Grade 5: Week of April 30th to May 4th

This week students and I will begin rapidly preparing for the End of Grade Science test.  We will go over the most missed questions every day as a warm up, will do homework from our EOG coach books, and will write sentences and pictures of the most important vocabulary words.  At the same time, we will finish up our final chapter on ecosystems and students will have their final chapter test next week.  Students will create their own food chain and food web using a certain ecosystem.  They will also choose a specific animal or plant and describe their niche, habitat, and adaptations.

I have graded the practice EOG tests and will be giving results to parents by email if your child received a Level 2.  I will support your child by providing extra tutoring two days per week.  Those who received Level 3 or 4 will be notified on the progress report.

Homework for the week:

Monday night:  EOG coach book - Read pgs. 52-54, answer questions pgs. 54-55 and pgs. 64-65

Tuesday night:  Finish food web, Column 3 sentences and pictures from the EOG coach book

Wednesday night:  Column 4 sentences and pictures from the EOG coach book

Thursday night:  Study for the Column 3 and 4 Vocabulary quiz, Niche/Habitat/Adaptation assignment

Grade 6: April 30th to May 4th

The Space project assignment requirements

and dates are the following:

Assignment	Mark	Date due
Notes: Notes on space facts, existence of life, and technology and exploration In note format – no full sentences or plagiarism	15 pts.	Friday April 27th
Bibliography: Four or more sources; no search engines	5 pts.	Friday April 27th
Visuals: Five or more visuals of space facts, existence of life, technology and exploration, and special characteristics Include a caption/sentence or more for each visual. The visuals may be put on flash drive, may be put on a poster or paper.  One or more visuals may be models.	5 pts.	Friday May 4th
Written research paper:  Draft  Five paragraphs on your planet including the introduction, space facts/special characteristics, existence of life, technology and exploration, and the conclusion	15 pts.	Friday May 4th (May be typed or hand written, double-spaced.)
Written research paper:  Good copy Rewrite the draft paper and include all peer and teacher corrections.  The good copy may be single spaced and/or typed.	10 pts.	Tuesday, May 8th
Presentation:  Eye contact, varied tone of voice, appropriate speed, prepared	10 pts. Counts as test mark	Wednesday May 9th , Thursday May 10th, Friday May 11th
Presentation notes: ·        Three or more notes on other students presentations	10 pts.	Friday May 11th
Participation: On task, cooperative, research brought to school, assignments handed in on time	10 pts.	ongoing

Grade 8: Week of April 30th to May 4th

This week we will review the twenty most missed questions on the practice EOG.  Students will study their Practice EOG test and have a small test on the previously missed questions.  We will also use microscopes in stations to view living protists and other types of microbes.  Some protists will come from a protist growing kit and other microbes will come from students bringing in pond water.  Meanwhile, we will begin reviewing for our Microbe unit test and writing the paragraphs for the Microbe book.

All students who scored a level 2 or borderline 2/3 will receive in school remediation 2:15 to 2:45 Monday and Wednesday and after school tutoring 2:45 to 3:30.  I will notify you by email if this is the case.  

Homework for the week:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday night: 
Write paragraphs and draw pictures of the Microbe book - due Friday;

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night:
Sections of the Post test from the EOG coach book each night

Thursday night:
Study for the small test on previously missed questions on the Practice EOG, finish the first page of the Microbe Review sheet

5A, B, and C Monday night homework

Testing has now been changed to Wednesday and Thursday.  Therefore, 5A homework for tonight is to finish the Review sheet using column 1 and 2 vocabulary words.  5B and C need to finish pgs. 78-80 #2-10, 24, 25 in the Competitive Edge.

Grade 5: Week of April 23rd to 28th

Students will receive a Practice Science EOG test on Tuesday and their Language Arts or Math Practice EOG test Wednesday.  I will have all Practice EOG exams marked by Friday and will communicate with you as soon as possible if your child received a Level 2.  Your results will also be communicated on the progress report.

I will not see 5B or 5C these Practice EOG days but will see 5A in the afternoon all five days. Therefore, homework and tests will be different for each group on some days.  5B and 5C will have their vocabulary quiz on columns 1 and 2 this Monday and 5A will have it on Thursday.  5B and C already completed a small review sheet last Friday and 5A will receive this Monday.

We will learn about food webs and food chains this week, and begin reviewing our Column 3 vocabulary words.  We will also review the different components a food web:  producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers, and scavengers.  All groups will receive a mini review lesson at the beginning of each class to prepare for the Science EOG.

Homework for all groups Monday night:  Competitive Edge Pgs. 78-80 #2-10, 24, 25 *full sentences for most questions

5B and 5C Tuesday and Wednesday night:  Food web tree map and Interactions in an Ecosystem sheet.  The tree map on the Food web will be started in class.  Students will need their Competitive Edge book to do this.

5A Tuesday night:  Interactions in an Ecosystem side of the worksheet only
5A Wednesday night:  study for the Vocabulary 1st and 2nd column quiz

Homework for Thursday night all groups:  Column 3 sentences and pictures

Grade 6: Week of April 23rd to 27th

Students will continue to research their planet at school and at home, and we will begin writing our paragraphs next week due to two days of Practice EOG tests and the Planetarium visit on Friday.  Please have your child bring in the Planetarium consent form and $5.00 as soon as possible.  Students will not be able to attend the educational on-site field trip presented by Morehead Planetarium without either of these.  We will have a change of lunch schedule on Friday  so we may go on the field trip at 11:30.  If bringing lunch to the school on Friday, bring it 11:00 to 11:30 or before.

A few students scored below 70% on their Sedimentary and Metamorphic rock test and need to retest.  The retest will be held 7:20 to 7:45 am or 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. Friday.  To retest, your child must do corrections of those s/he got wrong.  Students will write out the sentences with the correct word three times and include a picture.  The maximum mark that a student may receive on a retest is 70%.  In addition, students will not be allowed to retest if I have not checked their corrections.  This includes if they did them and are at home.

Our schedule for the week is as follows:

Monday:  research on the computer, go over the Sedimentary and Metamorphic rock test
Tuesday and Wednesday:  Practice EOG testing - I do not see students
Thursday:  Research on the computer, write the bibliography
Friday:  Research for 15 minutes, 11:00-11:30 eat lunch, 11:30-12:20 Planetarium visit to the "Dome"

Homework for the week:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night:

1. Bring in Planetarium and consent forms:  please do wait until Friday to do this!!!


2.  Write notes on the following subjects:

•  Planet facts and Special Characteristics (minimum 7 notes - no full sentences)
• Ability to support life (minimum 7 notes - no full sentences):  include gases in the atmosphere, organic/plant matter found on the planet, water, distance from the sun, temperature range, storms, wind speeds on the planet, and compare to Earth's ability to support life
• Technology used to explore the planet (minimum 7 notes - no full sentences):  include satellites, telescopes, rovers, probes, rockets

3.  Complete the Bibliography:

• Students must have at least four sources - 1 book and 3 websites.

4.  Study for the retest on Friday if you received less than 70%.  Do corrections and show them to me on Thursday.


Thursday night:  complete the bibliography and all research notes; study for the retest. 

I will mark the notes and bibliography over the weekend for a grade.  Students' notes will be graded on detail, scientific vocabulary, accuracy, and effort and receive a total of 15 marks.  Students' bibliography will be graded out of 5 marks for accuracy, completion, and neatness.

Grade 8: Week of April 23rd to 27th

Grade 8s will receive review every day until the EOGs.  We will have practice testing on Tuesday and Wednesday - Tuesday is the practice EOG Science test and it will be graded by Friday.  I will let you know the results on the progress reports and will contact you ASAP if your child makes a level 2 on the test.  Your child will also receive tutoring on Wednesday and Friday if they make a level 2 (plus regular in school remediation) - more details to come.  In addition, because we have practice EOG tests, I do not see 8b for two days, but see 8A in the afternoon so each group will have a different set of homework.

We are continuing to work on our Microbes booklet and I will show protist mini-videos of Euglena, Paramecium, and Amoebas.  Students will see how amoebas engulf their prey by a process called "phagocytosis".  We will explore how each protist moves, its animal and plant characteristics, special features, and binary fission.  We will also see a mini-video of how viruses reproduce themselves by attaching to cells, produced by npr.org.

Homework for the week - 8B only:

Monday night:  Questions on fungi
Tuesday:  Write pgs. 1-2 paragraphs and pictures
Wednesday:  Write pgs. 3-4 paragraphs and pictures
Thursday:  pg. 5, 6, 7 questions on protists (optional homework:  paragraphs and pictures of these pages)

Homework for the week - 8A only:

Monday night:  Questions on Bacteria and fungi
Tuesday:  Write pgs. 1-2 paragraphs and pictures
Wednesday:  Write pgs. 3-4 paragraphs and pictures
Thursday:  pg. 5, 6, 7 questions on protists (optional homework:  paragraphs and pictures of these pages)