We had a VERY successful talk show with the one and only, Prudence Pringle! Characters from all genres of middle level fiction attended the talk show to discuss their books, the challenges and accomplishments they faced, and to give advice to the studio audience! It was a very lively, exciting, and at times dramatic talk show!
Gregor, Cal, and Maverick
9/24/21
This week, the 6th graders had many opportunities to participate in their community and demonstrate leadership. As the oldest students in the school, the sixth graders are often approached to take on responsibilities and projects that allow for real world learning opportunities. This week, the 6th graders led our Peace Day celebration and also started work on a project for the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust trail association.
Peace Day:
Three 6th graders volunteered to be the Masters of Ceremony and did a wonderful job presenting and keeping the program going. 6th graders also volunteered to help Ms. Neal pass out pinwheels to classes and attendees. 
Rattlesnake Gutter Trust Project:
We ventured out on our first specimen identification and collection hike on Wednesday. Students hiked the trail behind the school looking for interesting flora, fauna, and geological structures in order to create a trail guide for the trail.
Students collected lots of interesting leaves and plants, but the highlight of the trip was all the amazing fungi and mushrooms! There were over 20 different kinds of gorgeous mushrooms that we found.
When we returned to school, Ms. Neal led an integrated arts lesson on scientific drawing. Students looked closely and observed their objects in order to draw them accurately. 
Ms. Neal also highlighted the importance of multiple drafts and getting constructive feedback on how to improve. Some students completed multiple drafts and really demonstrated improvement from the feedback they were given!
Once we had documented our objects by drawing and photographing them, we began to identify the specimens using field guides and dichotomous keys (both print and online).
We realized that for many specimens we did not have enough information about them to identify them. For mushrooms, we needed to know where they were growing and what they were growing on. For leaves and acorns, we needed to know more about the trees they came from. We will head back to the woods next week to gather the needed information and will likely be joined by some local mycology and biology experts!
There will be many steps in the process of creating these trail guides for the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust and that will allow for many real world learning experiences along the way!
Welcome back to LES 6th grade! Wow, after almost a year of remote learning and being away from the school building, it was great to have students back at the school this week. We had a fabulous first week in person! Although the weather was challenging at times, we were able to be outside the majority of each day. Kudos to everyone for being brave and trying something new.
Reconnecting:
First day morning meeting
One of the primary goals of this week was reconnecting with one another. We spent time playing games, establishing routines, and building up our team mentality. Some of the games we played this week were: Zookeeper, BaBaBoom, Whaa!, Jedi Mind, and the Morse Hill Name Game. Games were also an important way to keep active and stay warm!
Poetry:
Each day we read 2-3 poems and students had 12-15 minutes to write poetry in our various outdoor classroom spaces. Writing in nature to the sounds of birds, the brook, and the wind was a welcome relief from the computer screen! We reviewed literary devices (alliteration, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification) and discussed strategies for analyzing the deeper themes and messages of a poem.
Here is one of the poems we read and analyzed. What do you think about the theme or message the poem conveys?
CYNTHIA IN THE SNOW by Gwendolyn Brooks
It SHUSHES
It hushes
The loudness in the road.
It flitter-twitters,
And laughs away from me.
It laughs a lovely whiteness,
And whitely whirls away,
To be
Some otherwhere,
Still white as milk or shirts,
So beautiful it hurts.
Orienteering:
Our first integrated unit is orienteering. Early in the week, students counted their paces over 100′ in different terrain and found their average pace. They compared their pace per 100′ with their pace over 100 yards to see if it was consistent. Working in teams of four, students made box plots to represent the class data. It was a challenge to figure out how to keep a consistent scale in order to compare them accurately!
On Friday, students put their data to work and completed a beginning orienteering course in the field. They had to locate 8 cubes in a specific order using clues such as “Go North 375′.” All partnerships were successful in completing the course. Students also created courses for one another using the cardinal directions and their pacing. This was harder than many anticipated, and we realized the importance of a clear starting point and clear, consistent directions.
Math: To supplement the afternoon math work we have been doing, students completed a series of Order of Operations equations and some algebra problems that used the distributive property. Problems were taped to cones and set around the field and playground to keep everyone moving as they solved the problems.
Hello Sixth Grade Families,
The 6th graders organized and led a very successful Climate Strike on Friday, September 20th, 2019.
Pre-March Preparation:
Earlier in the week, the 6th grade students began talking about the Climate Strike and Greta Thunberg’s movement. Students did some independent research and read an article about the strike. This inspired them to want to join the movement! During our class meeting, we discussed how we could join the movement. Students were enthusiastic about marching out of school– could we march to Amherst? The town hall? Eventually, we settled on the library and decided to invite other classes to join us. I sent out some emails, prepared to give the 6th graders some class time to work on it, and waited to see what would unfold. I was not prepared for the huge community response we would get!
The Cafeteria:
At about 12:55, the cafeteria became a hum of activity. “Can we get our signs?” “What am I going to do with my lunch box?” “I forgot my speech in the classroom, can I go get it?” I was glad to be on lunch duty to help the 4th and 5th grade students do their last minute preparations and calm pre-march anxiety! I was proud to see that the 6th graders were going about their business independently and without reminders. Audrey went and borrowed the speaker from Coach Sadie in the gym, Eli grabbed the microphone from the closet, other students grabbed their signs and speeches.
Out the window, we noticed that Natalie Blais, the State Representative for Franklin County, had arrived. She came into the lunchroom and spoke to a few students, before walking out onto the playground to wait for the march to begin.
The Walk Out:
This is our future. We need to change now. There is no Planet B.
Climate change is not ignorable. We need to change our actions to prevent climate change. Climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels like driving automobiles, flying planes and using so much electricity. We have a few years to change this.
Why are we here? Why are adults not taking charge?
Even though we are small, we have voices too. If we speak up, maybe the adults will catch on and act! We demand change now!
On Friday, November 16th the 6th graders and I spent the first of six afternoons focused on building critical collaboration and group work skills.
I believe that students need time exploring leadership and collaborative problem solving in a non academic setting as well as within the classroom. In the 6th grade, we often work within collaborative groups and spend time talking about the strategies and tools effective collaboration requires. Students need repeated exposure to these ideas in order to refine and develop these important skills. Taking a break from academics for these activities removes the academic barriers some students might face in the classroom. It also builds connections between students in ways that don’t always happen within the structure of a typical academic day. When we head back to the classroom on Monday, we will have more experiences to reference, relationships to draw upon, and a deeper understanding of the skills required for our day to day work!
Leadership Lunch:
We started our afternoon by eating all together in the Parent Room. Tables were set with colorful paper and markers were left on the tables. Students were free to draw as they chatted and ate their lunches. We talked informally about leadership. Who do you think of when you think of a leader? What qualities does an effective leader possess? What tools or strategies does an effective leader employ? 
Enjoying an all 6th grade lunch!
Helium Hoop Challenge
Our first challenge of the day required excellent communication skills and collaborative leadership. Students were given a hula hoop at shoulder height and were tasked to lower it to the ground holding it with nothing but the tip of their index finger. They started in two groups of 8 and then tried as a whole group. They were extremely successful and completed the challenge within 30 minutes! They attributed their success to the following:
Ready, Aim!
We played a game blindfolded. Only blindfolded people could pick up nd throw balls. If anyone was hit, the team was “out” until the blindfolded partner picked up another ball. This activity built trust and required clear communication.
Lava Pit
Our final challenge of the day was by far the most challenging. They were to get from one side of a “lava pit” to another using only 5 stepping stones. This started as a whole group challenge, morphed to two small groups, and then ended as a whole group challenge. We learned that listening to one another’s ideas and then making a decision is challenging for this group. However, once they decide on a course of action, they are quickly successful in completing the challenge!
The 6th graders presented their original hot pack and cold pack designs to a panel of representatives from ER Medical Supply Company (parents and a former beloved LES teacher, Nancy Gibavic). Each group designed either a hot pack or a cold pack that met the following conditions:
Working in a team of 4 or 5, the students worked independently to test the chemicals and find the perfect combination for their pack, design and test prototypes, and create a marketing plan. They presented their ideas and showed their prototypes to the panel who then decided whether or not the product would be added to ER Medical Supply’s collection of medical products.
Testing the chemicals for a cold pack:
Testing prototype designs:
Each year on Valentine’s Day, the 6th grade works together to create a build-your-own fruit salad bar. This year we had an excellent crew of fruit slicers and a beautiful fruit salad spread that everyone enjoyed.
Chocolate Milk at Leverett School
On Thursday, December 21st, 2017, the 6th graders made presentations to a panel regarding whether or not chocolate milk should be served at Leverett School. The panel consisted of Principal Lacey, Superintendent Haggerty, school committee members Craig Cohen and Tara Acker, school nurse Annie Clarke, and Food Service Director Molly Snedden. After listening to the carefully crafted presentations which included research from experts as well as survey information from students here at Leverett School, the panel is willing to consider adding chocolate milk as an option at lunch. They have asked the students to create a parent survey and if the parents agree, they are willing to do a 6 week trial of chocolate milk. During the trial, the 6th graders will need to keep data and then present a report regarding the outcomes of having chocolate milk at lunch. Do students drink more milk? Are more lunches sold?
Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions
We have started a new unit in science exploring chemical reactions. Students have completed two labs where they have combined different chemicals (a liquid and a powdered solid) and recorded how the temperature changes. The first lab had students testing beef liver and hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice and baking soda, and yeast and hydrogen peroxide. The second lab was a mix and match using water and acetic acid (vinegar) as the liquids and calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and citric acid as the powdered solids. The students then mixed each of the liquids with each of the solids and recorded their observations about the evidence of a chemical reaction and recorded the temperature change. After each lab, students created a graph and wrote up their conclusions.
The day before Thanksgiving break, we had a fun day of reading! Students wore their pajamas and brought lots of blankets and pillows to get comfortable. In between the sustained silent reading, they spent time in Preschool with their reading buddies, listened to two guest readers (Carol and Deb), and did some reader’s theater. 
