Earth & Life Under The Microscope

Welcome back from summer vacation!   

I hope everyone is well rested & ready for a fantastic beginning to middle school & the 6th grade!  Below I will list the homework for the week; the day that an assignment is listed represents that evenings homework.  You should assume the assignment is due the next day unless otherwise listed.  Unfinished classwork is homework unless stated otherwise (it will not necessarily show up on the class website, students will need to be responsible for remembering to complete classwork).  Some of the handouts are also posted for download as .pdf files. 

In general, I try to list the week's homework on Mondays so students & famalies may plan ahead if/when there is a busy week.   When there are changes to the homework, additional instructions, or updates to assigned work during the week, I try my best to update the information online before I go home for the evening.  Students are encouraged do work in advance if there is a family function or other obligation on a school night (such as a test, or a large project due mid-week for another class). 

Welcome to 6th grade Science!

More information to be posted as we approach the beginning of the school year!

M 8.17- Complete the 3-2-1 Bret Harte Lab Safety Contract Homework (download: 321LabSafetyContractHW.pdf (45.81 KB) ) and

Have parents/guardian check over your pre-printed emergency form, make any necessary changes and parent/guardian signs form; student returns form to 1° teacher.

Reminders for Monday:

• Bring the Course Information handout and the Bret Harte Lab Safety Contract to class every day.
• Science Permission & Information / Data sheet due by Thursday, Aug. 20 - Permission & Information side is to be filled out by parent/guardian and signatures required
• Supplies listed on Course Description are due by Monday, Aug. 24; this week I expect you to bring pencil/pen, numerous sheets of binder paper and a folder (or binder with dividers) every day this week.  Next week I expect the supplies listed (planner, binder/folder, binder paper, pencils AND pens, etc.) to be in your backpack every day.

T 8.18- Finish classwork & Complete Science Permission & Information / Data sheet due Thursday. 
         (This was the Name the Tools of a Scientist page - reading the thermometer and measuring using cm and mm)

W 8.19- Finish classwork & Complete Science Permission & Information / Data sheet due tomorrow.
        (This was the Sponge Bob story titled "Scientific Method- Science Safety Rules")

R 8.20- Finish lab safety "poster" (due Friday as you enter the room)
    I'll be looking for the following things, check your work to be sure it is complete:
           ___Safety rule written out completely (copy it from the Bret Harte Lab Safety Contract) with rule number
           ___One illustration labeled "DO"  (showing someone following the lab safety rule; being safe)
           ___One illustration labeled "DON'T" (showing someone NOT following the lab safety rule; being un-safe)
           ___Creative, neat & colorful

F 8.21- Get your supplies & go for walk with a family member (you can measure how far you walked with gmaps pedometer)!

Important Documents (will be distributed in class but you may click to download .pdf versions):

SciDataPermisSlip081.pdf (139.23 KB)

FischerCourseDescription.pdf (150.05 KB)  -->  contains list of required supplies

BHLabSafetyContractV08.pdf (343.11 KB)

M 9.1- No school, but make sure you have your supplies/materials, and the completed packet (all 3 pages)

T 9.2- Sketch lab safety picture on 4"x4" square, use pencil, fill the entire square, in a corner record the rule that is being followed or broken

W 9.3- Back to School Night tonight, send the adult in charge of you to school.
(Unable to make it?  Unsure if you heard everything?  The .pdf file of the presentation is below- it'll take a little while to download since it's 8KB in size.)

R 9.4- Measurement papers

F 9.5- Sleep in on Saturday/Sunday.   IN CLASS TODAY 1st through 5th period: We made origami frogs to prepare for Monday's activity of Frog Jumping.  If you would like to practice making a frog at home, click here to link to origami frog directions. 6th period - due to Bronco Branding of 6th graders, we did not check homework (will do when enter Monday) and we'll do the jumping for homework Monday night.  Thank you!

Back to School Night F.Y.I.'s - It was great to meet everyone who was able to attend!

• Late homework pink slips will be given out starting Friday, these require a parent/guardian signature.  Work still counts as being late (70% credit).
• PIV is currently down, once it is available for parents to check grades online, there will be an email from the Bronco Bytes. 
• 6th grade Textbook link under Navigator on left side of page has sample quizzes, tests, interactive tutorials 
• Projects are not accepted late, if there has been an illness that has caused a student to be absent for most of the project, we should already be in contact regarding make up work. 
• Students should spend 20 minutes on Science homework per night, please contact me if it's taking longer on a regular basis (obviously, projects are an average of 20 minutes, if a student postpones the project, and is not spreading out the work, there will be one or two nights with far more than 20 minutes of work).
• Students are given time the first day of each week to write the entire weeks homework from the homework board; it is also posted here, online.  Assignments occasionally change mid-week due to schedule conflicts.
• Homework is due as students enter the classroom.  This means, if the do not have it/ cannot find it, there will be a Late Homework Pink Slip given to your child for a parent/ guardian signature.
• File to download: BackToSchoolNight20080903.pdf ( KB)
• If you use an RSS feed reader, you can subscribe to this page and  the weeks work and announcements will be sent directly to you! It is amazing how technology can make things so easy!

M 8.25- No School

T 8.26- Read "Course Information" (quiz tomorrow- bring packet) & begin filling out packet given in class.  Completed packet & supplies are due Tuesday 9.2

Packet included following documents if you'd like to download the .pdf files, click links:

• Student Data Sheet/Permission Slip SciDataPermisSlip08.pdf (135.07 KB)
• Course Information ScienceCourseInformation08.pdf (153.58 KB)
• Bret Harte Lab Safety Rules BHLabSafetyContractV08.pdf (343.11 KB)

W 8.27- Read "Lab Safety Rules" (quiz tomorrow) & finish filling out packet given yesterday.  Completed packet & supplies are due Tuesday 9.2

R 8.28- Textbook p.1 (Scavenger Hunt) due Friday... use FCS (full complete sentences) or in WOTQ (write out the question)

F 8.29- Have all items above ready & complete for Tuesday. 

Announcements about the Course Information Quiz Quiz:

One time offer: If your student earned less than 100% on the "Course Information" quiz, he or she may retake the quiz on Friday 8/29 before (7:45-8:05) or after school (2:35-3:00).  There will be no other re-do or make up days for this quiz.  On future quizzes and tests, retakes will not be offered, so be sure to have your student restate the information & to check for understanding when helping them review information.  

M- Labor Day, no school.  Be sure to have signature papers from handbook for fifth period, and supplies.

T- 6th grade- finish calculations for frog jumping lab; give parents/guardians green lab donation paper
   7th grade- Tools of a Scientist (try to name a minimum of 12 tools; crossword puzzle on back is extra credit), give parents/guardians green lab donation paper

W-all- bring textbook home, send your parents & guardians to Back to School Night; lab fee donations accepted through next week (They're also appreciated)

To download and view Mrs. Fischer's Back To School Night presentation, click on the following link:  Back to School Night 07.pps (1.58 MB)
(You'll need to click the mouse for reach slide transition to occur.)

R-6th grade- Project 1: Tools of a Scientist "Important Book" directions were distributed today.  Due Friday, Sept. 14.  Quiz tomorrow on tools, measurement.
   7th grade- finish uses of tools worksheet from class (sort the tools from last nights homework into the usage categories; write the names, draw each of the tools)  Quiz tomorrow on tools, measurement.

F-6th grade- Tools of a Scientist Project 1 (continued)
   7th grade- Enjoy your weekend!

Websites useful for naming the tools:

carolina.com

sciencekit.com

T: Share handouts with parents/guardians; signatures due by Thursday on:

(1) Science Permission & Information Slip,
(2) both copies of the Bret Harte Lab Safety Contract;
you may wish to sign the calendar (it will be checked when the Notebook is collected).

W: Signatures due by Thursday.
         "My Science Resume" is due by Friday.
         Supplies due by Tuesday.

R: "My Science Resume" is due by Friday. Supplies due by Tuesday.

F: Enjoy the 3 day weekend! Supplies due by Tuesday.  Show Bronco and SJUSD handbooks to parents/guardians.  (Handed out first period)  Return signature papers to fifth period teacher on Tuesday.

(Please note: these assignments are for all classes, including 6th and 7th graders.  In future weeks, assignments which are not common among the grade levels, will be identified by either class period or grade level.  If specific grade level or periods are not indicated, the assignment is for all classes.)

Below are files of the handouts I gave the first day of school to students. Hope to see everyone at Back to School Night!

FischerGreenSheet071.pdf (648.96 KB) (Course Information Handout)

BHLabSafetyContractV07.pdf (343.32 KB) (Lab Safety Contract- two copies were given, both need to be signed, one will be collected, the other will stay in the studetnt's binder.)

StudentDataPermiSheet071.pdf (260.29 KB) (Student Data Sheet and Information/Permission Sheet)

ScienceResume1.pdf (164.65 KB) (Science Resume assignment will be handed out on Wednesday, it is due Friday)

SciCalendar11.pdf (201.45 KB) (Calendar showing important dates for quizzes, tests, project due dates, etc. for the first 6 weeks of Science; advance notice will be given to students and posted here if/when the due dates or assessment dates are changed.  The calendar should be signed, and kept in the notebook, however I suggest making a photocopy or printing it out and posting on a fridge.)