Sixth Grade

Proving That Learning is Loads of Fun!

It's true, our students work hard every day, but never say that learning isn't fun!  Our sixth graders can provide it! This week's blog features just a few highlights from some of the fun learning activities that they have participated in this school year.  

It looks like Mrs. Chandler's class is just enjoying eating oranges right?  Actually, they are using the orange peel to create a flat map model, similar to the way a mapmaker would compared to the Earth. 

It

Who doesn't remember calculating using the formula distance = rate times time?  I certainly do, but I don't remember doing it the way Mrs. Bury's class did.  What fun they had racing and power walking while measuring, timing and calculating, all on a beautiful fall day!

              

Mrs. Jagelski's class begins each year by reviewing the Constitution, and then students research the structures of government at the local, state and federal level and how each one might work in a classroom. This year students chose the federal government model. So we have representatives, justices, cabinet members and THREE co-presidents! Mrs. McDonald served as their presidential debate monitor. The students then voted for the most qualified candidate based on responses during the debate as well as a campaign speech. This year was unprecedented as votes were evenly divided among all three candidates! Mrs. Bury counted the votes for us, and she announced that all THREE would serve together this year after we spoke with them. So they are Neda Bazys, Vik Balyan and Bryan Sanchez. They each bring different strengths to the office. 

This is the second year that Mrs. Diaz-Blanco’s and Mrs. Jagielski's class have gotten together to do a Columbus Day Trial. Both classrooms read the book

Encounter by Jane Yolen which describes Columbus from a native boy’s point of view. Students in both classes work together to defend the actions of one of the people or groups that are being accused in the decimation of the Taino people whose population was decreased over 90% in just 50 years. The Taino lived in San Salvador which is where Columbus landed. So groups of students research the part that Columbus, his men, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, the System of Empire at the time (society) and even the Tainos themselves played. Some students serve as jurors and determine the amount of guilt for each party based on the trial. This year the trial will be held on Tuesday after Columbus Day from 11:45 - 1:00. 

Mrs. Diaz-Blanco's class has been learning about relative and absolute location during their geography unit. Students had to use lines of longitude and latitude to find different places on Earth. Then, they completed the Teacher Hunt" activity with a partner. The teacher got lost and they had to follow her trail to find her in different places around the world! 

Of course, our 6th graders had lots of fun as leaders of the Color-a-thon too!