6th Grade Update: January 2019

6th Grade Update: January 2019
Posted on 01/29/2019
Science
We are investigating the Earth’s Story by studying seismic waves. The P-Wave (Primary Wave), is the first seismic wave that is produced from an earthquake. The second seismic wave is the S-Wave, which comes minutes behind the P-Wave. The third wave is called a Surface Wave, which is the most destructive. Students will be learning about the interior of the Earth and how it impacts each seismic wave. Students built and displayed seismographs and were quite engaged while working on their projects. Students worked in groups and shared their illustrations of a model that they built themselves. Students were able to compromise and combine parts of each other’s designs to make a representation of each other’s ideas and thoughts.

ELA
Students have been working on a career research project. We researched two careers, focusing on the following areas: earning potential, potential for growth in the field, vacation and benefits, and the education qualifications required for that career. Students also explored whether or not that career aligns with their own vision of the “Good Life.” Students wrote a persuasive essay based on their findings. “MVP” awards were given out to students; these awards were earned based on focus and effort. In addition, students are exploring ownership by connecting every major writing assignment with an oral presentation. This allows students to strengthen their writing by reflecting on the task and the quality of their work.

Social Studies

Students have been working diligently on our early humans research project. They each selected 1 of the 5 early humans we’ve studied to create a project of their choice. The options were to create a narrative, a coded illustration scene, or a museum exhibit. They conducted research in the classroom and completed their designs in the school’s Design Lab. Students excelled in creating some great artifacts to accompany their projects. Students also showed ownership and pride in their work and were able to pace themselves in such a way that they were able to complete their projects on time and well. This project was designed to push students to become more independent learners, and they rose to the challenge!

Math
We’ve been working on rates, unit rates and percents this month. Students have been solving real world problems in which they find the “better deal” and use their knowledge of percents to find discounts. Students showed off their knowledge about percents and unit rate to complete a constructed response about a shopping trip. Students had a chance to write and answer their own questions about a given model. Students were able to show passion for academic excellence in an exploration of converting fractions, decimals, and percents; they counted and collected data on the number of M&Ms in a sample and then combined their data with that of the whole class. We used used this data to further practice converting fractions, decimals, and percents. Soon, we’ll start a new unit about dividing fractions.

Special Education

Students have been researching their individual career paths. The research is in preparation to write a persuasive essay on careers that will usher or not usher them into the “Good Life” as an adult. To support this work, we have been learning about the elements of a persuasive essay. We were able to connect this form of essay writing to real life situations using a variety of appeals: the ethos appeal, the logos appeal, and the pathos appeal. Many students enjoyed the freedom to choose career paths that they found interesting. While writing can be a challenging task, researching careers they had an interest in helped them to become passionate about the research.

Chinese Immersion

We have just finished chapter 2 “The Early Human.” Students have been able to describe the capabilities and physical features of different early humans at different stages. We will wrap up with a research project by creating a coded illustration scene or creating a museum exhibit. Students will complete their research in the classroom. We will also have a field trip to the museums at Harvard University on Jan. 15.
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.