaphragm moves down. We discussed the reason for this, and eventually learned that it was because of air pressure.
On Friday we set up an experiment for which we will view the results today. To see how different kinds of food move through our arteries, we set equal amounts of melted butter, liquid bacon grease, and olive oil in cups and left them to sit over the weekend. Today we will see what changes happened in each substance and correlate this information to what foods do inside our bodies.
CALENDAR
Tuesday, March 4: We will begin filming our Aram movie in the morning.
Tuesday, March 11: Elysian Annual Meeting – Come vote for the Board!
Wednesday, March 12: Half Day
Friday, March 21: No School, Good Friday
Monday, March 24: No School, Easter Monday
Tuesday, April 2: Field Trip, Historic Speedwell
Wednesday, April 9: Half Day
April 14 -17: No School, Spring Break
Friday, May 2: Field Trip, Great Swamp
May 5 -8: NJ ASK 6th Grade testing
DONATIONS
o Snacks
o For a science project next week:
Cardboard tubes, plastic tubes, tennis balls or any balls that are smaller, old socks, stockings/panty hose, pipe cleaners, wire
Please don’t send anything that you would like to be returned. Thanks!
Thanks for any donations you can contribute!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS February 25, 2008
I hope that everyone enjoyed the week off. I went to Washington, DC, to visit my parents and grandparents. Today in class we ate astronaut ice cream and strawberries – a souvenir from my visit to the Air and Space Museum.
FEATURE ARTICLES
We ended the week on a high note with our celebration of our feature articles. When I saw how beautifully they were turning out, I wished I had invited all the parents to come see them, but it was too last minute. Instead, they are now hanging up in the room and will come home in a few weeks. The students really went above and beyond both with their writing and their cover illustrations. I think they particularly enjoyed using the computer to achieve a professional look. Many of them were inserting pictures and using columns for the first time.
COMMUNITY MEETING
During the community meeting that we had the Friday before the break, our class gave the school a preview of our movie that we are creating with Aram. We performed, live, our original song (written by Leslie) entitled “Paper and Drool” complete with our choreography. Needless to say, we wowed the crowd and are certain we will have the best Elysian class movie ever. Seriously, it is a reflection of the sweet personalities in this class that all 12 students were involved with the dancing and singing without (much) complaint.
MATH
Last week we worked on multiplying fractions. We still have one more lesson about it that we will do today, and then we will tackle dividing fractions. Next week we will finish this math unit and then have a quiz about performing operations with fractions.
CALENDAR
Tuesday, March 11: Elysian Annual Meeting – Come vote for the Board!
Wednesday, March 12: Half Day
Friday, March 21: No School, Good Friday
Monday, March 24: No School, Easter Monday
Tuesday, April 2: Field Trip, Historic Speedwell
Wednesday, April 9: Half Day
April 14 -17: No School, Spring Break
Friday, May 2: Field Trip, Great Swamp
May 5 -8: NJ ASK 6th Grade testing
DONATIONS
o Baby wipes
o Tissues
o Snacks
Thanks for any donations you can contribute
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS February 11, 2008
OPERATIONS WITH FRACTIONS
Last week we worked on adding and subtracting fractions. This is often a very difficult skill to master, but I love the way our textbook presents it. We began by reviewing estimating with fractions and deciding if fractions were closer to 0, ½, or 1. This really helped the students when they began adding fractions because if they wrote that ½ + ¼ = 1/6, they would see that 1/6 is too small to be the answer. By the end of the week, we were finding the least common multiple when necessary and also adding and subtracting mixed numbers.
FEATURE ARTICLES
We continued to revise and edit our feature articles. On the computer, students are learning to use columns and to cut and paste photos and graphics into their article. We will probably have our celebration of these articles by the end of the week.
EYES AND HEART
Last week we learned about the parts of the eye and how the eye works. We used magnifying lenses to visualize how the lens in the eye moves to keep things in focus. Then we looked at some optical illusions to see how we could trick our brains into seeing or not seeing something. Later in the week, we did an experiment to see how the heart rate changes with exercise. Students graphed the results of their changing heart rate after different increments of exercise. This week we will continue to learn about the heart and lungs.
I was sorry to be absent on Thursday and Friday. I am happy to say that my health is 100% improved and for the first time since the end of 2007, I am not coughing! I hope everyone is able to stay well through this chilly week.
CALENDAR
February 18 – 22: No School, President’s Week
DONATIONS
o Baby wipes
o Tissues
If you weren’t able to pick up your child’s report card on Friday, they were mailed to you. Please let me know if you do not receive it by the middle of this week.
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS January 21, 2008
Dear
6th Grade Parents,
I am sorry this newsletter is getting out so late. As you may know, I
haven't been in school this week, and when I came in after school, the internet
was down. My daughter has been sick with a virus, but I had also planned to be
out on Wednesday because I attended a worshop for educators about teaching the
subject of puberty. It was great! I have lots of ideas for when we get into
that -- some time in February. Anyway, enjoy the belated newsletter and I hope
you have a restful weekend. Thanks for sending in the Camp Mason permission
slips.
Best, Diane
END OF SHAPES AND DESIGNS UNIT
We finished our unit on Shapes and Designs last week. We constructed triangles using straws of different lengths and pipe cleaners to fasten them. The students discovered through exploration that not all combinations of side lengths could form a triangle. After examining everyone’s results, we came up with a rule about this: The longest side of a triangle must be less than the sum of the other 2 sides in order to form a triangle. We also discovered that it is not possible to make two different triangles with the same side lengths. We talked about why this makes triangles sturdy and a popular shape in construction.
Then we did the same sort of exploration with quadrilaterals. Again, we discovered that the longest side must be less than the sum of the other three sides in order to make a quadrilateral. Later in the week, we played the Quadrilateral Game. Students were challenged to make different polygons on the geoboard (the peg board that you use a rubber band with to make shapes) using the least amount of moves. On Friday we had a quiz on the unit. I will discuss the results individually with the students this week.
FEATURE ARTICLES
We also worked on improving our feature articles last week. We examined different strategies for weaving in quotations as well as different ways to construct an ending. Also, we looked at “info boxes” in feature articles and listed the kind of information they contained (graphs, lists, maps, short interviews, etc.). This week we will be writing our drafts and revising.
DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE
We finished watching the movie, 1776, which is a musical about the creation of the Declaration of Independence. We learned about the compromise that Jefferson and the Patriots made by removing from the document the clause that condemned slavery so that the southern colonies would sign it. Later in the week, I gave the students a social studies assessment – a series of questions asking them to assimilate the many historical events we have been studying.
BRAIN STUDY BEGINS
On Friday, we kicked off our study of the human body by learning about the brain. We did a demonstration about how the brain sends and receives messages from different parts of the body. This week we will do many activities to further our understanding of this important organ.
REMINDER: PLEASE SEND IN YOUR CAMP MASON FORMS BY FRIDAY!!!
CALENDAR
January 30 – February 1st: Camp Mason overnight trip
DONATIONS
o Baby wipes
o Tissues
Thank you!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS January 14, 2008
ANGLES IN POLYGONS
We explored the properties of angles in polygons (shapes) last week. Students measured the interior angles of various regular polygons (shapes that have the same length sides and same interior angles). When we computed the sums of each shape’s interior angles, we discovered a pattern. The angle sum of a triangle is 180 degrees; the angle sum of a square is 360 degrees, and so on. With each side added, the angle sum increases by 180 degrees. We came up with a formula: (n – 2)180 = angle sum of a polygon with n sides.
We also returned to our earlier exploration of which polygons can tile a surface (cover it with no spaces). After measuring the angles in these shapes, we discovered that any polygon whose interior angles were factors of 360 would be able to tile. Later in the week, we examined exterior angles. We saw how if you knew the interior angle measure, you could figure out the exterior angle measure by subtracting it from 180, since together the angles make a straight line. We also learned that the sum of the exterior angles of a triangle equals 360 degrees.
FEATURE ARTICLES
In writing workshop, we continued our study of feature articles. Last week students chose a topic and began planning their article. We also examined different kinds of beginnings from them any feature articles we have read to get different models of how to create an interesting lead.
FIGHTING GROUND
We began a new read aloud last week, The Fighting Ground by Avi. This is a historical fiction novel, which ties in to our social studies curriculum. It follows a young boy as he runs away to join the Revolutionary army. The book also demonstrates how authors use symbolism, something we looked at in the beginning of the year with The Tiger Rising. In this book, the status of the boy’s musket mirrors his feelings about being a soldier.
CALENDAR
Wednesday, January 16: Half Day
Monday, January 21: No School
January 30 – February 1st: Camp Mason overnight trip
DONATIONS
o Baby wipes
o Tissues
Thank you for the donations you sent in last week!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS January 7, 2008
OLD BARRACKS MUSEUM TRIP
As you know, before the break we went to the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton. It was a terrific trip. We were greeted by a man who pretended to be our recruitment officer. He promised us 100 acres of land, food, and a uniform if we joined General Washington’s army. We all took the oath and then he demonstrated how to fire a musket.
Then we went for our physicals. The nurse told us how we would be inoculated for small pox and went into great detail about what it would be like. (I’ll spare you the details because it was not pretty!) Then we were visited by a Tory, or Loyalist, who argued with us about why we were joining the army. He was quite persuasive!
Later we had two presentations. The first was about colonial uniforms. We learned why the soldiers wore their hats to the side (so they would not interfere with their muskets) and why the Hessian grenadiers were dressed in tall hats to scare people.
ANGLES
In math last week, we looked at angles, particularly as they occur when two lines are cut by a transversal (another line that intersects them). When the two lines are parallel, we saw there were many patterns to the angles formed. When the lines were not parallel, different angles would be formed at each intersection. We also looked at how we could use our knowledge that a straight line is 180 degrees to figure out the measure of adjacent angles. This week we will look at patterns of interior angle measures in different polygons.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Last week we also examined the Declaration of Independence. We talked about the ground-breaking nature of the sentiment that all men are created equal. We also examined the parts of the document – preamble, statement of beliefs, list of complaints, etc.
Then I asked the students to create a list of complaints about how kids are treated in school and in the world. Complaints ranged from kids not being able to vote to kids not getting to eat ice cream whenever they want. We are currently taking these complaints and creating individual Declarations. We will dip the finished products in tea to make them look like they are written on old parchment.
CALENDAR
Tuesday, January 8: 6th grade auditions for school play
Wednesday, January 16: Half Day
January 30 – February 1st: Camp Mason overnight trip
DONATIONS
o Baby wipes
o Tissues
o Paper towels
o Purell, or the like
Thanks!
Happy 2008!
Spectacular 6th Grade Newsletter
Diane’s 6th Grade, ECS December 17, 2007
Reminder: Field Trip to Old Barracks Museum This Thursday. Students should dress to be outside part of the time and bring a lunch that does not require a microwave. Please, no glass bottles either.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
In preparation for this week’s trip to the Old Barracks Museum, we learned about some of the events that led to the American Revolution. First, we learned about the French and Indian War, a war over land. What is important about this war is that England was in debt when it was over and needed to raise money. This led to more taxes on the colonists for the war that occurred on their land. It was also important because it helped shape George Washington as a military leader because he learned (the hard way) about fighting in the woods and the importance of building a fort on high ground.
Next we looked at the Stamp Act, a tax on all paper. We examined a political cartoon from the time period that was made to appear like a stamp but featured a skull and cross-bones. We talked about what the cartoon could mean (the colonists were comparing the British government to pirates) and how the colonists became more unified and organized as a result of their anger over the Stamp Act.
Finally, we learned about the Boston Massacre. The students were given the facts of the incident, according to the trial. (British soldiers were being harassed by colonial civilians. The civilians threw things at the soldiers. The soldiers fired their guns and five civilians died.) Students had to decide if they thought the soldiers were guilty or just acting in self-defense. Then we looked at a famous drawing of the event, drawn by Paul Revere. We discussed the inaccuracies of the drawing and how the incident was used as propaganda for the independence movement. This week we will learn about the Boston Tea Party and the Intolerable Acts.
MATH – GEOMETRY
The students have really been enjoying our current math unit about shapes and designs. Last week we examined which polygons can tile a surface (cover a surface without any gaps) and began looking at angles. We also played a game which used a circular coordinate graph to measure angles. This week we will use angle rulers to measure angles, but last week the students got practice in estimating angles using benchmarks such as 90 degrees and 45 degrees.
Congratulations to Allicia, Leslie, Caroline, and Samantha for their Arts-to-Grow performance of Romeo and Juliet last Friday!!
Special thanks to James Kirby (Allicia’s dad) for volunteering to hamster-sit over the break.
CALENDAR
Wednesday, December 19: Half Day
Thursday, December 20th: Field trip, Old Barracks Museum
December 24 – January 1st: No School, Winter Break
January 30 – February 1st: Camp Mason overnight trip
DON