March 11 -15

I can create written texts for a variety of audiences and purposes (Grade 6, ELAL)

This week we took our first shot at news article writing! Before we started our news article, we watched a video on a new urban living experience called The Line. We were then given a piece of paper with information on it. We learned that we needed to read through the information and categorize it into 2 categories: most important information and less important information. 

We learned that our news article should be organized in the following way:

• Headline
• Byline 
• 5 W paragraph (Who, what, when, where, why)
• Paragraph with the most important information
• Paragraph with less important information

Here is a look at our progress so far!

March 4 - 8

 I can provide evidence that air takes up space, has mass, is capable of being compressed, and exerts pressure, and identify examples of these properties in everyday applications (Grade 6 Science)

I can use vocabulary in referring to control surfaces of an aircraft, such as: wing, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, elevators, ailerons, rudder (Grade 6 Science)

This week we started our unit on Aerodynamics and Flight! We learned 4 important properties of air: 

1. Air takes up space: blowing up a balloon

2. Air has mass: the full balloon was heavier than the empty one

3. Air exerts pressure: a piece of paper is hard to lift with a flat ruler laying underneath because the pressure of the air over the paper creates resistance (ask your grade sixer to show you a demo of this!)

4. Air can be compressed: the air in a scuba tanks is compressed to fit more

We also learned about the control surfaces of an airplane: aileron, rudder, and elevator. We learned what yaw, pitch, and roll meant as well. We drew a diagram of an airplane and watched a video and read a website to label our picture and explain each.

February 26-29

 I can represent, order, add, and subtract integers (Grade 6 Math)

This week in grade 6, we learned that integers are positive and negative whole numbers. We worked with integers on number lines and learned that the intervals (or scale) on a number line must be consistent. We also learned that you can make a number line start and end anywhere you want, as long as it has a consistent interval.

We also experimented with coloured counters, making one colour represent positive numbers and the other colour represent negative numbers. 

We thought of real-life examples of integers. Some ideas that the students came up with are par, birdie, eagle, bogey, and double bogey in golf; temperatures on a thermometer; and borrowing and saving money from mom and dad! 

We practiced ordering integers on a number line and determining the difference between two integers using problems like this:

Rossa prepared to jump off of a diving board. She was 15 feet from the pool's water level.

If she jumped up 2 feet, dove to the pool water level, and then dove 8 feet into the water,

how many feet did she travel total?

Then we were ready to add and subtract positive and negative numbers. We learning using counters and number lines: 

For example, −3 + (−4) can be represented by putting together 3 negative counters and 4 negative counters. 

There are 7 negative counters in total, so the sum is −7.

To model 3 + (−4), you can put together 3 positive counters and 4 negative counters.

Since each pair of positive and negative counters cancels each other out, you are left with -1. 

So, 3 + (−4) = −1.

Using the counters helped some students understand what it means to add and subtract integers.Others preferred to use a number line. For example, to calculate −2 + 5 you can start at −2, count 5 forward and see where you land. 

So, −2 + 5 = 3.

Phew! That was a lot of learning! Students worked hard calculating and solving problems in 

groups and independently.