Monday

We learned about the ear today and then took a hearing test on Youtube. It was interesting to see the different sounds that some students could and some could not. Then we measured our music chimes and then changed the centimeter measurement into millimeters and dekameters

Then we learned about sound as we used the chimes to play Christmas carols.

Tomorrow is a half day. The students will come at the regular time. We have the dance and a movie. School is out at 1:00.

We will see you on January 5th! Have a Merry Christmas!

Thursday

We viewed a power point presentation that reviewed chapter 9 lesson 1. We reviewed matter, mass volume, density, physical properties, physical changes, mixtures, solutes and solvents. We also learned about buoyancy.

Monday will be a regular school day. Tuesday dismissal will be at 1:00.

Wednesday

We learned more about the metric system today. We converted millimeters to centimeters and on to kilometers. Then we measured the hallway downstairs so we could visulize what a dekameter and half of a hectometer look like. We returned to the classroom and converted the measurements into centimeters and millimeters.

We determined the mass of a diet soda compared to a regular soda. The volume was the same but the mass was different. We concluded that the difference was that the sugar in the regular soda was heavier than the aspartame in the diet soda.

We started a power point presentation covering the chapter.

We will finish the power point tomorrow, finish drawing our biomes, our metric chart, and take home things that students have brought to show the other students.

Tuesday

Our classes were shortened today so our students could watch the High School play, "Oklahoma."

In Science we took notes concerning the experiments we did yesterday. The students were asked to describe the process for finding the volume of irregularly shaped objects. They were asked to define volume. Lastly they were asked how to find the volume of regularly shaped objects. We discussed the answers.

Last the students made a metric chart. From now till the end of the year we will be using metrics exclusively in the classroom.

Monday

We checked out out corn syrup egg today. On Thursday it weighed 52 grams after four days in the corn syrup. Today it weighed 95 after four days in water. That was the highest weight of any of the other eggs. We concluded that some of the sugar must have entered the egg.

We learned how to measure the volume of irregularly shaped objects. The students used a graduated beaker and water and then measured the volume of four or five different objects. We also measured some regularly shaped objects using the meter stick.

Students have a permission slip to return tomorrow. If it is back on Tuesday they will receive ten points of extra credit!!!!

Thursday

Today we ended our unit on Life Science and actually began our new unit on Physical Science. We weighed and measured our eggs and learned that the egg in the corn syrup lost liquid, the egg in the plain water gained liquid and the egg in the salt water was 5 grams heavier than the egg in the plain water. We ended up with the salt water egg weighing 91 grams, the plain water egg weighing 85-86 grams and the corn syrup egg weighing 52 grams. In 5th hour we placed the corn syrup egg back in water to see if the osmosis would work again, or if the egg was just too covered with corn syrup to allow osmosis to occur.

Then we started working on the metric system. We watched four short you tube videos, one funny one about the fear of the metric system and then the others introduced the students to measuring, how it came about and why metrics is so convenient.

The only homework would be if a student hadn't finished their reading on E1-E15.

Wednesday

The tests and essays were handed back today. We discussed the importance of accuracy in scientific writing. Students were reminded that spelling, handwriting and capitalization do matter. We also discussed the importance of doing your own work.

We observed our eggs today. The egg in the corn syrup is getting much smaller, while the eggs in the salt water and plain water continue to grow. Tomorrow we will weigh all three eggs to see if there is any difference. We used our rejuvenated celery stalk to compare to the eggs and learned a little more about osmosis.

We are starting the unit on Physical Science. Students should have read and be familiar with E1-E15.

Students can fix their tests. The fixed information must be on a clean sheet of paper and stapled to the test. All answers must be in complete sentences, legible and have correct spelling. Students can get half credit for every correct answer.

Tuesday

After observing and taking notes on our osmosis experiment, the students got right to their tests. They will take them home tomorrow. Any student who is not pleased with their grade will have the opportunity to make up the test at home. The students must follow specific instructions on how to redo the test. They will get half credit on each question they answer correctly.

Homework tonight is to read E1-E15.

Monday test tomorrow

We worked on our osmosis experiment today. The shells had come off of the eggs leaving them feeling like a water balloon. In 5th hour we covered one egg with water, one egg with corn syrup and one egg with salt water. We will observe the eggs for the rest of the week and see what happens to them.

The students reviewed for the test today. Each team received a test question and worked to come up with the answer. They would ask the question and allow the other classmates think before the team would give the answer. Only one or two questions were missed all day.

The test will be tomorrow. Any student who does poorly on the test will be allowed to make it up for half credit on each question answered correctly using the format I have taught them.

Thursday

Today we were supposed to do an experiment on osmosis. But we learned that when you microwave a stalk of celery, you damage the cells so much that you cannot do the experiment on osmosis. It still was interesting. We also began the steps for another experiment on osmosis. We are using vinegar to remove the shell from and egg. Then, on Monday, each student will make an hypothesis on what will happen to an egg surrounded only by a membrane, one put in water, the other put in corn syrup which has less water in it.

We also talked about the cell cycle and watched a short video showing the different stages of body cell division, mitosis.

Wednesday

In our first hour classes the students took the Direct Math Assessment. We reviewed the organelles in the cell by having each team find something to compare it to. For example, since the mitochondria make energy for the cell some students compared it to a wind turbine, a battery, or electricity. When this activity was finished students were asked to work on the drawing of the eight biomes.

The test will be Tuesday December 9th. It will cover all of the notes from November 10th till December 4th. It also includes the reading from B1-B70.

Tuesday

Our reports are done. Only two people didn't have them and one of them has been sick for two weeks. The students were a bit apprehensive about standing up and talking in front of the class, but they did fine. This is good practice for all of them.

Tomorrow are the direct math assessments for all of the 6th graders. Thursday we will be covering material from B49-B63. The test review will be Monday and Tuesday will be the test.

Monday and changes

Students who do not have a computer to type on at home were allowed to go to the computer lab and type their reports today. The rest of the class worked on their biome pictures.

Tomorrow the reports, written and oral, are due at the beginning of class. The students will make an oral presentation about their animal at that time. The oral report will be approximately two minutes long. Late reports will only be accepted from students who are absent from all of their classes on Tuesday. This report was assigned a month ago and so being absent today shouldn't disqualify anyone from having their report done on time.

The test will have to be moved to December 9th. The students have their direct math assessment on Wednesday. This will not allow us enough time to review for the test. We will review Monday and test Tuesday. The test covers cells, biomes, and the human body.

Tuesday - Happy Thanksgiving

Today we studied the grassland and water biomes. We also discussed the need of taking care of the land we own. We started a discussion on organism, populations, communities and ecosystems. We will finish that on Monday.

On Tuesday the reports are due at the beginning of class. Any report turned in late will receive 50% or less depending upon how well the student did.

We also talked today about being grateful. A researcher found that when people count their blessings they are less depressed, less stressed, more energetic, feel more like exercising, are able to meet more of their goals, feel more loved and give more service. That is a pretty good reason to take this Thanksgiving time and make a habit of expressing the things we are grateful for.

Monday of a short week

Biomes is the word for the week. We discussed Biomes and looked at an Internet clip which told about different Biomes and had great pictures too.

We do have a test coming soon, December 4th, to be exact. Papers and a two minute oral report are due on Dec 2nd. We will review for the test on the 3rd and take it on the 4th.

The test should be fairly easy. It will cover cells, tissues and organ systems. It will also cover biomes and how living and non-living things co-exist.

Tuesday is the last day of school this week.

Thursday

The students spent the entire class period working on their animal reports. The students are to follow their outline while writing the report. The reports are due on December 2nd. They must hand in their rubric which has the report requirements on it, their outline which was due Nov 13th, and the report. They also need to have a poster with pictures about the report. On December 2nd they will be expected to give a brief oral report on their animal. They can use their poster, and maybe some facts on the back of it, to tell the class relevant information about their animal.

Remember, next week we only have school on Monday and Tuesday. The report is due the Tuesday they come back.

Wednesday

Today we finished our section on the organ systems. The students took notes and did a good job. They also turned in their Science Journals. I will get them graded over the week-end and I hope to have them back by Monday or Tuesday.

Tomorrow they are to come to school prepared to work on their animal report. They will have the full class time to do that. However, those who are done will have another activity to use their time.

Remember, next week we have school only on Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the week is for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday

Today we worked on cell drawings, practiced notetaking, and learned briefly about the main functions of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive and reproductive systems.

We did change the due date on the report. It will be due on December 2nd.

Monday

Today we practiced note-taking using an outline form. We learned about three organ systems, the skin, the muscles and the bones. The students learned that the skin is the largest organ of the body.

I also made an executive decision 5th hour. The animal essay was due December 1st. That is the first day after we return from Thanksgiving break. I decided that might be a little hard for some students to remember. So the reports will be due on December 2nd instead. That way the students will have less of a chance of forgetting the report at home.

Thursday

Today we learned more about the funtion of the organelles inside the cell. Then we drew the cell. On Monday we will finish drawing the cells and turn to the organ systems of the body.

Outlines were due today. Anyone who was not there needs to turn it on Monday. The purpose of the outlines is to help the student on their animal report. Unfortunately a number of students didn't have them to turn in.

We had an assembly today. A magician came and while dazzling us with his magic, he talked to the students about the importance of balance in our lives. He talked about the importance of getting a good education while reaching for our goals. He used different students and teachers to get his point across.

Wednesday

This morning the students had to go to the gym to take group pictures and picture retakes. But when they got back we used SSR time to go through a Plato lesson on cell functions. We learned the different parts of the cell and what they are supposed to do.

Tomorrow, at the beginning of class, the outlines for the animal essays are due. These outlines should help the student make sure that all the requirements for the essay are included.

After that is checked, we will be drawing animal and plant cells.

Tuesday

We started learning about cells today. Tomorrow we will learn more about the parts of a cell.

Tomorrow we will be taking make-up pictures and team pictures during part of first hour.

The wrestlers will be gone to a meet all day.

Today we had the Veteran's Day assembly. It went very well. The students behaved themselves very respectfully.

Monday

Today the students had their tests returned. All students can redo the test to get a better grade. The test must be redone on a different paper. All answers must be in complete sentences. They received a handout on exactly how to do fix the test. The test must be returned as they walk into class tomorrow. If they left it at home or in their locker, it will not be accepted.

We went to the library today so the students would be able to do research for their reports. The outline must be done and in to me on Thursday. The final paper, three paragraphs minimum, is due December 1st.

Thursday

The test is done. I should have it in my gradebook by Monday. Then the students will be able to take it home. Any who need to learn more can redo the questions they got wrong. They need a clean sheet of paper. The question number must be written followed by the letter answer (if there is one) and then a complete sentence including the question in the answer. For example: 1. True The bony fish has a swim bladder. The purpose of this extra work is to put the information in the student's mind. The students will get half credit for each question they answer. The spelling should be correct. The writing must be neat. The paper must be stapled to the test and handed in at the beginning of class on Tuesday. No late tests will be accepted.

This would be a great week-end to work on the outline for the vertebrate essay. Just write down the requirement then write some information you found.

Have a lovely week-end

Wednesday - test tomorrow

We corrected our homework today. I am always amazed at how many students just done't feel like they need to do it. The sad part is when students forget it. But part of the learning is to get papers to class on time. It does make me sad.

Tomorrow we have our test on vertebrates. We reviewed in class today by having the students tell everything they know about the different orders. We particularly discussed the information on the test. If they study tonight, they should be well prepared. The majority of the test is right from their notes.

If, by chance, they do the test badly, they will be able to take it home and redo it for half of the points they would have originally earned.

Tuesday

We survived our interesting field trip and now it is time to get back to school.

Tomorrow we will review for our test and Thursday will be the test. The students have had time to study in class. We will go over every single question on the test tomorrow. The students are allowed to take notes too. So tonight and Wednesday night there needs to be some studying going on.

Monday

Today was busy. The students pulled the animal orders out of a cup. Then they got to choose any animal in that order. Their vertebrate report outline is due November 13th. The final paper is due Dec 1st. We will work sometime in class, but they will have to do most of the work at home. I believe that 15-20 minutes twice a week, plus one hour in class each week should be enough time. Feel free to check the paper for them. But please, do not do their work.

They also have homework tonight, although they had time to finish the assignment in class. The assignment was A76-A77. The work must be done in complete sentences. It will be due on Wednesday.

Check to see the new cell activity on the links.

Tomorrow is the 6th grade field trip to Logan. Students need $5.00 for lunch. They can wear regular school clothes, but they must bring nice clothes to change into.

Thursday

We are celebrating Halloween at school. The students are all dressed up and it is fun. In Science the students got their essays returned. Some did really well, some didn't follow the instructions and their grades show that.

We had a debate in class today. Half of the class were to support the idea of outlawing fishing so the number of fish could increase. The other half supported the idea that we should not outlaw fishing. We talked about endangered species and ways to protect them without harming humans. We discussed that one way to solve problems is to listen to both sides of the issue and then find ideas that will work out. We also discussed that there are some ideas that are non-negotiable, that there are no merging of ideas and we can only agree to disagree.

There will be a field trip on Tuesday for the 6th graders. We will have a test on Thursday covering Chapter 2 pages A36-A80 and the notes about invertebrates and vertebrates.

Wednesday

Today we started school with a movie in the gym concerning drug abuse. It was very sad. Some students did two skits to encourage the other students to be brave enough to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Tomorrow is the Halloween Dance or movie. For Red Ribbon week the students are either supposed to wear red or their Halloween costume.

In Science today we began studying about endangered species. We watched a power point presentation on flightless birds. We discussed how many had become extinct and why. The students then got in groups and discussed a hypothetical question about fishing. One group had to be for the question and the other against the question. They came up with ideas and wrote them down. Tomorrow they will have a debate about the issues.

Homework: read A64-67

Monday

Today we learned about mammals. There are three types, monotremes, marsupial and placental mammals. Then we watched a platypus and an echidna. We watched a lion lose a battle to a zebra, and we watched a blue whale. Last we played a game to see if the information about the animals was truth or baloney.

Test is coming up November 6th - study pages A30-A80

Tomorrow is "dress like a super-hero" day.

Thursday

The week is done! Enjoy the week-end. Today we finished birds and watched some really interesting videos on kiwis, penguins, bee-eaters, cardinals, and meadowlarks. We also started the mammal section by looking at the pictures the students brought. We tried to see if we could recognize the 11-12 year olds by their baby pictures. We concluded that when the picture was older, above the age of two, it was a lot easier to recognize the student. Then we discussed how stress, drugs and alcohol, and even meaness, can make people age more quickly.

On Monday we will read the section about mammals. Students are supposed to find out which birds cannot fly. It is also red-ribbon week. On Monday the students are to wear clothing that clashes, it is called mix-up day.

On November 4th, barring any unforseen incident, the 6th graders are taking a field trip to Logan.

On November 6th, we will be having our next test on A-30/A-80. Study early and avoid the rush!

Wednesday

Today we read and learned about reptiles. One class also read about birds. We got to watch monitor lizards on the Galapagos Islands. We also saw and alligator in Florida and multi-colored lizards in a zoo. Tomorrow we hope to finish and talk about how we have changed.

We reviewed our notes from yesterday and today.

Tuesday

We had a discussion today about the appearance of essays. Some of the essays are nearly impossible to decipher. I showed the students what an essay should look like. We discussed writing on the line, spelling correctly, keeping words together, indenting, and neatness. I told the students that knowledge gives power. The more they know, the more power they have. Learning to write legibly and express yourself intelligently is a power.

Most of the students brought their homework, some did not. They should have had a picture of them as a baby and a current picture with weight and height on the baby picture and just height next to the current picture. Also students should be working on reading A50-A80.

We read about amphibians and saw some interesting species on video. We saw a Japanese salamander, yellow frogs, an apodan, and various other critters. Tommorrow we should be doing reptiles and birds.

Monday

Our Internet at school wasn't responding well so I decided to write this from home. Today we read and discussed jawless fish, cartilaginous fish, bony fish, and a couple of classes touched on amphibians. When the Internet was up, we watched a couple of Youtubes on hagfish and sharks. The classes that missed the videos will see them tomorrow.

Homework for tonight is to bring a paper to school tomorrow with two pictures. First, their baby picture with weight and height. Then a current picture with just their current height on it. We are talking about life cycles and the changes everyone makes as they grow.

Wednesday

The invertebrate reports are in and done. I believe we had 100% turn-in. Now comes the grading. The students all gave oral reports about their written reports. It went quite well.

Tonight is parent teacher conference from 4:30-7:30. (I know, right in the middle of the presidential debate!) Please come.

Tomorrow the students will have a substitute teacher. They will be watching a movie about reptiles and amphibians. There will be a worksheet for them to fill out and it will be graded. I will be away with the Natural Helpers.

Monday we will begin learning about vertebrates.

Tuesday Reports due Wednesday

The students were supposed to have their rough draft finished on Monday so we could work on them. Some did, most did not. We worked on the reports anyway. Tuesday they were supposed to have their rough draft finished (again), some did, some did not. We worked on the reports anyway.

Wednesday the reports are due at the beginning of class. The students have had the rubric and assignment since Oct. 7th and should know exactly what is required. The report must have a minimum of three paragraphs, 8-10 sentences in each paragraph. Spelling and punctuation must be correct. That is why the rough drafts were important, so they could work on those things. Last, each report had to have five parts, Identify and describe the invertebrate, tell its habitat, life cycle, how it affects people, and an interesting fact. Each report must have a picture, hand drawn or computer generated. I would prefer the reports to be handwritten as many of the 6th graders need the practice.

At the beginning of class tomorrow each team will decide who is to tell about what in the oral report. Then we will all learn more about the invertebrate each team studied. This report is worth 100 points.

Parent teacher conferences are tomorrow from 4:30 - 7:00 P.M. It would be nice to meet the parents and see which student hooks up to which parent.

Monday

The papers are progressing slowly. With the progress we made today, I am hoping they will be ready for the reports on Wednesday. Currently, and with no other interruptions, that is the plan. In class today we worked on writing a coherent paragraph using the green, yellow, and red system. Each paragraph starts with a green which directs the student to write a topic sentence. This is followed by a yellow which tells the student to give a reason, fact or detail. This is followed by two reds which are examples or explanations of the yellow. Then there is another yellow followed by two reds. Finally there is a green which is the conclusion.

To see an explanation go to this site:
http://www2.pylusd.k12.ca.us/glk/jlaurich/StepUpToWriting.htm

This should help the student avoid writing in the buck-shot fashion that is so common.

Wednesday

We spent the day doing an outline and starting the rough draft for our reports. Students can spend time this week-end adding information to their rough drafts. Then on Monday, when they bring the rough draft to school, they can help their team a little more.

No school on Thursday for teacher inservice, enjoy!

Tuesday

Tomorrow, October 8th, is picture day. Please make sure you wear something appropriate.

Team reports on invertebrates were started today. Homework tonight will be to bring in any information that your team assigned you. Then, for the next few days, students will work together on an outline. They will use that outline to write their individual report. The other team members are there to help make sure that everyone gets all the information on their report. They are also there to help make sure that everyone's report is in a logical order and makes sense. Hopefully they will also help pick-up spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to write a short report. As they help each other they should become more competent writers.

Monday

For this morning's class we were in the gym learning how to practice kindness at school and in our lives. The students learned a lot of different things about working together and being more kind.

The afternoon classes reviewed invertebrates. Then the students worked in their teams to identify pictures of invertebrates. Last, we watched some videos on invertebrates.

We will start the team invertebrate reports tomorrow.

Picture day is Wednesday, October 8th. Remember that teachers have inservice on Thursday and Friday so there will be no school on Thursday. Have a good day.

Thursday

Today is a short day because of the parade and Monday morning we will be having a Kindness activity for the 6th graders. This morning, to prepare the students for the kindness campaign, they had to write a short paragraph about kindness, just to get them thinking.

Today we quickly covered arthropods and echinoderms. I will post some of the youtube videos we watched. Several students brought critters to class and we had a chance to look at them. We discussed the characteristics of the phylum arthropod and filled out the chart on both arthropods and echinoderms. Hopefully we will start our team project Monday or Tuesday.

Wednesday

Today the students had to write down the six characteristics of life without looking along with a polyp and a medusa cnidarian. Then they got together as a team and checked to see how they did. Then we went back to plato and covered flatworms, roundworms, mollusks and annelids. Tomorrow we end the invertebrate learning time with arthropods and echinoderms. The students might want to bring an arthropod or echinoderm to school, if they have a safe container. Next week we will begin the team reports on a phylum that they will pull out of a hat.

Tomorrow is a shortened day. The Homecoming parade will be moving past the middle school about 3 p.m. so we will be out by 2:50.

Tuesday a day late

Wow, I forgot to get this done yesterday! I woke up about 2 this morning and remembered. Yesterday we began watching Plato on the Animal kingdom. Right now we are concentrating on invertebrates. Students will be starting a team report on invertebrates either on Thursday or Monday. They will be asked to bring in information or pictures.

Monday

Today we worked on our posters. The students were supposed to bring the things they needed - some remembered - some did not. The students worked in their teams to complete the poster. The purpose was to help them better understand and remember the 6 characteristics of life. The posters were finished during class time.

Thursday

Today we had the student's brainstorm on what the main characteristics of life are. We ended up with a list of six. 1. Has cells, 2. Has complex chemical activities (metabolism) 3. Respond to their environment: stimulus/response 4. Living things have an information system (DNA) 5. Living things grow and develop 6. Living things have the ability to reproduce
The students have homework. Each team is going to create a poster on the characteristics of living things. Each member is to bring a picture or something that represents their assignment. We will work on the posters on Monday.
We also watched a Plato game that had the students identify if different objects were living or never living.
Last, we watched a video showing some underwater animals that look more like plants. It is amazing what is down there.
Students need to bring their assignments Monday so that the teams can work on their posters.

Wednesday

Today we graded and reviewed the test. Student's grades were put in the roll book. They have the opportunity, as homework, to take the test home and, on a separate piece of paper, fix any that are wrong. They will get half of the points on each corrected answer.

We started the movie about jungle life - quite interesting actually.

Tuesday

We have the first test finished. We will grade it tomorrow in class, the students will be able to see what they got right and what they did not. Then they will have the opportunity to take the test home and fix it for half credit. If I do not receive the test back on Thursday at the beginning of class, the student will keep the first grade.

There is homework tonight. Students are to read A38-A-49 and do the questions on
A49. It isn't really a long reading assignment, there are a lot of pictures. But make sure you read the captions under the pictures and pay attention to the information. Remember, Science books are not like reading "Harry Potter." You have to study the information, not just hurry through it.

Monday test tomorrow

Our first test will be tomorrow, Tuesday the 23rd of September. The students reviewed the entire test today. Everyone should have their Science Journal and book at home. We played a game wherein we reviewed every test question. Some questions everyone knew well, others were a bit more difficult. But if they took notes as instructed, they will know what to study and do fine. We will begin on Tuesday, after the test, reading A36-A49The questions will be homework on Tuesday.

Thursday study for Tuesday's test

Today we studied about fungi. To further emphasize the good things we get from fungi we tasted some gorgonzola and blue cheese. We also had a bit of swiss cheese which is made with bacteria. We also looked through the microscopes to see what fungi looks like magnified. Then we watched the Plato show about Fungi.

Grades were posted today, with only 45 points possible, missing one assignment can be fatal. But if they study for the test on Tuesday, all should be well. We will review for the test on Monday. The entire test can be found in their notes and book.

Wednesday

Today we learned about Protists. We also discussed the correct way of taking notes for the Science Journals. Students were asked to make sure they put the date at the start of each section of notes. They were also asked to make sure they have all the notes as that is where most of the test questions will come from.

Remember the test is on Tuesday the 23rd. We will learn about fungus tomorrow, review for the test on Monday, and take it on Thursday. Monday is a very important day. Students are allowed to take notes during the review and study them for the test.

Tuesday

We learned about bacteria today. They are unicellular. There are more bacteria in your body then there are people in the world. We learned that there are two types of bacteria. Eubacteria is the most common kind of bacteria. Archaeobacteria lives in very extreme conditions. Bacteria have three shapes, the rod shape is bacillus, the sphere shape is cocci, and spiral shaped is spirillum - who knew?

We reviewed the different divisions of plants and we tore apart our seeds so we could get down to what was inside.

The students left their science journals so I can check them before they need them for studying.

Test on the 23rd - review on the 22nd.

Monday

We have homework tonight. The students need to bring a seed to class tomorrow. It cannot be a seed from a packet, but a growing plant that has gone to seed, or a berry with seeds in it, dandelion seeds, that type. They also need to finish reading the chapter A20-A35.

Today we watched a movie on seeds. The movie showed how seeds are moved by animals, wind, and water. The students filled out a sheet on the movie.

There will be a test on Tuesday, review on Monday.

Thursday

Today we worked with real plants. We watched a video on angiosperms which are vascular, seed-bearing, flowering plants. We watched a short video about the reproductive cycle of the angiosperm. Then we took some gladiolas, kindly donated by Mrs. Alleman, and we found the sepal, the petals, the stamen with its anther and filament. Then we found the pistil with the stigma, style and ovary. We dissected the ovary to find the seed structures. It was fun. We also saw a Power Point presentation on the angiosperm, and a short video on a bee trying to move the pollen. I will put one of the videos up on the links.

We will likely have a test on Tuesday September 23rd. The students have been instructed to read pages A20-A35 and be able to answer the questions on A34 & A 35.

Wednesday

We are nearing the end of the chapter. Students should be nearly finished reading the chapter pg A 20 - A 35. Students are given some time in school, but if they haven't finished it, they should be working on that. Today we watched a power point presentation on gymnosperms which are vascular, seed-bearing, non-flowering plants. They encompass conifers, cycads, ginkgoes and gnetophytes. These are all cone bearing plants. Then we went out side and found cones and took them back in and found the seed scales on the cones. The students drew what they had seen.

We also watched a couple of short you tube segments. We watched corn and radishes growing with time lapse photography. We also watched a segment on CNN of a man growing algae to replace foreign oil. The students were encouraged to be creative.

Tuesday

Today we covered vascular, seedless, non-flowering plants. These include things like club mosses, ferns and horsetail. The student had a lot of names for horsetails like snakegrass, and puzzle plant. They were instructed to see if they could find a fern. Then they were to turn the frond over to check if there were sori underneath. We also pulled apart one of the beans we planted last week to see if we could find the startings of the root and the cotyledon. We only found it in one bean. We concluded that the classroom was too chilly so we put the plants in the window in hopes that the sun will warm the seeds so they can grow.

Monday and Mosses

Today we studied non-vascular, seedless, non-flowering plants. We had some moss in the classroom. Each team got to look at the moss through a magnifying glass. Then they looked for the rhizoids that anchor the moss to the ground. They drew the tiny leaves on the moss. We discussed how moss and other non-vascular plants obtain moisture and nutrients since they do not have roots. Then we went back to the classroom and the students watched a P.P. presentation on non-vascular plants. This covered different types of non-vascular plants: mosses, liverworts and hornworts. It also had information on rhizoids, and plant reproduction.

Wednesday

Hi, it is back to school night! Today we took a quiz - the students can take it home and fix it, but it is due back tomorrow morning at the beginning of class. They may use their notes and books to work on the answers. The quiz was from the notes they took the past five days.

We went out and checked our boiled plants, every leaf that had hot water poured on it was dead. It was kind of interesting. We hypothesized that the stomata could not open and close after the boiling water was poured on the plants. Perhaps that is why the leaves died. After the leaves die photosynthesis could not take place and the plant would die. We will keep checking on the plants to see how things went.

Paper work and Phloem

Today 4th and 5th hour were given papers that need to be signed and returned. First hour will get their papers tomorrow. The yellow bus paper and the white informational paper must be in by Thursday. The other papers are up to the parent's disgression.

Today we took notes on vascular bundles, xylem, phloem, and organisms. We went outside with boiling water and learned what happens to plants if we put boiling water on them. Tomorrow we will check the plants and see.

Then we went to our books and classified certain organisms. Tomorrow we will talk more about how and why organisms are classified

HOMEWORK: Students are to read A8-A9 and know what the words in yellow mean. There will be a quiz tomorrow on the notes we have taken and the reading. They were allowed to take their science journals home to study. Please make sure the science journals are returned tomorrow.

Thursday Aug 28

We are all getting ready for the long week-end. It would be a perfect time to search for different types of plants. Today we had students bring in some very interesting plants to look at. Then we watched a Plato session on roots, stems and leaves. On Tuesday we will start on non-vascular, non-seedbearing, non-flowering plants. That is a mouthful. Today we also planted some bean seeds. I will take them home this week-end and keep them moist. We will then monitor the seeds everyday to see how they grow. Enjoy Labor day and thank the people who do all the work for us.

Wednesday

Today we took notes on monocots and dicots. Some of the students brought in monocot leaves so we could see what they looked like. Then we went into the lab and used the skills we had discussed to identify 12 different plants.

Some students did not bring their papers back and signed by their parent or guardian. Those need to be returned tomorrow.

Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, Sept 3rd. It will begin at 6:30 and end at 7:30. This gives parents a good chance to check out their student's classrooms and get a better understanding about the things different teachers require.

First Day of Middle School

The day went well, first hour lost some time due to an assembly, but we will catch up tomorrow. Students in 4th and 5th hour are to go home and identify any monocots they see. All students have an information page for their parents to sign. This page tells about this blog, instructs them to get a 1 to 1 1/2 inch three ring binder with loose leaf paper in it. They need to have that in class, also pen, pencil and book everyday. Have a good day!

July

Summer is moving along quickly - can you still define hypothesis? Do you remember how many protons electrons and neutrons are in an atom? Where is the nucleus? Just wondering.

Tuesday

We finished doing the Punnett Squares in most of the classes today. The students handed in their finished product. Tomorrow we will do a work sheet on Why Are We Learning All This Stuff? Then we will turn in books and clean up the room. On Thursday the kids need to be at school at the normal time. They are not to be dressed in swimming clothing, but in regular school clothing. On Friday the students report to first hour for roll-call. Following that they go to the gym for report cards and signing of year books. By 8:30 they students go to the Center Theater and watch the move August Rush. As soon as the movie is over the students go back to the school and go home.

Thursday

The animal reports were handed back today with a grading rubric explaining each grade. We also took the final exam. For the papers I saw, the students did quite well. I hope that is so with all of them.

Monday is Memorial Day. We have class on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday we will make some hypotheses on our bacteria petri dishes, finish our Oompah Loompah Punnett Square and fill in the character traits chart. On Wednesday we will check out bacteria petri dishes and see if our hypotheses were correct. Then we will hand in books and each hour will have a different room cleaning job.

Thursday, make sure you have your money for the field trip. Have a pleasant Memorial Day and remember those who came before us to make our road a little easier.

Wednesday - Incentive trip May 29th

The incentive trip is coming up to Downata on May 29th. The students need to be at the school at the regular time and will be back before the end of the day. The cost for swimming and the slide pass is $6.50. Students can either bring a lunch from home or pay $5.00 for a meal combo. They should bring, not wear, a swimsuit and a towel. If they want a locker to keep their things in that will cost an additional $3.00. This is an incentive trip available only to students who do not have more than five detentions and who are not failing any of their third trimester classes.

Tomorrow we are having a test. The students were given the questions and answers. The questions are also on yesterday's blog. These are things the students must know. They should be able to get an A on this test.

Today we used a q-tip and petri dish to find places in the school were germs and bacteria might be growing. We will let that sit over the long week-end and see what happens to it. We also compared dominant and recessive traits and finished our work on probability. Finally we started a worksheet on how to figure out recessive and dominant traits by using critical thinking skills and a Punnett Square.

Tuesday - short final on Thursday

Due to the need to have all failing grades posted by Thursday our final exam will be on Thursday. There are ten questions, many of which have been on previous exams. However, each question is worth ten points. The purpose of the exam is to review the year's work and hopefully to help grades.

Yearbooks are for sale right now, they cost $12.00. The money needs to be in immediately.

Today we talked about Punnett Squares and probability. The students did a probability chart using red and white beans. Then they did a trait chart on dominant and recessive traits and which ones they possessed. It was fun.

Test Questions
1. Define hypothesis
2. Draw an uncharged atom.
3. Name the four stages of matter.
4. What is lava?
5. Write the names of the planets in order. Earth, Neptune, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto, Saturn, Venus, Uranus, Mercury
6. Name the three types of rocks.
7. What is one main difference between plants and animals.
8. Name one difference between a plant cell and an animal cell.
9. What is the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates.
10. Fill in this Punnett Square The character trait is for a hitch hiker thumb. TT is dominant tt is recessive You will be working with a heterozygous pairing on the top and the side. Fill in the chart completely and then write to explain what the chart means. (How many offspring will have hitchhiker thumb, how many will not.)

Monday

The last of the reports are in. A couple of students just didn't get them done, that will really hurt! Most of the students did very well. There were a few problems. The handout was very specific about what was required and some students didn't follow the requirements. A second problem was blatant plagarism. We discussed that problem today, that it is pretty obvious when a 6th grader uses words he or she doesn't even understand. I hope they get the message that plagarism is illegal and not acceptable in any form.

Today we talked about genetics. The students took notes and we talked about dominant and recessive traits. We also discussed nature vs nurture, which traits do we get genetically and which ones do we inherit from observing our parents and other adults in our lives. They should have finished reading through B83. Tomorrow we are going to work on Punnett Squares and see about our own recessive and dominant genes.

Thursday

The reports went well today, nearly every student had something to turn in. The posters were very good. Some students found pictures, others drew their own and did an excellent job.

Homework to prepare for:
Monday: read The History of Genetics starting at B72.
Tuesday: read Predicting Traits starting at B 84
Wednesday: read How DNA Controls Traits B 96
Thursday: read Using Genetics B 108

Wednesday - essay due tomorrow

After taking notes on diffusion, osmosis and equilibrium, the students had two choices. Those who were finished with their reports were allowed to watch the movie, "The Living Desert." Those who were not finished were allowed to go into the lab and work on their reports. Those who were ready to type went to the typing lab and typed their reports. Some students spent time in the library and others spent time with Mrs. Winward searching for the last bits of information on the Internet.

The students were again instructed on what must be in the report to get full points. The paper with this information was handed to the students on May 1st. There are extra copies in the file for anyone who needed a new one. Also the information is in an earlier post, possibly May 1st.

The reports are due at the start of class tomorrow. Then the students will give their oral reports and show us their visual aid.

Tuesday report due Thursday

We did a variety of things in class today. The students labeled the organelles on both an animal and plant cell and then wrote the jobs of each part. This included pages B36-B39. We finished learning about the Biomes today and filling out the sheet. These will be checked for completeness. Anyone absent today can get notes from another classmate.

Tomorrow we will be allowing time for students to do the finishing touches on their report. It will not be all of class time, but since some students do not have computers, they need the time to type. The rest of the class will finish the movie on the desert Biome.

Thursday the written reports and poster will be due as the students walk in the door. We will begin the oral reports immediately. Late reports will receive 50% credit on Monday and no credit on Tuesday. Please make sure you have them with you on Thursday morning, Losing 100 points can destroy a good grade.

Monday

We worked to get finished with the Biomes today, but due to a computer glitch, we didn't quite get done. We will finish Biomes tomorrow. We did watch a little of a movie today about the Desert. We will get to more of that tomorrow.

The 100 point paper, poster and oral report of 2-3 minutes are due on Thursday. I will make sure everyone has everything done and then we will begin. Please, don't procrastinate this.

Thursday p.s.

6th graders were given a 7th grade registration paper on Monday, May 5. They must be in Monday morning, May 12th. Please make sure you get yours signed by your math teacher, your parent and or guardian, and turn it in. Thanks

Thursday

We talked about life stages and had each student show their pictures and tell about two stages of their life, infant and pre-teen. It was fun. Since some of the students couldn't locate pictures, they drew very creative pictures of themselves.

Then we began working on a worksheet about Biomes. We are visiting, through the Internet, seven different biomes and learning about each one. The students are to fill out the sheet that tells the rainfall, temperature, animals and plant-life of the different Biomes. We hope this will be completed on Monday.

The animal reports are getting closer and closer. They need to be done on Thursday May 15th.

Wednesday and cells

Today we took notes on the different parts of the cell, then we used construction paper and made our own cells.

Tomorrow we will review the parts of the cell and then move on to Biomes.

Homework Tonight: Each student was given a paper called, "Stages of Life." With a parent's help, the students need to fill it out and return it tomorrow. The purpose of the paper is to re-teach what a stage of life is. This should help the student with their animal paper which is due a week from tomorrow.

Tuesday and back to normal

Today we discussed vertebrates - we discussed the seven classes of vertebrate, jawless fish, cartiligous fish, bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. We discussed why some eggs have shells and some do not.

The classes had about 10-15 minutes to work on their reports yesterday and today. The reports are to be a full page and are due May 15. Some students are ready to type. Doing it early is a good idea so they can see if it is full page. They are to use Times New Roman size 12 or less. It might be a good idea to practice the oral part of the report in front of their families.

There is a new link about the life cycle of honey bees. We will watch it in class, possibly tomorrow.

Monday and a bit late

Sorry this is so late, we had the Internet down at school today and I couldn't get on. Today we discussed Invertebrates. The students got to look at insect legs and eyes through a microscope. The students were given time to work on their reports which are due on May 15th. They should have a paper home to give more information on that. Tomorrow we will cover Vertebrates.

Thursday animal essay

Today the students got their assignments for the animal essay. Each one should have a paper with the requirements. Basically it is a one page paper about a specific critter. The intro is 10 mpoints and asks them to define and describe the characteristics of the animal, tell its name, what other animals are in the same class, and why, out of that phylum, did they choose that animal
2nd paragraph is 30 points and should cover what the critter lookls like, where is it found, what eats or or what does it eat, lifestyle and life cycle, how long it survives, why it is important to life on Earth, is it a pest or beneficial.
3rd paragraph is the conclusion and worth 10 points. The student should cover, if the critter is endangered, why or why not, how do humans affect this organism and how it affects us, and what was the most interesting fact learned about the critter.
There is also 25 points for a visual aid poster
Last, there will be a 2 - 3 minute oral report based on the critter and what they have learned. This is also worth 25 points.
This paper will take the place of the next test.
We also reviewed the test. Some students had commented that they couldn't find the answers, so I showed them where they were in their notes and in the book.

Wednesday

Today, amid the interruptions of ISATs, we corrected the test. Tomorrow we will begin on invertebrates and vertebrates. The students will be bringing home a paper explaining the animal report that will be due May 15. The students will have a paper, a poster, and a 2-3 minute presentation on their animal. Students will be given an order, then will be free to choose and animal in that order. This way we can cover a larger number of invertebrates and vertebrates.

Return tests on Wednesday

The students had an open book, open note test today. They will be allowed to take it home and finish it there. Their notes contain everything that is on the test. They were given opportunities to copy and re-copy the notes. Please make sure the test is turned in tomorrow at the beginning of class.

Monday ISATS

Most of the 6th grade spent the morning taking the ISAT Math tests. Tomorrow will be the Science Test/Worksheet. The students will be allowed to use their notes and books to take the test. They also will be allowed to take it home, but it must be back Wednesday morning as we will be correcting it on Wednesday.

Make sure everyone gets a good night's sleep and has a good breakfast so they are better prepared for the testing. Tuesday is reading, 6th graders take theirs after lunch. Wednesday is language arts and the 6th graders will take those about 10:15.

Thursday - open book test Tuesday

We covered plant reproduction today, both with flowers and mosses. The students drew both the moss and the flower reproduction so they would have it in their notes for the test. Then the students drew the three examples of a monocot and the three examples of a dicot. They drew the vascular structure of the plant, the xylem and phloem, and they wrote down the seven classifications of the kingdoms. Next we watched a couple of short clips showing bees pollinating flowers. The students enjoyed the part of the bee cleaning the pollen off of his body and pushing it down to his legs while he held onto the flower with just one arm. It was fun to watch.

Wednesday

We watched some interesting video clips today. We watched a protist eat algae, we watched a flagella dance and a stentor using its cilia to pull in his food. We also watched a fun rap on Bacteria. Then we watched a news clip on bacteria on cell phones. It was enlightening, I immediately cleaned my cell phone. Some of the students got to see kefir bacteria. Then we went to the power point presentation about the five kingdoms, the characteristics of each, and pictures. We saw a mushroom about four feet tall and discussed the good and bad of both fungus and bacteria.

Report cards were handed out today. The students were told that if they want to bring up their grades they must turn in their work. A few students haven't learned that concept yet. It would be a good idea for parents to check their student's grades online to see what is going on.

Change test day

Next week are the ISAT tests so that kills our test. Instead we will have a take home worksheet. The students will have some time to work on it during class, but they will also be allowed to take it home. It might be a bit more difficult than a test since they will be allowed to use their books and notes, but it will allow them to review the information they have learned in this section. That way we can move forward and finish before the school year ends.

Today we covered the five kingdom of organisms. Animal, plant, bacteria, fungus and protist. We talked about their individual characteristics and took notes on the different organisms from each kingdom. The students were curious - what category is a tick, or a maggot, or a pill bug. We looked those things up and they learned a little more.

Monday

Today we took notes and I discussed each student's grade with them. These are mid-terms so the students do have time to improve. But it takes work on their part.

We used the microscope from AJ and looked at pollen grains, roots, monocot stems and buds. It was interesting to see the screen and see what the parts of the plants actually look like.

Later we reviewed monocots, dicots, phloem and xylem.

The test on A1-A34 will be Tuesday April 29th.

Thursday

Today we watched a Plato lesson on the Plant Kingdom. It discussed the four main divisions of plants, which plants were in each division, the life cycle of each division, and the benefits of each division. We discussed dicots and monocots, xylem and phloem, and pollinization and fertilization. The students filled out a chart so they will be able to compare the different plant divisions.

We are hoping to borrow some microscopes from AJ so we can look more closely at the parts of the plant on Monday. Reading will be to the end of the unit, to D80. Also students need to get the final draft of their weed essays in as soon as possible. They are officially due on Monday, but since some students don't have access to a computer at home, we are allowing them to work on the essays during SSR on Monday and Tuesday. Any that can be turned in on Monday would be appreciated so that I can get them read, and the five best ones turned in by the deadline of April 23rd.

Picture money or pictures are now past due.

Wednesday

I was gone yesterday to take my son as he joined the Air Force. The students watched a movie on seed dispersion, sounds like they did well and learned a lot.

Today, thanks to the trip to Salt Lake, we looked at leaves and moss through a magnifying glass. We discussed the difference between vascular and non-vascular plants and then traced over the vascular plant and drew the moss. We also discussed angiosperms and gymnosperms. Those four words will definitely be on the test. Tomorrow students should have the reading done as we discuss plant reproduction.

Picture money is late! If the pictures have not been turned in, the money needs to be turned in.

Monday

We had an interesting time learning to classify things today. First we put books into different categories and then we took shoes and practiced classifying them. We learned a little ditty to help us remember the order of classification of animals: King Phillip came over from Germany singing, thanks to Mr. Heinzman for that. The words are Kingdom - Phylum - Class - Order - Family - Genus - species. Then we watched a ppp to show the different Kingodoms. It does along with their reading.

I will be gone tomorrow so the students will be watching a movie about seeds. There will be a "pay attention" worksheet to help them focus on the important parts of the film.

The weeds rough draft is due March 16th. Students who need to type at school will be allowed to do that during SSR time. But the rough draft only needs to be typed if they want to do that. The final draft must be in on the 21st of April.

The students should begin reading A20-A34.

Thursday

The students have their tests and can return them Monday at the beginning of class with a new sheet of paper and complete sentences fixing their mistakes.

Today we started the outline and rough draft for our essay on weeds. The students will write a five paragraph essay about the four weeds discussed in class, the essay title is, "How We Can Pull Together To Stop Noxious Weeds." The rought draft and outline are due by (before is good too) April 16th. The final draft is due
April 21st.

Have a great weekend.

The test is done

The tests will be returned tomorrow. All students will have the opportunity of taking the test home, and on a separate piece of paper, correct any incorrect answers. They will get half of the points. The answers must be written in complete sentences, not just A or G. This is required to help the student learn the thing they didn't do well on. This will be due on Monday at the beginning of class - late papers will not be accepted unless a student is absent. Those papers are due at the beginning of class when the student returns. They are allowed to use their books and notes to get the correct answers.

We have moved on to the biology section of the book. Homework is to start reading A1-A19. There are a lot of pictures in this section so the reading should go fast. The reading should be done by Monday.

Tomorrow we will be working on our weed essay. Students need to bring the weed books that were handed out to the students on Monday.

Tuesday - prepare for Wednesday's test!!!!!

We had a review today. We played jeopardy. I put all of the answers on a transparency and the students had to come up with the questions. One point for the right answer and another point if they made a basket. It was fun. They all know there is a test tomorrow, we have reviewed the test items many times. I hope they get done what they need to do to prepare.

For test things to study, see yesterday's blog. Study hard, cause luck doesn't help.
D45-D93 would be good pages to study. If it is to be, it is up to me.

Students need to bring the weed books they received on Monday to class. We are going to begin the weed essay on Thursday.

Monday - test Wednesday

After taking our notes today we talked about the importance of taking care of each other. We talked about how unkindnes, drugs and drink can negatively affect people and that we all need to help someone that might be unhappy.

Then we discussed the Geologic Times. We learned about original horizontality and superposition of rocks. We discussed fossils and index fossils. We saw pictures of the Precambrian time and the three eras and what the defining features were of the different eras. Photosynthesis was discussed and how it helped get oxygen on the Earth.

The students had a meeting with Mr. Transtrum about how weeds are endangering our state. The students will have the opportunity to write a five paragraph essay about weeds and maybe even win a cash prize.

Test on Wednesday. It will include:
The types of mountains and which are most common
Mechanical and chemical weathering
The difference between minerals and rocks
The properties of rocks
Intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks
Glaciers, till, moraine, drumlin
Old and young rivers
Superposition
The difference between potential and kinetic energy (that is from January)
Metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary rocks
Fossils
The Great Lakes formation
Four states of matter
Groundwater, aqifer, watershed, soil
Name the poles of a magnet
Draw and atom
And, as always, write the definition of a hypothesis

Hope this helps!

Thursday

We took notes this morning and then reviewed them. A few girls had brought in some very interesting rocks and we took a little time to look at those. We talked about the geological time zones and then watched a segment from Plato to re-emphasize what happened in those time zones. Lastly we looked at two sites on the Internet. One was a video showing two men who were digging fossils in China. The web site is http://multimedia.boston.com/pub/m/18845932/china_s_fantastic_fossils.htm?pageid=130
After that we went to a site that showed close ups of the fossils. The site for that is http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/microraptor/fossils.html. Just go to the "launch interactive" and there are thirteen pictures of the fossils found in China.

Wednesday should be the test on D45-D92.

Wednesday and Geodes

After watching a Power Point Presentation on the rock cycle, we went into the lab and cracked open geodes. It was fun seeing the crystals inside of them. We reviewed the different types of rocks in our rock box and learned what kinds of rocks they were, igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic. We put a piece of chalk in acid and watched as it bubbled and then we looked at a wide array of rocks and talked about what kind of rocks they might be.

The reading assignment is now to finish the chapter. I am hoping we will be ready for a test on Wednesday the 9th of April.

Tuesday and rocks

The students took a quiz on the reading and lesson from yesterday. Following the quiz they took notes on Igneous rocks. We then went into the lab and each team tried to find different ways to classify the rock samples. When they were done we talked about the different rock properties, hardness, luster, streak, texture, structure, cleavage and fracture, specific gravity and unusual properties such as magnetism and fizzing when placed in an acid.

Tomorrow we will watch a ppp on the rock cycle and work more with the rock samples. To view the rock cycle click on the rock cycle link and then click on rock cycle overview.

Monday and glaciers

Today we made mini glaciers and pushed them over gravel so we could learn about till and moraine. The plan was to go outside and see our own "glaciers" and the till they had deposited, but last night's snow made that impossible. The students had fun moving their own glaciers around. We then watched a ppp about the chapter Erosion and Deposition. There will be a quiz on this information tomorrow.

Homework tonight it to continue reading to D-79. Students should take notes on their reading so they can remember the new vocabulary.

Field trip

The 6th graders had a fantastic field trip today. We went to Logan and watched the Chinese acrobats. It was unbelieveable the things those young people could do. We all watched in awe as they performed. What a great experience. We then ate at the USU cafeteria, it was pretty good food too. Then we got to see the museum and the library. They have a vault down in the library with books that are very old-and a room with furniture from before the time of Christopher Columbus! The boys missed out on the museum and the girls only got to see a small part of it, but both the museum and the library are open to the public and are open Fridays and Saturday afternoons.

Homework is to finish reading to D65 about Erosion and Deposition. Have a great weekend!

Wednesday

The students wrote an essay today about how to preserve our water. We watched some short videos and saw a power point presentation about taking care of our water. Most of the essays were turned in at the end of class, those who were not able to finish were allowed to take the essays home. But, they must turn the essays in before the field trip tomorrow. Anyone who wants to come in before school and finish the essay is welcome.

The field trip is tomorrow. Mr. Belnap has asked the students to bring a $5.00 bill to pay for lunch. This should help the lunch line move along more quickly than if the students need change or have five ones. Everyone is to dress neatly, in their school best. Good behavior is expected.

Tuesday & Thursday's field trip

Today we had the people from Water, Soil, and Conservation come to teach the students how to take care of our water. They also had the students make a mold of an animal's paw print. The students tried to identify the pelts, skulls and skat of different types of animals.

The field trip will be Thursday. We will leave the school at 8:05 and be home by 3:45. We will be going to Logan, watch the Chinese acrobats, tour the museum at Utah State University, eat lunch and have some Aggie Ice Cream. The cost is only $5.00 and that is to pay for lunch. The students are to dress in their best school clothes. They are expected to behave. Sounds like fun.

Wednesday Have a fun Spring Break

Today we handed back the tests. The students all have the opportunity to take the test home and fix it. They must do it on a separate sheet of paper. They can't write 1. True. They must write a complete sentence. The purpose of this redo is not solely to help their grade. It is so they can re-learn the information they didn't remember the first time. They will only get half of the points, but the main purpose is to learn what they should have learned at the first. It is due the beginning of class on Tuesday. Late test make-ups will not be accepted unless the student is absent, then it is due the first day back.

We also had a quiz today on last night's reading assignment. As we do this more than half the time, no one should have been surprised. Then the class watched a power point presentation on Mountains and soil. We saw fold mountains, fault-block mountains and plateaus. We talked about weathering and erosion, and about the different types of soil. We will review that ppp on Wednesday

Monday is a holiday. Tuesday Soil and water people come in to present a lesson. Wednesday we will review the new information and Thursday is the 6th grade field trip. More on that later.

Tuesday

Today we took the test on D1-D41. Tomorrow we will start working on the next section. Reading will be Chapter 8 lesson 4 from D42 - D 53 on making mountains and soil. I want to cover that before the long holiday so if any students are traveling, they will be able to look for the different mountain shapes.

We won't be back till Tuesday when the Soil and Conservation people will come in to teach a lesson.

Tuesday is test day - Study

Today we reviewed for the test. On the test students will need to answer questions based on the Mercalli scale. We have learned about the theory of Continental Drift and the students will need to know about plate tectonics, plate boundaries and seafloor spreading. They will need to know the difference between magma and lava. They will need to know the layers of the Earth, the three types of volcanoes and what a caldera is. Students should know about primary, secondary and compressional waves. And as always, students must be able to define "Hypothesis" and draw an atom correctly. Study hard and good luck.

Friday and Volcanoes

Today we watched a powerpoint presentation on volcanoes. We discussed the three types of volcanoes, how magma becomes lava, and the dangers and benefits of volcanoes. Most of the information is straight from the book, although there were more pictures and sound effects. The test is Tuesday so we will review on Monday.

The test will cover plate boundaries, plate tectonics, continental drift, earthquake waves, types of volcanoes, seafloor spreading, Pangaea, faults, the three layers of the Earth, focus and epicenter. Students also need to recall the names and spelling of the Planets, definition of a hypothesis, and how to draw an atom.

Wednesday Read through D37

Today we watched a movie on Earthquakes. We saw a lot of faults and a lot of earthquakes. It was amazing to watch the damage that can be done. The homework is to finish reading through page D37 and review for the test on Tuesday the 18th of March.

Tuesday read D19-D27

Today we watched a couple of Earthquake clips and a Tsunami clip from National Geographic. We discussed and took notes on Normal, Reverse, and Strike Slip faults. We also discussed Primary and Secondary waves and how a Richter scale operates. Did you know that a 6.5 earthquake is 10 times as powerful as a 5.5? Homework tonight is to read D19-D27.

Project Northland

Today was the last day of Project Northland. We watched a video on the dangers of cigarette smoking. Later this year we will watch a video about the dangers of drinking.

Tomorrow we will be starting the section on Earthquakes, so we need to finish up to D-17. The next reading section will be to read to D-27. If you are done with your reading, read ahead.

Plate tectonics

Today we learned about convergent, divergent and transform plate boundaries. We played with blocks to see how the different tectonic plates react. Students should have read and understand D-1/D-17. Monday will be project Northland then we will finish chapter 7. It is likely we will have a test on March 16th. The reading should be done through page D 41. Have a great week-end.

Pangaea and Continental Drift

Today we learned about Pangaea, continental drift, and plate tectonics. We cut out a map of the world and made it fit like a puzzle piece. We also went to Plato and watched the first half of plate tectonics. We should finish it tomorrow. Students should be familiar with the information from D1-D17.

If you did not finish your planet drawing, this is what is required:
Moon phases
Meteors, Meteorites, Meteorides, draw then in a way that I can identify the differences.
Asteroid, draw and tell what it is made of
3 parts of a comet
4 levels of the atmosphere starring the one we breathe
4 layers of the sun
Realize that because this is late, you will not get full points, but more than zero!

Moving forward

The test is done and we are moving onto Unit D. Nearly everyone had time to read during classtime today. If you didn't read, get started and go to at least D-17.

Test Tomorrow

Today we reviewed every question that will be on the test tomorrow. Everyone was encouraged to take notes. If they study this information, they will be ready for the test.

We will then move on to Section D chapter 7 where we will be studying about the Earth's moving crust, Earthquakes and Volcanoes. Should be exciting stuff.

Thursday

The students finished drawing the layers of the sun, atmosphere, comets, asteroids, meteors, meteorites, meteoroids and the moon phases one more time before the test. We also practiced spelling the planets in order. We discussed the final stages of a star. If the site had been working we would have gone to the site about The Star's Size listed on the links. It is good, but you have to control it with the pause button as it goes too fast. Finally, most of the students were able to parade their large team solar systems.

The test is Tuesday March 4th so there is homework this week-end, study for the test. The questions on the last two posts have a lot to do with the test. If you can answer them, you should do fine. It is imperative that everyone is here Monday as we will play a review game to study for the test.

Test is in less than a week!

Some more ideas to study are:
- Name the planets in order and spell them correctly
- What is parallax?
- What color of star is the warmest? coolest?
- What two forces keep stars together?
- What is a penumbra? umbra? (use the correct words)
- Describe a solar / lunar eclipse
- Compare and contrast inner planets to the gas giants
- Know the layers of the sun
- Know the levels of the atmosphere
- Label and draw a comet
- Draw a meteor, meteoroid and meteorite

Homework until Tuesday is to read chapter C, take notes and draw
Thanks to the parents who sent back the papers signed!

Test preparation

Things to study:
- know names and how to draw the moon phases
- know the order of the planets and how to spell them
- difference between asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, meteorides
- is Pluto a planet?
- difference between planets and stars
- what is 1 AU?
- definition of light year
- Kuiper belt, what is it and where
- Jupiter's four largest moons and spelled right

More tomorrow!

Project Northland

Today was project Northland. The students learned about the dangers of alcohol abuse. They talked about different people they knew who had been injured or killed because of the mis-use of alcohol. They were told that it is illegal to smoke or drink at their age. They were warned that if they are caught drinking they can't take driver's ed. Tomorrow we will cover the layers of the sun and the atmosphere.

A test is coming!

We announced today that the test over section C will be March 4th. That will give us March 3rd to cover any review the students feel they need. February 26th all the reading for the chapter should be done. Monday will be Project Northland, but by Tuesday the students should be familiar enough with the chapter to be able to discuss it. Have a great week-end.

Hope you saw the Lunar Eclipse last night - it was fantastic. We were fortunate to be able to see it here. You may have noticed it appeared the light came back the wrong way. I contacted KSL and asked why the light disappeared as you would think, but it came back left to right. Keith Merrill the meteorologist said, "During a moon phase, the light or shadow always go from right to left because of the rotation of the moon. Last night, the moon was traveling from right to left into the shadow of the Earth, so it would appear to us on Earth that the shadow was moving from left to right." Pretty interesting!

Wednesday

We hurried today and finished our individual solar systems. Tomorrow we have a test on the order and correct spelling of the planets. We will then move on to stars, comets, meteors and asteroids. Don't forget the lunar eclipse tonight when the Earth blocks the sun's light from our moon. It should be happening between 6:45 - 8:45, with the total block being between 7 and 8. Hope you can see it.

Tuesday

If you don't have a hanger in class, bring it on Wednesday. We will be finishing and displaying our solar systems.

President's Day

Homework over this long weekend consists of reading up to page C-81. Students also need to bring a wire hanger if they don't have one here. Hope you all have a great weekend and be ready for a quiz on the reading on Tuesday morning.

This tri-mester is going to go on one week longer than planned due to the three days we lost because of the weather. That means the tri-mester will end March 6th. This would be a great time for the student whose grades are in jeopardy to work really hard and get things fixed up.

Creating the solar system - bring a wire hanger

Today and tomorrow we will be creating two solar systems. The first will be on black paper to teach the students the order of the planets and the comparative sizes and distances. Then we will make individual solar systems to take home. You will need to bring a wire hanger for this second solar system.

Working on the Planets

There is no homework tonight, except for those who didn't read last night. I took a vote and in one class, only five students had read, the other classes did worse. That was sad cause we had a quiz on the reading. As you can imagine, the grades weren't very good. Today we worked in teams to fill out a chart on information on the different planets. We are including Pluto because it is still interesting to compare sizes and so forth.

Reading for Monday Night

On Tuesday we will be doing planet charts so tonight students need to read through C67. Everyone should have finished the first 66 pages in section C. If not, you need to read it all. Make sure you know the answers to the questions! Hint hint hint!

Bright enough for a sundial

Sunday is bright enough to get the sundial done. Don't delay!

Instructions for the Sundial

Go to the right side of the page. Click on January. Scroll down the page. The sundial directions are there. It is due on Tuesday February 12th. Make sure you try to mark the end of the shadow as well as the entire shadow. Good luck!

Rules for fixing the test

1. New lined paper must be used with name, date and class
This must be stapled to the test.

2. For true/false and multiple choice questions the letter
answer must be followed by a complete sentence, for example

B 3. Figure 14-2 illustrated the moon phases.

The short answer questions also must be answered in complete sentences

3. This is due at the beginning of class on Monday or
the old grade will stand.

Read the next section

The students were told in class today that they need to read the next section C44-C55 and know the answers to the questions at the end of that section. Those who did not do well on the test will be able to fix their mistakes for 2/3 of the original points. I allow this because the important thing is for them to learn. It would be best if they could pass the test with 100% every time. But I feel it is important for them to fix their mistakes and learn from those mistakes.

Words & Ideas to know for the test

Maria, umbra, penumbra, hypothesis, frequency, reflection, refraction, rotate, revolve, tides, neap tide, spring tide, telescope, astronomy, astrology, time zones, International Date Line, seasons, day and night, sun as an energy source, moon phases, craters, visible light

Test on Wednesday

Today we will be reviewing for the test scheduled for tomorrow. The students will work as teams to answer the questions that will be on the test tomorrow. They will receive points for the questions that are answered correctly. The team with the most points will receive 10 points extra credit, the team in 2nd place will receive 8 points and then it will decrease in increments of one point each. The teacher will explain why answers are right or wrong. Hopefully this will help them learn how to answer test questions correctly.

Monday

Today is the Northland Project. Mrs. Bloxham is teaching the students how to say no to peer pressure when others try to get them to do something dangerous. She talked about insistant pressure, direct pressure and indirect pressure. The students learned not to give in to pressure to do dangerous things.

Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights via Noolmusic.com


Get Video Code For YouTube Viral Videos4 - Aurora Borealis Or Northern Lights

Studying for the test

Since we have Project Northland on Monday, we have to move our test to Wednesday February 6th. It will cover pages C1-C39. Students need to read the material and pay special attention to the pictures.

Today we finished the time zone worksheet, and played a team game to study for the exam. We will finish the game on Tuesday.

If the sun shines this week end, it would be a good idea to get the sun-dials finished. We have moved the due date to February 12th. See the earlier post for instructions or go to C-19 in the Science book.

Time Zones, Eclipses, Seasons

Wednesday we learned about time zones. The students used the map of the United States on pg C22 to draw the time zones in on a blank states map page. Using a light bulb, a small ball and a globe we learned about solar and lunar eclipses. We also reviewed the different moon phases by throwing balls at the correct one. Last, we reviewed about the significance of the tilt of the Earth on our seasons

Homework January 29th

Today, in class, each student created a chart showing the phases of the moon. It would be fun for them to go outside and observe which phase the moon is in tonight. There is a link that shows the phases of the moon.

The homework tonight is to read C-20 to C-36.

Things to Study

We are reading section C right now. Tuesday we will be reading lesson three about the moon in motion. It might be a good idea to start looking at the Review on C 43, that will be assigned shortly. I got my sundial done on Saturday, the sun was great.

Sundial Instructions

During the next two weeks the students will be making a sundial at home. This will be due on Feb 12th, that gives us two week-ends of sunshine, we hope. There are several ways to do this. (see pg C-19. )

1. Get a piece of paper, cardboard, styrofoam, something that you can write on to use as a sundial.

2, Orient the paper to the compass, North is toward Pocatello, South is toward the Lake, East is toward Geneva, West is toward Preston. Write NSEW in the correct places.

3. Anchor your sundial to a sunny place. Some have used a cookie sheet and taped the paper to it on top of a car. The front porch with some duck tape works too.

4. Anchor a pencil other thin straight object onto the plate using tape or clay. Or it can be stuck straight through if your sundial allows it. Measure the length of the pencil from the top of the sundial - write it down as we will be using this again in May. Place the sundial in a place that will receive the sun all day long.

5. Set a timer to go off every hour on the hour.

6. Mark the tip of the shadow and then draw down the line of the shadow. Write down the time on each shadow. Four times are required, but more make it a lot more interesting.

January 21st

Classes on the 21st we be dedicated to Project Northland. This is a class to be held for the next 4 weeks that will teach the students about the dangers of drug abuse and the other choices available to them.

Substitute tomorrow

I will be gone tomorrow and will be having a substitute teacher. There are no homework assignments. However, if you were absent Tuesday or Wednesday, your homework must be turned in at the beginning of class as this homework has been assigned for a week.

Due Tuesday January 15th: Why scientists need to be honest

Due Wednesday January 16th: Worksheet for the Big Bang movie

If students want to stay ahead, we are currently reading Unit C.