May 21 - 24

 Math

I can evaluate expressions using the order of operations (Gr. 6 Math)

This week, students worked on a really tricky problem called the 54321 Challenge! We used our knowledge of the order of operations (BEDMAS) to help us work through it. We had to use the digits 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 (without changing the order) and could use brackets and any of the 4 operations. We worked so hard on this and a few of us are really close to completing the challenge!

I can implement movement patterns in response to a variety of physical, verbal, visual, and musical stimuli (Gr. 6 PE and Wellness)

Thanks to a few grade 3 students who did some research and wrote persuasive letters to Mrs. Scarrow, Mr. Newman, and School Council, Andrew Sibbald now has 2 Omniken balls to use during PE! In grade 6 we invented some of our own games and tested out the large ball. We were also visited by the grade 3 students who shared some additional game ideas with us; we look forward to giving them a whirl in the weeks to come!

May 13 - 16

    Over the past three weeks, students had the opportunity to work with Mr. Newman on Robotics. A couple of students shared their experience: 

    We started robotics by building our robot, that means that we attached wires, sensors, and lots of intricate parts. To accomplish our end goal we had to adjust and persevere when things didn't work how we wanted them to. It took us an entire time to finish but it was worth it in the end. We had to find all of the pieces we needed and everything had to be built very specifically or it wouldn't work properly. 

Once we were done building our bot, we moved on to learning how to code with it. In our groups we used Mindstorm and iPads to code our bots. We explored the different things we could do with the bots and the coding. We experimented with face expressions, noises, and even sensors that would do different things depending on what you wanted it to do. 

For example if you had a yellow sheet of paper and we would code the robot to stop at the yellow, or it could spin or even go backwards. Mr. Newman taught us to make our bots spin and even stop when it got too close to something it could also move either forward or backwards.

Then we sadly had to take apart our robots but we had a fun experience doing it and we learned a lot from it.   

-Written by Juliet and McKenzie

May 6 - 10

I can investigate evidence by analyzing the ink from different pens, using paper chromatography.

I can identify independent, dependent and controlled variables in science experiments.

(Grade 6 Science)

This week we started our new Evidence and Investigation unit! We began by testing our observation skills. We learned about selective attention after watching the following video. Students were quite surprised to see what they missed while watching the video the first time. 

There was a crime! (Pretend, of course) A notebook was vandalized with a black pen. Who could have been responsible for this nefarious act?! Was it Brooklyn with her Mr.Sketch marker? Matthew with his sharpie? Brendan with the Expo marker? Or Sarah with the Crayola marker?

Students learned that ink chromatography is a technique for separating the different colour pigments in an ink sample. Investigators can compare chromatography samples to ink used in a crime scene as a clue to solving a mystery. Ask your child what the independent, dependent, and controlled variables were in this experiment and also ask who the main suspect was!

April 29 - May 3

I can describe reflection symmetry and rotation symmetry. 
I can describe the symmetry modelled in a tessellation.  
I can investigate tessellations found in First Nations and Metis star blankets, objects, art, or architecture.

(Grade 6 Math)

This week, we learned that a tessellation is a pattern made of one or more shapes that fit together with no gaps or overlaps. At any point where the shapes in a tessellation meet, the total angle measure is 360°. 

This Cree Starblanket design is an example of a tessellation. It also shows both rotational symmetry and reflection symmetry.  The star has eight points symbolizing kindness, humility, honesty, respect, healing, forgiveness, wisdom, and love. The points face outward which represents the relationship with family, friends, and the community.

We used pattern blocks to make tessellating designs then moved on to a creative art piece 
using tessellations.

We also learned about rotational symmetry and reflective symmetry. The students were able to make connections between this new learning and their previous learning of reflections and rotations on the cartesian plane. We practiced creating and identifying symmetry using pattern blocks, geo-boards, and loose parts. 

A figure has reflection symmetry if it can be reflected across a line and look exactly the same as it did before the reflection.

A figure has rotational symmetry when it can be rotated (less than 360∘) and still look like it did before the rotation. The centre of rotation is the point a figure is rotated around such that the rotational symmetry holds.

Key Terms

regular polygon: a polygon with all sides the same length, for example, a square

tessellation: a repeated pattern made from shapes with no spaces or gaps

vertex: (plural: vertices) the point where two sides of a shape meet