Week 20: 6th Grade Science

Week: 20

Dear Parents,

This week the 6th grade class will be finishing moving their Anatomy unit and beginning their Earth and Space unit.  In their Earth and Space unit the 6th graders will explore Earth’s relationship to the sun and moon.  There will be a strong emphasis on a systems approach, using models of the solar system to explain astronomical  and other observations of the cyclic patterns of the moon’s phases, time, seasons, and eclipses.  Students will be able to demonstrate an ability to use and create models, and analyze and interpret data.

I believe an important part of any science curriculum is to work in the field.  This quarter’s project is to observe the patterns of the moon’s phases.  Some fun labs we will be doing are to understand night and day, tilt, and how to remember the moon’s phases.

Some interesting dinner table discussions; Why don’t we see the other side of the moon? and Is Earth closer or further away from the sun in the winter?