Sunday, October 30, 2016

Quarter 1, Week 9, 10/31 to 11/4

(This may change from day to day depending on how much we actually get done in class so check back often to make sure a deadline or assignment or homework wasn't changed at the last minute.) 

 Last updated on Sunday, Oct 29, 2016, 9:56pm

1st per - 7:45am to 9:02am
Homeroom -  9:06am to 9:16am
2nd per - 9:16am to 10:33am 
Lunch - 10:33am to 11:03am 
3rd per - 11:07am to 12:24pm 
4th per - 12:28pm to 1:22pm 
6th grade Science

Monday - Today students will get some more time to finish their Lesson 3 Lab Conclusions on Google Classroom. 

Students will also get time to complete their Mt Saint Helens Catastrophic assignment because I put it on Google Classroom to help those who have not unlocked it on 3D GameLab.

Those who are done with both of the above assignments can work on any available or in progress 3D GameLab quests.

HW - If you have not finished your Lesson 3 Lab Conclusion or your Mt Saint Helens Catastrophic quest need to complete it for homework. If you cannot do it at home maybe we can arrange a day after school to use a computer in Mr. G's classroom.

Tuesday to Friday - For the rest of the week students will need to complete their Lesson 3 Lab Conclusion and the Mt Saint Helens Catastrophic assignment in class or at home. 

Student teams will do the Lesson 4 Lab on Storing and Using Energy in a Flashlight as well as work on their other 3D GameLab quests. 

This week period 2, Group C, will set the fish traps one day, then return the next day to ID and count any fish we catch in the traps. We always return the fish to the creek.
6th grade Exploratory
Technology Lit


Monday - Group B - Students will continue working on their journey quest, their heroism quest, and researching the World of Warcraft race and class of their choosing. 

Once students are done with those quests they will take a keyboarding test. Once at least 40% of the class has taken their keyboarding test we will go to the computer lab to play World of Warcraft!

HW - None unless you want to get ahead or catch up.

Tuesday - Group C - Same as Monday.

Wednesday - Group A - Same as Monday.

Friday (double period) - 
12:28 to 1:03pm - Group B
1:06 to 1:41pm - Group C
1:45 to 2:20pm - Group A


Today all three groups get 35 minutes each to continue working on their quests.
Email me with any questions.


Sunday, October 23, 2016

Quarter 1, Week 8, 10/24 to 10/28

(This may change from day to day depending on how much we actually get done in class so check back often to make sure a deadline or assignment or homework wasn't changed at the last minute.) 

 Last updated on Tuesday, Oct 25, 2016, 4:11pm

Our first dance is happening this Friday, Oct 28, in the middle school gym from 2:30 to 4:30pm!  Kids can dress up for the dance but no masks or clown costumes. Parents plan on picking up your child at 4:30.

And don't forget about our Back to School Night event happening Tuesday, Oct 25. Please come to the auditorium at 6pm! See you there!

1st per - 7:45am to 9:02am
Homeroom -  9:06am to 9:16am
2nd per - 9:16am to 10:33am 
Lunch - 10:33am to 11:03am 
3rd per - 11:07am to 12:24pm 
4th per - 12:28pm to 1:22pm 
6th grade Science

Monday - Today I'm going to give students another chance to complete their Battery Blog quest from last week. 

Then we will take some time to prepare for our next lab tomorrow.

HW - None unless you still haven't completed the Mt Saint Helens quests.

Tuesday - Today students will do the lesson 3 lab, Rechargeable Batteries.

Wednesday - Today we will finish the lesson 3 lab reflection. Students will be writing a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) conclusion based on the results/data they collected yesterday.

If there is time left, I am going to give students an opportunity to complete a major Mt Saint Helens activity in class because most students have not done it yet. We will work on that all period today.

Thursday - Same as yesterday. Students will be working on their Lesson 3 Lab CER conclusion and/or their Mt Saint Helens activity (this Mt Saint Helens activity is overdue and I am giving students class time to finish it in case they are not able to finish it at home).


Period 1 will learn how to set the fish traps and go down to the creek to set them!

Friday - Today students have time to finish all of the lesson 2 and 3 lab work. Those who finish early can work on their Mt Saint Helens quests, especially the activity we started yesterday if they are not done with those yet. 

Then students can work on any other quests that do not have to do with the battery labs OR Mt Saint Helens. Students are learning to complete the quests that are due first, then work on the ones that have no deadline. That is proving to be quite a challenge for many students!

Period 1 will learn how to retrieve the fish traps and how to ID the fish so they can count them and add the data to our spreadsheet.
6th grade Exploratory
Technology Lit


Monday - Group B - Continue working on the journey quest, the heroism quest, and researching the World of Warcraft race and class of your choosing. 

Once students are done with those quests they will take a keyboarding test. Once at least 40% of the class has taken their keyboarding test we will go to the computer lab to play World of Warcraft!

HW - None unless you want to get ahead or caught up.

Tuesday - Group C - Same as Monday.

Wednesday - Group A - Same as Monday.

Friday (double period) - 
12:28 to 1:03pm - Group B
1:06 to 1:41pm - Group C
1:45 to 2:20pm - Group A


Today all three groups get 35 minutes to continue working on their quests.
Email me with any questions.


Sunday, October 16, 2016

Quarter 1, Week 7, 10/17 to 10/21

(This may change from day to day depending on how much we actually get done in class so check back often to make sure a deadline or assignment or homework wasn't changed at the last minute.) 

 Last updated on Monday, Oct 17, 2016, 8:04pm

1st per - 7:45am to 9:02am
Homeroom -  9:06am to 9:16am
2nd per - 9:16am to 10:33am 
Lunch - 10:33am to 11:03am 
3rd per - 11:07am to 12:24pm 
4th per - 12:28pm to 1:22pm 
6th grade Science

Monday and Tuesday - Students will complete a short assignment on batteries to see what they already know. 

Then students can continue working on the Mt Saint Helens quest from last week if they didn't get them done last week.

HW - None, unless you need to catch up. If you haven't finished the Mt Saint Helens quests you should do those at home since we are moving on to a unit on Energy and Forces.

Wednesday and Thursday - Students will be working on their first lab of our Energy and Forces unit, EMM 2 - Making a Battery!

Friday - I will have a sub again today. This time, I will be attending a Science Leadership training in Bremerton.

Students will be completing their EMM 2 reflection quest today, Battery Blog, those who finish early can work on their Mt Saint Helens quests if they are still not done by now.

This week we are supposed to begin fish trapping. Each class will get to set the traps one day, then retrieve the traps the next day to ID and count any fish we catch. We keep track of those results to send them to the Jefferson Conservation District. The fish count data will also be used in the Spring for our Environmental Stewardship Unit. Period 1, Group B, will go this week but only if we get some safe weather. If the weather doesn't look good, we will wait, even if that means going next week.
- After some thought, I've decided to wait until next week to start fish trappling. I'd rather get students started on our first lab of the year. Monday, 10/17, 8:04pm.
6th grade Exploratory
Technology Lit


Monday - Group B - Once almost half of the class unlocks the Create Your Hero quest, which is the quest needed to play World of Warcraft, we will go to the computer lab so those who are ready can start playing the game! Once students unlock the keyboarding quest, to take their keyboarding test, they will unlock Create Your Hero, too!

HW - None unless you want to get ahead or catch up.

Tuesday - Group C - Same as yesterday only for this group.

Wednesday - Group A - Same as Monday for this group.

Friday (double period) - Group B - This is Group B's chance to get two period's worth of time to complete enough quests to unlock Create Your Hero!
Email me with any questions.


Sunday, October 9, 2016

Quarter 1, Week 6, 10/10 to 10/14

(This may change from day to day depending on how much we actually get done in class so check back often to make sure a deadline or assignment or homework wasn't changed at the last minute.) 

 Last updated on Sunday, Oct 9, 2016, 6:30pm

1st per - 7:45am to 9:02am
Homeroom -  9:06am to 9:16am
2nd per - 9:16am to 10:33am 
Lunch - 10:33am to 11:03am 
3rd per - 11:07am to 12:24pm 
4th per - 12:28pm to 1:22pm 
6th grade Science

Monday to Wednesday - By now students should be done with the nine preliminary 3D GameLab quests that they've been working on for the last few weeks (see week 5) and already be working on their Mt Saint Helens activities! 

All three classes said that they needed more time to finish and/or even start their Mt Saint Helens work, so I will give them this week to complete them.


Here are the Mt Saint Helens assignments (quests) that students will be working on this week:
  1. Save Palgren! (This activity helps students learn about volcano types.)
  2. What did you learn about MSH? (This one helps students finish and/or check their Cispus Mt Saint Helens trip book page.)
  3. Active Volcano
  4. Mt Saint Helens Rebuild?
  5. Seismic Activity
  6. Is Mt Saint Helens Catastrophic?
HW - You can work on any 3D GameLab quests at home if you have a device that can connect to the Internet if you fall behind in class or are absent.

Thursday - Today 6th graders will take the Healthy Youth Survey. Then they can get back to working on their Mt Saint Helens activities.

Friday - Today I will have a substitute teacher cover my classes while I am in Spokane co-presenting a conference on Innovating teaching to east side teachers. 

Students will continue to work on Mt Saint Helens activities mentioned above. Monday we will start to transition to our study of ENERGY!
6th grade Exploratory
Technology Lit


Monday - Group A - Students are continuing to work on the assignments that will prepare them to play World of Warcraft in class!

Once enough kids in the class have completed their preliminary work, we will meet in the computer lab so that those who are ready can begin the game.

HW - None, unless you want to work on your quests at home to get ahead or get caught up if you fall behind.

Tuesday - Group B - Same as Monday.

Wednesday - Group C - Same as Monday.

Friday (double period) - Group A - This group will continue the work they started on Monday. If enough students complete the preliminary work then maybe we can start to meet in the computer lab next week!

Email me with any questions.


Saturday, October 1, 2016

Quarter 1, Week 5, 10/3 to 10/7

(This may change from day to day depending on how much we actually get done in class so check back often to make sure a deadline or assignment or homework wasn't changed at the last minute.) 

 Last updated on Saturday, Oct 1, 2016, 8:00pm

1st per - 7:45am to 9:02am
Homeroom -  9:06am to 9:16am
2nd per - 9:16am to 10:33am 
Lunch - 10:33am to 11:03am 
3rd per - 11:07am to 12:24pm 
4th per - 12:28pm to 1:22pm 
5th per - 1:26pm to 2:20pm
(Click here to see Early Release Day Schedules)



Tuesday and Wednesday we will be on Early Release schedule (school starts at 8:45am and ends at 12:15pm)!


6th grade Science

Monday - As kids settle into using 3D GameLab to complete their assignments, here are the assignments (quests) that all students should have done by now so that we can start the Mt Saint Helens work:
  1. What is this? (This is the very first quest that starts off 6th grade Science.)
  2. Let's Go Camping (Whether kids went to Cispus or did the stay at home packet that week, they can complete this quest to get credit for their hard work.)
  3. What's a Blog? 
  4. Blogging in Science (Numbers two and three helps students set up their Science blog.)
  5. Tech Use (This one lets students know the guidelines for using technology in class.)
  6. Lab Safety (This one shows students how to be safe when we do Science labs.)
  7. Notebooking (This one helps students get their Science notebooks all setup and ready to go.)
  8. Shivtr (This one helps students setup their accounts on our online class discussion forum.)
  9. Class Promises (This one is for students to evaluate how well they are behaving in class.)
Once students complete all of the above they can start on the following Mt Saint Helens assignments (quests):
  1. Save Palgren! (This quest helps students learn about different volcano types.)
  2. What did you learn about MSH? (This one helps students finish and/or check their Cispus Mt Saint Helens trip book page.)
  3. Active Volcano
  4. Mt Saint Helens Rebuild?
  5. Seismic Activity
  6. Is Mt Saint Helens Catastrophic?
So there we have it. This week students will be working on the Mt Saint Helens quests listed above. I will give them this week and if they need more time we will continue to work on those next week as well.

HW - We have a little over half of our 6th-grade families signed up for Bloomz! We're almost there! If you haven't signed up yet, please do.

Tuesday (Early Release) - Same as above.

Wednesday (Early Release) Same as above.

Thursday and Friday - Same as above.
6th grade Exploratory
Technology Lit


Monday - Group C - Students are working on the assignments that will prepare them to play World of Warcraft in class!

Once enough kids in class have completed their preliminary work, we will meet in the computer lab so that those who are ready can begin the game.

HW - None, unless you want to work on your quests at home to get ahead or get caught up if you fall behind.

Tuesday - Group A - Same as Monday.

Wednesday - Group B - Same as Monday.

Friday (double period) - Group C - This group will continue the work they started on Monday. If enough students complete the preliminary work then maybe we can start to meet in the computer lab next week!
Email me with any questions.