Grade 5: Weeks of December 6-17th

We are studying Newton's Third Law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. We have discussed examples of balanced and unbalanced force, acted examples in front of the class, and did an inquiry on balanced and unbalanced for using a balloon. Students will further delve into gravitational pull and learn that all objects fall at the same rate, despite mass, given equal air resistance. Finally we will review Newton's Laws and examine how each law is applied in daily life. Students will receive a test on Newton's Laws on Tuesday December 14th or Wednesday December 15th.

Grade 6: Weeks of December 6-17th

We are wrapping up our unit on the rock cycle. Students are completing a story on a sedimentary rock of their choice: shale, limestone, conglomerate, sandstone, or coal. They detail the journey of their sedimentary rock, accurately describing the processes that occurred to form it. We will also learn about metamorphic rock and how it forms under intense heat and pressure. Students will draw a diagram of the entire rock cycle. Grade 6 will have the Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rock test on Tuesday, December 14th.

Grade 7: Weeks of December 6-17th

We are continuing to learn about the circulatory system. This week we will watch video clips of the circulatory system and its role in transporting nutrients, gases, and wastes. We will learn how to keep our heart healthy, and how to prevent a heart attack and stroke. Students will design a poster to promote healthy hearts. The circulatory system test will be next Tuesday or Wednesday (December 14-16). Our sheep heart has been ordered and we will be dissecting it when it arrives!

Grade 8: Weeks of December 6-17th

This week we are examining water pollution and human impact on the hydrosphere. We will learn about Linfen, China, one of the most polluted cities in the world, and discuss this year's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Students will use their knowledge of water health indicators to determine how water has been affected in both areas. Please note students have a test on Friday.

Progress Reports and Homecoming Dance

Parents, progress reports come out on Tuesday November 30th. Please return progress reports at the latest December 2nd. Grade 5-7 will have two chips taken off per day after December 2nd if they do not bring in their progress report, unless this is accompanied by a note.

The Homecoming Dance is Friday, December 3rd from 8pm to 10pm. It will be a lot of fun!!! Please remember that tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. All middle school teachers will be chaperoning - see you there!

Grade 5: November 29th - December 3rd

We have had great fun modeling Newton's Second Law with toy cars! Our first experiment involved creating a catapult with rubber bands and letting loose a toy car. We increased the number of rubber bands to see how far our toy car would go and learned that increasing the force also increased the distance and the speed. We graphed this result and drew conclusions. Our second experiment involved increasing the mass of the toy car by adding other toy cars while keeping the force (number of rubber bands) the same. We learned that increasing the mass decreased the distance and speed that a toy car could travel. Thank you to all students who brought in their toy cars for this experiment:)

Students will receive a review sheet on Tuesday and will have Newton's Second Law test either on Thursday or Friday (depending on the class). Please check the agenda for details.

Grade 6: November 29- December 3rd

We have now moved on to sedimentary rocks! We have examined and modeled how sedimentary rocks form from weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction and cementation. We will learn how various sedimentary rocks formed such as shale, conglomerate, and sandstone, and then write a picture book on one of these rocks. Students will have an oppportunity to do a "rock inquiry" with real sedimentary rocks and examine their characteristics. Finally, we will watch a movie about sedimentary rocks. Next week we will learn about metamorphic rocks and then wrap up the rock cycle.