6th Grade Newsletter
Autrey Mill Lions
November 27 to December 8
Have a fabulous Thanksgiving break!
Class Updates
Spanish
Students are now reading 200-300 word texts about familiar people. They are also writing personal introductions of themselves including name, age, where they are from, where they live, what profession they practice (estudiante J), hair and eye color, height, personality and favorite activities. They are now ready to start reading their first novel in Spanish. The daily practice with Quizlet is essential to comprehension of new words and phrases they will soon be reading in the book “Las aventuras de Isabela”. Please continue to support them at home by checking in and asking if they are practicing at least 15 minutes per day. Help sessions will resume on Tuesdays at 8:00 a.m. after the break. It is a joy to share a love of Spanish language and culture with your children. Wishing you a peaceful Thanksgiving holiday. Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Davidow
Social Studies
Upon our return from Thanksgiving break, we will be starting our unit on Canada. We will spend the first week back learning about Canada’s geography and environment and wrap the week with classroom rounds of the Geography Bee. The next week, we will take some time to review economic and government terms and then look at how they apply to Canada.
This year, as part of our Canada unit, students will be working on a group project. They will have a choice of two projects. The first project asks students to demonstrate their knowledge of Canada by writing a children’s book with a central character who is travelling around Canada for some reason (plot to be determined by students). The second project asks students to show their knowledge of Canada by connecting everything back to one environmental issue – where it is, its economic reasons and/or impact, how the government is involved, any historical attachments, and any potential solutions.
As we work on each topic of the Canada unit, students and their groups will be given time to work on a planning page for their project. Then, when students have days in class to work on the final project (12/12-15), they should be able to just work on the final project. Each teacher will be checking in with their students throughout the unit to make sure they are making progress on the planning sheet and working with a clear vision for their final project.
ELA
We have begun Unit 3, our informational unit! Similarly to the last unit, this unit will be divided into two parts. The first part of Unit 3 will focus on the following: recognizing the various types of textual evidence, and how students can appropriately use that evidence to support a claim or inference, determining central idea, writing summaries that are free from opinion or judgment, determining how a key event, idea, or detail is both introduced and evidenced and elaborated, using graphic organizers to trace the development of a claim, recognizing if a text is written in a formal or informal style, and using the context of a sentence to determine the meaning of a difficult word. While we focus on developing mastery of these skills and concepts in class, students will be asked to choose informational or nonfiction books to read in conjunction with this unit, so that what they learn in class will work in tandem with what they read at home and at school. Unit 3A will conclude the week before winter break. Our writing focus for this unit is W2: informational writing. This includes developing thesis statements and using evidence for support. Please encourage your students to maintain their reading goals and routines over Thanksgiving break!
French:
Bonjour parents,
Please refer to Madame Blackburn’s emails and Google Classroom for the most up-to-date information.
Mathematics:
60:
We have begun Unit 3 Expressions. Students will evaluate algebraic expressions by substituting the variable for a given numeric value. (6.EE.2c) We will have a quiz on Thursday, 11/30, covering order of operations, exponents, and evaluating expressions. (6.EE. 1. and 6.EE.2) Then, we will translate word phrases into algebraic expressions and algebraic expressions into word phrases, being mindful of “switch words” and parentheses. (6.EE.2a) Students will learn the properties and apply them to algebra vocabulary and combining like terms. Algebra vocabulary will be introduced. It is important for students to know and understand these words because they are the foundation of algebra. (6.EE.2b) Lastly, we will combine like terms to create equivalent expressions. (6.EE.3 and 6.EE.4) Study guides will be handed out on 12/7 due 12/15.
6A:
We are going to work on Unit 3, Part 2, Expression and Equations. (MCC.8.EE.7, MCC.7.EE.1, MCC.7.EE.2, MCC.7.EE.3, MCC.7.EE.4) We are solving 2-step equations with rational numbers, solving equations with variables on both sides, and multi-step real-life word problems. This includes linear equations with one solution, infinitely many solutions, and no solution. (MCC.8.EE.7). Students will have a quiz on Tuesday, 12/7, over multi-step equations, word problems with multi-step equations, and equations with variables on both sides. Next, we begin solving and graphing one-step and two-step inequalities. (MCC.7.EE.4b)
7A:
Right before Thanksgiving, the students put all of their algebra knowledge to use saving the variables from escaping algebra. Ask your students about the exciting breakout EDU!
We are continuing to work on Unit 2, Part 2, Expression and Equations. (MCC.8.EE.7, MCC.7.EE.1, MCC.7.EE.2, MCC.7.EE.3, MCC.7.EE.4) We are solving multi-step real-life word problems and solving equations with variables on both sides. This includes linear equations with one solution, infinitely many solutions, and no solution. (MCC.8.EE.7). Students will have a quiz on Tuesday, 12/5, over multi-step equations, word problems with multi-step equations, and equations with variables on both sides.
Then, we begin solving and graphing one-step inequalities and then two-step inequalities. (MCC.7.EE.4b)
Science:
After Thanksgiving we will begin our last unit of the semester: Part 1 of Hydrology! We will be covering water distribution, ocean floor topography, the water cycle, and layers of the atmosphere.
Students will be doing a good bit of graphing as well as writing Water Cycle Adventure Stories from the point of view of a water droplet. It’s going to be a great final unit of the semester!
Other Academic News
Mrs. Meredith, the AMMS Graduation Coach, will host organization sessions each Thursday from 8:30 through 8:55 in room G103. Any student who needs to organize notebooks, backpacks, etc. is welcome.
Weekly Help Session Schedule
Upcoming Important Dates
November 20 to 24- Thanksgiving Break
December 21- Last Day of First Semester