Letort's Sixth Grade Blog

Reading
We are working on the last lesson in Theme 2.  Students have been engaged in a reader’s theater, which they thoroughly enjoyed performing.  We also spent time reviewing the focus skills for this theme: character traits and plot, and main idea and details.

Book clubs met for the last time this week.  Students dialogued with their group members about the assigned reading and shared their reactions to the end of the book.  As a culminating project, students are required to complete a movie poster related to their assigned book.

Math
In both classes, we started chapter 7, which focuses on addition and subtraction of fractions.  Students learned how to represent fractions and mixed numbers, as well as how to convert improper fractions into mixed numbers.  Students also learned to estimate fractions and mixed numbers.

Science
Students learned about tornadoes and hurricanes.  They also had the opportunity to watch some video footage of the mass destruction created by these severe weather systems.  We spent time comparing and contrasting tornadoes and hurricanes so students would be prepared for the essay portion of the weather test.  On Tuesday, we played “Weather Jeopardy” to review for the exam.  As a culmination activity to the weather unit, students watched the video Storm Chasers.

Social Studies
We finished our studies on immigrant children and their interesting home, work, and school lives.  We are now looking at immigration on a more personal level and will be creating a coat of arms that represents our families.  Over the winter break, students will be asked to research their family history or the history of a famous immigrant.  They will then use what they have found in an end of the unit project.

Writing/English
In Mrs. Mitchell’s class, students have been working hard on their persuasive pieces.  We have finished our rough drafts and are in the revising/editing phase.  We will publish the pieces this week.  Next, students will work an informational writing.  In English, we learned about plural and possessive nouns.

In Mrs. Johnson’s class, students have been learning about nouns.  They learned the difference between common and proper nouns, and how to form a possessive noun.  Students also learned the numerous rules for making a noun plural.   The last lesson in the unit focused on appositives; students learned how to incorporate appositives into sentences to create greater variety and complexity in their personal writing.  Students took the noun unit test on Thursday.  In writing, we continued working on our persuasive essays.  Students completed the prewriting 6-square.

Reading
We have moved on to lesson 9 where we will read an expository nonfiction text titled “Smokejumpers.” Students will be using main idea and detail charts to help them summarize the text.  Students will also be looking at the way an author uses cause and effect to organize their ideas.  Finally, we will review reference sources and their uses.

Book clubs are continuing to meet.  Students have been dialoguing with their group members about the assigned readings and sharing the roles that they had completed (i.e. artful artist, word wizard, connector).  Ask you child to share with you what their book is about and whether or not they are enjoying the story so far.

Math
In Mrs. Johnson’s math class, students learned to divide using decimals.  They also learned to calculate unit price in order to determine the better buy.  We did problem solving that involved using the strategies of logical reasoning and working backwards.  We are already half-way through the chapter.  Students will take the Chapter 5 test on Thursday, December 10.

In Mrs. MItchell’s math class, we just completed our midchapter quiz for Chapter 5. We are over half-way through the chapter.  This week, we will be working on problem solving, and then we will study for the test.  Students will take the Chapter 5 test on Thursday, December 10.

Science
We are quickly coming to the end of the meteorology unit.  Students have been learning how to read a weather map to collect data and make a forecast.  Next week we will be discussing severe weather systems, specifically hurricanes and tornadoes.  The unit test is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 15.  Please encourage your child to spend 10 minutes daily in preparation for this test; it is challenging because it covers so much content.

Social Studies
We are continuing to discuss immigration.  We are now looking at an immigrant’s new life in America.  We will be using excerpts from the book Immigrant Kids to discuss the life at home, at school, at work, and at play.

Writing/English
In Mrs. Mitchell’s class, we moving right along with our persuasive pieces.  We are in the drafting stage where students are turning their outlines into a rough draft.  There are a lot of creative and persuasive writers in this class!  In English, we began our second unit involving nouns.  Students learned how to identify nouns, as well as how to identify whether they are a common or a proper noun.

In Mrs. Johnson’s class, we finished the English unit on sentence structure, and next week we will start the unit on nouns.  We also continue to work on Daily Language Review each day to practice grammar skills. In writing, we started the persuasive writing unit.  Students selected a topic and brainstormed a list of supporting arguments and counter arguments.  Next week we will begin writing the rough draft.