Ms. Allen's Assigmnents

Friday, May 21, 2010

2010-05-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today I went over page 53 of the Chapter 9 packet with students, most of whom did not understand the directions. Students will redo this page and pass it in Wednesday, May 26.
The Chapter 9 test is Monday, May 24.

The Erskine Academy Track & Field Day for 6th Graders is Tuesday, May 25.

Have a great weekend.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

2010-05-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies we went over and basically re-did the study guide for chapter 9 on pages 258-259 (Monday's homework). Students have this to use to study for the TEST on MONDAY, MAY 24. Tuesday, May 25 is Field Day at Erskine Academy.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

2010-05-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

Change in plans- we did get to spend time on Social Studies today. Homework tonight is to finish the Chapter 9 packet- through page 53. Students also need to complete the Chapter 9 review pages 258-259. This is all due Thursday.

Monday, May 17, 2010

2010-05-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today and tomorrow there will be no science or social studies- today was the dress rehearsal for the band concert/talent show and tomorrow we will be at Erskine Academy for "try it out" classes all afternoon.

Thurs & Fri, May 13-14 2010

2010-05-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday we read pages 252-257. Students needed to write vocab, people and places with definitions in their notebooks for homework, as well as complete questions 1-4 on page 257 in their notebooks. There was no science.

Friday we are studying live examples of metamorphosis with frog eggs, tadpoles and a big old bullfrog. There will be no homework

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

2010-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies we read pages 242-251. For homework students needed to complete the vocab, people and places in their notebooks, located on page 246. Students also need to complete packet page 51.

In science we read pages page 289-295. For homework students need to complete questions 1-2 on page 295. Students also need to complete the second page in their science packets.

Tomorrow students will be watching the puberty videos. There likely will be no science or social studies.

Monday, May 10, 2010

2010-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies we read pages 236-241. Students needed to do vocab, people and places on page 236 and packet pages 49-50 for homework.

There was no science as the latter part of the afternoon was a study hall.

Friday, May 7, 2010

2010-05-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today in science we read pages 285-288 and discussed vertebrates and invertebrates, endo- and exo- skeletons. We completed the three questions on page 288 in science notebooks in class. The latter part of the afternoon was book buddies, where we made Mother's Day gifts. There was no home work. Have a great weekend

Thursday, May 6 2010

2010-05-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies we read pages 230-235. For homework students need to write vocab, people and places from page 230 in their notebooks (there are 15 words to define and identify)

In science we read pages 278-284, and held a LONG discussion about adaptations. There was no homework.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

2010-05-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today in Social Studies we read pages 222-227 in the book For homework students ne4ed to complete pages 47-48 in the packet that was handed out today and write definitions for the vocabulary words on page 222 in their social studies notebooks.

The latter period was a study hall.

There was no science today.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

2010-05-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today we continued to watch "Clash of the Titans."

The corrected Science test was also collected.
The Gods & Goddesses test was passed back with the G & G folders.

There was no home work. for Tuesday night.

Monday, May 3, 2010

2010-05-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today students continued to watch "Clash of the Titans" during social studies. The last period of the day was a study hall for some students and an intensive reading group for others.

The only homework was an extension on the deadline for the corrected science test- due tomorrow.

Friday, April 30, 2010

2010-05-01T03:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today we started Clash of the Titans, a 1981 classic Ray Harryhausen (King Kong, Godzilla) stop-motion animation film about Perseus and the Greek Gods. Students also enjoyed a slice of pizza to celebrate test results from a previous assessment.

Monday we will finish Clash and get back to work in both social studies and science. Only 6 weeks left! The race is on!

Have a great weekend.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

2010-04-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today was the open packet Gods & Goddesses test. After the test was completed we started watching "Clash of the Titans."

We won't get back to science until Monday.

Tomorrow we will have pizza to celebrate a past test on that all students in the class passed. We will continue to watch Clash of the Titans.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

2010-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today in Social Studies we corrected packets, organized the G & G folders and prepared for the test on Thursday.

Today in science we started a new chapter on Animals- continuing to talk about classifying animals based on observable and unobservable traits.

The only homework is to prepare for the open book test on Gods & Goddesses.

Wednesday is an early release day- there are no afternoon classes.

Monday, April 26, 2010

2010-04-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

Today we read the last packet in Social Studies- the Great Gods & Goddesses. Homework is the questions and crossword, which is due Tuesday. the open book test will likely be Thursday, and if all goes well we will be watching Jason & the Argonauts early next week.
There was no science.

Friday, April 16, 2010

2010-04-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today students listened to me reading different versions of several Ancient Greek myths while coloring, cleaning out their desks or other quiet activities, then off to Book Buddies. There is no homework. Have a wonderful, restful vacation!

Wednesday & Thursday, April 14-15 2010

2010-04-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a mixed-up day. We got about 5 minutes of the social studies packet "The Odyssey- Part 3" before going over to the gym to set up for speech practice. We never did get back to social studies or science.

Thursday students took the chapter 7 test and finished the Odyssey part 3 packet- the questions and completed crossword to which is due Friday. This leaves one last packet- about the major gods & goddesses. We may not get to that until after vacation. At that point students will take about a week to review the information in their packets and vocabulary before taking a rather extensive "open folder" test. It is long- and students will be able to do a much better job utilizing their information IF they have reviewed their folders/packets/vocabulary and know where to look for the answers to the test questions.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2010-04-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies we read The Odyssey- parts 1 & 2. Questions due tomorrow.

In science we completed and corrected a chapter review on Chapter 7 in preparation for the test on Thursday. There was no science homework except to study for the test Thursday.

Monday, April 12, 2010

2010-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit mixed up. We worked on the science study guide for the science test on Chapter 7 which has been rescheduled for Thursday. Students then attended an assembly for 2nd trimester honor roll and sports. After the assembly students had about a 25 minute study hall. There was no social studies today. There was no homework except to study for the science test scheduled for Thursday.

Friday, April 9, 2010

2010-04-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today students corrected their science classification labs in class and began to work on the study guides for chapter 7, with the goal of having the test next Wednesday. That was it for class time and homework. There was no social studies today due to Book Buddies. Have a great weekend

Thursday, April 8, 2010

2010-04-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today we read about Bellephoron & Pegasus and Perseus and Andromeda in Social Studies. Questions and vocab are due on Friday, April 9. Students' corrected vocabulary was due today. The next vocabulary check will be on Tuesday, April 13. We have 4 big sets of packets to do before the end of the bulk on the Gods & Goddesses.

In science students worked on classifying organisms.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

2010-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today we read two new Gods & Goddesses packets- "Perseus and Medusa" & "The First Aviators"- vocabulary & questions due Thursday along with the corrected vocabulary list from Monday.

Science: we conducted a lab where we classified and described different shapes into kingdom and phyla. The completed lab paperwork is due Thursday.

There is no science or social studies tomorrow- students have health and study hall.

Don't forget that you can also check your student's assignments and grades online!

Monday, April 5, 2010

2010-04-06T04:38:00.000-07:00

Today the students received a vocabulary list for the entire Gods & Goddesses unit, which also served to grade the vocab that students passed in last Thursday. Students will need to complete the vocab that was missing and correct the definitions that missed the mark. The corrected vocab is due Thursday, April 7.
We read "King Midas and the Golden Touch" and "Narcissus and Echo". Questions and vocab are due Tuesday.

There was no science as students have a study hall on Mondays from 1:30-2:20.

Tomorrow in Science we will be doing a classifying lab in preparation for the study guide on Thursday and the test on the following Tuesday (April 13).

Tuesday, April 1, 2010

2010-04-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today in Social Studies we read "Glorious Apollo". For homework, due Monday, the questions and vocab need to be completed.

In Science we completed Chapter 7 on classifying organisms. There is no science homework but there will be a test later next week.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

2010-03-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today in Social Studies we read "Horses of the Sun" Students need to do vocab and questions for this packet- due tomorrow.
Also due tomorrow- the complete set of vocab from the packets to date.

There was no science today due to band/chess induced study hall

Friday is Beach Day- there will be no science or social studies- just fun!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

2010-03-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Today in Social Studies we read myths about how Prometheus stole fire from the gods on Olympus and gave it to man and was punished, and about Pandora, her box and hope. For homework students needed to write the vocab with definitions for both myths in their folders and answer the accompanying questions on both myths.

For science we discussed more ways to classify organisms and corrected homework. There is no science homework for tonight.

Monday, March 29, 2010

2010-03-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

Today we read a Greek myth about Persephone, Hades, Demeter and how we came to have seasons. Students answered questions and studies vocabulary for home work. There was no science.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

2010-03-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today we read about Ancient Greek art and architecture. For homework students need to complete the questions and types of architecture.

Today and tomorrow are parent teacher conferences- as many of you are aware, Ms. Haywood is quickly recovering from an illness. She will reschedule conferences as parents wish. I will still meet with parents as they want, demonstrate logging into Powerschool to monitor grades and discussing students' social studies and science grades.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is early dismissal and there is no school Friday.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

2010-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies we started reading about Ancient Greek myths and god & goddesses. Today we read "What is a Myth", and "Creation". Both packets had vocabulary & comprehension questions to answer for homework.

THE FOLDER: or How to do Extremely well on the Gods & Goddesses test... Each student was given a folder today in which they will keep all of their God & Goddesses information. Vocabulary will be written in lined paper with definitions and kept in the folder as well. Students will be able to use all of the information in these folders for their test on God & Goddesses- so they should make an effort to keep it organized and review it frequently so that they know where to look for answers. We will be adding new packets on new myths and gods/goddesses each day. Packets will be collected and corrected and passed back within a day or two.

Science: Today we continued our reading about classifying organisms- specifically discussing Linneus' classification system. For homework students needed to complete the second page of their packet.

Monday, March 22, 2010

2010-03-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!
Today starts a new trimester and a fresh start on grades. Today in science we continued to discuss classification of organisms. For home work students need to complete the "Check For Understanding" questions (p224) in their notebooks, and record the Keywords on page 225 with definitions in notebooks as well. There was no social studies.

Monday, March 15 2010

2010-03-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Today we finished up reading Chapter 8 in social studies. For home work students need to finish their packets, which are due tomorrow. Students also received study guides which are due tomorrow as well. Mrs. Rauch will be here tomorrow and will correct the study guides with the students so that they can study. The test on Chapter 8 is Thursday. There is no science homework.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

2010-03-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today in social studies students read through page 211 in class. For homework students need to complete packet pages 43-44.

In science we continued talking about organisms. For homework students need to complete page 21 in their science packet.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

2010-03-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

No science or social studies today- students had health and study hall.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

2010-03-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Today students started a new subject in Science- animals. We completed a brief lesson on observation of behavior. There is no homework.
In social studies students read through page 201. Homework is to complete page 42 in their packets

Monday, March 8, 2010

2010-03-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Students took their science tests today. We then started Chapter 8 in Social Studies- Ancient Greece. We will be on this chapter for a while, and Ms. Haywood will also be teaching her favorite part- Gods and Goddesses. For homework students need to complete page 41 in their packets.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

2010-03-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Students watched Mulan today as a reward for their awesome performance on the social studies test. Tomorrow we will begin the next chapter and have book buddies.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

2010-03-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Today we worked on the study guide for the chapter 9 test in science. Students all have corrected study guides, and the test is Monday,
Tomorrow the students will be watching Mulan as a reward for doing well on their social studies tests. Nice job guys!!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

2010-03-03T04:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! There was no social studies or science today- instead the book buddies divided up into 4 groups and enjoyed different Read Across America activities in celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday.

Wednesday we will be going over the study guide and review for Chapter 9 in science. Thursday we will be discussing why students did so well on their social studies tests and how they can apply those skills to their science test. We will also be watching Mulan and enjoying ice cream sundaes to celebrate the great work most students did on their social studies tests.

The science test on chapter 9 will be on Monday, March 8. Studying a little bit every day is a much better way to tackle the information!

Monday, March 1, 2010

2010-03-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

March comes in like a lion! Welcome back snow!
Students took their social studies chapter 7 tests and did VERY well! Only 2 students earned a score of less than 70, and 2 students earned a perfect score- Awesome job everyone! Students earned the opportunity for a movie and ice cream on Thursday. Since this chapter was on Ancient China we will be watching Mulan and students will be able to enjoy the ice cream treats put together by Charelle Cullivan and Jill Rauch before vacation. Nice job kids!!

Reminders- the Educational Showcase takes place on Wednesday, March 17th 6p-7p. This replaces the Ed. Fair from past years. Ranks close on March 19th. Schedule your parent-teacher conferences- Wednesday, March 24th 2:30-6:45 or Thursday, March 25th 12:00-6:45. There is no school Friday, March 26th.

Finally back Friday, February 25, 2010

2010-02-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

Between training before vacation and a sinus infection since- I have not been in the 6th grade classroom much! Thank you to Dale Haywood, Jill Rauch and Rick Lees for keeping things moving forward. This week science has slowed- we will pick it up again next week. This week in Social Studies students have finished up reading Chapter 7 and on Thursday worked in class on the study guide. The test will be Monday at 12:40. Studying a little bit each day will enable student to do well on the test.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

2010-02-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

Social Studies:
Write vocab & places and their definitions on page 160 in your soc studies notebooks, and answer questions 1-5 on page 163 in your notebooks.
Tests were passed back today- many students need to have their tests signed by a parent because of unacceptable grades. Tests also need to be corrected and passed back in on Thursday.

Science: complete questions 1-7 on page 183. These will be collected on Thursday.

Monday, February 8, 2010

2010-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Today we took the chapter 6 test in Social Studies- students seemed to do well and will receive their tests back tomorrow.
In Science we started reading page 173- Chapter 9- Chemical Reactions. For homework students needed to answer the chapter section review questions on page 177.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

2010-02-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

Today in social studies we corrected the study guide for the Chapter 6 test which is MONDAY. Studying for a few minutes each day between now and Monday greatly increases students' chances of doing well on the test. Students also used their laptops to study for the test by using computer generated flashcards on Ancient India at http://www.studystack.com/flashcard-15504. The second part of the afternoon was band/chess/studyhall.
Tomorrow is the 5-8 trip to Camden Snow Bowl- have a GREAT time! I will be at a training for the next two days- substitute plans for Friday include continuing to review for the test on Monday, as well as doing some compare and contrast tasks on Hinduism vs. Buddhism.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

2010-02-02T11:37:00.001-08:00

Today in Social Studies students worked on study guides for chapter 6. The study guide is due tomorrow, and we will be correcting it in class so that students have a correct study guide for the test, which is Monday, February 8th. The packet for chapter 6 was also collected today.

In science students explored the periodic table of elements by hunting for element information at www.teachersdomain.org/asset/phy03_int_ptable/ and filling out information in a chart format for a set of elements. Everyone seemed to catch on quite quickly, and using their laptops always seems to lead to a higher level of interest and mastery. Once the charts were completed students did more exploration at www.funbrain.com playing Proton Don. Students also had a few minutes at the end of the day to work on their travel magazines for Ms. Haywood.

To repeat- there is a TEST on chapter 6 in Social Studies on Monday, February 8th. Students will bring home corrected STUDY GUIDES tomorrow. Studying for 15 minutes a day over several days is a much better way to learn new information than to cram the night before. Please take advantage of the 5 day opportunity you have to study for this test.

I also shared with students that passed in their packets what their grades are right now in science and social studies. Of course we have much more information to learn and several more assignments and tests to complete before ranks close in March, so for some this is a heads up that they need to be working harder for the next several weeks. For others it was an affirmation that they are working hard, and their grades reflect that.

To comment or not to comment...

2010-02-01T11:39:00.001-08:00

Students have asked whether they should or could leave comments. Please do! This blog is solely for my 6th graders and relevant comments are welcome! Parents are also welcome to leave their thoughts. This is also a good place to ask questions- chances are more than one student has the same question. There may not be an immediate answer- I generally post once a day, but I will at least get to it the next day.

Monday, February 1, 2010

2010-02-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today in science we explored a website on Mendeleev and his period table of elements. http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/history.html and http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/ae.html Students took the quiz at the bottom of the second page. We then went on to http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/pertab.html.
There was no homework in science.

In social studies we read pgs 150-155. For homework students need to complete the packet that begins with The Journey of the Indus River. Students should be completing pages 33 and 34. We will go over it tomorrow in class.

Friday, January 29, 2010

2010-01-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Today was a short lesson- we admired and bagged up the crystals and did a quick set of puzzles to reinforce the language and vocabulary around physical properties of matter and changes in the state of matter. Everyone had ample time to finish- those that didn't can finish it at home. The rest of the afternoon was Book Buddies.

Have a great weekend!

Thank you! Thursday, January 28, 2010

2010-01-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say Thank You to Jill Rauch for providing the materials for the crystal experiment, and to Jill and Debbie Barnum for huge help in managing 16 6th graders who all want to do it now! Also to my 6th grade class for listening, following directions, and creating some awesome crystals. Nice job everyone!

Thursday, January 28. 2010

2010-01-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today we decanted our crystals- wow- do they look cool! It was interesting to see how many crystals also formed on the surface of the jars. It was also interesting to see the color results. The crystals are drying overnight and will come home tomorrow. Hopefully they will survive the trip!

These are the crystals that formed on the jar itself. Some students added much more solute (borax) to their solvent (water) than others. The solutions that contained more borax led to much heavier deposits on the glass.

Another "after" shot of the jar. The crystals were hard to scrape out!

One student's crystal snowflake. Interesting choice of color for a snowflake.

Another nice snowflake.

In social Studies we read through page 147, and completed page 32 in the packet. That is homework for those that didn't finish.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

2010-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today in social studies we read pages 140-141, and completed page 31 in our Chapter 6 packets. For home work students need to write the vocabulary on page 142 in their social studies notebooks with definitions.

We checked on the crystals - they are growing very nicely. They will be coming home Thursday if all goes well. Otherwise science is on hold until Monday when we will be talking again about atoms and molecules and how they combine to form substances.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

2010-01-27T04:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jane!

Today we discussed the science and social studies tests. Several students are bringing theirs home for a parent signature, and all students who received less than an 85 will be correcting their tests and handing them back in.

In science today students created borax crystals in an experiment this afternoon. The crystals should grow on the pipe cleaner snowflakes overnight.

In social studies we continued reading in Chapter 6- pages 134-139. For home work students needed to complete both sides of the first page of the packet.

Monday, January 25, 2010

2010-01-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

Today students took both the Chapter 8 science test and the Chapter 5 test on Ancient Mesopotamia. We also began reading Chapter 6 in Social Studies- for homework we are reading pages 130-133 and writing all vocab, people, and places in social studies notebooks. No homework for Science. Tomorrow, thanks to Jill Rausch, we are creating borax crystals in science. These are very fragile, but students will be bringing them home later in the week if they survive.

Progress reports came home on Friday- please sign and return.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

2010-01-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

After an unexpected day and a half off due to snow- we got back on track today by completing study guides in class for both the social studies and science tests. The study guides were also corrected in class so that students have correct information to study for the tests, which will be occurring on Monday!

Friday is early release- students will be leaving at 11:30 so no science or social studies classes. Study hard! A little studying every day is much more helpful than a cram session Monday morning on the bus! Save out 15 minutes each day and have someone quiz the students on the vocabulary and questions. This has proven to be the most effective way for most students to retain information.

Mid-term progress reports will be coming home on Friday as well. Please sign and return the slip at the bottom to show that you have seen your child's progress report.

Next week with the gratefully received help of Jill Rausch we will be attempting to grow simple individual crystals. More details after the test. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, January 19. 2010

2010-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Early Release- this is what we will do Wednesday, and both tests will be Thursday

Today we review the chapter review on page 171 in science for preparation for the test on Thursday.

We also review the chapter review on page 126 in social studies in preparation for the test on Thursday. We are also reviewing the packet assigned last week Wednesday.

MLK Weekend

2010-01-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

We finished up the week by finishing chapters in both social studies and science. There WILL be tests next week! Tuesday afternoon will be review time for both tests. The test in Social Studies on Chapter 5 will be Wednesday, the test on Chapter 8 in science will be Thursday. Friday is early release.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

2010-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Today we read and talked about crystals and crystalline structure. We also reviewed solutions, solutes and solvents. For home work in science students need to answer questions on page 170 in their science notebooks- due Friday. Students also need to do the Chapter Review on page 171- answering the questions in their science notebooks- due Tuesday.
In Social Studies we read pages 120-121. For homework students need to list the vocabulary words, people and places in their Social Studies notebooks with definitions- due Friday.

Reminder- there is no school on Monday- Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is observed.
Reminder- get your permission slip packets in so that you can join the upper grades at the Camden Snow Bowl on February 4th.

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010

2010-01-12T08:10:00.001-08:00

This morning in between specials students read in social studies to page 115, and answered questions 1 & 2 in their social studies notebooks. Students also read in their science books to page 165 and answered the 4 questions at the bottom of page 165 (finishing for home work if necessary). Thursday we will begin continue learning about solutions, solvents and solutes. We will also begin learning about crystals.

Monday, January 11, 2010

2010-01-12T02:49:00.000-08:00

Most of today's time was taken up by the school Geography Bee. Students read briefly in the science text through page 160, and for homework needed to answer the questions on page 160 in their science notebooks. Students also received back their take-home tests. Students with grades of 80 and below are expected to take them home and correct them. These are due back Tuesday. There was no social studies homework.

Friday, January 8th, 2010

2010-01-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my Gramdma and Elvis!

Today in science students checked out several sites at www.coolschool.ca/content. Click on Showcase on the left, then pick Physical Science from the drop down menu. From there we looked at several check-ins on matter. Please explore these with your children- they are interesting and fun.
Students also passed in their take home science tests. Students will receive these back on Monday and grades lower than a C will be required to correct their tests. Students who earned an A will receive 5 homework passes.
There was no homework for the weekend.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

2010-01-07T11:56:00.000-08:00

Today in social studies we continued to read about the Sumerians and the Babylonians, and began to study Hammurabi and his code. There is no homework in social studies.
In science we reviewed last night's homework and the chapter. Students have their Chapter 7 test on matter to do tonight at home as a take-home test. They may use any resources available to complete their test, including their Holt science book, notes and homework. The completed test is due tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 6, 2009

2010-01-07T06:04:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I was out on Wednesday but Thank You to Mr. Lees who took over the class. In science students read through pages 150-154 and answered questions on pages 153 and 154. There was no social studies.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

2010-01-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today in science we continued with matter- covering molecules, atoms and the scientific model. We also discussed atom parts- electrons, protons and neutrons. For home work students needed to answer the questions on page 149 in their notebooks. In Social Studies we continued reading about Sumer and Babylon, and began talking about the Code of Hammurabi. Homework was to write vocab, names and places from page 108 in their social studies notebooks with definitions, and complete the first page, both sides, of the social studies packet (p 24-25.)

Welcome back! Monday, January 4, 2010

2010-01-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful, restful vacation. My students were very generous to me before vacation and I hope they are remembering to bring home my thank you notes, but in case they aren't, please let me express a heartfelt thank you to all of the wonderful gifts and goodies students presented me with for the holidays. Jill, your homemade jam was especially delicious and did not last long once everyone in the house discovered it! Thank you to everyone who was so thoughtful to my family and I!

On to science and social studies... yesterday we revisited Matter in science and began talking about the three common states- gas, liquid and solid. There are at least two other states but as they occur rarely and are impossible to see with the naked eye, we will leave those for another course of study. We also discussed elements, compounds and mixtures. In Social Studies we began a new chapter on Ancient Mesopotamia. There was no homework.

Friday, December 18, 2009

2009-12-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today students received their Ancient Egypt tests back. The scores were rather disappointing considering that the students were given a study guide that was identical to the test. These study guides were corrected in class so that every student had an equal opportunity to study and receive a perfect score on the test. Many students did not take advantage of this opportunity and their scores reflects this.

Today we are exploring the website mentioned below on our laptops, then enjoying time with our book buddies for the remainder of the day. Have a great weekend!

Next week- Monday is a regular school day. Tuesday is a full school day with Christmas parties beginning at 1. Wednesday is an early release day, with lunch being served at 11 and students heading home for the vacation at 11:30. Wednesday AM is also the Pajama/Polar Express party. Please wear or bring clean, school-appropriate pajamas for watching the Polar Express in the gym.

Extra

2009-12-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

The following is an excellent site for further exploration into Ancient Egypt that we may explore on Thursday if everyone finishes the test or Friday. We will also be finishing a film on Nefertiti Friday or Monday.

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/

Tue, Dec 15, 2009

2009-12-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

Today we continued on the road to the test on Ancient Egypt which we will be taking on Thursday (day after tomorrow!!). There is no soc st class on Wednesday because of the dress rehearsal for the Christmas Concert Wednesday night. The students have their completed and corrected study guides to study. Good luck, and see you at the concert!

Monday, December 14, 2009

2009-12-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Today we continued reviewing for the test on Thursday. For homework students received a study guide to help them continue to study for the test on Ancient Egypt on Thursday!

Friday, Dec 11, 2009

2009-12-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy week- my apologies for not posting this week. We have continued to work on Ancient Egypt, learning about building pyramids, why the Pharaohs built pyramids, and the discovery of Tutankhamun's undisturbed tomb. There has been very little homework with the exception of students who needed to correct and pass in the Ancient Egypt skill packet again. Next week we will begin reviewing for the test, which will take place Thursday, Dec 16th. Once we are back from break we will begin studying matter in science and Ancient Mesopotamia in social studies.
Students will be receiving a study guide for vocabulary today, some students elected to take theirs yesterday. This is basically a matching exercise to help students review and remember the vocabulary, places and people. Next week students will receive more tools to help them review information for the test.

Monday, December 7, 2009

2009-12-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

Today we read a play about building pyramids- this seems to be a good way for students to understand and assimilate new concepts. Homework is to finish the Vocab & Comprehension worksheet.

Thursday, Dec 3, 2009

2009-12-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Thursday we read a play about the embalming process and watched a 6 minute PBS special on embalming that the students seemed to enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo4Fbm1X-CM We finished reading the chapter on Egypt. Students need to complete the packet for tomorrow.

Mon & Tue, Nov 30 & Dec 1 2009

2009-12-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! Hope everyone had a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving holiday! Monday we continued with Ancient Egypt. There was no homework.
Tuesday we explored two web lessons on making a mummy and building a pyramid. We also continued to read in our social studies books, and for homework needed to complete the 3rd page (number 20) in the packet. The web addresses for the two lessons are: http://kids.discovery.com/fansites/tutenstein/mummymaker/mummymaker.html (yes, type mummymaker twice) www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/games/pyramid_challenge/index_embed.shtml

Later in the week we will be watching a PBS special on a real mummification and acting out a play about Beshet the Burial Priest.

Report cards will be coming home Friday.

Friday, November 20, 2009

2009-11-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from Keive!! Friday was spent re-acclimatimg to school and enjoying time with Book Buddies. We also watched the first part of a PBS movie on the Origins of the Nile. We will continue with that on Monday.

Friday, November 13, 2009

2009-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's Friday the Thirteenth! Be sure to come watch Pete's Dragon tonight at 6:30. Munchies will be available to buy. This is a fundraiser for the 6th grade trip to Kieve. Today we continued with Chapter 4 in Social Studies. No homework... Have an awesome time at Kieve! Ms. Haywood and I will trade off days at Kieve and school- see you there!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

Today we continued with Chapter 4 in Social Studies. We will continue to focus on Social Studies until ranks close the week of Thanksgiving and will resume science- Matter- after the holiday.

Homework: Packet (passed out today) finish pages 18-19. Book page 84- vocabulary, People & places- written in your notebooks please.

Social Studies & Science notebooks DUE TOMORROW!!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

2009-11-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday we continued with matter, then continued with social studies chapter 4. For home work, students who did not finish writing vocab, people and places (page 74) in their notebooks needed to finish that at home...

Monday, November 9, 2009

2009-11-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Countdown to Kieve and Thanksgiving!
Today we worked a little in Chapter 4 in Social Studies and also on a web lesson on Matter. we also demonstrated organizing notebooks which are due on Friday.

For the rest of the week we will focus on Chapter 4 in Social Studies with the hope of getting one more test grade under our belts. More on this later.

Science at last!

2009-11-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

Today we began a science unit on Matter which will last us through the next ranking period. We began a web-based lesson today which led to an experiment with the "spaces" in water molecules- i.e., how much powdered sugar can you add to a bulging cup of hot water without making the water spill. In our case it depended on how many students bumped into the table that the cups were sitting on!

The notebook content lists were handed out today along with homework passes earned for having all homework in plus high marks on social studies and science tests. These passes can be used to get out of 1/2 of a homework assignment in either social studies or science if a student commits to using one when the assignment is given, or saved and used the the annual Ms. Haywood's Leftover Goodies auction held at the end of the year. Prizes from the Monster Mash, Turkey Trot, Beach Day and other events are auctioned off using homework passes as the currency.

The notebook contents lists should be used to bring a bit of organization and order to the notebooks for science and social studies before they are collected on November 13th. Notebooks that are organized such that I don't have to wade through a mishmash of paper will receive higher marks than notebooks which are complete but unorganized. This is another lesson in organization and keeping one's materials together and available for reviewing before a test. These aren't due for another week so there is plenty of time to get them organized.

There was no homework for tonight except the notebook organization reminder.

Notebooks due soon!

2009-11-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hopefully everyone has been putting their completed assignments and tests in their social studies and science notebooks or binders as they have been reminded quite frequently this trimester. A list of what should be in each subject's notebook to date will be passed out to the class tomorrow (Thursday). These notebooks will be collected on Friday, November 13th (Friday before Kieve). Notebooks containing all assignments will get an A which will be averaged into the trimester's grades. Points will be deducted for each missing assignment or test. For those concerned about their trimester grades, this is an excellent opportunity for a boost. By the way- grades close on Tuesday, November 24.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today we took the test in Social Studies. No homework tonight. Tomorrow there will be no homework either- 6th grade has health, then study hall or band. On Thursday we will be continuing with Chapter 4 in Social Studies and beginning a web-based introduction on Matter in science. Don't forget to vote!

Monday, November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

Happy November!
Today we reviewed for the SOCIAL STUDIES test which is tomorrow after lunch. There will be a few questions from the previous two chapters which we reviewed in class as well. We also started chapter 4 today. Study!!!

Thursday, October 29

2009-10-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Today we went over the social studies chapter 3 study guide and made flash cards for the vocabulary. The test on Chapter 3 in Social Studies is Tuesday, November 3 (go vote!). Both the completed study guide and the completed Chapter 3 packet are due Monday. We will go over them on Monday. I expect that students will use the study skills that they learned with the science test re-take to do equally well on this test on Tuesday. Remember- reviewing the information for 15 minutes each day is much more valuable than cramming five minutes before the test!
Happy Halloween!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

2009-10-28T17:17:00.001-07:00

Today we continued to focus on Social Studies Chapter 3- we went over the homework and began a study guide in class which will be due along with the last page of the packet on Tuesday. We will be beginning our Matter unit Thursday.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Today our day went from special to interruption and back again- the students attended a Fire Safety assembly by some great guys from the Palermo Fire Department. They also had art and computer. This afternoon we continued to work on Chapter 3 in Social Studies. Homework tonight is to complete the four questions on textbook page 59, and complete the third page in the packet, due tomorrow.

Monday, October 26, 2009

2009-10-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

Everyone improved tremendously on the science test. Congratulations! We will be starting a new unit on Matter, hopefully on Tuesday. We continued with Chapter 3 in Social Studies- for homework students need to read pager 54-57 and complete the back of page one of the packet that was handed out. Tuesday we will continue with Chapter 3 and begin Matter in Science.

Friday, October 23, 2009

2009-10-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a wonderful experience talking with parents over the past two days. Thank you to all of the parents who took the time to come in and talk about their child's progress and performance. Today we take the "do-over" science test- based on what I have seen over the past week, everyone that has been in school should do very well on this test. On Monday we begin a science unit about matter which will last us through a good part of the winter. In social studies we briefly started reading chapter 3 this week but put it aside in favor of learning study techniques for the science test so on Monday we will begin Chapter 3 anew. Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

2009-10-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Today 6th grade had health, and then study hall for the students who do not participate in band. In study hall we focused on studying for the science test, homework and cleaning out desks in preparation for parent teacher conferences tonight and tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Remember tomorrow, Thursday, Oct 22 is early release- students will be leaving at 11:30. The afternoon and evening is devoted to parent teacher conferences. See you there!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

2009-10-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today we continued studying the flash cards we made on Monday with the science test vocabulary words. We also worked on correctly labeling a leaf and a flower diagram. The science test re-take is Friday. Wednesday we will continue to study the diagrams, talk about the short answer and multiple -choice questions and quiz each other on the vocabulary. Students seem much more confident about the material this time around, and everyone should do much better on Friday. Rewards are in place for students who achieve significantly better scores the second time around.

In social studies we began reading Chapter 3 in class.

The only homework is to study the vocab flash cards and leaf/flower diagram labels for the science test on Friday.

Reminder that we are having parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday from 3-7 and Thursday from noon-7. Thursday is early release. Please call to schedule your conference if you have not already.

Monday, October 19, 2009

2009-10-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

Correction- we will retake the science test on Friday (10/23/09) afternoon- the little book buddies will be on a field trip so we will have the whole afternoon for the test if necessary.

Friday, October 16

2009-10-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today we corrected the science tests in class because most students did very poorly. Students who scored below an 80 will study these corrected tests and re-take the test on Thursday, October 22 (early release for parent-teacher conferences- please call the school to sign up for a time if you haven't already). Hopefully students will take advantage of this opportunity to do a much better job on the re-take. The students who scored less than 80 are also bringing their tests home to be signed by their parents.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

2009-10-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Today we took the science unit test on plants. There was no homework. Tomorrow we will likely begin chapter 3 in Social Studies, then Book Buddies. Progress Reports come home tomorrow. Please sign up for a parent/teacher conference slot for Wednesday evening or Thursday afternoon or evening. (Early release on Thursday for this purpose.)

Wednesday, October 14

2009-10-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the science test on plants- if you did well on the study guide you will do well on the test. You need to study parts of a leaf, parts of a flower, and general plant knowledge. If everyone gets a B- or better we will enjoy a movie. Study hard and rest up!

Science for Tuesday, Oct 13

2009-10-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Finish up your science study guides for Tuesday!

Week of October 5-8

2009-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

This week has been ruled by NECAPS so no homework. We have been focusing on the social studies Chapter 2 study guide and the science Chapter 10 study guide in preparation for the tests next week.
The Social Studies Chapter 2 test will be on Wednesday and the Science test on Plants will be on Thursday.

Have a great long weekend! (No school tomorrow or Monday- have fun!)

Monday, October 5, 2009

2009-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

No homework tonight- NECAPs. We watched the Iceman video for most of the afternoon. Sleep well and be ready for another day of testing!

Thursday, October 1

2009-10-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

No home work tonight in either science or social studies- we read most of The Iceman but put off the video until Monday because of NECAPs. You can help yourselves by periodically pulling out the study guide for science and filling in answers as best you can. Rest up and eat a good breakfast for Monday!

Wednesday, September 30

2009-09-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Social studies- finish reading in book through pg 37- Ice Man- if everyone is done we will watch the Iceman video Thurs.

Science- Work on Study Guide- we will go over it Thurs in class- test on Plants sometime next week.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

2009-09-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Social Studies: Read Through page 37 (The Iceman) and finish the packet- pages 12-13. Due Thursday, October 1. (No Soc St Wed- Band)

Science: Monocots & Dicots- finish packet for Wednesday.

Monday, September 28 Class Assignments

2009-09-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Social Studies: "Learning From a Primary Source" was covered in class today. Do "Decision making About Artifacts" (back of 1st page of current packet - page number is 11)- due tomorrow for class. Read pages 32-33 about The Iceman so we can discuss tomorrow and get to the video later in the week.

Science: Roots packet was covered in class today. We also read through the packet on Stems. Answer the questions about stems for tonight's homework- we will go over it tomorrow.

Thursday, September 24

2009-09-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Science assignment:
Pieces of the Puzzle- Roots packet. Finish reading and complete questions. Due Monday, Sept 28
Continue to fill in answers on the Study Guide as you learn them.

Social Studies:
Packet- page 10 (front ONLY of first page) Due Monday, Sept. 28

Have Fun at Common Ground Country Fair!