6th graders ahoy!

I've been having lots of fun with my gifted 6th graders after school. The first week, we did an exercise on scientific observation, where we talked about how you can compare apples to apples (they observed apples very carefully). They practiced using triple-beam balances, rulers, and their senses to make detailed observations. Then they got to eat them!

Our second lesson was paper rockets. The kids constructed mini rockets out of paper and launched them by blowing through a straw. The fins were entirely of their own shape and construction, so some flew much better than others. There was quite a competition going about who could shoot theirs the furthest. This week I won't be there but the math teacher is going to have them graph their data from last week and try some modifications to their original rocket design. The unit is on rocketry and we are going to build several different kinds before we're done.

I'm working on getting some individual in-depth research projects on topics having to do with astronomy that the kids selected. A lot of them seem to want to know about black holes...

Reasons to love fall

Since the shorter days tend to put me in the dumps a bit, I'll remind myself why I like fall:

*Pulling out all the cozy, comfy sweaters and sweatshirts--I did the big "clothes swap" where I put away the shorts and tank tops and took out the long underwear.
*Beautiful turning leaves and crisp, sunny football Saturdays.
*SOUP WEATHER! I love soup. We had potato-leek last night and Mom's green chile last week.
*It doesn't feel weird to be lighting candles.
*Cheap chocolate! True after any holiday but especially Halloween.
*Time to get out the super awesome suede skirt and leather boots again.
*Decorations, both Halloween and holiday. Gotta love the shiny stuff.
*Possibility for snow days. We may even get snow later this week. D and I are planning to buy a bread machine mix or two, so that when we have to get up and watch the news to see if school is canceled, we can put it in the machine and go back to bed. Mmmmm.

School update: We are already at midterm conferences--today and tomorrow! It's going really quickly. I absolutely love my homeroom and my 4th hour class. 5th and 6th hours are tolerable (they have their good and bad days) and 7th hour is okay but very ADD. It's hard to keep them on task. For the next few weeks, the other science teacher is going to be out b/c of minor surgery and recovery, so I get to help out his sub. The plus side: my lesson plans are easier and we're showing several movies. We've been driving the kids so hard that it's nice to have a bit of a break, you know?

In other news, I am teaching an after school class for gifted 6th graders and loving it. It's math and science enrichment, and I'm doing the science part. We had our first class last week, and wow are some of these kids bright. How many 11-year olds do you know who use the word "hone"?

Anyway, back to work preparing for conferences. Happy fall!