Most of the classes are moving into Biology this week. The seventh graders and I were talking about the importance of fire in the Longleaf Pine forest. We talked about how even though we typically think of forest fires as horrible, scary, and destructive (because of “our” homes), certain ecosystems need to burn in order to thrive. If the Longleaf Pine Forest doesn’t have a healthy burn every 7-10 years, the biodiversity is impacted and species migrate or disappear.
We have burned down our first trimester! Everyone has a hundred in every class until their first assessment for Trimester 2. The students get this opportunity to start fresh and make changes to habits, motivation, and even relationships. Now that it is getting darker earlier and cooler, it feels like we are in the middle of the school year, when we buckle down and get down to business. The burn down and restart allows us to let the first trimester drift out and settle into the next important part of the school year.
LD
Math:
This week, we practiced addition, subtraction, and multiplication of decimals which we learned in 5th grade, and will apply these skills to real-life scenarios in 6th grade. Next week, we’ll review division of decimals before moving on to review the unit (fractions and decimals) entirely, and their test will be after Thanksgiving Break.
ELA:
This week, 6th graders transitioned to writing. We discussed the value of developing an original thesis that requires deep explanation. Writers revisited the traditional essay structure and used it to draft initial ideas. 6th grade also began a verb study in grammar, which will be tested next week.
Next week’s grammar test is on 11/21. In writing, we will work hard to gather textual evidence to add depth and specificity to our essays and push our writing to deeper, clearer elaboration.
Social Studies:
Sixth grade has enjoyed playing a fun game about the Silk Road, and learned about the good and bad that has come from world trade. I also shared my foreign coin collection with them to explore and discuss how money and trade were influenced along the Silk Road. We also began learning about the great inventions of the Chinese empires and will continue with the Great Wall and how China became the first world empire.
Science:
The sixth graders finished up their container homes this week! They considered how to make their floor plans efficient, utilizing their space effectively and then brainstormed the best way to insulate their homes. They will test their next homes using heat lamps, to see how the temperature changes with their insulation. Next week, they will also begin their Diversity of Life unit. They will learn about the importance of keystone species and research one that interests them.
Important Dates:
November 22: Harvest Feast @ 10:30 (11:30 Dismissal)
November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break
