Last week of voting for csmh's video . . .
Classroom Updates
MATH
On Tuesday students will be tested on Chapter 3. Concepts include percentage, decimal and fraction relationships, adding and subtracting fractions, equivalent fractions, plotting coordinate pairs, absolute value, and using the distributive property.
Students are being encouraged to review the Chapter Closure (pages 156 - 159) to study and prepare for this assessment.
Today's Friday Quiz focused on adding and subtracting fractions. Quizzes will come home on Monday for corrections and parent signatures. Your child should have this concept mastered.
TEN MARKS - Students should be completing or completing a TenMarks Assessment on line. Students were given a fifth grade assessment or sixth grades assessment pending their individual needs. Once the assessment is completed, I am assigning PLAY LISTS to each student to help them reinforce skills. Ten Marks is a good simulation of the type of test students will be attending to when taking the new SMARTER BALANCED exams at the end of the school year.
Going forward, students will be required to work a minimum of thirty minutes each week on their individualized PLAY LIST assignments. This will be considered a homework assignment.
STOCK MARKET PROJECT - We start the official game on Monday. It will run for 8 weeks. Students have been working in investment groups, naming themselves and learning the rules of the game. Each group starts with $100,000! Ms. Daprile and Ms. Williams have formed a team named D&W Investments. Let the game begin!
On Tuesday students will be tested on Chapter 3. Concepts include percentage, decimal and fraction relationships, adding and subtracting fractions, equivalent fractions, plotting coordinate pairs, absolute value, and using the distributive property.
Students are being encouraged to review the Chapter Closure (pages 156 - 159) to study and prepare for this assessment.
Today's Friday Quiz focused on adding and subtracting fractions. Quizzes will come home on Monday for corrections and parent signatures. Your child should have this concept mastered.
TEN MARKS - Students should be completing or completing a TenMarks Assessment on line. Students were given a fifth grade assessment or sixth grades assessment pending their individual needs. Once the assessment is completed, I am assigning PLAY LISTS to each student to help them reinforce skills. Ten Marks is a good simulation of the type of test students will be attending to when taking the new SMARTER BALANCED exams at the end of the school year.
Going forward, students will be required to work a minimum of thirty minutes each week on their individualized PLAY LIST assignments. This will be considered a homework assignment.
STOCK MARKET PROJECT - We start the official game on Monday. It will run for 8 weeks. Students have been working in investment groups, naming themselves and learning the rules of the game. Each group starts with $100,000! Ms. Daprile and Ms. Williams have formed a team named D&W Investments. Let the game begin!
LANGUAGE ARTS
This week we have continued with our reading of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The students have continued to work in their reading log to reflect the thinking that has gone wth this novel. Students need to make sure that they are keeping their reading logs up to date. This last week we added a Story Pyramid with an illustration, and a Venn Diagram showing the similarities and differences of life at NIMH and live at Mr. Fitzgibbon's garden.
The students also participated in a writing assessment. This was a lengthy assessment that asked the students to read two articles, answering a question for each article, and then to use the two articles as evidence in an argument essay. The topic was the benefits/detriments of winning and competition for children. This was part of a pilot program that we were invited to participate in. I took advantage of this as it should provide us some feedback on the strengths and areas of growth needed of the sixth graders. In addition, it was good practice for the Smarter Balance test that we will be taking in the spring.
We also used LA time this week to work on our research and presentation skills. The students researched many terms associated with the economy and he stock market and then taught the class about the concepts that they learned. This is in preparation of the Stock Market Game that is starting next week.
This week we have continued with our reading of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The students have continued to work in their reading log to reflect the thinking that has gone wth this novel. Students need to make sure that they are keeping their reading logs up to date. This last week we added a Story Pyramid with an illustration, and a Venn Diagram showing the similarities and differences of life at NIMH and live at Mr. Fitzgibbon's garden.
The students also participated in a writing assessment. This was a lengthy assessment that asked the students to read two articles, answering a question for each article, and then to use the two articles as evidence in an argument essay. The topic was the benefits/detriments of winning and competition for children. This was part of a pilot program that we were invited to participate in. I took advantage of this as it should provide us some feedback on the strengths and areas of growth needed of the sixth graders. In addition, it was good practice for the Smarter Balance test that we will be taking in the spring.
We also used LA time this week to work on our research and presentation skills. The students researched many terms associated with the economy and he stock market and then taught the class about the concepts that they learned. This is in preparation of the Stock Market Game that is starting next week.
SOCIAL STUDIES
This week we ventured into the land of the Indus River valley with the chapter titled, Unlocking the Secrets of Mohenjodaro. As part of this chapter we had a hands-on activity that had the students excavating the ruins of Mohenjodaro. When they entered room #5 they were transported to an archaeological site in Pakistan. While they were there they needed to move piles of "bricks", dig through "dirt", climb over "walls", and assemble broken artifacts. Once they excavated the artifacts the then needed to analyze and interpret them. In all, the students visited eight different stations were they learned more about the ancient ruins, and the people that once inhabited this place. We have a little bit more work to do with this chapter, but then we will take the chapter test on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Chapter 13 test were returned to the students. Test corrections for those earning C+ (79%) or lower is due next Wednesday.
We had a docent visit us from The San Jose Museum of Art to share with the students the Art of Ancient Civilizations. The kids seemed to really enjoy looking at all the art and hearing many of the docent's bits of trivia relating to the subject. The kids were a wonderful audience and the docent (and the docents in training) remarked about how wonderful the students were and what great questions they had.
This week we ventured into the land of the Indus River valley with the chapter titled, Unlocking the Secrets of Mohenjodaro. As part of this chapter we had a hands-on activity that had the students excavating the ruins of Mohenjodaro. When they entered room #5 they were transported to an archaeological site in Pakistan. While they were there they needed to move piles of "bricks", dig through "dirt", climb over "walls", and assemble broken artifacts. Once they excavated the artifacts the then needed to analyze and interpret them. In all, the students visited eight different stations were they learned more about the ancient ruins, and the people that once inhabited this place. We have a little bit more work to do with this chapter, but then we will take the chapter test on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Chapter 13 test were returned to the students. Test corrections for those earning C+ (79%) or lower is due next Wednesday.
We had a docent visit us from The San Jose Museum of Art to share with the students the Art of Ancient Civilizations. The kids seemed to really enjoy looking at all the art and hearing many of the docent's bits of trivia relating to the subject. The kids were a wonderful audience and the docent (and the docents in training) remarked about how wonderful the students were and what great questions they had.
Stanford graduates!
Congratulations to the following students who completed the Stanford on line class called, "How to Learn Math for Students." So impressive . . . you have a Stanford Certificate of Accomplishment and you are only in the 6th grade:
Faith, Ronan, Katie, Aidan, Samantha, Ben, Brendan, Ethan, Sasha, Andre, Karlee, Rachael, Tommy, Kristof, Kate, Liam, Carlyjo, Layla, Caroline, Quincy and Pascal
You are invited to celebrate your accomplishments with Ms. Daprile and Ms. Williams at a pizza lunch on Friday, February 6th
Faith, Ronan, Katie, Aidan, Samantha, Ben, Brendan, Ethan, Sasha, Andre, Karlee, Rachael, Tommy, Kristof, Kate, Liam, Carlyjo, Layla, Caroline, Quincy and Pascal
You are invited to celebrate your accomplishments with Ms. Daprile and Ms. Williams at a pizza lunch on Friday, February 6th
CODING IS COMING TO AN END . . .
Today was our last official day of learning to CODE! The next two Fridays will be dedicated to students working on their own digital stories using their programming skills. Students will have over the break to work on this project if they choose. On Friday, February 27th, we will have a CODING CELEBRATION where students will be able to share their work and projects. Stay tuned . . . more info to come!