Classroom News
September
Math
Unit 1 - Area and Volume
In this unit, students build on their prior work with area and explore ways to find the area of rectangles with fractional side lengths. Students also learn about volume as an attribute of solid figures. Using improvised units, they explore volume and build toward using cubic units and volume formulas.
Science
Earth and Sun
The Earth and Sun Module provides students with experiences to explore the properties of the atmosphere, energy transfer from the Sun to Earth, and the dynamics of weather and water cycling in the earth's atmosphere. Students also use models to understand the Earth's place in the solar system, and the interactions of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon to reveal patterns.
October
Math
Unit 2 - Whole Number Place Value and Operations
In this unit, students explore patterns in the base-10 place-value system and ways of representing large numbers. They apply their understanding of place value when estimating and computing multi-digit whole numbers. Students are introduced to the U.S. traditional multiplication and division and review partial quotients.
Science
Earth and Sun
The Earth and Sun Module provides students with experiences to explore the properties of the atmosphere, energy transfer from the Sun to Earth, and the dynamics of weather and water cycling in the earth's atmosphere. Students also use models to understand the Earth's place in the solar system, and the interactions of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon to reveal patterns.
November
Math
Unit 3 - Fraction Concepts, Addition, and Subtraction
In this unit, students build on fraction concepts from previous grades to understand fractions as division. They also use visual models to make estimates, add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers, and check the reasonableness of their answers. Finally, students explore strategies for solving fraction-of problems.
Earth and Sun
The Earth and Sun Module provides students with experiences to explore the properties of the atmosphere, energy transfer from the Sun to Earth, and the dynamics of weather and water cycling in the earth's atmosphere. Students also use models to understand the Earth's place in the solar system, and the interactions of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon to reveal patterns.
December
Math
Unit 4 - Decimal Concepts; Coordinate Grids
In this unit, students extend their understanding of the base-10 place value system to include decimals. They read, write, and represent decimals through thousandths in a variety of ways and learn strategies to compare, order, and round decimals. Students are also introduced to the first quadrant of the coordinate grid. Finally, they apply whole-number algorithms to add and subtract decimals.
Science
Earth and Sun
The Earth and Sun Module provides students with experiences to explore the properties of the atmosphere, energy transfer from Sun to Earth, and the dynamics of weather and water cycling in the earth's atmosphere. Students also use models to understand the Earth's place in the solar system, and the interactions of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon to reveal patterns.
Mixtures and Solutions
Students engage with matter and its interaction in their everyday life - mixtures, solutions, solubility, concentration, and chemical reactions. They come to know that matter is made of particles too small to be seen and develop the understanding that matter is conserved when it changes state - from solid to liquid to gas - when it dissolves in another substance, that is part of a chemical reaction. Students have experiences with mixtures, solutions of different concentrations, and reactions forming new substances. Knowing about properties and systems of substances, how things go together and are taken apart, enables us to develop models that explain phenomena too small to see directly.
January
Math
Unit 4 - Decimal Concepts; Coordinate Grids
In this unit, students extend their understanding of the base-10 place value system to include decimals. They read, write, and represent decimals through thousandths in a variety of ways and learn strategies to compare, order, and round decimals. Students are also introduced to the first quadrant of the coordinate grid. Finally, they apply whole-number algorithms to add and subtract decimals.
Science
Mixtures and Solutions
Students engage with matter and its interaction in their everyday life - mixtures, solutions, solubility, concentration, and chemical reactions. They come to know that matter is made of particles too small to be seen and develop the understanding that matter is conserved when it changes state - from solid to liquid to gas - when it dissolves in another substance, that is part of a chemical reaction. Students have experiences with mixtures, solutions of different concentrations, and reactions forming new substances. Knowing about properties and systems of substances, how things go together and are taken apart, enables us to develop models that explain phenomena too small to see directly.
February
Math
Unit 5 - Operations with Fractions
In this unit, students deepen their understanding of fractions and develop strategies for adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with unlike denominators. They also connect fraction-of thinking to multiplication and generalize a fraction multiplication algorithm. Finally, students are introduced to fraction division.
Unit 6 - Investigation in Measurement; Decimal Multiplication and Division
In this unit, students apply their understanding of place value to multiply and divide decimals by powers of 10. They investigate how patterns in powers of 10 can be used to convert measurements in metric units, learn how line plots can be used to organize and analyze measurement data, and explore a method of finding volumes of figures that are not rectangular prisms. Students also extend whole-number methods to multiply and divide decimals.
Science
Mixtures and Solutions
Students engage with matter and its interaction in their everyday life - mixtures, solutions, solubility, concentration, and chemical reactions. They come to know that matter is made of particles too small to be seen and develop the understanding that matter is conserved when it changes state - from solid to liquid to gas - when it dissolves in another substance, that is part of a chemical reaction. Students have experiences with mixtures, solutions of different concentrations, and reactions forming new substances. Knowing about the properties and systems of substances, how things go together and are taken apart, enables us to develop models that explain phenomena too small to see directly.
Living Systems
Students start by looking at Earth as the interaction of four Earth systems or subsystems - the geosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere. The focus is on feeding relationships in ecosystems that move matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. They come to understand that the plants get materials they need for growth primarily from water and air, and that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the Sun.
March
Math
Unit 6 - Investigation in Measurement; Decimal Multiplication and Division
In this unit, students apply their understanding of place value to multiply and divide decimals by powers of 10. They investigate how patterns in powers of 10 can be used to convert measurements in metric units, learn how line plots can be used to organize and analyze measurement data, and explore a method of finding volumes of figures that are not rectangular prisms. Students also extend whole-number methods to multiply and divide decimals.
Math
Unit 7 - Multiplication of Mixed Numbers; Geometry; Tables and Graphs
In this unit, students learn two methods to multiply mixed numbers. They use these methods to find areas of rectangles with fractional side lengths to solve problems involving fractional data in line plots. Students also review attributes of 2-dimensional figures and classify shapes in a hierarchy based on properties. Finally, students graph points on coordinate grids to visualize numerical patterns and represent real-world problems
Science
Living Systems
Students start by looking at Earth as the interaction of four Earth systems or subsystems - the geosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere. The focus is on feeding relationships in ecosystems that move matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. They come to understand that the plants get materials they need for growth primarily from water and air, and that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the Sun.
April
Math
Unit 7 - Multiplication of Mixed Numbers; Geometry; Tables and Graphs
In this unit, students learn two methods for multiplying mixed numbers. They use these methods to find areas of rectangles with fractional side lengths to solve problems involving fractional data in line plots. Students also review attributes of 2-dimensional figures and classify shapes in a hierarchy based on properties. Finally, students graph points on coordinate grids to visualize numerical patterns and represent real-world problems
Yearly Review For Testing
We will start reviewing standard by standard and revisit all of the topics taught over the year. We will have very few practice standardized tests.
Science
Living Systems
Students start by looking at Earth as the interaction of four Earth systems or subsystems - the geosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere. The focus is on feeding relationships in ecosystems that move matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. They come to understand that the plants get materials they need for growth primarily from water and air, and that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the Sun.
Engineering Concepts
Students will use KNEX to make blueprints and build vehicles that meet the criteria provided. Math is incorporated as students will be budgeting for specific design challenges as well as graphing and interpreting data. Students will work in groups to successfully solve problems.
May/June
Math
Unit 8 - Application of the Previous 7 Units
Yearly Review For Testing
We will start reviewing standard by standard and revisit all of the topics taught over the year. We will have very few practice standardized tests.
NJSLA testing - Students will be taking their end-of-year Science, Math, and Language Arts standardized tests. On the days of testing, we often participate in low-stress activities like puzzles or academic games.
Following testing, we will be doing various activities that reinforce topics from the year. We do online math escape rooms, have students teach students activities, and start to introduce 6th-grade topics such as order of operations and simplification of fractions.
Science
Engineering Concepts
Students will use KNEX to make blueprints and build vehicles that meet the criteria provided. Math is incorporated as students will be budgeting for specific design challenges as well as graphing and interpreting data. Students will work in groups to successfully solve problems.