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A YEAR IN PREVIEW

The Cubs team includes several special activities that enhance the curriculum, promote student growth both socially and academically, and support middle school philosophy throughout the school year.

SPECIAL EVENTS

¨ TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

¨ DUGOUTS

¨ OPEN HOUSE

¨ COMMUNITY SERVICE

FIELD TRIPS

(Costs are approximates)

¨ Chicago Field Museum - approximately $10 (October)

¨ Medieval Times Restaurant & Theater - approximately $42 (April)

STUDENT RECOGNITION AND TEAM SPIRIT

¨ DUGOUTS IN THE “FRIENDLY CONFINES”

¨ TEAM AWARDS (P.R.I.D.E.)

¨ PERFECT ATTENDANCE

¨ HONOR ROLL

¨ SCHOOL AWARDS

Language ArtsUpdate

Mrs. Ewanic, Mrs. Pjesky and Mrs. Vivian

2007-2008

Your child will be attaching some of the assignments that he or she has completed. Please review the assignments/rubrics or ask about the assignment with your child.

Writing

Updates about current writing activities and goals will appear in this section. Writing will be developed through the 6 + 1 Writing Traits program which includes developing ideas, organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. We will be concentrating on one skill per month and be building on these traits all year long.

Reading

You will receive a language arts update each month. This section of the update will include information about activities that we did to help students develop their reading rate, accuracy, and comprehension. These reading strategies will correlate to the monthly reading logs and will include:

· Connecting

· Questioning

· Determining importance

· Forming sensory images

· Inferring/Predicting

· Synthesizing

· Fix-up strategies

Please help your child by encouraging him/her to read at least thirty minutes a night and by helping to choose appropriate books.

Upcoming Events & Assignments:

A preview of what is new in language arts and on the Cubs team!

Spelling, Vocabulary and

Parts of Speech

Throughout the year, we will be studying words in various ways. We will be working on 12 spelling units, vocabulary, and parts of speech. During a spelling week, students will receive the list of words on Monday and have the spelling test on Friday. We will also be concentrating some weeks on vocabulary. Other times, we will devote whole units to a part of speech.

Assignments to look for or ask about:

This section will list assignments that are attached to each newsletter. Sometimes, the assignments will not be attached because your child has chosen to include in his/her portfolio of student work. In that case, just ask your child about his/her performance on the assignment.

Child’s name:_______________________________________

Parent Signature__________________________________ Date____________________

SCIENCE

Science is a comprehensive process by which we continually refine our understanding of the universe. Scientific literacy enables us to make informed, responsible decisions that affect our daily lives. An integral part of this curriculum is to promote an understanding of the interconnections within the sciences and interactions among science, technology, society, and the environment.

Instruction in the science classroom will model and provide opportunities for students to participate in scientific inquiry as they experience the wonders of science. A rich variety of cognitively appropriate strategies and resources will be utilized so that all students have opportunities to experience both success and challenge. The environment in the science classroom will have students actively constructing knowledge by being engaged in observing, questioning, investigating, problem solving, predicting, evaluating, and communicating ideas.

As a result of this curriculum, students will ask and investigate scientific questions, evaluate claims and evidence, and make responsible decisions in a rapidly changing world.

Textbooks – Introduction to Matter, Holt Science and Technology

Inside the Restless Earth, Holt Science and Technology

Cells, Heredity, and Classification, Holt Science and Technology

Concepts

· Introduction to Science and Technology

· Chemistry

· Investigating Matter and Energy

· Earth Science: Inside the Restless Earth

· Life Science: Cells, Heredity, and Classification

MATH “THEMATICS”

Welcome to 6^th grade MATH! Our curriculum is designed to help students develop their mathematical understanding and abilities. We will stress not only key mathematical skills, but also the importance of problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking. Topics include fractions, decimals, ratios/proportions, percents, and measurement. Each unit connects mathematical ideas to real-world problem applications.

Students will learn math concepts through a variety of instructional techniques. Because the program allows the student to discover the mathematics, you will see few step-by-step procedures. Working cooperatively and using concrete materials, students are exposed to exploring math properties and relationships. This does not mean that students are completely on their own. Direct instruction of concepts and skills is included on a daily basis and will be enhanced with the addition of our new “Smarboard” technology.

In order to fully explore the concepts of area and perimeter in May, sixth grade math also uses the CONNECTED MATH series, Covering and Surrounding. This paperback text, funded by the National Science Foundation, is devoted to connecting math concepts to real-world situations using area and perimeter. Its focus it to teach students to understand, find, and use perimeters and areas of rectangles, parallelograms, triangles, and nongeometric shapes.

Your child has already received a packet of guidelines that will inform you of policies, procedures, and helpful ideas to ensure success for the year to come. You should also expect to see your child’s work papers and quizzes after each module of study. Please sign and return these promptly. The goal is to be sure that this year’s math experiences are enjoyable and promote a firm understanding of concepts and skills.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Welcome to our world’s history. The curriculum for sixth grade social science takes a concept-based approach. The class is divided into chronological eras of world history starting with the Stone Age and ending with the European Renaissance. Each unit will involve basic social science skills such as map work, vocabulary, and comprehension of people/places/events. These skills will then become the foundation to develop critical thinking skills by connecting a trimester concept to the case studies in the text. Some of the common in-class activities include debates, simulations, research, presentations, product creation, and group problem-solving activities. In addition, field trips that coordinate with some of the units are planned for October and March.

Below is a list of our social science theme and examples of major case studies.

Theme - Contributions

Guiding Question – How and why do civilizations survive, thrive, or fail?

Trimester 1

Ø Geographer’s Handbook and Historian Handbook

Ø The First Civilizations

Ø Ancient Egypt

Ø Ancient Israelites

Ø

TEXT ON THE INTERNET!!!

You can visit the web site companion to this text at www.jat.glencoe.com.  Click on Journey Across Time, The Early Ages, then select Illinois as the state and 2005 as the copyright date.  At the next screen, click to enter the “Student Center,” then click on the left side for the “Online Student Edition.”  You will need to enter Username: JAT2005 and Password: 8hu5rust.   The text is in .pdf format.  Many activities are available; please explore the site at your earliest convenience. 

The Ancient Greeks

Trimester 2

Ø Greek Civilization

Ø Early India

Ø Early China

Ø The Rise of Rome

Trimester 3

Ø Roman Civilization

Ø The Rise of Christianity

Ø Islamic

Ø Medieval China, Africa, Japan, and Europe

Ø The Americas

Ø The Renaissance and Reformation

Ø Enlightenment and Revolution

*If you have any expertise in an area that we study and would like to contribute, please let us know.