Curtis Corner Middle School 301 Curtis Corner Road     Wakefield, RI   02879 Phone:  401-360-1333   Fax:  401-360-1334 Home Activities Calendar Directions Contact Info  2007-08 Calendar SK District site Marlin's Home Page Quarterly Newletters Science Social Studies Math Literacy Unified Arts Physical Education Health Photos Nightly Homework Welcome from Mrs. Arcand !        News      Resources      Syllabus                                                                               News Quarter 1 We studied the water cycle, cold fronts and warm fronts in our unit on Energy and the Atmosphere. We built an aquarium and a terrarium with live organisms as we studied Ecosystems. We learned about how a leaf performs photosynthesis. Beginning in January, we will be learning about Magnets and Motors. Quarter 2 Photosynthesis/Ecosystems-Culminating activities and exams. Magnetism/Compasses-Labs, videostreams and text work. Next- Working with Electromagnets and understanding how Motors and Generators work. Quarter 3 Electromagnetism, Motors and Generators-labs, culminating activities and exams. Environmental Issues Unit-Labs, videostreams, text work and sharing current news articles. Next- Measuring Time kit followed by Astronomy. Chris Dolos, URI student teacher, will be with us for the next few weeks. Our Field Trip to Alton Jones in the Fall, 2008 WHAT DID THE MARLINS DO AT ALTON JONES? WE PRACTICED THE WORK OF SCIENTISTS IN THE FOREST AND WETLAND HABITATS IN OUR FIELD GROUPS: We collected specimens from the pond and took water samples to determine the pH and dissolved oxygen. This helped us to conclude whether the pond was healthy or not. THIS POND WAS HEALTHY! We identified scat and tracks and hypothesized what animals were living in the forest and what animal activity might have been occurring the previous evening or that morning. We identified lichen, moss, and a variety of trees and learned about the history of the area geologically and culturally. We ate lunch family style and had to clear and wash the table after eating. We also had free time to play games (recess again, yeah!!!). Go to the Photos link to view the sixth grade scientists in action. News written by students: What did you learn from the field teachers at Alton Jones on the field trip? I learned: . . . about dragonfly larvae and that they live in the pond. (Conor) . . . about how to tell if a pond is healthy. If the water sample for dissolved oxygen is more blue than white it is healthy. (Colin) . . . how to tell a red oak from white oak by looking at the leaves. (Kristin) . . . that a conifer tree has its branches in a star shape around the tree trunk. (Kaitlyn) . . . that most of the rocks here in RI are solid granite probably brought down from New Hampshire by the glaciers 15,000 years ago. (Matt) . . . how there are so many insects and species in certain bodies of water. (Ryan) . . . about if there is a lot of different kinds of species in different bodies of water it’s very healthy. (Nick) . . . how salamanders breathe through their skin and when they are in the pond it is usually healthy. (Andrew) . . .  how to identify different trees like the red oak and nymphs. (Bobby) . . . that trees are held up by heartwood. (Luke) . . .  that you can tell what kind of tree it is by looking at the bark’s shape.(Callie) . . . that some trees lose their branches that are close to the ground so they don’t catch fire. (Hailey) . . . that the phloem brings sugar from the leaves down to the rest of the tree and roots. (Callie) . . . I caught a salamander in the stage when it was still swimming. (Michael) . . . that there was about 5-6 parts per million oxygen in the pond water there. (Luke) . . . the water beetle is one of the biggest bugs in the world. (Chris) . . . how to tell what a red oak looks like. (Jackie) . . . glaciers placed most of the rocks around Alton Jones. (Katherine) . . . bull frog tadpoles take a while to turn into a full grown bull frog. (Fiona) . . . boatment are camouflaged in case of predators. (Megan) . . . skud is a little water bug that lives in ponds and lakes. (Christina) . . . what a damsel fly is. (Mitch) . . . some different trees (white pine, sassafrass, etc) (Kara) . . . the parts of a tree. (Emily) . . . black oaks have dark and blotchy bark. (Meghan) . . . that trees can spread viruses or diseases to their own species. (Cosette) . . . what a and what a cray fish looks like. (Andrew) . . . there is more than one kind of pine tree. (Daniel) . . . that you can’t get poison ivy unless you are allergic, but you can get poison oak if you’re allergic or not. (Brittany) . . . the sugar n the trees moves down. (Courtney) . . . that the drum rock was used to communicate a long time ago. (Kara) . . . there are fresh water clams. (Emily) . . . a healthy pond has a pH between 6-9. (Emma) . . . the caddisfly larvae lives in a leaf. (Lucas) . . . all steps to forest succession. (Warren) . . . about oxygen levels in ponds or lakes and about salamanders. (Eric) . . . the backswimmer swims on his back and catches prey with his legs. (Nathan) . . . that the bigger birds (jays) steal food from the smaller birds (juncos). (Elli) . . . that fish and organisms that live in water need dissolved oxygen to live. (Marissa) . . . that you can tell how old a white pine is by looking at its branches. (Lena) . . . how powerful wind can be and how much destruction it causes to a forest. (Lauren) . . . about the pH graph and crayfish and macro invertebrates. (Jamie) . . . that camouflage helps animals from getting eaten. (Noah) . . . that if you find nontolerant animals in a pond it is good. (Olivia) . . . that animal food waste is called midden and I found a boatman. (Jordan) . . . about the five stages of succession and we caught macro invertebrates. (Seth) . . . the water scorpion bug stinger is actually a breathing tube. (Jason) . . . there is a bug that looks like a beetle but is really a dragon fly. (Alex) . . . I saw a salamander that looked like a snake. (Jack) . . . that predator’s eyes are on the front of their face and prey’s eyes are on the side. (Sean) . . . that there is a fruit that mosquitos make. (Nicole) . . . there are three different layers of the earth: the liquid metal, the lave and the layer we walk on. (Emily) Updated News is currently at www.schoolnotes.com Type in 02879 for the zip code and click on Lynne Arcand. Resources Currently at www.schoolnotes.com Type in 02879 for the zip code and click on Lynne Arcand. Click on this website to learn more about ecosystems and environmental studies. http://www.keystone.fi.edu/cc_ehe/ehekids.shtml Click on this website for information about alternative energy. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184434.htm  Syllabus SCIENCE - Curtis Corner Middle School utilizes three inquiry based GEMS-NET kits as well as teacher-created units of study.  The mission of GEMS-NET is to prepare all students to be scientifically literate, enabling them to meet the challenges of an expanding body of knowledge within an increasingly technologically complex and changing global society. Ecosystems is a unit to help student understand the web of relationships that links organisms to one another and to their natural environment.  By constructing, observing, discussing, and reading about both land and water ecosystems in this unit, students can develop a growing sensitivity to living things and what they need to survive.     Magnets and Motors is a unit that mirrors the historical development of our understanding and use of magnetism, electricity, and electromagnetism. Topics include: magnets and compasses, electricity from batteries, electromagnetism (electromagnets, motors, and generators). Environmental Issues is not a Gems-Net kit. This unit gives the students background information of environmental concerns on earth today. The students learn about the causes, effects and solutions of: acid rain, global warming, watersheds and water pollution, deforestation, droughts, overflowing landfills and ozone layer depletion. As a culminating project one topic is chosen and the student's mission is to inform others of the problem and what actions can be taken by everyone in an effort to solve the problem. Measuring Time, a unit on the science and technology of timekeeping.  It is divided into two sections: "Keeping Time with the Sun and the Moon" in which students observe the apparent motion of the sun and the recurring cycle of the moon’s phases, and "Investigating Invented Clocks" in which students plan and conduct experiments with some of the principal timekeeping devices developed through the ages, from water clocks to mechanical escapements. Astronomy is the final unit of study and it is not a Gems-Net kit. The students use models to describe the relative motion/position of the Earth, sun and moon, explain night/day, seasons, year and tides as a result of the regular and predictable motions of the Earth, sun, and moon and learn about asteroids, comets and meteoroids. All of the Science concepts taught this year are documented in beautiful student-created journal pages in a Science Reference Journal. Students from past years (23 years of age and older) have commented to me about how proud they are of their Science Reference Journals. All students are required to complete an entire journal and this gives all students a product that reflects the work completed in Grade 6 Science.