Crystal Academy of Science and Engineering: 6th Grade Team
It seems almost impossible to believe that half of the school year is over! Today we began the third quarter and the second semester at Crystal Academy of Science and Engineering. We consider it a privilege to educate your student in the areas of Marine Science, Engineering, and STEM education. One of the exciting opportunities that your student has at our academy is to have the opportunity to have STEM quarter long units that culminate in a large project or activity. The first quarter unit theme was Emerging Technologies and the second quarter unit theme was Energy and the Environment. The current third theme is Exploration and the upcoming fourth quarter theme is Climate and Weather. Through these units our students learn how to solve real-world problems through the use of the engineering design process, integrating technology, and applying twenty-first century skills that will prepare them for future education and careers. Throughout the school year your student will have the opportunity to build websites, develop podcasts, engineer solutions to local and global issues, create and post blogs, create videos and public service announcements, and write a newspaper article. Please refer to the rest of this newsletter in order to find out the specific details of the current unit assessments that your student will be working on this quarter. Please also check our school website for updates and information. Thank you for your support and involvement in your student’s education!
Unit Essential Question- How does the achievements of innovators influence and transform past, present, and future cultures?
BIG IDEA (Key Concept)- The innovations of one society has a direct impact on other societies. Ancient Greece made many contributions in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math. These achievements not only impacted their society, but continue to impact our lives today.
Assessment: Students will create their own myth, perform it, and critique performances as play critiques in the form of a blog. Students will use background information provided through classroom instruction throughout the integrated unit about six different innovators (2 historical, 2 scientists, 1 marine biology, 1 engineering) to create and transform a scene from a play. Students will work in small groups to select one explorer, scientist, marine biologist, or engineer. Students will use factual information and transform it to create a fictional mythical scene. Students will write the script, use costumes/scenery, create a portrait of their explorer on a coordinate plane (rotation, reflection, and translation in a large poster size) and perform (film) the scene they create. They will then present this filmed play to the class. Students will use their blogs to critique at least three other performances as if they were film critics providing a review for the general public
How can you get more involved? 1. Check Your Student’s Agenda: All Crystal Academy students write in their agenda every Monday and Tuesday in class. Please check your student’s agenda for homework and assignments every night. In Math students keep a monthly calendar to track assignments. Please utilize Parent Portal to access student grades and assignments. 2. Check Your Student’s Homework: Students have homework every night. Two classes that they always have homework in are Language Arts and Reading. Students are expected to read a minimum of thirty minutes a night, write a summary, and then take Accelerated Reader tests at school on these books. 3. Become Actively Involved At School: Your student is currently working on a unit for the third quarter. They will have a project due at the end of the quarter. Please encourage them to work on this as this quarter project counts as a large grade in all of their core academic classes. If you have any expertise in the area of the unit we are currently studying, we would love for you to be actively involved in our unit. If you are interested in being a guest speaker or assisting in classrooms and are an approved volunteer, please contact Miss McCarthy via email at sarah.mccarthy@polk-fl.net. You can also join the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) or the School Advisory Committee (SAC) by contacting Mrs. Johnson at debra.johnson02@polk-fl.net. |
