Box and Whisker Graphs...or Box Plots!

Today we discussed Box and Whisker Graphs (also called Box Plots).  Check out the resource on the back of the homework or this lesson and video for more information.  Please note that the minimum can also be called the lower extreme and the maximum can also be called the upper extreme.  

Summer Math

If you are interested in a free Summer Math packet for students going into 7th grade, please see the email that was sent home this week.  There was also a note in Friday Folders a little while back.  Contact Mrs. Springer via email if you have any questions.  You may request a packet by turning in the form or by emailing Mrs. Springer.  Thank you!

Hands On Algebra Continues!

We continued with new Hands On Algebra lessons today!  We will have a new lesson on Tuesday and a review day Wednesday.  There will be a test over Hands On Algebra on Thursday.  Students are preparing for the test as they work in class Monday-Wednesday.  Sixth graders will be able to use the pieces for the test on Thursday. :) 

Quiz on Wednesay

We will have a Hands On Algebra Quiz on Wednesday!  Students have already prepared for the quiz by doing their daily classwork. :) 

Hands On Algebra

We started our Hands On Algebra (HOA) unit in class yesterday.  This is a unit where students will build equations and solve them.  On Monday we reviewed what students learned last year.  Today we introduced (to some it was a review) the white pawn and discussed the idea of white and blue pawns (also called "x" and "star" are opposites).  

HOA work is done at school.  The kits do not go home.  If students need extra time to finish daily work, we will arrange for that to happen at school.  Here is a website to check out if you'd like more information.  

Survey for 6K

If you have time on Monday, students of 6K click here for the survey.  Thanks!

Also, here are the links about the United Nations we will discuss in class on Monday.

United Nations Website
Washington Post Article

Science Challenge Night

Science Challenge Night will take place at the Middle School tonight from 5-8pm.  Come on out and see all the great Science projects!  

Math Workshop & Test Thursday

We will have Math Workshop Tuesday and Wednesday in class.  The activities in Math Workshop will help students review and prepare for the Geometry Test on Thursday.  Students will have a review packet for homework on Tuesday.  Then, on Wednesday they will get a review page (with answers) and their graded packet that they can use to study for the test on Thursday.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Springer. 

Surface Area Investigations

Today students continued some investigations with surface area.  We made a rectangular prism from a net and found the surface area of the figure.  Then we found the surface area of a 3D object drawn out.  Check out this link if you would like a review of finding the surface area of a rectangular prism.  

Social Studies Webquest

Here is the link for the webquest today in Social Studies. 

3D Shapes: Nets, Faces, Vertices, & Edges

Here is the link we will explore in Math class on Thursday!

Exploring Volume

Today we explored volume more!  The sixth graders did an awesome job drawing conclusions about three rectangular prisms with the same base area.  Check out a screenshot of our discussion for today.  Ask your child what conclusion he/she found the most interesting!

Finding Volume

On Friday students investigated how to find the volume of a rectangular prism.  If they already knew the formula, sixth graders were asked to prove why it worked! Students were given a box and asked how many cubes would fit in the box.  Some students took the l x w x h to find an answer.  Another popular strategy was to take the area of the base and then multiply that by the height.  Here is a snapshot of our conversations from one math class where a student was explaining that once her group found the area of one "layer", they could multiply that by how many total layers could fit in the box. 

Quiz on Thursday!

Today we reviewed for our Area quiz tomorrow!  All students have a review packet from our in class activity that we graded at the end of class.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Springer. The quiz is Thursday!

Trapezoid Tuesday

We started class off with a review and extension of Friday's lesson. Students were asked to find the area of the wall that needs to be painted (windows and the door did not need to be painted!).  Most students chose to find the area of the whole wall (12 x 8 = 96) and then subtract the windows (2 x 2 = 4, then there are 2 total, for 8) and the door (3 x 6 = 18).  The total area was 70ft2.  

 Then we continued on with an investigation of trapezoids for our TRAPEZOID TUESDAY! :)

Looking at a trapezoid, students came up with the idea that we could divide the trapezoid into two triangles and then add the areas of the triangles.  We also came up with the formula of (b + B) x h and then divide by 2.

There will be an area quiz on Thursday!

Area of Triangles

Today we had a triangle investigation day!  Students were given an acute, right, and obtuse triangle and they proved that the area of a triangle is always half of the area of a rectangle formed by the base and height of that triangle.  It was quite the day filled with measurement and math!  On Friday we will tackle different shapes there we can "chunk" or "carve" out rectangles and triangles to make the shape.  For example, when given the shape below, students can make several rectangles to find the area.  

Social Studies Webquest

Here is the link for the Social Studies webquest after your Daily Geography Quiz today.  Enjoy!

Today's Triangle Investigation

Yesterday we worked with finding the are of right triangles.  Students noticed that two right triangles made a rectangle, so they came to the conclusion you could multiply the base times the height of the right triangle and then divide by two (since the base times the height gives you the area of the quadrilateral...but each triangle only takes up half of the quadrilateral).  Our formula for finding the area of a right triangle looked something like (b x h)/ 2 or 
1/2 x b x h


Today students looked into acute triangles.  We found two different ways to find the area of acute triangles.  Take a look at the example below.

One way would be to look at it as two right triangles (since we already know how to find the area of those!).  You could find the area of the triangle with the base of 34m and height of 32m...take 32 x 34 / 2 or 1/2 x 32 x 34.  The area of that right triangle is 544m2 (the last 2 should be an exponent!).  Then the area of the other right triangle is 736m2.  So, add that together to get 464 square meters for the area of the whole triangle.

Another way to look at it is that we discovered that two acute triangles make a parallelogram.  So, we can take the height ( not a side measurement!) and multiply it by the whole base, and then divide by two.  So, we could do 32 x (34 + 12) /2 or 1/2 x 46 x 32..so 736 square meters.

Daily Geography Quiz Thursday!

We have started Week 12 of Daily Geography!  Yesterday we studied a map of ORD Airport and today we discussed traveling within the airport at more length.  On Thursday we will play a Kahoot! game and have our Daily Geography Quiz for the week.  

Geometry Unit

We are starting our Geometry Unit today --- wahoo!  And, we are trying to incorporate some Geometry jokes into the lesson in hopes to capture student interest. :)

Today students investigated parallelograms and found a way that we could always find the area of a parallelogram.  Some students had the idea to divide the shape into two triangles and a rectangle and then find the area of the two triangles and add it to the area of the rectangle.  Other students discovered that if we cut off one triangle we could move it to the other end and make a rectangle; this way we could just take "base x height" to find the area of any parallelogram.  Check out the image below!

We started a notes page that should be inside each student's math resource folder.  Check it out periodically to see what we are learning during this unit!  Here is a snapshot with the same information as the notes students got today.   

It's Mathathon Time!

The Mathathon is a time to do a little Math and earn some money for St. Jude!  It's also a time to earn some extra credit for Math! All sixth graders were given Mathathon information in class today.  

In order to earn extra credit, a sixth grader must return either a completed booklet OR a printed certificate from online.  Students do not need to earn donations in order to earn extra credit; however they must do the math!

The last day to turn in Mathathon materials for extra credit is Thursday, April 2nd.  If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Springer at kspringer@tri-valley3.org!

Improper Fractions & Mixed Numbers

Today students reviewed how to move between improper fractions and mixed numbers.  They also had a secret message to decode using this skill!  If you are looking for an online review of the concept, check out this link!

Complex Problem Solving

Today we worked on a tricky concept!  Continuing with our work with variables from the last unit, we practiced writing parts of the problem in terms of one variable.  Once we did that, we were able to solve the problem!  Check out some snapshots from today's lesson below!

Although we will not be tested on this concept, students did have homework today.  All classes had work time at the end of class to work on their homework. 

Pi Day Festivities

Today was the day sixth graders celebrated the Pi Day of the century!  Students explored pi through centers.  Ask your child which activity was his/her favorite!

Also, here is a link to a video that the TVMS staff made last year for Pi Day--always a good time!

Distributive Property

We watched this video yesterday on the distributive property.  

Then we did a "walk around the room" activity to practice applying the distributive property.  Some of our practice problems are below:

2(c - k)   
So we can think of it as 2 x c - 2 x k
Or, in simplest terms, it would be 2c - 2k

6(3d + 4t)
So we can think of it as 6 x 3d + 6 x 4t
Or, in simplest terms, it would be 18d + 24t

Just a reminder that we have a test on Friday.  Students all have practice problems (with answers on the back) that they can try in order to review for the test.  The paper with the practice problems is purple :) 

Contact Mrs. Springer or Miss Holt with any questions and have a happy Thursday!

Math Test Friday!

Rats!  We were looking forward to having Math today, but the ice kept us away.  We will have a Math test on Friday.  For those of you in band, we will be passing out some practice problems with answers to everyone on Wednesday so you can get a head start on your studying.  Students will have a review day on Thursday in class and then some time to review before the test on Friday.  If you have any questions, please email Miss Holt or Mrs. Springer.  

Graphing Inequalities

Today sixth graders reviewed how to graph inequalities.  Check out this image below for a little more detail!

The big concept that we reviewed is how when the sign is "less than or equal to" or "greater than or equal to" the circle is closed.  When the sign is > or <, the circle is open.

Students also began an investigation on how to solve more difficult inequalities such as "55< 62 - y".  Our approach we took to solve this problem was to add y to both sides before we worked on getting the variable by itself.  You can see an example of this in the image below.

Students will explore this more on Friday.  Stay turned in the next few days for more information on strategies we took to solve multi-step inequalities!
  

Math Quiz Wednesday!

We have a Math Quiz tomorrow!  Students got their review paper back that they did on Monday during class.  Sixth graders can earn 3 points of extra credit by studying with a parent.  In order to earn extra credit, there must be a parent signature on the review paper students are bringing home tonight.  Please contact Miss Holt or Mrs. Springer with any questions.  

Money Smart Essay & Scholarship

Have you thought at all about saving money?  If so, enter in the Money Smart Essay Contest for students in McLean County!  Not only could you be a finalist and attend the Money-Smart Kick Off Event in April, but you could also win a Scholarship!  Best of luck 6th Graders!

Contact Mrs. Springer if you'd like a printed version of the information.  In the meantime, here is an electronic image of the information.

Expressions & Inequalities

We have been working with inequalities in sixth grade--a math topic that was new to many students!  Here are the symbols that we reviewed for this unit:

            Less than                     <

            Greater than               >

            Less than or equal to       <

            Greater than or equal to  >

We also worked on substituting values for variables and saying whether the number sentence would be true or false.  

For example, 

1.       6 – b > 24             Substitute 5 for b                    _____________________

2.       20 > 86 - h            Substitute 41 for h                  _____________________

3.      32 < 8a                  Substitute 4 for a                    _____________________

Lastly, we practiced finding values that would make each statement true.  Here are some problems that we solved by drawing it out in a model or using algebra:

1.      k · 25 = 75

2.       8 + n > 25

3.      9 – b < 7

  

4.       m – 12 <  39

Viking Power

Click here for the link to use during Viking Power!

Math Test Friday

Sixth graders will have a Math test on Friday.  Students will have a study sheet that they bring home Thursday night with practice problems and answers.  If you have questions, please ask Miss Holt or Mrs. Springer.  

Valentine's Day Information

The sixth graders will celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, February 13, 2015.  We have asked sixth graders to bring in valentines for students in 6K.  A class list was sent home in our last Friday Folder, and Mrs. Springer has extras too.  

We also discussed that each student will need a box to store his/her valentines in for the day.  Students have been asked to create a box at home and bring it in by Friday, February 15, 2015.  Boxes that excel in the following categories will be awarded a ribbon.  Students help think of the categories for 6K!  :) 

Ribbons will be awarded for the boxes that are the most...
funny, weird, colorful, creative, unique, valentine-y, small, personalized, sophisticated, realistic design, movie themed, and quantity of decorations used. 

Best of luck with your creations!

Timeline Presentations

Students will start their timeline presentations in Social Studies this week!  There is a rubric for the presentations and even a chance for students to earn extra credit by practicing at home (note, your child must obtain a parent signature).  Sixth graders will sign up for their presentation day on Monday, February 2.  

Writing Expressions All Week!

My apologies for the lack of blog postings this week---please know that we were BUSY with different math concepts!  Check out everything we investigated this week!

On Wednesday we worked with writing expressions that dealt with addition and subtraction.  This was a bit tricky to make sure the expressions always "said" what we were trying to achieve mathematically.  For instance, if we wanted the sum of h and w minus 11, students wrote "(h+w) - 11".

On Thursday we continued writing expressions but threw in some multiplication.  The sixth graders seemed to breeze right through matching expressions like "36lj" and "6 x 6 x l x j"  and even played a game of BINGO!  We discussed the vocabulary words "variable" and "coefficient". 

On Friday, we really kicked it up a notch and brought in division.  Let me tell you, nothing can stop these kids!  We were writing quotients and fractions and even using parentheses to have a quantity in the denominator!  Check out these slides from today!

Expressions & Exponents

In math today we tackled expressions and exponents!  Often sixth graders were thinking that the two expressions below were equal.  Today we investigated the difference between the two expressions as well as a review of exponents.  

Working with Expressions

Today we start our unit on expressions!  Students explored that the big difference between expressions and equations is that expressions do not have an equal sign.  Take a look at the examples below:

A expression would be:
5a + 7

An equation would be:
3a - 9 = 12

See the difference?!?  

Students also explored how the expression b + b + b + b can also be written as 4b.  Pretty cool, isn't it?  We will keep working with expressions during this whole unit.  Students will investigate with exponents, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in expressions and will also have a chance to evaluate some tricky expressions like they have seen in Study Island.  We will be busy in sixth grade for this unit!

Links for Wednesday

Did you finish today's activities with time to spare?  If so, check out some of the links below for fun Math games!

Sheppard Software
Probability Activity (works best with sound)

Links for Tuesday

Click here to go to the tutorial for the activity in class.  Remember that you are to select the "Grades 6-8" one.

When you finish, you may browse any of these links for the games we did not get to play during Math Workshop!

Boat Race with the Coordinate Grid
Perimeter Shape Shoot
Multiplication Arcade Game
Sheppard Software Math Games

Math Quiz Friday!

We will have a Math Quiz on Friday.  Students have a review worksheet that they could study from.  The quiz will have those types of questions on it. 

Also, here's an online battleship game if you'd like a fun way to practice graphing on the coordinate plane.  Click here for the battleship game!

Math Review for Friday's Quiz

If your group didn't get to all the questions in Miss Holt's game, check out some of the problems below.  Let a teacher know if there are any you could use help solving!  Remember, the quiz is Friday!

Tech Center for Math Workshop on Wednesday & Thursday

Browse any of these links for games you can play during Math Workshop!

Boat Race with the Coordinate Grid
Perimeter Shape Shoot
Multiplication Arcade Game

Finding Distance

Today sixth graders worked on finding the distance between two points on the same vertical or horizontal line.  You can check out this video for more information.

We will have centers Wednesday and Thursday in Math.  There will be a Math quiz on Friday. 

Book Orders for 2015!

The January book order is coming home in Friday Folders today!  Please note that the class activation code has changed.  This semester Miss Holt is taking care of book orders. :) 

Graphing Ordered Pairs

Today we are exploring x and y coordinates when graphing ordered pairs. This will lay some groundwork for our discussions about distance and symmetry on the coordinate plane next week.

Are you looking for a way to review graphing ordered pairs?  Check out this game!  Another idea would be this game that involves a little more strategy!

Social Studies Timelines!

We have started the Social Studies component of our timelines--hooray!  Students have a white packet with information about the timelines.  This information packet requires a parent signature due and it is due back tomorrow (January 7th).  A list of 10 events for the timeline is on a green paper, and that is due with a parent signature on Thursday (January 8th).  Thank you for your help with this project!