Here's a cool fact for you:
Scientists believe the earth is about 4.6 billion (that's 4,600,000,000)
years old. If every year was represented
as an inch, 4.6 billion years would be equivalent to 383,333,333 1/3 feet-- or 72,601 miles. If
you had that much string (just sayin'. . .), it would encircle the earth at the
equator three times! Long string = long
time!
Scientists believe man has been on earth for about 200,000
years, which, using the same analogy, would be equivalent to about 3 miles, or
half the distance to Vergennes. (That's only .00004 of the time the earth has been in existance.) Puts
things in perspective, huh?
The study of human history is fascinating, much debated, and
overflowing with intriguing stuff to discover/analyze/challenge/learn! Our goal is to
"comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity
band independently and proficiently" as we explore the physical and
cultural characteristics of ancient people.
ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF
SEPTEMBER 22-26
SOCIAL STUDIES
- Monday: Prehistory timeline activity
- Thursday: View "The First Humans" PowerPoint below and respond to the questions I provide to you. (Follow directions!)
Early Humans Powerpoint from http://earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/lessonplans.html
SCIENCE
- Tuesday: Click here to complete the tutorial from PBS Savage Planet website titled: "Hell's Crust; Our Ever-Changing Planet," then begin work on multi-direction Plate Tectonic Interactive Notebook Activity. (Have plates colored and ready to go for Friday.)
- Friday: Discuss the significance of the "Ring of Fire." (Click here for more information) Complete Interactive Notebook Activity (see below).
- Cut out plate tectonics that were colored for today.
- Glue onto globe template provided.
- Use red or orange marker to show "Ring of Fire." List Major and Minor Plates on second template.
- Glue two completed templates (map and list) into facing pages in Interactive Notebooks, and provide a title for each.
MATH
- Monday: More practice on Factor Trees. Complete "5 Factor Trees" worksheet for tomorrow. Want to practice? Play this cool game!!
- Tuesday: Mini-Lesson: How to find Prime. (Need more help figuring out if a number is prime? Check here!) Correct Factor Trees. "Challenge a Friend" practice in preparation for tomorrow's you-know-what.
- Wednesday: BHT on Factor Trees--time to move on!
- Thursday: Introduce Least Common Multiples (1.3, pg. 13 & 14) Assign: Share and Show pg. 15.
- Friday: Assignment = Practice 1.3 wkst. & complete "Unlock the Problem," pg. 16
LANGUAGE ARTS
Monday: Introduced "Things to Do on a Boring Day" poem (with a focus on parallel structure and action verbs) Complete first draft for tomorrow.
Tuesday: Organize each line of your poem by length and copy into your Writers' Notebooks. I will assign a grade on Friday, so have them done! As time permits, work on 4th Bingo Square, due Friday as well.
Wednesday: Guidance today. Work on Spelling,Typing Pal, and finishing up Bingo Square.
Thursday: Watch video below titled, "Animals of the Stone Age" and follow the directions for this activity overflowing with awesomeness. Warning: It is not for the faint of heart!
Friday: Activity time (since we won't have it this afternoon).
SPELLING
Monday: Pgs. 26-27
Tuesday: Pgs. 28-29
Wednesday: Pgs. 30-31 (Review)
Thursday: Pgs. 32-33
Friday: Corrections and BHT
READING
MONDAY: Correct "Just Once" tests / R & R (Relax and Read)
TUESDAY: "It Would Be Hard to Smile at a Smilodon" -- CCSS aligned Science/ E.L.A informational reading comprehension activity.
WEDNESDAY: No School This Afternoon! Woo-hoo!
THURSDAY: Continue work from Social Studies--read/research Prehistoric Animals (Include name, time period, physical description--size, weight, etc.--diet, and anything else you find cooool.) Fill out form, then create informative paragraph.
FRIDAY: R & R (Relax and Read). Remember, you will have a book project (which I will assign) NEXT TUESDAY, September 30.
~ DIRECTIONS ~
Get on your camouflage animal skins, you pretend-prehistoric sixth graders; you're going hunting. This is no job for wusses. The animals you'll encounter are a bagillion times weirder than anything you've hunted before. They've got giant horns and spikes and teeth and claws and, well, let's just say your skills are going to be challenged. You've heard of the Woolly Mammoth and the Smilodon (Sabre Tooth Tiger)? Get ready to meet the Glyptodon, the Arsinotherium, the Uintatherium, and the Coelodonta just to name a few.
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that you'll be traveling without weapons. You work for Prehistoric Geographic Magazine and your job is to come back with detailed descriptions of these animals -- what they look like, act like, eat. Feel free to take pictures if you dare. Good luck, noble hunters, and best wishes for a safe return.
Check out this list of Prehistoric animals. Look here for more animals and here for more ideas and some helpful descriptions. Guess where you can go to find information on specific animals? What do you mean you don't know? OK, I'l give you a hint. It's spelled G-O-O-G-L-E. I won't say another word.
As you wander, feel free to sing along to this timeless little ditty:
· Quote Reference: Introduction
to the Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Oxford University Press, New York .
· image: http://www..com/images/ptlogo2.jpg
· Animal video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB4fPhv2jWA
· Prehistoric times image: http://www..com/images/ptlogo2.j
