Hello!! Welcome to the 6th grade.

Over the course of the year we will be studying various topics dealing with the study of our Earth and the space that surrounds it.  In doing this we will be doing lots of reading, individual and group work, and hands-on experiments.

Reading/Notes:   I have incorporated reading the text into my class activities because I found that a good portion of my students were not reading the book.  This made talking about the topics in class very difficult.  While reading the text, we fill out a note-taking worksheet.   Amazingly, the note-taking worksheet IS the study guide for the tests; about 85 - 90% of the questions come from this worksheet.   In addition to the note-taking worksheet, we will be taking picture notes.   Students at this age would rather draw that write...I work with this.  We do picture notes on vocabulary, concepts, and topics that might be difficult to understand if just read about.

Individual/Group Work:   Individual and group work can include worksheets, posters, games, drawing pictures of concepts, and making skits.    **Students are NEVER graded on their artistic abilities.**

Hands-on experiments:   This is definitely the tricky part.  On the down side, some elementary teachers limit the amount of science time because of the pressures to expand on other subjects.   This makes it difficult for some students to understand that the experiments are not "play-time," rather to grasp a deeper meaning of a concept.   I have had just a few problems with lab rules not being followed in the past (usually in the first month of school).  I do not allow horse play (goofing around) in the lab area because of safety issues.   Students who do not comply with the lab rules will face consequences (at teacher discression including parent contact).  On the good side, I have tried to plan lab experiences that the students will enjoy.  These labs include "Does soap float?,” air pressure, UV and sunscreens, temperature and cloud formation, ocean currents and density, mapping the sea floor, crystal formation, rock candy (I hope), mineral identification, and a rock identification lab.  These are just the ones to December.   Labs are great experiences and I anticipate having very few problems.

I am looking forward to a great year! Please feel free to contact me via email at any time (brownem@flaglerschools.com).