Mrs. Knoedler’s 6^th Grade Classroom Newsletter

December 4, 2015

Dear Families,

Wow!  The room is filled with stunning Ancient Egypt projects.  I am very impressed with everyone’s creativity.  Students presented their projects to other classrooms this afternoon.  They became the teachers.  This is an excellent introduction to our information writing genre that we will begin next week.  Next week we will have the pre-assessment on Thursday and Friday, if needed.  Students are researching information for their pre-assessment and may bookmark internet sites or take notes on Google docs, but students should not begin writing their piece. 

In Literacy we are continuing to read Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen.  Students are assigned chapters to read and questions to answer.  Some questions ask students to think deeply about their reading, give their opinion and support their opinion with evidence from the text.  Often it takes several sentences to thoughtfully answer the questions.

In math, we are working on finding fractions, creating decimals by dividing the numerator by the denominator, and then multiplying the decimal to determine the percent.  We are also working of determining “how many” a percent equals.  For example, if I have 532 M+M’s, how many is 60%?  First I convert the percent to a decimal by dividing it by 100.  That gives me .60.  Next I multiply .60 by 532.  I do this because 532 is my whole or total or my denominator.  The unknown is the numerator.  The unknown divided by 532 equals .60  If I know the quotient and the divisor, I can multiply them to determine the unknown or the numerator or the dividend because multiplication checks division.  While students may do some of this problem solving mentally, they still need to be able to explain their thinking.  532  X  .60 = 319.2.  319.2 M + M’s.

There is a Math POW that is due Wednesday December 9^th, called More Fraction, Decimal, and % Work (Clifford and the Civil War). 

Have a great weekend.  Ellen

Mrs. Knoedler’s 6^th Grade Newsletter

November 13, 2015

Dear Families,

          These November days remind me of poet Robert Frost’s, My November Guest.  It was great to meet with many of you last week at Parent Teacher Conferences. 

          Literacy: Students began a new class read this week, Touching Spirit Bear.  Students are assigned chapters and have questions to answer that will prepare them for discussions.  These are thinking questions and often require more than a sentence or two to fully and deeply answer them.  Students are to read chapters 3, 4, 5 and answer the questions for Tuesday, November 17^th.  Please remember that students are required to read 30 minutes a day and to record that reading on the Weekly Reading Log that is turned in each Wednesday.

          Math:  Students began work on learning how to change a fraction to a decimal and then turn that decimal to a percent.  If you divide the numerator of a fraction by its denominator, you will find the decimal.  Then simply take that decimal, and multiply it by 100 to determine the percent. 

          Ancient Egypt:  In social studies, we are reading about Ancient Egypt and the pyramids.  Students are reading to find the main idea of a passage and then writing 3 supporting details to support their main idea.  The Ancient Egyptians were an interesting and intelligent civilization.  We also watched an excellent video on the building of the pyramids. 

Have a great hunting or sock sale weekend!  All the best, Ellen

October 16, 2015

Dear Families

This has been a short but productive week.  Just a reminder that the Independent Book Log Assignment, or the “12 of 18”,  is due Tuesday October 20^th.  There is an expectation that all the work is of high quality.  Please check in with your child to be sure that they are keeping up and that they have completed or will have completed 12 of the 18 by Tuesday October 20^th.  It is important that students read and adhere to the scoring rubric.  Remember that: neatness counts,  spelling counts, and punctuation counts.  Students should also be keeping track of their independent reading in the Weekly Reading Log.  This is due each Wednesday.  The new POW (math Problem of the week), Things I’ve Been Pondering, is due Wednesday October 21^st. 

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Friday November 6^th.  Please read the information sent home with your child on Friday about Parent Teacher Conferences.  Please fill out the sign-up sheet about possible conference times and return it to me by Friday, October 23rd.

Have a great weekend.  Ellen

October 9, 2015

Dear Families,

            Just a note to remind you that our classroom newsletter is posted on our blog at  http://emeslearningportal.blogspot.com.  The newsletter contains information about classroom happenings, homework and due dates,  and photos. 

            There is no school for students Monday October 12 and Tuesday October 14^th. 

            Literacy:  Students continue to work on their personal narratives.  Students are working on creating a powerful lead, a lasting ending, zeroing in on a small moment and stretching out the important part of the story.  As always editing is very important for any writer, 

            Students were assigned the 12 of 18 Independent Book Project.  This is due Tuesday October 20.  Students were given the 18 options to choose from and the scoring rubric. 

            Students were also given a reading log.  6^th graders should be reading on average 30 minutes a day.  This is in their binders for easy access at home to record their daily reading.  The reading logs will be due each Wednesday.  Reading is the single most important thing your child can do in their life.

            Math:  In math, we reviewed rounding and the rules for rounding.  We are now beginning fractions.  In order for students to be successful in 6^th grade math, they must know their multiplication facts.  The new problem of the week, Greenhouse Gasses, is due Wednesday October 14^th. 

Have a great long weekend.   Enjoy the foliage.      Ellen

           

October 5, 2015

Dear Families,

October is off to a busy start.  Everyone is settling in to the rigors of sixth grade.  It is important for students to keep track of long range projects and to work on them a little at a time.  The design your own island maps are displayed in the hallway and the classroom.  The most important thing for students to remember is to follow the rubric. 

Literacy:  Students are working on a personal narrative writing piece.  We discussed how to write a lead for the narrative to keep the reader interested.  We are also working on increasing elaboration and writer’s craft in a personal narrative.  It is important to show the reader with words what feeling or emotion the person is experiencing.  We will also discuss adding transition words to writing.   We finished or read aloud, Harris and Me.  I think we were all sad to see the book end.  Today we started our next read aloud, Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick.   

Students were also assigned an independent book project, referred to as the 12 of 18.  This is due Tuesday October 20, 2015.  Students should work on this a little each night.  Ask your child to see the assignment and the rubric. This project is based on a book students have read independently with in the last few weeks or one that they are currently reading.

Math:  Students are continuing their work with factors, multiples and division.  It is critical that your child knows their multiplication facts.  Having a solid command of the multiplication table is the basis of sixth grade math. 

Science:  Students conducted their own bubble experiment.  Experiments included adding baking soda or milk or carbonated water, to name a few items, to bubble solution to see what kind of affect it had on blowing bubbles.  Some students compared four different colors of Dawn dish soap!  Ask your child what their experiment was.  Students also presented their findings to the class. 

With dewy grass and wet weather approaching, it is important for students to have two pairs of shoes at school.  This keeps dirt out of the classroom and keeps the school easier to clean.  Thanks for your help with this.  

Friday September 18, 2015: Photos and Newsletter

Nature Journaling and Making Bubbles.  Our class newsletter follows the photos.  

Finding a tree to sketch, describe and observe its surroundings.

Sketches from our first nature journal excursion.

 Bubbleology:  Making bubbles with the giant wands. 

September 18, 2015

Dear Families,

The All-School Hike is scheduled for next Friday September 25^th.  Information will be given to students today about the hike they will be on.  Please note the departure time,  as some hikes leave earlier than the start of school.

This morning we went out into the woods for our first nature journal excursion.  The weather was great.  Students found a tree and sketched it and the surrounding area.  One of the great things about nature journaling is that it allows us to “still” ourselves.  We are often going at a fast pace, surrounded by technology and we simply don’t take the time to still ourselves and observe nature around us. 

Literacy:  We are continuing to read Number the Stars as a class read.  Students were assigned chapters 11 and 12 and questions.  These are due Tuesday September 22.  We are also continuing our class read aloud, Harris and Me. 

Math:  In math, we are continuing our work with prime numbers.  It is very important that students know their multiplication tables.  Having these facts literally at your fingertips is key to understanding the new concepts that will be introduced in 6^th grade.  Students were assigned a new word problem, “Sleepy Time”.  This is due Wednesday September 23^rd.

Science:  We started our Bubbleology Unit today with a bubble quiz.  We also went outside to blow gigantic bubbles and to determine which soap solution worked the best.  A good time was had by all.

Map Skills:  Students were assigned a Create Your Own Island Map Project.  Students must create an island and include 29 landform terms on their map.  They must also include definitions, written in their own words, of the 29 terms.  Your child should have a rubric that has a complete description of the assignment and the expectations for the project.  This is due Monday September 28^th.

It is important that all students try to be in school on Tuesday September 22^nd as we will be taking an online math assessment called the EasyCBM.  Thanks for your help with this.  We will be testing in the afternoon right after lunch, around 12:40. 

Have a great weekend.  Ellen