Introducing Utah Compose

Nov11

Writing in the upper elementary classroom is a big part of your child’s daily practice. From explaining their mathematical thinking to formal essay writing, it will be a near daily expectation for the remainder of the school year.

Your students have been working on opinion and argumentative essays in class.   We started with the basics including a graphic organizer/outline, wrote a first draft, peer edited, discussed using Utah Compose as an additional form of writing practice, and assigned the first essay deadline (11/11).

Because of the limited resources and time during school hours, your students are expected to enter their writing into Utah Compose at home.  A draft of the essay is due Monday evening so that both their peers and I have time to review and add comments and feedback by Tuesday.  Their final draft is due each Wednesday at the start of school, essentially Tuesday night unless they are waking up early to complete the assignment before school starts.

To help them keep track of deadlines and expectations your child receives a general study guide as well as a specific guide for the work we do with our Scholastic magazines.  Please talk to your kids about the work they are doing in class and required assignments, your interest will help them stay on track.

 

Science Fair

Nov4

We had a great discussion about science fair today during class.

For our 4th grade students, science fair is an opportunity to experience the scientific process (perhaps for the first time for some) and what it is like to present findings to others.  5th grade students are using their experience from 4th grade and building on that from a simple “experiment” to a more complicated design process.  Our 6th grade students are using everything they learned from 4th and 5th grade to design, test, redesign, retest and put it all together into a presentation and research paper worthy of middle school standards.

Your students will be bringing home a “Background Research Plan Worksheet” to help them with their research.  This worksheet is designed to help your children design a plan for gathering the background information needed to complete a successful science fair project.  This plan is due November 11 (next Wednesday).   If your student still has not decided on a topic and a question they plan to investigate, this is due at the same time as the research plan.

A really great resource for helping your child with their project is Science Buddies.

I have adjusted our classroom’s science fair time line slightly.  Upcoming Science Fair Project due dates are as follows:

Research Plan: November 11

Hypothesis and Variables: November 30

Materials and Procedures: December 18

Data and Graphs: January 29

Research Paper (6th Grade Only): February 12

Final Report (4th and 5th Grade Only): February 16

Display Board: February 17-18

 

We will discuss each of these items in class as the time approaches.

Water Cycle Terrariums

Nov3

Red Butte Garden has several amazing “tool kits” available for teachers.   Our class has been lucky enough to obtain one of the tool kits.  This kit focuses on water use in the desert, which we happen to live in, and study in all grade levels in upper elementary.

In addition to the materials and lessons provided in the kit, external resources are needed to fully utilize each lesson.  I took an informal survey of your kids this afternoon (after a great experience with plant specimens of both native and non-native plants) to see how many of them might have some supplies around the house that would enable us to build water cycle terrariums.  I was excited to hear that most of them thought they might be able to donate items you already have around your homes.

The items needed to make these terrariums are listed below:

Sand

Gravel (pea gravel or extra aquarium gravel)

Soil

Charcoal (for terrariums)

Wide mouth Jars (3-5″) or large salad clam shells (the type you get at Costco with your salad greens)

If you have any of these items available at home (please don’t go out and purchase anything) please let me know via email (or a note in your child’s planner).  If we are able to collect enough of these items, we will be building these terrariums Friday morning.

As always, thanks for all of your support!

Annual Chili Cook Off

Nov3

Hey Folks!  MMA’s annual Chili Cook Off is upon us.  Come join the fun Thursday, November 13 from 6:00-7:30.

Annual Chili Cook-Off

Bring your favorite pot of Chili and enter to win a fabulous prize, or simple come have dinner with friends and family all while supporting our 6th grade field trip.   You can sign up to bring a pot of chili at this link.

This is a perfect opportunity for your 6th grade student, or parents, to complete volunteer hours.

 

 

Upcoming Field Trip Chaperones Wanted

Nov2

Our class is taking a field trip Friday, November 13.  We will be taking a bus from MMA to WSU at 8:40 and will return around 11:45.    In order to make the most of our field trip, we need parent volunteers to help out (no drivers needed).  If you are interested in joining us, please sign up using this link.

 

This entry was posted on November 2, 2015, in Fieldtrip.