This week in 6th grade science, we began to think about what we need to see. At first, the only three things we agreed on were that you need an object to see, you need to be alive, and that you need to have eyes. Two other things we brainstormed that not everyone was convinced on was the fact that we need light to see and we need the object in view/unblocked. As a result, we decided that the only way to determine if these two things were really needed would be to test them.

To test if we need light to see our whole class filed into a tiny room where we put dark pieces of paper over any places light could shine through. Students were asked to look for and SEE the red marker container in the room. Needless to say, those who weren’t sure if we needed light to see quickly changed their minds once the lights were turned off and we could not see a single thing! I think we all ran into multiple things as we tried to walk around the room haha 🙂

To test if the object needs to be in view/unlocked to see it, students were asked to try and see objects that were placed around the room just by turning their necks and not moving their bodies. Students realized that they could only see the objects that were in view.

By the end of these two tests we were able to add two more things we need to see. Our final list looked as shown below:

To see we need…

• to be alive
• light
• an object
• the object in view and unblocked
• eyes

This then brought us to the next piece of the puzzle: thinking about HOW we see. Students were asked in groups to create a model about how they think we see. I was so impressed with the work the kids put into their models and their explanations of what their models showed. After each group had shared their model, we looked for similarities and differences between them to develop a class consensus model. Again, we only put things in our class model that every student agreed on. Moving forward, we will continue to develop this model as we discover new information. I am excited to see this process unfold!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that service learning hours are due May 31st. Students are required to complete two hours each quarter. In addition, these hours need to be logged using this form. Thank you for your support in helping your child fulfill these hours! If you have any questions, please contact Gev. Honigman, jhonigman@mjds.org.

Have a great weekend!

Hi 5th Grade Families,

Today in 6th grade science we started a new unit. To kick off this new unit, our anchoring phenomena was looking at two very interesting images and discussing what we noticed.

We are curious about what YOU see!

If you have time, we would love it if you would share.

Thanks so much,

Gev. McAdams and the Stellar 6th Graders

We have reached our final science unit of the year! Can you believe it?!?! I seriously cannot believe how fast this year flew by. Students will be using their knowledge of energy and going through the engineering design process to develop a solar oven.

To kick off this unit we began by discussing our own thoughts, ideas, and questions about what technology is and what an engineer is. Each of the kids had so many great questions and wonders. After brainstorming and discussing our initial thoughts, we began to read the story, “Lerato Cooks Up a Plan”, which is about a family in Botswana who is learning about green engineering. In the story, Lerato’s cousin explains to her family that gathering wood and materials to cook each day is actually depleting that resource and is not being as “green” as they could be, which is why a solar oven is much more environmentally friendly.

Cue the start of our unit!

As I said above, students will be focusing on the engineering process where they will be asking questions, imagining, planning, creating, and improving their design over the course of this unit.

I am so excited to continue to hear the kids great wonders, thoughts, and ideas. They seriously impress me each day 🙂

Have a great weekend!

This week we have been working towards finishing our science unit on chemistry. Students are now able to answer our driving question, “How can we smell odors from a distance?” in great detail. In addition, we created models of how molecules behave in a solid, liquid, and gas and will be developing our final model of how we can smell odors from a distance tomorrow.

This Friday, we will have our final assessment on this unit. Students have a study guide available to them on Google Classroom. Along with this, students will receive two extra points on their test if they explain how they studied with a guardian’s signature. This form is also posted on Google Classroom.

Below are some pictures from our time creating models to show how molecules behave in each state of matter. Students were able to take their knowledge of molecules and create a model of their choice. I was extremely impressed with the models each group came up with. Some used string and beads, some created interactive models, and others drew or built beautiful pieces to show their understanding. Tomorrow, we will complete a gallery walk to see each group’s model and have a discussion about the similarities and differences between them. Make sure to ask your child about it!

Tomorrow is the start of MJDS’s ABC countdown to celebrate the end of the school year. I can definitely say that this year FLEW BY!! I cannot believe we are down to the final 26 days of school. Each day going forward will be dedicated to a fun activity or spirit day starting with the corresponding alphabet letter. These days are completely optional for students. I am excited to end the year on such a fun note!