"After winter, but before spring, there’s a muddy, cold, gray sliver of a season. . ."

". . .The ground is almost bare, yet very little grows. This season is not good for much . . . unless you’re one of those overalls-clad, Northwoods diehards who eagerly awaits the running of the maple sap. If you are, you lovingly set aside this season, “from the Ides of March to the singing of the spring peepers,” for tending your trees."

~by Eva Apelqvist

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 

APRIL 8--12

LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5/6

Monday:  Complete "Millions of Mummies" cartoon activity &amp
Tuesday:  Bibliography lesson

Wednesday:  Type final draft/complete final touches of Pharaoh report

Thursday:  Continue typing final draft/complete final touches of Pharaoh report

Friday:  Turn in completed Pharaoh Report

SPELLING, GRADE 6

Monday:  Homonym activity, part 1


Tuesday:  Homonym activity, part 2


Wednesday -- Thursday: Have fun playing these interactive games!

• Homonym Memory Game
• Guess the Homonym
• Homonym Madness 
• Word Confusion 
• Homographs -- Tossed-Up Talents 
•  Synonym Hangman
•  Antonyms Millionaire                                                                                               

Friday:  Fairy Tale Homograph activity.


SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5/6

Monday/Tuesday & Wednesday/Thursday: Painting Chicken Mummies and Sarcophagi & concluding project

Friday: Activity day, Mrs. M.'s class

Wonderful maple sugaring  photo:  http://www.fruitlands.org/sites/default/files/image/iStock_maple%20sugaring.JPG

Quote:  http://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/things-to-do/a-walk-in-the-sugar-bush?articleid=186

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~Mark Twain

Rabbit, Rabbit!  . . .and so we start another month--the one that takes us from snow drifts lingering on shadowed hillsides (and yes, that occasional awakening to snow-covered lawns) to daffodils dotting grassy meadows.  Peepers will be out within two weeks, mark my word. 

Anyway, with the improvement in weather conditions comes the all too familiar desire for children to do just about anything to get out of completing school work.  Ahh, youth.  Now teaching and parenting must become a bit more, shall we say, inventive. (Kind of like hiding the peas in the ice cream.  Well, sort of. . .)

   Please help your child to remain on track with homework. 

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 
APRIL 1-5 

Spelling

Monday:  "Right Spelling, Wrong Word"

Tuesday:  Practice session for "S-BAC" online testing pilot

Wednesday:  Begin "S-BAC" 

Thursday:  "Words with Multiple Meanings"

Friday:  READ-A-THON all day!  Fundraiser -- Please consider sponsoring your child--any checks can be made payable to "Meals on Wheels."

Social Studies

Monday:  Mrs. M.'s class -- Watch the movie, "Building the Great Pyramid."

Tuesday:  Mrs. D.'s class -- Same as above.

Wednesday: Mrs. M.'s class -- Mummify those chickens!

Thursday:  Mrs. D.'s class -- Same as above. 

Language Arts

Monday:  Egyptian Poetry Project

Tuesday:  Complete Egyptian Poetry Project

Wednesday: Grade 6 pilots "S-BAC" online test.

Thursday:  "Millions of Mummies" 6-panel cartoon summaries.

Friday:  READ-A-THON!

  

Reading

Monday: Study hall to complete overdue work.  Ten points off late work turned in today!

Tuesday:  Comprehension activity/silent reading

Wednesday:  No class -- read aloud in Library

Thursday: Comprehension activity/silent reading

Friday: READ-A-THON! 

Beautiful artwork, huh?  Fireflies under the Springtime Moon can be found @ 

http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5198223/il_fullxfull.358655542.jpg

  

"This day I have sent couriers to every part of our country, to every city and village. They carry this decree. That I have set a task for Egypt. . ."

". . .which in any other land would be impossible on the desert sands. You will raise a pyramid, a structure greater than any in the world. This pyramid shall be resting place for the second life. Each man has a covenant with me to work as man has not yet worked in all time. And as the living God of Egypt, I promise you that each man by his labor shall secure for himself a place in the life to come."  ~William Falkner's Land of the Pharaohs 

~

We continue our study of Ancient Egypt through the completion of our Mini-Books and Research Reports.  As you will see, assignments are a little different now, since much more time is given to students demonstrating their understanding of the concepts we've covered throughout the year. Working independently and with each other, they are creating and polishing projects of interest to them, gathering ideas and insights -- and help in problem-solving -- from their peers.   

The first is a Mini-Book of facts about the everyday life of Ancient Egyptians. This project not only covers reading for information, highlighting important facts, effective note-taking, and compiling information into a visually appealing, polished document, it also demonstrates students' understanding of informational text features.  In fact, each book is required to include at least ten.

This project will be due on Friday, March 29th.

The "Pharaoh Report" is a major research project.  Written in first person, it recounts the lives of some of the greatest kings of Ancient Egypt. Students scoured the internet and printed off three documents that they found most helpful -- to be used as the basis of their report.  They read, highlighted information that they were required to include in their report, took notes, and began the writing process -- one paragraph at a time -- in class. In no time, students were seeking additional information on their own, and were identifying relationships with one another's pharaohs as they began to unravel the history of each of the great kingdoms through a continuum of dynasties. Awesome.  

This is to be an academic paper, complete with bibliography written in APA format.  Ask to see your child's syllabus.  In it, I outline each of the parts of the report (which will become the rubric for grading) as well as the timeline for completion.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF

MARCH 25-29 

LANGUAGE ARTS 

Monday: Begin work on COVER -- an Egyptian scene utilizing the artform known as frontalism.  The words ANCIENT EGYPT will be written in hieroglyphs. We will work on this again tomorrow, after which any unfinished work will need to be completed at home or during study hall in the afternoon.

Tuesday:  Complete cover (include color) and work on any other unfinished aspects of the project.  (Remember "Presentation Quality!")  After today, you're on your own to complete and turn in your project no later than Friday.

Wednesday:  Center Square Activity

Thursday:  Complete Center Square Activity and put finishing touches on this month's Writer's Notebooks.

Friday:  Share Mini-Books, turn in Writer's Notebooks for March.


SOCIAL STUDIES
 

Monday:   Mrs. M.'s class completed the concluding paragraph/s (death and legacy).  All the paragraphs should be organized onto one document -- the second draft of the report -- and turned in for feedback.

Tuesday:  Mrs. D.'s class is a day behind.  We will work on accomplishments and interesting facts paragraphs. 

Wednesday:  We'll share our reports with our peers and seek their advice.

Thursday:  Mrs. D.'s class will complete the concluding paragraph/s (see Monday's assignment above). 

Friday:  No class. 

SPELLING, GRADE 6 (No task cards this week!)

Monday: Art got in the way; we'll catch up tomorrow.

Tuesday:  191-194

Wednesday:  195-196

Thursday: 197-200

Friday: TEST

READING, MRS. M'S CLASS

Monday --> Friday:  

• Concepts of Comprehension activities

• Independent Silent Reading

• Study Hall (lots of informational reading is associated with projects in most subject areas)

  

I hope this week will be productive and fun as project work becomes increasingly creative and students work more freely with peers to critique and complete them. 

“...as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold - everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment - an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by - I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, 'Can you see anything?' it was all I could do to get out the words, 'Yes, wonderful things.”   ― Howard Carter, Tomb of Tutankhamen

Ancient Pharaohs illustration:  http://www.rhesusnegative.net/work/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/pharaoh-t9842.jpg

King Tut illustration:  http://www.paperdroids.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/king-tutankhamun-dna_12801_600x450.jpg

"Then come the wild weather, come sleet or come snow, we will stand by each other, however it blow." ~ Simon Dach

 

Well, there is consolation in knowing Spring is coming even if its effects cannot be felt for awhile...

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 

MARCH 18 -- 22

So much more work is project-based this trimester.  

It relies on your ability to stay on task and work productively and independently.

SPELLING, GRADE 6

Words for the Week:  indefinite, illuminate, jealous, emit, uncommitted, ancient overworked, thoughtless, illegibly, achieve

Two of your task cards should be to write definitions for each of these words and use them effectively in a sentence.

Monday:

pages 181-182 & task cards

 

Tuesday:  

pages 183-184 & task cards

Wednesday:  

pages 185-186 & task cards

 
Thursday: 

pages 187-190 & task cards

Friday:  

Test - collect task cards

LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5 & 6

Monday:  

Write Source Assessment

Tuesday:  

Review informational text features. Finish typing & adding text features to mini-book.  Check off which text features are included in your mini-book using worksheet provided to you.

Wednesday:

Egyptian Art Form Activity -- Frontalism.  Complete practice sheet and begin planning cover. (If you're not done typing your mini-book, this must now be done for homework or during free time.)

Thursday:

Work on cover art (Ancient Egyptian scene utilizing Frontalism) and hieroglyphs ("Ancient Egypt")

Friday:  

Finishing touches on mini-book -- turn in!

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5 & 6 

Monday:

Mrs. M.'s class -- Write paragraph/s (background, description)

Tuesday:

Mrs. D.'s class -- Same as above

Wednesday:

Mrs. M.'s class -- Write paragraph/s (accomplishments/ interesting facts about your pharaoh)

Thursday: 

Mrs. M.'s class -- Same as above

Friday: 

No class (Complete any unfinished work)

READING, MRS. M.'S CLASS

Monday:

Work on Reading project for the end of the month, Social Studies informational reading/writing

Tuesday --> Friday:

Comprehension activity, then silent reading, informational reading/writing 

Wonderful cartoon that pretty much sums up our hopes for Spring in this week of snowstorms: 

http://www.davegranlund.com/cartoons/wp-content/uploads/color-spring-fev-sno.jpg

“Mud season is also sugaring season. We really prefer a long and difficult spring. ... We're alone in that.” Patrick Hooker

 

After[another]winter
the world dissolves
in weak sunshine and water:
Mud sucks at your shoes.
It’s impossible to keep the floors
or the dogs clean... 

     ~from Mud Season By Alice Persons  

~ 

When I think of mud season, I remember hauling my young children into the woods on an old toboggan to gather sap.  We made our way to our meager stand of maples on a long-abandoned road, little more than a muddy/slushy path now.  It made traveling pretty challenging--especially on the way back with buckets brimful of sloshing sap and giggling pre-schoolers in tow.  No one minded the mud. It was part of the experience.

"You cannot open a book without learning something."  ~ Confucius

~

Remember, 6th Graders, Story Maps (on your first book for the month) are due on Thursday, March 14th. 

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 

MARCH 11 -- 14

LANGUAGE ARTS

Monday:

Notes for sub-sections "Ra" through Nile River due TODAY!  10 points off if turned in  tomorrow.  "Cool Facts About Ancient Egypt" page due tomorrow.

Tuesday:

Type facts (from all sections). (Refer to syllabus for directions.)  Work must be "Presentation Quality" -- include sub-headings and at least 5 pictures.  Be creative, and remember G.U.M.!

Wednesday:

Continue typing, Grade 5!   Grade 6, continue to work independently since we'll be at Hunt's Farm during your class time.

Thursday:

Finish, finish, finish typing!  Associated art projects and book completion next week.

SPELLING, GRADE 6

No assignments this week.  However, tomorrow we'll have the Vocabulary Test associated with last week's work.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Monday, Grade 5:

Complete Note-Taking using Graphic Organizer I provided you

Tuesday, Grade 6:

Same as above

Wednesday, Grade 5:

Complete Introductory Paragraph using notes from Graphic Organizer.  Turn both in at the end of class.

Thursday, Grade 6:

Same as above

READING, Mrs. Maynard's Class

Monday:

Lesson -- "Steps to Textual Analysis" (no assignment)

Silent read

Tuesday:
Grade 5 -- A Real Life Bat Man (textual analysis--figurative language)
Grade 6 -- A Hole in the Planet (textual analysis--vocabulary in context)

Wednesday:
No class -- Read-aloud (listening skills/comprehension) with Mrs. Chamberlain


Thursday:
Grade 5 -- A Stargazer's Guide to Mission Control (textual analysis--genre)
Grade 6 -- A Liger's Tale (textual analysis--figurative language)

    

STORY MAPS DUE, GRADE 6!

MARVELOUS MUD SEASON IMAGE:  http://www.thegardenerseden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/The-Mud-Season-Ball-

%E2%93%92-michaela-thegardenerseden.com_.jpg

CHILD READING IMAGE:  http://vector.us/files/images/1/5/152615/man_reading_with_glasses_clip_art.jpg

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ― L.M. Montgomery

Hello, families--

After a weekend of last-minute corrections and updates, report cards are done.  Your students will bring them home on Friday, but in the meantime, feel free to check PowerSchool.  Lessons come in many forms; whether your child is learning from celebrations or challenges, each one of them have value. I hope you use this opportunity to keep the conversation going.  I'm doing the same!

While our schedule is slightly altered (in Science) for the next two weeks, I have created some Language Arts/History activities (which will happen more and more often for this trimester) that will provide some interesting flexible work time for everyone.  In Language Arts, our Ancient Egypt Mini-Project will involve research, reading (interpreting text), note-taking, writing, editing & revising, using technology, and art -- and culminates in a "Publication Quality" piece that demonstrates students' understanding of the every-day life of ancient Egyptians (and each student's individual creativity). (Please peruse the grading rubric included in the packets to see how each piece will be assessed.)

In Social Studies, we are beginning our Research Report project on one of the mighty pharaohs of Egypt.  Everyone received a packet of information, which they should share with you.  The dates are something that we will negotiate together, so they may be subject to "slight alteration," but the final, final, final date for completion is April 12.  Presentations will follow.


Cool sites to check out about Ancient Egypt (You can use this for both Language Arts and Social Studies!):

Ancient Egypt Online

Ancient Egypt for Kids   

Kid Info   

Virtual Egypt

Animal Mummies

Ancient Egypt -- Kids Konnect

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 

MARCH 4-8

~

 LANGUAGE ARTS

Monday:  

Introduce packet and read together first three subheadings.  Students are shown how to highlight appropriately (well, it still needs a little practice. . .) and to choose interesting facts (from Daily Life, Marriage, and Food & Cooking), which they must rewrite in their own words for use in their project.  At least TWO facts from each subheading are required, but students are encouraged to find more. (I will collect and look over.)

Tuesday:

More independent work time.  Students must read (at least) the next four subheadings (Cosmetics, Hair, Jewelry, Clothing), highlight information they find interesting) and write it (in their own words) on paper for use later. (I will collect and look over, since staying on track is essential.)

Wednesday:

Again, read (at least) the next four subheadings (Housing & Furniture, Entertainment, Government, Pyramids) and follow the directions above.

Thursday:

Read the next five subheadings (Mummies & Mummification, Hieroglyphs, Papyrus, Book of the Dead, Pharaohs) and follow the directions above.

Friday:

No class for 6th grade since we'll be at a play, but the work continues! Read Ra, Food, and Clothing (very short) and write down at LEAST four facts that you found interesting in the "The Nile River" section.

READING (for Mrs. M.)

More of this time (for both Mrs. M. and Mrs. D.) will be used for informational reading associated with Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts projects.  However, time will also be given for Independent Book reading (associated with book projects due each month (twice a month for 6th graders). USE IT!  Also, expect short comprehension sheets--quick checks that will be part of your Reading grade for the last trimester.

Monday:  
     Grades 5 & 6:  The Gift of the Nile comprehension activity

Tuesday:  

     Grade 6:   "A Bird Came Down" interpreting poetry
     Grade 5:   A Bad Move comprehension activity
Wednesday:  

     Grade 6:  A Constitution for Kids comprehension activity
     Grade 5:  A Hero With Heart comprehension activity

Thursday:  

     Grade 6:  A Secret Note comprehension activity

     Grade 5:  A Juicy Problem comprehension activity

SOCIAL STUDIES

Monday, March 4 (Grade 5):

1. Introduce Pharaoh project
2. Choose Pharaoh
3. Set up "Pharaoh Research" folder on desktop or documents to keep all information you find.
4. Find cartouche
5. Find picture of pharaoh for front page
6. Begin gathering information from web and documenting websites.

VERY IMPORTANT: Understand that for every resource you use (pictures or writing) you need to save the URL address on a word document so that you can go back later and get information for the Bibliography page. 

Tuesday, March 5 (Grade 6): 

Same as above.

Wednesday, March 6 (Grade 5):  

Finish collecting information from websites.  WARNING:  Don't just hit "print" when you find a good website.  It may be dozens of pages long.  If you need to, cut and paste into a word document ONLY what you need, and include the URL address for later! I will collect all these papers later, so don't throw them out.

Thursday, March 7 (Grade 6):

Same as above. I will provide you with a graphic organizer to help you organize your information.

Friday, March 8 (Grade 5):

Use this additional time to highlight and take notes for your pharaoh.  I will give you a graphic organizer that will help you - and make it easier to find the information you need.

SPELLING (Grade 6)

Monday:  pages 167-168

Tuesday:  pages 169-172

Wednesday:  pages 173-174

Thursday:  pages 175-178

Friday: TEST

NOTE:  No Task Cards this week.

Report card image found at:  http://www.bisd303.org/cms/lib3/WA01001636/Centricity/Domain/765/report%20card.gif

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." ~ Vince Lombardi

Hello, families--

Welcome back -- I hope you all had a great vacation! We're nearing the end of the second marking period and gearing up for the home stretch. Already! Where does the time go??

  I hope you all received the letter I send home to you last week with your students.  It was on fluorescent yellow paper and included comprehensive time-sensitive information about your child's progress. There was a section to sign and return, and to date, I've only received four.  Please ask your child to dig into the darkest recesses of his/her backpack and find it for you if you don't already have it.  Along with the letter was a personalized list of still overdue assignments that were to be turned in no later than Monday morning (2/25). Any papers still missing are now zeros. Please note that from this point forward, overdue papers will lose 10 points for each day they are late. It's crunch time!

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF

FEBRUARY 25 -- MARCH 1 

--Writers' Notebooks due Wednesday -- 

--Book projects due Thursday -- 

--Presentations of Book Projects on Friday!

SPELLING:

• Monday:  Task cards & pages 159-160
• Tuesday:  Task cards & pages 161-162
• Wednesday:  Task cards & pages 163-164
• Thursday:  Task cards & pages 165-166
• Friday:  Test & collect 5 task cards.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

• Monday:  Review common errors in grammar.  Assignment:  Complete Four Kinds of Sentences worksheet for Tuesday. "Mini-Poster" project due Friday.
• Tuesday: Complete reading comprehension and critical thinking collaborative activity using the article, "Screen Time," which used medical research to analyze the effects of electronic devices on sleep -- and learning.
• Wednesday: Conclude yesterday's activity with analytical writing prompt and self-scoring rubric.
• Thursday: Study of run-on sentences and fragments.  Complete worksheet.
• Friday: "Big Honkin' Test" (not really-I just like the way it sounds).  Do you want to practice?  Check out this fun interactive site!

. . .And if you want to learn more about making comic strips, check this out!

READING:  

Assessments all this week.  

SOCIAL STUDIES:

• Monday:  Complete final reading of Pyramids, and compete activity packet for next class. Also complete last ten questions in comprehension packet.
• Tuesday:  Same as above.
• Wednesday:  Movie, "Pyramid."
• Thursday: Same as above.
• Friday:  no class.

That's it for another week.  Assessments and reviews, mostly.  I hope you all have a relaxing evening.

Take care-

Teri

Oh-so-appropriate cartoon image:  http://cartoonstudio.co.uk/images/00Christmas/GettingToWork.jpg

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." ~ Colin Powell

 Hello everyone!

Winter break is upon us, and I believe we are in dire need of a little R & R.  Please be looking for Parent Conference invitations on Wednesday.  As important, on Thursday you should receive a letter and detailed Progress Report for your child (For Social Studies and Language Arts).  Please fill in the information on the second page and return it to me at your earliest convenience. (Stick it in your child's backpack, perhaps? With vacation upon us, it might be hard to keep track of. . .)  It's simply an indication that you, in fact, received the progress report.  There is also a place to indicate whether or not you will be able to attend Parent Conferences on March 15th.  You were given the same time you chose for your first conference; hopefully that will work out for you.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 
FEBRUARY 11 - 15

SPELLING, GRADE 6

No assignments this week.  We'll this time to catch up on missing work and work on our typing program.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Monday through Thursday:

• Transfer edited Start & Stop poems (2) to Writers' Notebooks.  Presentation quality!

• Be sure all writing assignments have been transferred to Language Arts notebooks.
• Organize them -- put all writing pieces in the appropriate sections.  
• Turn information from Survival Guides into Basic Explanatory Essay format.  These can be great examples of procedure pieces!
• Update "Books I Have Read in 5th/6th Grade" lists.
• Continue catching up on back work.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Monday:   

• Mrs M.'s homeroom -- the great mummification process begins!

Tuesday:  

• Mrs. D.'s homeroom -- Pyramid, pages 42-59.  Answer questions 31-38 and complete packet (three short activities). Due Thursday.

Wednesday: 

• Mrs. M.'s homeroom -- Same as above.

Thursday: 

• Mrs. D.'s class -- Turn in assignments from Tuesday.  Complete class activity. (TBA)

Friday: 

• Mrs. M.'s homeroom:  Turn in assignments from Wednesday. No class today.

HEY KIDS-- Here's a great interactive site for those of you who would like to explore Ancient Egypt from the comfort of your own home.  Check it out!

Another great interactive site to visit is this one!  Scroll down the left to find tons of great links. You can get lost in all the cool stuff you'll find here!

REMEMBER:  Friday is a half-day.  My class will use this opportunity to have a (day after) Valentine's Day brunch.  Our school's hot lunch program is serving the ever-popular "Breakfast for Lunch" on Friday, which fits in perfectly!  We'll dress leisurely and kick back a bit.  

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday, everyone.  Thanks for all you do.  I'll see you at conference time!
Teri

Wonderful Thinking Cap Image:  http://scooptoo.com/wp-content/woo_uploads/254-gifted_image.jpg

"The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within." ~ William C. Bryant

 

Welcome to the shortest month of the year--and the one that marks a turning point in winter.  Days are getting noticeably longer and the promise of March is within reach.  I like March.  With it, I begin my spring planning -- March, to me, holds the promise of spring in its muddy hands.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 4 - 8

SPELLING, GRADE 6 

(No task cards this week! I have other plans for you. . . wa, ha, ha!)

• Monday:  pages 147-148
• Tuesday:  pages 149-150
• Wednesday: pages 151-152
• Thursday:  153-156
• Friday: TESTTESTTESTTESTTESTTESTTEST

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Monday:  Brochures due--finish up! Presentations Wednesday.
• Tuesday:  February Center Square Activity -- Start & Stop Poetry. Finish first drafts for Thursday..
• Wednesday: Oral presentations -- Survival Guides (These are hilarious!)
• Thursday:  Start & Stop Poetry.  Discussion and writing 2nd drafts.  Two poems are due for tomorrow. 
• Friday:   Sharing poetry. Peer feedback/revision as needed. Get ready for Awesome Art Day on Monday--we'll write and decorate our writer's notebooks with our brilliant poems.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Monday (Mrs. M.): Pyramid, pages 28-41.  Answer questions 21-30 & complete vocabulary word search (gotta love those easy As!)
• Tuesday(Mrs. D.): See above.
• Wednesday: Pyramid, pages 28-41. Complete activities
• floor plan of a tomb
• list of possessions for a blissful afterlife
• My how we've changed: pyramid-building methods then and now
• Thursday: See above.  Also, phase 1 of (ta, da, da. . .) mummifying chickens. 
• Friday (Mrs. M.): OK, the chicken is thawed; time to mummify.

READING

Only one book project/story map due this month.  We'll spend a class day making our projects; just have your book read in time!

Other news:  Bring in "sweets" for Bingo Night by Wednesday.

Class Valentine's party on Friday morning, February 15th.  What can you bring?  Balance Go foods and Whoa foods -- let's do a brunch theme!

What a week!

We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. ~William Glasser

Welcome!  We're well on our way to completing our Survival Guides, and from what I've seen so far, they're going to be awesome!  Remember to read them over "out loud to yourself" -- revise and edit -- we'll put them together later this week!

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 
JANUARY 28--FEBRUARY 1

 SPELLING, GRADE 6:

• Monday:  pages 133 & 134
• Tuesday:  pages 135 & 136
• Wednesday:  pages 137 & 138
• Thursday:  pages 139 - 142
•  Friday:  pages 143 & 144 (quiz on this week's learning) and Spelling test  
• (Don't forget; 5 task cards are also due Friday!)

SOCIAL STUDIES:

• Monday:  Mrs. M.'s class - "Assignment 1" -- using information from book pages 14-27, create "Ancient Egyptian Tools" activity and complete Vocabulary Word Search (great grade-booster!)
• Tuesday:  Mrs. D.'s class - same as above.
• Wednesday:  Mrs. M.'s class - "Assignment 2" -- complete Scrambled Tools worksheet, Pyramid Flow Chart worksheet, and True North activity. Also, complete questions 17 - 20 in packet.
• Thursday:  Mrs. D.'s class - same as above
• Friday:  Homeroom Activity time

LANGUAGE ARTS:

• Monday:  Turn in Introductions in preparation for conferences.  Continue work on Obstacles and Tips.
• Tuesday:  Conference with me -- or -- continue writing/typing -- or -- share writing with a friend.  Tomorrow we'll finish up in preparation for creating brochures.
• Wednesday:  Final edits
• Thursday:  Begin Brochures
• Friday:  Finish Brochures and turn in

DON'T FORGET: WRITERS' NOTEBOOKS ARE DUE  
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29TH.  
 ~
Excellence is attitude!