English

READING, WRITING, LISTENING, SPEAKING- Oh My!

Imagine being able to take information in well (reading / listening) and also having the skills to communicate what great ideas you have (writing / speaking).  Well, that's our goal for you here in 6th grade English.  No matter what level of talent you have when you first walk into class, I'm confident your toolbox for being a great learner will be significantly larger when you leave 6th grade.

In the beginning of the school year, we'll be focusing on these four skills while exploring the theme, "Bullying in School"  It's an important topic to explore as a middle schooler.  You will better understand the types of bullies and what to do if you encounter a bully.  We hope all kids build a strong understanding of empathy and apply this skill as they journey though middle school.

- Mr. Hickok

English Resources

Hunter Safety

Why Dog Reduce Stress in the Classroom

Rap Battle 

Rap Battle 2

Dogo News

NewsELA

Tweentribune

Wonderopolis

ELA- IXL

Dictionary…and More!

SRI Link

Nitrotype

Science

Welcome to 6th Grade Science!  Our first unit of study this year will focus on ecology.  I love the outdoors and learning about our environment, so this is a great way to kick of the school year.  In addition to exploring the ecology standards, we'll be introducing many of the "process" standards.  In a nut shell, these standards focus on what it's like to be a real scientist.  You'll learn how to think about testable questions, how to set up experiments, and also how to use scientific instruments.  I know, 6th grade science is going to be awesome.

I will be adding unit links to the bottom of each post.  The links are for you to use so you can explore and learn on your own.  I want you to take more ownership of your own learning, so hopefully some of these websites will get you excited about the topics we'll be covering in science this year.  If you find  something that connects to our learning in class, please share it with me and I'll try to add it to our team blog.

Thanks!        

-Mr. Hickok


General Ecology

Ecology- Video #1

L.EC.M.1, Interactions of Organisms

A must for organism ---Biosphere notes. Please link to notes.

World Biomes

Biome song

Know and Show Opportunity- Due October 9
-stuffed animal demo
-pick another biome and share in a different way
-slide show
-song or rap
-story or comic
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L.EC.M.3, Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Biotic vs Abiotic -Video #2  **Video with man in top right hand corner of screen is NOT part of the question sheet.****  That will come later. :)

Combo (Ecology & abiotic/biotic) - Video #3

Another Biotic vs Abiotic..with some clarification with Mr. H.

Know and Show Opportunity:

So you want to improve your score on a standard in science?  Good for you!  Please follow the directions below and remember to plan a time to come talk to me.  You'll share your improved understanding of the standard with me and also share what sources you used to stretch your brain.  Thanks again.

Assignment for L.EC.M.3, Biotic and Abiotic Factors 

All biotic and abiotic factors are interrelated.  In nature you will find that if one factor is changed or removed, it impacts the availability of other resources within the system.  Please research and share an example of this somewhere in the world.  I challenge you to look at other ecosystems or even other biomes that we have not discussed.  Remember, sometime the change in a system could be positive or negative.  Good luck and be ready to document what sources you used and what your findings were. Feel free to just add your learning to your digital notebook titled "ecology".

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L.EC.M.2, Relationships of Organisms

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers

Please use the Student Digital Note Sheet that I shared with you. Thanks.

Social Studies- Chambers

Get ready to learn about the world and the people in it!

This year in Social Studies we are going to focus on studying physical geography and human geography.  This is an important foundation to really understanding our complex physical world and the people in it.

As we work in Social Studies we will be using 5 thinking skills:

1) Describe: Explain/describe the connection between two or more different topics
2) Analyze: Figure out the main ideas and supporting information in text, illustrations, graphs, charts, maps and other Social Studies information
3) Evaluate: Make judgements, based on evidence, about Social Studies topics
4) Compare and Contrast: Show the similarities and differences between two or more topics
5) Generate Arguments: Create logical, persuasive arguments, based on evidence, and present them in multiple ways (written, orally, technology)

Question: How many countries are in the world? Watch this video to see! Tour the World video

Math- Chambers

Welcome to 6th Grade Math! 

I am so excited to start another year of teaching Math! Math is a subject that students seem to either love or strongly dislike, probably because it is either "easy" or the most mentally painful part of their day. My goal is to challenge everyone and help every student learn to see how amazingly awesome Math can be. In Math class we will sing, dance, color-code, rap, create rhymes, build, and in the process solve Math problems. Get ready to have fun!

We will start the year reviewing basic operations (no...not surgery....adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing).  We will focus on what these operations mean, not just on getting the correct answer. My goal is to help students all learn to think Math, talk Math, and share their Math. We all solve problems differently and it is SO COOL to see how we all do it!

First job.... Write Mrs. Chambers a "Dear Mrs. Chambers letter" telling me about the following things:

1. Favorite summer memory (can be more than 1 thing if you have had a totally awesome summer)

2. Tell me about your family (who's in it, what do you like to do as a family)

3. How do you feel about Math? (Yes, you have to be honest....I want to get to know you!)

4. What can I do as your teacher to help you be successful? (Do you need a special seat?  Do you need written out directions? Do you have a hard time taking tests? ANYTHING!)

5. Anything else you want to tell me about yourself? (love to draw, love doing projects, love listening to music, love playing sports)

If you are struggling with how to start your letter, I will help you.
Dear Mrs. Chambers,
I think you are incredibly awesome! Let me tell you more about myself. This summer I loved....(now you continue  =) )