February 2010

We’re off to a great start in 2010!  The school year is half over, to our great amazement!  We will have a special Valentine’s Day party and, of course, two long weekends to enjoy! 

Math

          6th graders and pre-algebra are studying Rates, Ratios and Proportion. We will combine lessons from both texts and have some special activities which will allow application of our learning. Expect the kids to become better shoppers.

           Coming soon:  Percentage!

Language Arts

During February we will continue our work with Where the Red Fern Grows. We are focusing on summarizing, themes, and character development. Our final is scheduled for February 18th. When we complete the novel, we will then watch the movie and compare and contrast the book and movie in an in-class writing assignment. We will return to the anthology for Theme 4.

Science

          In science, appropriately enough, we are studying earthquakes. After our excitement in outdoor ed, we are learning about how epicenters are calculated, how to read a seismogram, and how scientists calculate earthquakes. We will be creating our own seismograms and working to build an earthquake proof city.

Health

          After all these tests, our health unit is stress. This month, we will be talking about types of stress and how to best handle it. We are reading how stress has an effect on our lives, both good and bad, and what we can do to alleviate and handle our stress in the long term.

Social Studies

       Students have finished their study of Ancient China.  They will be moving on to the Ancient Hebrew Nation.   They will be able to describe the origins and significance of Judaism as the first monotheistic religion, and know the roles of the major historical figures during that time.  Students will be able to explain how the beliefs of the Ancient Hebrews have influenced and contributed to modern civilization.