Upcoming Chapter Test & Mid-Term Final

Hello Parents!

We will be having a chapter test (Chapter 2) next Wednesday, Dec. 9.  I will give your children a Study Guide tomorrow (Friday).  Their mid-term final will be on Wednesday, Dec. 16.  I will provide a Study Guide for it by Friday, the 11th of December.  It will cover pertinent parts of Chapters 1, 2, and 3 and Inquiry Skills we have covered (Observation, Classification, Inference, etc.) Thank you!  Mrs. Stafford

Chapter 2 Test Covering Rocks Next Wednesday, December 9th

Learning About Rocks Through Edible Geology is Cool!

Examining Rocks to Determine Type is Great Fun!

Today the sixth grade Earth Science students first watched an Edible Geology video about how to make the three types of rocks:  igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.  We will be making those rocks next week (AND EATING THEM, AS WELL)! :)

Afterwards, we examined different samples of rocks to determine which type of rock each was.  Students used what they have learned about how geologists classify rocks.  They looked at mineral composition, color, and texture of each sample through a magnifying glass.  Then, they recorded the name of the rock, its classification, and wrote a brief description.  Also, they were provided a chart showing the life cycle of a rock in order to understand exactly where their samples fall in that cycle.

Students Having Fun While Learning Earth Science

While our class has super intelligent students (83% class average on the Plate Tectonics Test--Woo! Hoo!), we still try to learn by doing (kinesthetically)!  Earlier this week we reviewed the layers of the Earth by doing an experiment involving Oreo cookies, Hershey Chocolate Syrup, and M&Ms!  First, students took the Oreo apart.  They ate the side having only the chocolate cookie.  The other side of the cookie, which included the cream filling, represented the crust (outer thin layer of cookie) and the mantle (cream filling).  Next, we added Hershey Syrup in the middle which represented the molten outer core, and a M&M was placed in the center (the solid inner core).  What a fun way to remember the layers of the Earth and have a delicious snack, as well!

Chapter 3 Test Covering 'Plate Tectonics' Scheduled

Hello!

Students will be taking a test covering Chapter 3, 'Plate Tectonics', on Tuesday, October 27th!  We will be reviewing for the test on Monday.  A study guide will be provided.

Have a wonderful break!

Mrs. Stafford

Working With Partners While Learning About Plate Tectonics

Students Learn About Alfred Wegener's Hypothesis About Pangaea

In 1910, Alfred Wegener, a German scientist, became curious about why some continents look like they could fit together.   Wegener's hypothesis was that all the continents were once joined together in a single landmass he named Pangaea.  His idea was that the continents slowly moved over the Earth's surface.  This became known as continental drift.

Wegener said this supercontinent, Pangaea, was joined together about 300 million years ago.  Over tens of millions of years, Pangaea began to break apart, and the pieces of Pangaea slowly moved to their present locations.  These pieces became the continents as formed today.

Chapter 1 Test Next Tuesday, September 22nd!!! Study! Study! Study! :)

Hello Parents! 
 
Your children will have their first test covering Chapter 1 next Tuesday, September 22nd. They will be receiving a study guide on Friday which we will discuss together. As this has been a very lengthy chapter, please encourage your child to study a little every day. Vocabulary for the chapter is in their vocabulary folders. They need to understand and be familiar with the words. If you have questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you! Beth Stafford 918-527-0868 bstafford@allsaintsba.com 
 

Earth Science Students Practice Measuring Degrees of Orange Sections

Today sixth grade Earth Science students learned about how to measure by using a protractor to determine the degrees in orange slices.  First, we sanitized our work area and equipment.  Next, we washed our hands thoroughly.  We peeled our oranges, and sectioned half of an orange.  We used a protractor to draw the zero degree line, and then measured the highest part of the section in order to accurately determine the degrees in each slice.  Students tallied their sections, and the closest we came to 180 degrees (a half circle) was by Jeana!!!!!  She measured 191 degrees!  When we finished our calculations, we enjoyed eating our oranges.  Science can be fun and delicious!

Using a Protractor to Measure the Degrees in Orange Slices

Degrees are used to measure the distance around a circle.  A degree is 1/360 of the distance around a circle.  Degrees can also be used to measure distances on the surface of a sphere.  On Earth's surface, degrees are a measure of an angle formed by lines drawn from the center of Earth to points on the surface.  An orange is made up of wedges.  We will be using a protractor to measure the number of degrees in the pieces of an orange in order to get a better understanding of how spheres are measured in degrees.  Our class will be doing this fun activity this Friday.  More pictures will be posted of the students actually doing the experiment later this week!!!!!

Making a Model of the Layers of the Earth With Modeling Clay

Our class has learned about the different layers of the Earth, including temperatures, the width in kilometers, and the composition.  We thought it would be fun to make the different layers of the Earth, showing the differences in widths of each layer, with modeling clay!  After models were completed, the students cut their models in half in order to view the interior layers of:  the inner core, the outer core, the mantle, and the crust, and how they compare to one another!  Great job, sixth grade! :)

Earth Science 2015-16

Hello!  Welcome to 6.3 Earth Science!  I am so excited to be in partnership with you, the parents of my students, as we educate our children about the wonders of the Earth!  We will begin with Introducing the Earth.  Then, we will move on to learning about Minerals and Rocks, Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Weathering and Soil, Erosion and Deposition, Geologic Time, Energy Resources, Water, The Atmosphere, Weather, Climate and Climate Change, The Earth, Moon, and Sun, The Solar System, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe, and finally, Land, Air, and Water Resources.  Wow!  By the time we complete our school year, we should be experts when it comes to Earth Science! :)

Your children have a consumable textbook this year.  It is called Earth Science, Interactive Science,
by Pearson Education, Inc.  We expect your children to write in the textbook.  This will make it so much easier when it comes to highlighting important excerpts and jotting down notes.

Feel free to contact me whenever you have a question or concern.  You may e-mail me or call me on my cell phone.  This information will be provided when we meet on 'Back to School' night!  See you then!    Mrs. Stafford