Sharon Rambo

Last time in the computer lab

For our last time in the computer lab for social studies, students need to investigate all of the below websites:

All of these show amazing things about our country!

http://www.kilaueaadventure.com/     this is about Hawaii's major volcano

http://www.gohawaii.com/     the islands of Hawaii

http://www.hawaii-accommodation-pictures.com/   more Hawaii

http://www.nps.gov/grca/     Grand Canyon

http://www.nps.gov/yose/     Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada mountains

http://www.nps.gov/yell/      Yellowstone National Park

http://www.thedistrict.com/    Washington D.C.

http://www.alaska.com/      great site for Alaska

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids     go here when you have looked at everything else!

Field Trip and computer lab

Students of team 6-3 went to the Tellus Science Museum today and had a great time!  The kids were very well behaved and learned a lot.  Thanks to PMMS administration who supported us in this venture, students who brought in their permission slips and money, and especially to Ms. Costlow who organized the whole thing!

My classes are going to the computer lab tomorrow and these are the websites we will be using:

FOR READING:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/SpaceScience/Freaky-forces-of-nature

FOR  SOCIAL STUDIES:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_unitedstates.html

Laptops in room

These are the sites I want you to spend a few minutes looking at:

Follow directions in the handout:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Places/Find/Australia

Sites for Antarctica

The last two days of the week we spent looking at the fascinating continent of Antarctica. Here are some sites students can go to at home to investigate further:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/

http://www.worldatlas.com/

http://www.coolantarctica.com/

http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/

Next week we are going on to Australia!!

Students also brought home report cards, next year's school registration forms, honor assembly and citation free information, and information about a field trip we plan in April.  Please send back those forms as soon as possible.

End of 3rd Nine Weeks

Students started their 4th and final 9 weeks today!  Report cards for the 3rd nine weeks will go home next Thursday, the 19th.  We are encouraging students to stay focused now as we go toward the CRCT.  Parents, please help us to emphasize this important time of year even though spring has definitely sprung!

In Social Studies we are finishing our Latin America unit with an indepth look at our neighbor to the south: Mexico. Students are going home today with an art project based on the art of a Mexican region called Oaxaca.   They are responsible for finishing their projects over the weekend and bringing them in on Monday so we can mount them on the wall.

In Reading, we are reviewing the elements of fiction: character, setting, plot, point of view, theme, etc. by using Dr. Seuss books and working in groups.  These are easy books to use because they can be read in one class period and students can readily recognize the elements of fiction in each one.  Groups will present their charts and plot graphs on Monday using our new ActivBoards.

Have a great weekend!

ActivBoards - Hurray for technology!

All the sixth grade teachers at Pine Mountain are very excited about the fabulous technology we have received the past week!  We have gotten Promethean ActivBoards and ceiling mounted LCD players. It will revolutionize our teaching and bring it into the 21st century!  Ask your students how they like it.  We are grateful to the SPLOST funds for providing this for us.

In Social Studies today, students used the board to play a Central and South America countries map review game.

In Reading we are beginning to use the board to do interactive vocabulary activities and reading activities. 

Next week in Social Studies, I am going to take some time to study our own country- the good ole USA. In Reading, we will continue to learn about characterization, setting, theme, plot, etc.

Have a good weekend!

Fun Friday in the lab

In Social Studies this week, we finished our powerpoint presentations!  The kids did a great job and we all learned a lot about what makes a good power point and what does not. Plus, the students learned a lot of information about their Latin American countries.  Today, they wrote a Reflection on the experience and gave me suggestions about how the project can be tweaked to make it better.

They are also going to write a R.A.F.T. - where they get "inside the skin" of a young person from their country.  R = Role; A= Audience; F= Format; T= Topic   

Their Role for this is a student in their country.  Their Audience is someone in the USA.  The Format is a letter and the Topic is telling what their life is like for a day.  This causes them to really think about their country on a whole different level.

We are going to the computer lab tomorrow to type their drafts.  These RAFTs will be due on Monday, March 2nd.

READING:  In the lab tomorrow please use the following sites to practice your reading skills. I will also give you a handout that includes specific directions.

http://www.factmonster.com/

Friday in the computer lab

(Anyone who has not brought back their progress reports with parent signature, needs to do so immediately.)

Hey Guys! over the weekend check out this cool vocabulary website:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab.htm

We have had a great week presenting country projects in Social Studies.  A few students need to finish their projects so we are going to the lab today.  MONDAY is the last day to have completed projects without incurring a 10 point late penalty.

For the students who have finished their projects, I want them to log onto:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids

and investigate their country from this site and then they can have fun.  They love this site!

In REading in the lab, students will work on Skills Tutor, take AR tests, and do some practice reading online.

Have a great weekend!!

Social Studies project

Social Studies classes began their Latin America projects today.  Your student could choose to complete a Power Point project or create a poster containing the information.  If your student wants to do a poster, please buy a single sheet of poster board so they can work on their project over the weekend.  The due date is Wednesday, Feb. 18th.  ( I put it back a day.)

Here is the template for the power point presentation with all the requirements for each slide.

Download Instructions for Latin America PPTs

Have a great night.

Country Projects

This week in Social Studies, the students are working on their main project for the Latin America unit.  Students have chosen their countries and will create either a power point, a travel brochure, or a poster.  Some students chose to work alone and others chose to work in partners.  They chose their countries today and tomorrow we will begin working on the laptops.  The project is due on Tuesday, February 17. 

If your student can bring a flashdrive or a burnable CD in order to save their project and work on it at home, that would be a great help.

They will begin with "CultureGrams" gathering their basic facts about their country and then add pictures and any other information they find interesting.

Here are a couple of sites where you can find pictures of Latin America:

http://www.peterlanger.com/latinamerica.htm

http://www.travelphoto.net/photos/english/Latin-America/

In Reading I want you to use this link:

http://eslus.com/LESSONS/READING/READ.HTM

Go to this link and I want you to read at least 2 of the stories and answer the questions online.

Then go to the speed reading section and try your hand at that.