Test practice means kids miss writing workshop

We had to go to computer lab to take the math practice test.  Fortunately, it worked today. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to write today.  Tomorrow we will make up for it!

In science we finished our projects.  I hope everyone is working on his/her boats.  For those who left their diet sodas and Mentos at home Wednesday, we will be doing them again tomorrow, weather permitting.

Remember: Poetry Ringo books are due tomorrow, and sixth graders should be ready to perform their poems.

Class studies Newton's Third Law of Motion by racing geyser cars

Getting ready to race...

...and they're off!

 

We had to go to computers today to take the math practice test.  However, our lovely technology didn’t cooperate.  So we came back to class.

In science we worked with textures and we raced our Steve Spangler cars.  Ask your child about this!  They were a hit and I have told them we might do them again if time allows.

The cars demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion -- For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  When the Mentos geyser erupts out of the two-liter bottle in one direction (action), the car rockets off in the other direction (reaction).

Students experiment with poetry patterns

We aren’t doing spelling this week or next, due to testing and preparation. 

In writer’s workshop today we worked with another poem pattern.  We chose the ABAB pattern.  In this pattern, lines 1 and 3 rhyme and lines 2 and 4 rhyme in a stanza.  I gave 2 lines and each child wrote the next 2 and those that wanted shared theirs.  Then each child wrote all four lines of a stanza and shared, if so desired.  This was done quickly and I was impressed at how quickly they were able to do this. 

In science we did a lab, handed out boat information, and did an art project to relieve a little pre-test stress.

Students can make 'geyser cars' -- if parents send 2 liter plastic soft drink bottle

The video above of the Geyser cars was shot at Science Museum Oklahoma.  Look closely

at the first of the video and you'll see your teacher!

Today we found out we had to go into the lab to take the practice test before next week’s actual test. We had a few glitches, but all were fixed easily. I think since the children have grown up on computers and technology they will do fine.

 

It even took up almost all of our time in science. However, we were able to do a lab in homeroom that we did last week, but we did it incorrectly. Other classes finished their quiz.

 

I sent home a note about Wednesday. I have managed to come into some Steve Spangler Geyser cars. But with 100 students I cannot supply a 2 liter diet Coke and a package of mentos for everyone. So anyone that brings their own on Wednesday will get to participate in a race. It has to be diet! 

Students finish poems, do science lab experiment

In spelling we took our weekly test.

In writer’s workshop we either finished one of our ongoing poems or illustrated our two-worder poem.

In science we had a quiz and did a lab that involved baking soda and vinegar.

Students write in science, prepare for labs tomorrow

Students write about the wonders of the universe in science.

 

In writer’s workshop we worked on our ongoing poetry project.

In science we wrote about marvels of our universe. We also got to read another science newspaper. Tomorrow we will be doing a couple of labs.

 

Sixth graders continue to work on Poetry Ringo project

Today the sixth graders continued to work on their poems and their Poetry Ringo project.  It's exciting to see sixth graders turning on to poetry.  So often people approach poetry with a negative attitude and they're just predisposed not to like it.  But when sixth graders see how much fun it is to read and to write, their perspective changes.  If you haven't yet, ask your student what she or she thinks about poetry.

We played Sparkle in spelling and in science, they read and discussed their science newspapers.