Ask your 6th grader about.....

• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Readers’ Theater
  
• Christmas Breakfast
• Secret Santa
• Christmas Chapel
• Letters to Santa
• “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”
• History Mini-Projects
• Making crystals
• Marbling paper
• Christmas party

Santas Revealed!!!!

During the 6th grade Christmas party the secret Santas were revealed. Each student was given the opportunity to say what they liked most about their present. We played charades and 2 truths and 1 lie; we ate cookies, chips, and candy canes, and drank a little pop and apple cider. A special thank you to Carol Nolan and Jen Newman for spending the hour with us.

Secret Santa Reveal - Friday December 18th!!!!!

On Friday December 18th from 1:00 pm until 2:10 pm (give or take a few minutes) we will be gathering in the 6th grade classroom to reveal our secret Santas, eat a few cookies and chips, drink some pop, play some board games, and even create a couple of human Christmas trees.

If you were designated to bring a food or drink item for the party, please remember to ask your parents if that is OK. If not, we will need to see if someone else can bring the item. The item can be brought at any time. I will have a place in the classroom where we can store it until Friday. If you are not bringing a food or drink item, consider bringing an item(s) for the human Christmas tree decorating. The fancier we can make them the better. Remember you can bring in your secret Santa gifts any time. We will place it under the Christmas tree in the classroom. Remember DO NOT put your name on it, we want the recipient to be surprised.

Ask your 6th Grader about ....

• Harry Hess and sea floor spreading
  

  
• Isaac and Rebekah
• Secret Santas
• When Two Holidays Meet narrative
• Ancient Mesopotamia Mini-Project
• Unit rates
• Christian Music Class

Ancient Mesopotamia Mini-Projects

Today began our first project in World History! The students are really excited to dive into the world of discovery learning that will define the rest of our world history course this year. They will be practicing reading skills, note-taking skills, collaboration skills, and public speaking skills throughout these projects while learning about ancient civilizations in new and exciting ways. Below is the mini-project outline for Ancient Mesopotamia for your perusal. Ask your student how they like this new process!

Ask your student about ...

• Narrative: “When Two Holidays Meet”
• New Applied Skills
• Christmas Decorating
• Alfred Wegener and his theory
• Hissing cockroaches

Guest Speaker in History

Today in world history, as part of our unit on Ancient Egypt, Mr. Schiemann visited our class to show us pictures from his trip to Egypt. He shared a lot of history with us as well as how things are different now than they once were. It was great! Ask your child about it!

Ask Your Child About...

• Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms
• Paragraph Building
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie - how is it different from the book?
• Ratios

Vocab Switcheroo

With the dawning of a new trimester, the 6th grade schedule is going to see a little switch up. We originally added a second vocabulary class to the 6th grade schedule to help them acclimate to the new book with a little extra support. They are all doing great with the book and are really understanding how to use it and complete the activities. Because of this, we are excited to introduce them to a new class in 2nd trimester, a 6th grade favorite - Christian Music Studies!! In this class, Mr. Plucknett introduces them to the wide variety of Christian music that's out there. Much of what they experience is beyond the realm of what they can hear on the radio.
This class aligns with our Arts Program in that it is a music appreciation class. It is a class done only with 6th grade and offers them something special, fun, and useful.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

We have finished reading our first novel of the year! The students all seemed to enjoy this book. The skill folders they have been working on are due next Monday, November 23. On Wednesday, we will begin watching the recent Disney movie in class. A permission slip came home today for this. Please return it if you would like your child to participate in this culminating activity.

Ask your 6th grader about.....

• How did ancient Egypt’s economy function?
• Favorite book report presentation
• Tower of Babel
• God’s covenant with Abraham
• Milky Way or Peanut M & M, which best represents the earth’s layers?

Don't Forget...

• Summary on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chapters 5-8, Due Monday, November 2
• DOGO News Assignment, Due Monday, November 2
• Vocab, Unit 4, Due Tuesday, November 3
• Book Report, Due Thursday, November 12

Ask your student about......

• Catal Huyuk

• Border Cave

• Tense Fences

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

• Applied Skills

• Cain and Abel

• Scientific Method Quiz

• Lab Reports

Next Tuesday

There's a schedule shift next week due to the short week of school. We will not be having Vocab on Tuesday, October 27, so the next assignment - Unit 4 - is not due until November 3.
In it's place we will be having our World History class instead. That day the students will be taking a test on Chapter 3. A study guide will be handed out today.

10/8/15 - Ask your 6th grader about....

• Creation and the first sin
  
• The sponge creature experiment
• Multiplying decimals
• Vocabulary Swatter
• The book they are reading for their book report
• What LEST activities did they sign up for

Friday 10/2 - Ask your 6th grader....

• How do you divide a fraction?
• What can graphs tell us about our science data?
• What is the difference between an Independent and Dependent Variable?
• What's an interactive notebook?
• Cultural regions, what are they?
• How was the Peacemaker's test?
• What did you learn in applied skills class?
• What books did you read during the Picture book picnic?
• What do you enjoy most about Mango Language?

Ask your 6th grader about ...

Taj Mahal  - Agra, India

• Grandparents Day
• Absolute Value
• The Scientific Method
• LA Interactive Notebooks
• Dogo News
• Azeez Narain & Indian Culture
• Peacemakers & the 5 A's

Upcoming Quizzes with Mrs. Schulze

Vocabulary, Unit 2 - Tuesday
Spelling, Unit 2 - Tuesday
History, Chapter 1 - Wednesday (A study guide will be handed out on Monday)

Reminder!

Vocab Unit 2 is due tomorrow!

Science Homework - Due Monday Sept 21

The Scientific Method

Do you know the steps? What is a hypothesis? What is a conclusion?

If you watch Study Jams, and Tim and Moby, they will help you understand. Fill out the shared Google doc that you received in an e-mail. This will help me know that you know what the Scientific Method is all about.

Go to www.watchknowlearn.org  and search for the Scientific Method - or check your e-mail; I have sent you the links to the videos.

Have fun.

DOGO News

In World History today, the 6th grade was introduced to a current events site called DOGO News. We will occasionally get on this website, read some articles, watch some videos, and answer critical thinking questions about what we are reading.
The kids were really excited about this today! Have them give you a tour of DOGO News!

Vocab Retake - Unit 1

Getting used to a new format can be tricky. Our vocabulary tests this year are completed online using a platform called Google Forms. Each question is multiple choice and might offer a definition, synonym, antonym, or fill-in-the-blank question for which the students must choose the best word from the list given.
Since this is a new format for them and their first time taking a vocabulary quiz like this, I am offering them the ability to retake the quiz if they would like. If your child would like to take advantage of this, they must schedule a time with me, and it needs to be completed by Tuesday of next week (September 22).
While retakes will not always be an option (it's much easier to work hard the first time!), grace abounds this first trimester of middle school. There is a lot for 6th graders to get used to in this new environment.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Subject Update - World History

Thank you for your cooperation in getting those textbooks covered - they look great!

Our first history test is coming up on Friday. We have been working on learning how to study for and take tests. Today they received a study guide for the upcoming test that they worked on completing. Some finished while others did not. There will be no more class time devoted to the study guide, so check in with your child this evening to see if they completed it or not.

Every single student assured me that they would study both this evening and tomorrow evening for this test (hence it's on Friday rather than tomorrow). I'm excited to hear how dedicated they are to studying!

Subject Update: Math - 9/15

We have worked our way to our review and test for Chapter 1 this week.  Our test will be on Thursday, September 17th.  Today, the 6th graders were assigned a review assignment in their book (p. 40 1-35).  This is a long assignment, but it is not due until Thursday.  Tomorrow, we will be spending all of class using this assignment to review for our test.

Scholastic Book Orders Due Tuesday September 8

Encouraging reading is one of the most important things we can do to help your child succeed. It can be tough finding the right books to keep them interested, which is why I am so excited that our class will be participating in Scholastic Reading Club this school year.

With Scholastic Reading Club: 
- Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our classroom library 
- You can choose from handpicked, grade- and reading-level-specific books for your child
- You'll find the best values on a variety of formats

Each month, your child will bring home Reading Club flyers. Together you can choose from books hand-selected by teachers and experts, and then order online or send your order form and payment to me. 

If This Is Your First Time Ordering Online:
- VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
- ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code: NBCR9
- SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books and value packs
- SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom

Vocabulary Has Begun!!!

The much anticipated (and often feared) Vocabulary Workshop began today for 6th graders. This book can be daunting, but never fear - it gets easier with time! 6th grade has two vocab classes each week during which they will work with their teacher (Mrs. Schulze on Tuesdays and Mr. Plucknett on Wednesdays) to guide them through the book and help them learn how to do the activities and become comfortable with the book. The book focuses on 20 words every two weeks. Our goal is three-fold:

1. To know how to spell the words
2. To know what the words mean
3. To know how to use the words

The activities in the book are designed to help each student accomplish all three goals with each of the 20 words. Look through their book with them this week to see what the different activities are. The activities are the same for each chapter, with only the word list changing.

The rule of thumb I shared with the 6th graders is if you complete one activity each day, it shouldn't be too overwhelming to complete the chapter.

Here's the general schedule for vocabulary:

• Week One: Work on a unit
• Tuesday Night: Choosing the Right Word
• Wednesday Night: Synonyms
• Thursday Night: Antonyms
• Weekend: Completing the Sentence
• Monday Night: Vocabulary in Context
• Week Two: Review the unit for spelling and vocabulary quizzes

Unit 1 was assigned today. It is due next Tuesday, September 8. The quizzes for Unit 1 will be on September 15. Unit 2 will be assigned that day after we've completed the quizzes.

Units will nearly always be due on Tuesdays, and quizzes will nearly always be the following Tuesday (unless the school schedule prevents it).

Students can access vocabularyworkshop.com for learning activities and games related to the words.

Cover That Book!

I sent the 6th graders home this weekend with a World History textbook and instructions to cover it. They looked at me and said, "What? What do you mean 'cover it'?"
I told them they should ask YOU! I know you've all probably covered a textbook before - I remember those paper bags from the grocery store were invaluable come August when I was growing up. I assured them you'd know what to do, and I hope it's a chance to walk back to your own childhood and share this experience with your kid.
Whether you choose paper bags, store-bought stretchy covers, or a different tactic - I'll leave that up to you. Thanks in advance for sending the book back covered!

PS - While you're at it, you could probably cover the math book as well!

Welcome 6th Grade Families

The new school year has finally arrived and I am truly blessed to have your children in my class. It has been a great week. Your child has learned and experienced many new things. Take the time to ask them about their week.

As their homeroom teacher, I get the opportunity to greet each student every morning. We spend time in devotion and talking about what it means to be a "middle schooler". It is an uplifting start to my morning.

My goal for this blog is to keep you as parents informed about what is going on in 6th grade. All three teachers will contribute. Any announcement that effects all of middle school will be posted on the Middle School blog; only 6th grade specific information will be posted here. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me.

Budding Archaeologists

This week in World History, the 6th graders learned what it's like to be an archaeologist - to discover an artifact, assume nothing about it or the people it came from, and try to deduce what the people who left it were like. Their object? A penny. But that penny was transformed to an object found on an alien planet left by a being we knew nothing about. They did a great job coming up with these ideas:

• They had access to metal
• They had a way to press the metal into a flat circle
• The beings look similar to us
• They had knowledge of architecture
• They had language
• And so much more!

They masterfully stepped out of the idea that this was a penny, and looked at it from a different perspective.