6th Grade News: 5/7/21

Humanities: 

In humanities class this week, we began discussions about our new class novel, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. The story tells the strange and spooky tale of a child raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Though his upbringing is anything but ordinary, the conflicts and internal struggles he faces as he comes of age are universal and relatable. While 6th graders experience the emotional and physical changes of their “tween” years, The Graveyard Book provides an engaging entry-point to conversations about gaining independence, building personal identity, and navigating our relationships to our homes and the outside world as we grow up.

Meanwhile, students are exploring “real-world” topics that feel meaningful to them as they research and draft persuasive essays. Students browsed through dozens of debate ideas on the Junior Scholastic Website and chose topics that piqued their interest. Questions students are exploring in their essays include: Should we get rid of the electoral college? Should the U.S. have stricter gun laws? Should students be graded on their participation in class? …. and many more. I encourage you to ask your child what they chose to write about and engage them in friendly debate! Remind them to use EVIDENCE and strong reasoning as they defend their side of the argument, just as they are doing in their essays.

Shabbat shalom,

Naomi

Math: 

The 6th grade has started on their next unit which focuses on Statistics and Probability. We have begun to talk about theoretical probability versus experimental probability. This unit has so many opportunities for hands-on experiments and games. Next, we are going to be talking about tree diagrams and fundamental counting principle. At the end of the unit students will create their own probability games. 

Judaics: 

In Chumash we are studying the iconic moment with Moshe and the Burning Bush. Students began this section with Hannah, the student teacher. They reflected on what makes a hero and a leader and what kind of support these people need. They wrote beautiful midrashim(Rabbinic stories) about the bush after translating some original ones. I am very excited to continue this unit with them in person as we explore art throughout the ages and how artists interpreted this moment and the impact it has had on society. We will then create our own art based on the text and our interpretation. These projects and more will be on display during our end of the year event! 

We also just finished a unit about Israel post WW1-1967. We covered some of the major events that led to the conflict that still exists today. We looked at various narratives and worked on having constructive debates. Students were eager to dive into current events and try to see the situation from both sides. I encourage you to ask your child about what they learned and continue to talk about your personal experiences with Israel.

Shabbat shalom,

Laura

Hebrew

In Hebrew class we learned new units “בשעה טובה!” . Students discussed  their daily routine schedule and talked about special schedules such as festivals, field trips, etc. We discussed the pros and cons of different school hours. Students made their advertisements and presented  them in class  to their friends.  In addition, we practiced a declarative sentence that includes a question word. We are continuing to practice conjugating the verbs in the present and past tense and using them in the correct form.  We are learning Hebrew by using diverse ways such as reading and practicing in a workbook and website ivritil, learning new vocabulary in quizlet, writing and recording in wizerme.

 Best wishes,

Yuliya