Grade 6 Mosaic
September 28-October 2
Mystery Monday
Tomorrow our class will be going on a 'quest' back in time to the Middle Ages! This is a mystery for the class, so please do not share with them at this time! For the next several weeks, we will be assisting a fictional character, Dr. Hank Carter, on his research on the Middle Ages. We will also be preparing for a Medieval Festival that will take place sometime in December (more information coming soon on this!). During our time on this quest, we will be learning a bit about the Fall of Rome, Charlemagne, Feudalism, the Crusades, Magna Carta, Bubonic Plague, medieval manners, along with differences in the lives of peasants, serfs, knights, and nobles. Throughout our journey, we will be analyzing and annotating informational texts, as well as reading portions of The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, Robin Hood, and a novel titled The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De'Angel. It is bound to be an adventure!
Algebra Concepts
We are diving right into several algebra concepts and important definitions. The students are working in an Interactive Math Notebook that contains a Table of Contents, Daily Lessons with 'Left-side Learning' and 'Right Side=Right Answers', various 'foldables' to reinforce concepts, and a section for vocabulary. We have defined and classified numbers in the Real Number System (i.e. real numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, whole numbers, integers, and counting/natural numbers). We utilized a 3-D visual to help sort numbers into these categories. Next, we reviewed the Order of Operations through PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, and Addition/Subtraction) and applied it to several equations and expressions. This week we will be continuing to differentiate between expressions and equations, and begin looking at inequalities.
Invasive Species Projects
Students have been busy designing their ideas for helping to control or eliminate the invasive carp at Staring Lake. This week they will be photographing their designs and crafting a letter with their proposals to the Department of Natural Resources and city of Eden Prairie.
Our class also held a mock Town Hall Meeting where each individual played a role. The issue revolved around controlling the rodent population in 'Cluck County'. There were several stakeholders present at the meeting. Some students acted as farmers, environmental activists, fish and game wardens, and city council members. Be sure to ask your child about this learning opportunity! They were begging to do this again!
Invasive Species Extended Learning Opportunities
After learning about the problem of invasive species in Minnesota, many students expressed an interest in putting their learning into deeper action. Below are some links to family opportunities around controlling and preventing the spread of invasive species:
Schoology
Each family should have received a parent access code this past week for your child's Schoology course. Please let me know if you are having any difficulties accessing the system.
Fall Conferences
Fall Conferences are coming up on October 8th, 9th, and 13th, These conferences are considered goal-setting conferences. This is truly another opportunity for your child to have a voice in 'driving their own learning'. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to attend their conferences. I realize that you may have already scheduled your child's conference without knowing this information. It is okay if your child cannot attend. We will be doing some pre-conference preparation in class that will be enough to guide our conversation. Also, if you are experiencing any difficulty scheduling your conference through Pickatime, please let me know. I can view my schedule on the site and assist with setting up a conference.
Contact Information
Liz Dayton
Grade 6 Mosaic Teacher
Email: edayton@edenpr.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/edenpr.k12.mn.us/mosaic-grade-6/
Location: 13708 Holly Road, Eden Prairie, MN, United States
Phone: (952) 975-2395