This past month, we have continued to learn about the history, geography, and culture of Southwest Asia, and using that knowledge to understand why things are the way they are there today.  We talked about why there is such cultural diversity in this region today and how the people in this region have responded to cultural change over the years.  We also discussed how the geography shapes their economies and where people live in the region.  We learned about the democratic and non-democratic governments that have been developing in the region.  We will end the month talking about the many conflicts that have influenced, and will continue to influence, the region like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other civil wars that continue to make the area so flammable and complex.  Next month, we will shift our focus to learning about Ancient India and China and the beginnings of Hinduism and Buddhism. 

Our students have continued in their work toward T.D.A. success with the PSSAs in April.  We have written an essay based on an interview with Misty Copeland.  Students had to make claims and support their claims with evidence and analysis.  The stamina of our students with this type of writing has really improved as the year has progressed.

We have worked toward the end of the marking period with our novels Flipped and Hoot.  As these novels finish, students will work on identifying and discussing different types of conflict faced by characters in the novels.  Students will analyze both external and internal conflict for various characters in the stories. These novels have been a fun and interesting study during the third marking period.

This month in math class, our students have been diving into the fascinating world of measurement, specifically focusing on area, surface area, and volume.

Students have been flexing their mathematical muscles by:

• Using formulas to calculate the area and volume of different shapes, like squares, rectangles, and even cylinders!

• Working in groups to measure rectangular prisms found in the classroom to find each object's volume.

• Applying these concepts to real-world problems. For example, figuring out how much wrapping paper they'd need for a birthday present, or how much water could fit into a fish tank.

Learning about measurement isn't just about memorizing formulas – it's about developing spatial reasoning skills and understanding the world around us!

For the month of March, STEAM Machine Madness has taken over the 6th grade science lab.  Students were able to design a machine to help them solve a problem they currently have.  Machines could be based in current science or total science fiction to help them solve their problem.  The students presented their inventions to their fellow classmates in a “Shark Tank” style sales pitch to help get their vote or “investment”.  Inventions ranged from a Dog Bark Decoder and Self Cooling Shirt to Speedie Spikes (rocket powered cleats) and Sibling Silent Spray.  As of the writing of this article, the students have voted the inventions down to the Elite 8, with the final voting taking place the week before spring break.  Overall, the students have done an excellent job with their creativity and ingenuity on full display.