Science

The 6th graders are learning about air pressure this week as part of our Weather and Water unit. Today, they made predictions about whether decreasing the volume of a plastic jar by giving it a squeeze would increase or decrease the pressure inside, and then built their own models to test it out. We saw that the increased pressure forced fluid down a plastic tube inside the bottle, and tomorrow we will be elaborating on why that is and relating it back to our discussion of weather. We are also continuing to collect local weather data using our class weather station. 

Students also took their first I-Check (Investigation Check, or quiz) on Monday. Tomorrow they will be receiving those back to take home. Grades on Schoology are up to date with the exception of the Severe Weather RAFT for the students who submitted it electronically (those scores will be up tomorrow). If students believe they turned in an assignment that is marked as missing, they should check my "no name" basket. The 6th graders have their next I-Check coming up on Friday, as well as a science notebook check.

 

This week we are wrapping up our investigation on the rocks of the Grand Canyon in our Earth History unit. Students have tested, sorted, and identified the rock samples, and tomorrow they will be learning about rock layer correlation. They are learning how geologists can gather data from rocks to construct a landscape's past. They have also learned about the Grand Canyon itself, as well as some of the history of the region. Today they presented skits on Powell's inaugural expedition down the Colorado River. Next, we will be moving into weathering and erosion. Their first I-Check (Investigation Check, or quiz) will fall mid-next week. Grades on Schoology are updated with everything I have received up to this point.