Welcome to 6th Grade

1. Ben DeJong- Math, ELA Nicole Goertz – ELA, Science Molly Kroemer – ELA, SS Lucy Reeve – SS, ELA Robin Linnemanstons – Math, Science, SS Kurt Roeker – math Samantha Champion – all subjects Tracey Schley – Reading and Literacy Specialist Welcome to 6th Grade Life “in the middle” is just beginning to get interesting!

2. Keys to success in 6th grade: • Be prepared and organized (books / locker) • Use assignment notebook • Know schedule: have a routine for knowing what to take to class & when to stop at locker • Have a routine for homework time / space • Pack backpack at night • Communication – child, home, school

3. Goals for students : • Advocate for themselves • Respect self and others • Develop and use critical thinking skills • Become career and college ready • Increase independence

4. Math What’s this about Common Core? We are continually working in the Mequon-Thiensville School District to improve teaching and learning to ensure that all children will graduate high school with the college and career readiness skills they need to be successful. In mathematics, adopting the common core standards means three major changes in our approach to delivering the curriculum. • Focus – Teachers will concentrate on teaching a more focused set of major math concepts and skills. • Coherence – Students will master important ideas and skills in a more organized way throughout the year and from one grade to the next. • Rigor – A focus will be put on involving students in rich and challenging math content and authentic problem solving to foster perseverance and greater interest/curiosity in mathematics.

5. What Materials Will Be Used to Support Student Learning? District Adopted Resource: MathThematics Book 2 Supplemental resources are used to address • Fraction Skills and Concepts • Ratio and Proportional Reasoning Each module (chapter) focuses on a theme that extends throughout the module. The theme helps students to see important connections to other disciplines and identifies real life applications of the concept/skill being taught.

6. goals of the math program: • help all students develop their abilities to reason logically • applymathematical skills to real-life situations • communicate mathematical ideas (strategies and solutions) and arguments in a variety of ways using appropriate vocabulary, equations, and visual models • feel confident in using quantitative and spatial information to analyze and solve both routine and non routine problems.

7. Key skills and concepts developed include, but are not limited to: • Apply and extend previous work with fractions and decimals to understand the concept of rational numbers • Learnthe concept of ratio and proportional reasoning and use tools and visual models to solve word problems. • Write and solve equations—mathematical statements using symbols, such as 20+x = 35—and apply these skills in solving multi-step word problems. • Apply and extend knowledge of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions using visual models and equations to represent the problem. • Solve word problems involving ratios, fractions, multi-digit numbers, rational numbers, polygons, and statistical data and explain and justify a solution strategy.

8. How will the mathematics be taught/delivered? Learning opportunities that • Connectconceptual understanding with real world applications to build powerful mathematical thinking and expand mathematical proficiency. • Developcritical thinking through high-level questioning. • Utilizeconcrete and visual models and mathematical diagrams (appropriate to each grade) to bring meaning to abstract mathematical concepts, procedures, and properties.

9. While Working With Your Student at Home… • Ask your student to explain how they got their answer or to explain their thinking. Restate back to them what you heard them say so they can self-check for accuracy and clarity. • Ask your student to use a representation, such as a mathematical diagram drawing or visual model, when they are explaining their thinking.

10. ELA - ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS • Curriculum is being aligned with the Common Core State Standards • Goal: To prepare students to be college and career ready when they graduate from high school • Integrated literacy model of instruction • Reading, writing, speaking, thinking, and listening • Sub skills • grammar, vocabulary analysis, classical root word study

11. 6th Grade Units of Study in ELA • Independent Reading: • Read every night 15-20-30 minutes • Improve vocabulary, word attack skills, and fluency • Plot • Character • Theme • Autobiography / Biography • Mythology, fables, folklore • Poetry

12. Instructional Methods in ELA • ELA = two full class periods each day • Structure of class: whole group, small group, partner, independent work, one-on-one • Variety of texts (fiction, non-fiction, textbook, novels) • Flexible grouping to meet the needs of learners

13. Assessing Student Learning in ELA • Assessment looks different depending on the goal • Assessed in a variety of ways in reading, writing, language, speaking and listening • Assessments FOR learning and assessments OF student learning are embedded throughout the course

14. SCIENCE Units • Weather • Catastrophic Events • Energy, Machines, & Motion

15. What Science looks like • Inquiry • Labs / Investigations • Projects • Written Assessments • Technology • Group work / individual • Writing activities Learning Targets are addressed and assessed through these activities.

16. Social Studies Ancient Civilizations • Tools of History • Earliest Human Societies • Ancient Mesopotamia • Ancient Egypt • Ancient Nubia • Ancient India • Ancient China • Ancient Greece • Ancient Rome Current Events • Online news for kids • Newspaper • news magazines SS textbook is online!

17. Learning Targets for SS • Learning targets will be handed out to students at the beginning of each chapter • Learning targets guide teaching and learning throughout the chapter • Assessments are based on the chapter’s learning targets

18. Assignments / assessments in SS • Notes / learning packets for each lesson • Quizzes after each lesson (every few days) • Chapter tests • Projects • Document-based questions

19. Resources – for students & Parents • MTSD site • BYOC (Build Your Own Curriculum) & Calendars • Lake Shore site: • Announcements /forms • IMC reference page • Teacher websites: homework posted at end of day • Online book access for science and social studies • Power School – online grade book for students & parents • Updated weekly • Help monitor student’s academic progress • Separate login / password for student and parent

20. Grading - Grade level • Process: Homework and Daily Classwork • 15% of final grade • Progress: Quizzes / Check-in assessments • 35% of final grade • Performance: Chapter Tests, Projects • 50% of final grade

21. Camp Anokijig – next week!Thursday Sept. 19 & Friday Sept. 20 • Two FULL day field trips. Leave at 8 AM . . . .return at 3:15 PM each day • Focus on teamwork, collaboration, personal challenge and growth • Dress accordingly to weather. . . be prepared! • COLD lunch and drink / water bottle / 2 snacks (please NO soda)

22. Activities at Camp • Canoeing • Glacial hike • Aquatic Habitats – lake & pond water exploration • Team building activities / adventure challenge • Orienteering (map and compass skills) • Extreme living / outdoor architects

23. Thank you for joining us! Please make sure you take a copy of all the policies for the various academic classes. Remember to pick up your Power School Parent Login Envelope. We look forward to a great year!