Mr. González' Classes Homework/ Daily Activities Week 7, 3/14 to 3/18

Math Monday - We should start the ITBS this week. The plan is to test early in the day, but not too early. Most likely 2nd and 3rd periods will be for testing. Fourth period will still be fine arts and band, 5th period we'll do science and 6th period social studies. Today we will start by filling out and preparing our testing booklets. HW - Get a good night's sleep, eat good, healthy meals (don't throw away your lunch!), and come prepared and not stressed. It's just a test, but do your best. Tuesday - Math Concepts and Estimation. I will have a sub today because I will be doing a lesson study with teachers from Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles and Bainbridge Island. HW - Same As Monday Wednesday - Today is an early release day and we will be taking the Vocabulary and the Punctuation test today. HW - Same As Monday Thursday - Usage and Expression test today. HW - Same As Monday Friday - Ballard Locks and Ice Skating Field Trip. Gone all day from 8:30am to about 3:45pm. HW - Same As Monday Future plans: Once we are done with ITBS testing we will have a review quiz for Covering and Surrounding Investigations 1 through 4. We will then move on to Investigation 5, finish the book and have the final test. This whole process will take us well into April. In April, students will take the 6th grade Reading and Math WASL.

Science Monday - This week I will show students how to edit the water quality movies using iMovie. They should only need one or two lessons. HW - If your child has not turned in the Ballard Locks field trip permission slip, please send that ASAP so that I know who's coming and who's not! We have three parents going with us so we're half way there. If you can come, please let me know ASAP. Tuesday - Edit water quality movies. Add your own music as long as Mr. González approves it. HW - If you have not submitted a song title and artist choice, then you cannot add music to your movie (yet). Wednesday - Early release day but kids got about 20 to 25 minutes to work on their water quality movies. HW - None Thursday - Kids will get another period to work on their water quality movies. By today they should be done making short clips for their websites. HW - None Friday - Ballard Locks and Ice Skating Field Trip. Gone all day from 8:30am to about 3:45pm. HW - None Future plans: This week students will have to edit their water quality documentaries. Next week we should fix any errors on the websites and burn the movies onto a DVD to send to other schools. We will also take a day to correct the science final test before the quarter is over. As of today, March 10, I'm no longer sure if we will be piloting the organisms kit from STC. It looks like a great kit and I'd love to do it, but it is too expensive. I'm trying to stop that one and get another one that will be more affordable for next year. I'll keep you posted as to how all this turns out.

Language Arts Monday - This week we will be testing for ITBS. Today we will take the Reading Comprehension test (we will be having language arts during 3rd period this week for testing). HW - Same as Math and students still have to read this week at home and complete a reading log. Tuesday - Math Problem Solving and Data Interpretation. HW - Same as Math Wednesday - Spelling test today. HW - Same as Math Thursday - Capitalization and Math Computation tests today. HW - Same as Math Friday - Ballard Locks and Ice Skating Field Trip. Gone all day from 8:30am to about 3:45pm. HW - Same as Math and those kids who made deals with me to go on this field trip and those who owe me work need to get it done this weekend! Future plans: Once we are done with the ITBS, or during the ITBS, we will have some practice with the three writing traits we are practicing this year, Ideas, Word Choice, and Organization. I also ten students to finish and turn in their Big6 research reports because those are the ones we will be scoring together for the three traits! After that we should have time to start our next novel. We will vote on which novel to start reading, either The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Cay, Theodore Taylor, or The Black Pearl, Scott O'Dell. While reading, we will review our PAR reading strategies.

Social Studies Monday - Today we will visit the library at 1:30pm. HW - Today I will give kids yet another progress report. Kids who are doing poorly in classes need to get their grades up in order to be able to go on this Friday's field trip. I will let you know, along with their progress reports, if your son or daughter may not be going to Ballard Locks with us. I hope that all my students learn that there are consequences when you don't do your job. Tuesday - We will be working on our Panama Canal activity. HW - None Wednesday - Early release day so we will not have social studies today. HW - None Thursday - Project Alert with Heidi Dodd. [We will take some time after testing, during SSR, to touch bases as to how far teams have gotten on the Panama Canal activity. Kids had some time to work on answering the questions.] HW - Heidi did give another reading assignment (Let's Clear the Air) and she gave them an Advertisement Count Sheet that they have to work on. Every student got one and I only have one copy for each of the two students who weren't here for Heidi's lesson. Otherwise, the only other homework is to come prepared tomorrow for an excellent field trip. Don't forget to bring a sack lunch. Friday - Ballard Locks and Ice Skating Field Trip. Gone all day from 8:30am to about 3:45pm. HW - None Future plans: This week we will finish Panama Canal and that will conclude our study of Latin America! Next week we will be starting to study Canada. We may not be doing the Inuit project I first planned. Instead we might start a project with Ms. Langston's class. I'll keep you posted as we meet and plan this in more detail.

Email me if you have any questions or concerns.