The first month of school is under our belts, and the transition from 5th to 6th grade has been smooth. We’ve been working hard on many things. In religion the focus has been on the faith of people from the Bible such as Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca, Noah, and both Josephs (Old & New Testaments), as well as what is necessary for our faith in God. We will reinforce these units with skits performed by the students. All parents are welcome to view the performances. Look in the “Hey Jude” for dates and times.
Because sixth grade is now leveled in math, the remediation and enrichment Bulldog Block times are focusing on writing skills and various creative activities. The past few sessions students have been working on group stories. They have also learned about "Show vs. Tell" when it comes to descriptions.
We have begun one of the several novels we will read in class, Hatchet. It is about a teenage boy who is stranded in the Canadian wilderness and is forced to figure out how to survive. And speaking of wilderness, the sixth grade is anxiously anticipating their annual Camp Joy experience at the end of March because the questions raised daily are numerous.
In science, we are starting Unit 2 which will talk about Earth’s Resources. This includes minerals in which students will get to make their own crystals using salt and water. They will watch as their crystals form over several days and get to explore why and how they form. There were many excited faces when we introduced the idea of making crystals, as many remember the sixth grade from last year making these. All students will also be assigned a mineral to research and create a poster about it. Each student will present their poster to the class. All parents are welcome to come and watch their presentations.
The students have been learning why geography is a social science in social studies. Students have practiced using geographic tools to study the physical characteristics of the world. We are beginning to explore how nations of the world interact with one another through trade and foreign policy. Students will look at conflicts that have occurred and how those conflicts are resolved through the United Nations, Red Cross, USAID, and Unicef. They will also be learning about the roles each of us plays as citizens, what our rights and responsibilities are, and the importance of being an informed and active participant in our governments.