2nd Quarter Update:

The sixth graders are nearing the end of their unit on “The Dynamic Earth.” We’re on our final three investigations. The final project will be an investigation on the hazards of either a volcano or earthquake that will be done in groups. This project will require research and a finished brochure detailing their findings. They will be graded for both their individual tasks, and for their part in the group work.

Our next unit will be on Fossils, and will also consist of many hands-on investigations followed by the background to teach them about what they saw. This unit will also have connections to math, social studies, and history.

All parents should see a student sheet called “What’s my grade” in their students binder. Each time we start a graded assignment students will be directed to record the assignment and grade when it is returned to help give them an idea of how they are progressing in class. There is a signature section on this sheet - I encourage you to use this. Keeping the sheet up to date and until the end of the unit is also a 20 point grade.

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Thanks!

Ms. Peterson

The 6th graders have an exciting year of science ahead. Our science curriculum focuses on hands-on experiments that are followed up by critical thinking practices to cement and connect the learning with larger themes and ideas.

Our first unit is called “Dynamic Earth.” We’re focusing on our Earth’s systems, how they are connected, and how they are always changing.

Students in 6th grade have a number of requirements for science. We’ll be beginning our Science Fair projects in October. Students should have a project in mind by the first week in October. We’ll be taking our 6th grade homerooms to the Harold Washington Library on October 15, or October 16, depending on which homeroom they are in. I’ll be posting a detailed science fair timeline soon, but the entire project should be done by late November.

Students are also required to find and summarize a current events article related to science twice a month. These articles can be from a newspaper, magazine, or printed off the Internet. But they should be recent (less than 3 months old). Possible articles can be related to chemistry, health and nutrition, astronomy, biology, zoology, physics, botany, environmental science, etc. The goal of this requirement is to make student aware of current events in science, and how science is related to various topics and issues in the world at large.

Finally, students will be graded on keeping accurate and thorough notes in class, occasional quizzes and tests, as well as classroom work. Students will also have a unit test at the end of each 10-week exploration.

We’re off to a great start this year, and the students have been enthusiastic and excited about science. You should expect your child to have homework in science everyday, with only an occasional exception. If you or your child have any questions about the requirements or work in science, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a quick email response, or a meeting.

Sincerely,

Ms. Peterson