Science Update

Hi All,

Sixth grade science has been focused on understanding connections in systems.

In the last few weeks, we have been working on a number of aspects:

Systems in the Garden: Students worked in field ecology teams to investigate garden research plots. We began by defining ecology as : "The study of living things and how they interact with their living and non-living environment." Within a square-meter of garden, they identified living elements, non-living components, and the living and non-living factors from outside of the plot that could affect the life within the plot. We debriefed as a class, sharing all of the things we noticed in our garden plots and the factors that can affect life in them.

Following up on the garden explorations, we have spent more time being the impact in the garden, tearing out the dead and dying vegetation from this year as we prepare the winter garden.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss: Most students know this book, but we are taking it to the next level. Last week, we viewed the animated film. This week, students will be constructing concept maps that make the connections between the living and non-living elements in the story. Students will work in groups of three to construct these maps and articulate the effects various elements have on others. This encourages systems thinking, one of the main throughlines for the year.