Forces & Motion Investigation #1 (11/16-11/24)

In this exciting investigation...

Students fly rubber band-powered toys along a line to think critically about motion. They use reference points to establish the trolley's initial and final positions in order to determine the distance the trolley moved. Change of position is introduced as the definition of motion, and the conventional symbols for positioin, change, and distance are introduced.

Students participate in the design of an experiment to determine the relationship between the number of winds on the rubber band and the distance traveled by an air trolley. After acquiring data for different numbers of winds, students graph the results to look for a relationship. The conventional form and procedures for preparing two-coordinate graphs are introduced.

Students analyze graphic representations of races between several competitors in both print and multimedia formats. They determine distance traveled by many different vehicles and exercise their skills related to reference points, symbolic notation, and using the algorithm for calculating distance.

Distance equation: d=xf-xi

Vocabulary: A glossary is available at www.fossweb.com. No password is needed.
delta
distance
distance equation
final position
initial position
position
reference point
motion

Math Unit 4: Fractions

This unit involves a field trip called "Techno Math" to the Crawford Auto Museum. The field trip permission from may be found here. This is a great way to practice math skills outside the classroom walls! Students will tour the Crawford Auto Musem answering math questions as they do! This field trip is also a great preview of what's coming up in science; physics!



Unit 4 is all about operations with fractions and mixed numbers. Students must add, subtract, multiply and divide simplified fractions, immproper fractions, and mixed numbers.

Unit 4 Vocabulary
Decimal
Expression
Fraction
Improper Fraction
Mixed Number
Percent
Quotient
Simplest Form

Fall Fun!

Thank you parents for all the support! As you can see, today's Fall Festival was filled with fun (and a lot of learning too!). Our class was selected for the costume winner and recieve a popcorn party next week!

Thank you, again, for your support and positive comments! It's been a great first quarter!

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Investigation #10: Bacteria & Fungi

* The object of vocabulary lists is for students to look up (digitally or physically) and practice the definitions and give examples. Giving students definitions prevents them from developing basic reference skills. *

This week we are investigating bacteria and fungi. Here are important science words for this week:
agar
bacteria
decomposer
fungi
inoculate
microbes
petri dish
sterile

Consider the following...
* Where are bacteria and fungi found?

* Are bacteria and fungi organisms? Why?

* Are bacteria and fungi decomposers? How do you know?

* How can you grow bacteria and fungi in a controlled way?

Diversity of Life: Post-Test November 10th

We have come to the end of our first science unit; Diversity of Life! The final test will cover ALL of the ten investigations we have completed. We hope to take the test November 10th. Below is a list of the 34 vocabulary words that WILL BE ON THE TEST. Additionally, use your Diversity of Life Pre-Test in your binder to study.

* The object of vocabulary lists is for students to look up the words and practice their definitions and examples. Giving students definitions prevents them from developing basic reference skills. *

Diversity of Life Vocabulary
Adaptation
Aquatic
Antennae
Anthropomorphism
Cell
Compound Microscope
Consumer
Cotyledon
Decomposer
Elodea
Embryo
Exoskeleton
Focal Plane
Germinate
Habitat
Microorganism
Nucleus
Objective Lens
Optical Power (Magnification)
Organism
Ovary
Paramecium
Parasite
Petal
Pistil
Pollen
Producers
Reproduce
Roots
Seed Coat
Stamen
Stomate
Transpiration
Xylem

Investigation #9: Insects (10/26-10/30)

* The object of having vocabulary lists is for students to look up words and practice their definitions and examples. Giving students definitions prevents them from developing basic reference skills. *

This week we are investigating insects! By the end of the week you will need to know the following words:

abdomen
antennae
compound eyes
head
insect
isopods
leg
predator
proboscus
thorax



In addition to knowing these words, you will be asked to make inferences about an unidentified insect based on observations. For example:

Observations: This insect has a hard exoskeleton and pincer-like mouth parts. It also has wings that come out from under it armor-like exoskeleton. It has two small eyes and two antennae that are longer than its body.

Where do you think this insect lives mostly? Include evidence from the description in your answer.

What does it probably eat? Why do you think so?

How does it defend against predators? What is your evidence?

Science Investigation #8: Snails (10/19-10/23)

This unit is about snails! You will need to know these words:
-adaptation
-environment
-habitat
-organism

You must also know these parts of the snail: foot, heart, tentacles, shell.

You must also evaluate if an experiment is good or not. A GOOD experiment will create a hypothesis (sometimes as an if, then statement), control variables, and collect data carefully. We will practice these concepts in class, you can learn about them on your own with the brainpop on scientific method... it's free!



Example 1
After a rainy afternoon, Charley noticed many earthworms laying about on the grass and sidewalks. "I think they come up to drink the rain," he thought. He set up the following experiment: he filled an aquarium halfway with soil and ten earthworms. He then poured 1 Liter of rainwater into the aquarium. Two hours later, he recorded the number of earthworms on the surface, which was 9. He conlcuded, yes, when it rains earthworms come up during rain to drink water.

Do you think Charley set up a good experiment? Explain what he did well and what he could improve.

Example 2
Scientific Method Example

Carl and Shirley wanted to see if crickets preferred cold habitats or hot habitats. They set up 2 habitat aquariums. One had a heat lamp, the other didn't. They then put 10 crickets in each aquarium for one hour. After that time, the crickets with the heat lamp were hopping around. Those in the "cold" habitat were motionless. They concluded that crickets prefer warm habiats.

Do you think these students set up a good experiment? Explain what they did well and what they could improve.

Unit 3 Math

For many of you, this will be your first exposure to algebra. To get ready here are a few websites:

addition/subtraction algebra

Multiplication Algebra

Division Algebra

This unit is about patterns, variables, and formulas. Here is some important vocabulary:
algebraic expression
cell
column
evaluate (a formula)
evaluate an expression
formula
general pattern
rate
row
special case
speed
spreadsheet
square root
time graph
variable

How Do I Practice For Unit 3?
- Pre-Test
- Study Links
- Math Journal
- Practice Test
- Flash Cards
- Hotlist



Many of you liked the Spreadsheet Scramble game we played in math. I build the game using google spreadsheets. You can see it here, but you won't be able to play it. You can, however, click on each cell and read the "formula" at the top to create your own.

Just for Fun

This general post is for you to share with each other fun things to do.

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Science Investigation #7: Flowers

This week we are studying flowers, their parts and how they are involved in reproduction. Here are a few important vocabulary words:
- stamen
- pistil
- sepal
- ovary
- petal
- reproduction
- pollination
- dispersal

Think about these questions and post your websites and answers.
1. What are the major parts of a flower?
2. What do the different parts of a flower do?
3. Explain how plants with flowers reproduce.

Annie's AL Library Display

One of our students has designed the current display at the Avon Lake Library! It's the first display on the right when you come in from the North Entrance. Feel free to post a positive comment. Remember, I am very proud of your work and am happy to showcase it here on the blog any time you'd like to share!

Science Investigation #6 (10/5-10/9)

Student Directions: Read each item below and post a response for each question.
1. Stomates are openings on leaves that let gases in and out and Guard Cells control the size of those openings. Investigate ‘stomates’ using the internet, find examples and helpful websites.
2. Transpiration is the process of water going in and out of a plant. Use the internet to investigate ‘transpiration’, find helpful websites.
3. Can plants drown? Can plants dry out?
4. If you cover a plant during a drought, would you see water forming on the inside of the bag? Would there be a lot, or a little moisture? Why do you think so? Create an experiment to find out. Include your materials, procedures, and data collection.



Students Will Need to Know:
-That transpiration is the process of water going into the roots, through the stem, and evaporating out the leaves through stomates.
-Guard cells control the opening and closing of stomates.
-In times of drought, plants will evaporate less so that they can save water.
-Xylem are the tubes we saw in celery that carry water.

Math Unit 2

Unit 2 involves operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide) with large and small numbers. Be sure to use your unit 2 pre-test to focus your students, because those questions will be on the post-test. One of the most difficult skills is multiplying by powers of ten.

STUDENT DIRECTIONS
1. Find a good website that helps you understand and practice powers of ten. Attach it here as a comment.
2. You can post all unit 2 questions and comments in this post. You should be studying and reviewing your pre-test as the best resource. The study link, journal, practice tests, and web pages can also help!
3. What are you doing to prepare for our upcoming test? Be specific.

How do you prepare?
* Create study plan.
* Make flash cards.
* Review my study links.
* Make a fake test.
* Review the starred questions in my journal.
* Review missed questions on my pre-test.

Science Investigation #5 (9/28-10/2)

In this investigation students will be learning about seeds, how they are categorized scientifically and why. We will also learn how they develop into plants. We will work in the lab, on our website, and here in the blog to best understand the amazing world of seeds! By the way, here is a cool botany site. Here is a cool time-lapse video.

Here is a dicot seed!


Look carefully for similarities and differences between these two seeds.

Here is a monocot Seed!


STUDENT DIRECTIONS: Answer each question below and post it as a comment.
1. Is a seed a living organism? How do you know?
2. What do these words mean: germinated, root, leaves, cotyledon, embryo, monocot, dicot?
3. Describe how a seed turns into a plant.
4. What is the difference between a monocot and dicot seed?

Science Investigation #4: The Cell (9/21-9/25)

What is a cell?
Robert Hooke, the first scientist to look at cells through a microscope, thought they looked like litty empty rooms. That's what cell means, a little room. We know now that they are much more than empty rooms. Cells are little chemical factories that run on energy (mostly from the sun), consume raw materials, produce chemical products, and discard waste materials. And most amazing of all, cells can replicae themselves. They can reproduce an exact copy of themselves that can do all of the same things.

Here is an amoeba feeding.



You can see an amoeba here.

Here is a picture of a euglena.


This week we will look at a variety of cells, including our own! Students will need to know:

* Basic cells organelles, including nucleus, chloroplast, mitochondrion, cell wall, cytoplasm, cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, and vacuole.

* They will order these materials by comlpexity: organelles, molecules, cells, animals, organs, atoms, organ systems, and tissues.

* Describe the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

* Explain why cells are considered aquatic.

Below is a picture of student cheek cells!


Student Directions:
1. Use www.fossweb.com to describe the different between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. You will click on the microscope and select "Ribbon of Life".

2. What does "aquatic" mean? Why are cells aquatic?

3. Use the foss webpage listed above to put these words in order from least complex to most complex: organelles, molecules, cells, animals, organs, atoms, organ systems, tissues.

4. Post your answers to these questions as a comment below!

Diversity of Life Investigation #3 (9/14-9/18)

Investigation 3 & Quiz 3

This week we used microscopes (our previous week's skill) to observe both Elodea plant cells and paramecium. We observed them under three powers of magnification and also "fed" the paramecium yeast which had been colored red so as to watch the food go into the paramecium vacuole.

Students start their investigation of microscopic life by looking at the leaf structure of an aquatic vascular plant, Elodea. The leaves are fairly uniform in structure, and the cells are large. Leaves are two cells thick. The cells on the uppoer surface are larger than those on the bottom. This can be observed by focusing through the fairly transparent leaf.



Students saw dozens of green chloroplasts inside each cell. If they look closely, they will see the chloroplasts rolliing and tumbling about in the cell, evidence that the cell is filled with fluid, and the fluid is in motion. The fluid is cytoplasm, which fills all living cells. The movement of the chloroplasts is evidence of an active process called cytoplasmic streaming.

Next, the students observed paramecia. Paramecium is a genus of common single-celled protists that wander or zoom around in freshwater aquatic systems, propelled by cilia, almost invisible hairlike structures that cover the cell membrane. There are many different species of paramecia, some tiny and some pretty large. They look like stubby little cigars filled with a variety of bubbles, with a long indentation called an oral groove on one side. Students observed them eat yeast, evacuate excess water, and propel themselves through their environment. You can see a paramecium here: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=48988&title=Paramecium_with_Food_Vacuoles_present.

One of the difficulties students will face is trying to decelerate the speedy paramecia enough to observe them clearly. A tangle of cotton fibers works well.

For many students, this will be their first introduction to a microscopic life-form. Seeinig Elodea cells is a great discovery, but the cells are part of a macroscopic organism - one seen easily with the naked eye. But the paramecium is a different story. Here is a life-form that is completely cryptic unless you use a microscope.

A paramecium is an ORGANISM because it can do all of the 8 characteristics of life (investigation 1), and one Elodea cell is NOT AN ORGANISM because it can not meet all 8 characteristics of life by ITSELF.

Remember; the CELL is the BASIC UNIT OF LIFE. Single-celled organisms and multi-cellulrar organisms can all use energy, reproduce, exchange gas, eliminate waste, grow, and need water.

STUDENT DIRECTIONS:
1. Read all of this post, watch the video and look at the picture.
2. Post a comment with your laboratory results.
3. Include in your post a webpage that you believe helps you understand cells.

Family Night

We are thrilled to have you visit our school. Welcome to your last year at Troy, a fantastic place to learn! We look forward to working with you this year and hope to hear from you often. Feel free to post your comments and questions to this post and the many more to come!

Here is tonight's agenda:

1. Introductions
2. Slideshow
3. Video
4. Classroom Visits

Welcome!

Welcome back! We're excited to be your teachers this year. We've planned a fantastic year of learning experiences and look forward to meeting you on August 25th. You can get an idea of what the sixth grade is about by browsing around this blog. Feel free to post any questions you have here as a comment.

Mrs. Brodke Ms. Dalgleish Mr. Hartwell

Here is Mr. Hartwell's Agenda for the first day:

1. Question Paper
2. Lunch Tote & Lunch Cards
3. Syllabus
4. Visit Lockers (what do I need)
5. Create Binders & Portfolios
6. Thursday Folder
7. Hall Pass System
8. Point System
9. Explain Homework Board
10. Blog & Gradebookwizard
11. Buses
12. Note Room Temperature
13. Group Activity