Ms. Lathem

Astronomy Test

We will be having our Astronomy Test on Thursday April 17th.  The students received their study guides today to complete for homework and we will review tomorrow in class.  Please remind your students to review and study for this test a little more than usual.  The content of astronomy is often tougher for students to grasp plus we had spring break in middle of our unit.

Next week we will begin reviewing for the CRCT.  We will be taking the Science portion on Monday the 28th.  I am confident that all of our students will do their very best.  They all have worked extremely hard this year. 

After the CRCT, I will be allowing students to chose from several hands-on projects to finish out our content for the year. I will keep you posted on supplies needed and the time line for those projects.

Spring is almost here!!!

Spring is almost here which means many things like crazy weather, CRCT, and spring fever!  We will be having our Meteorology Benchmark on Thursday March 13th.  The students will be receiving their study guide on Monday to begin studying.  I believe students have enjoyed this unit especially with all the interesting weather we have had recently, thunderstorms in the morning and snow by lunch.  Only in Georgia!  However, please remind your students to study.  We will be moving into our Astronomy unit which will be the last unit before the CRCT test in April. 

Parents, please stress the importance of finishing the year strong.  Many students have been struggling with turning in assignments and distracting class with items such as mini-skateboards and cell phones.  These items need to stay at home, in a book bag, or locker.  Thank you for you help addressing this issue with your child.

Have a great day and ask your child what type of cloud you see outside today or what type of weather they  can predict for tomorrow. They will impress you!!

Hydrology Benchmark Test Thursday

We will be having our Hydrology Unit Benchmark Test on Thursday Feb. 7th.  Students will receive a study guide tomorrow and we will review in class on Wed. Please make sure your student is here for the test.  I know a lot of students have been out due to illness but if they are able to come please encourage them.  So everyone start studying now!! 

Conference Week

Conferences will be next week ( January 22-28th).  For those of you that will be conferencing with me I have attached a schedule as a reminder of dates and times.  I look forward to meeting with you and discussing your students achievements thus far this year!! Download cs_08.doc

New Year, New Unit!!

Welcome back students and parents.  I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday break and got lots of rest.  It has been fun this week reminding students of our routines and focus.  I am excited about the unit on HYDROLOGY in which we will discuss oceans, ocean topography, currents, tides, and the water cycle.  I have many hands-on labs and activities for us to explore all of these topics.  I will continue to push students in their organization and personal responsibility in their learning.  Glad we are back and will keep you updated on upcoming activities!!

Let's finish strong....

Well, with the end of the year coming let's encourage our students to finish strong.  We will be completing our Plate Tectonics unit and testing this Friday.  Next week on Thursday the 20th we will be having our benchmark test covering structure of the Earth, heat transfer, contential drift, seafloor spreading, and plate tectonics.  Please check your student's notebook often to help them keep it organized.  I am seeing a lot of exploding notebooks that contain things other than Science material.  Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday break and Merry Christmas!

What's next??

Everyone did an outstanding job on the soil, weathering, and erosion benchmark test!!  It was evident that everyone grasped the content and was able to use that understanding in a variety of ways.  Thanks for the hard work!  So, we are moving into our next unit, Plate Tectonics.  We started yesterday using peanut M & M's as models for the layers of the earth!! It was a tasty lesson!!  Have a wonderful weekend!! 

Don't be Scared....

Don't be scared students and parents we will be having our 2nd benchmark test over soil, erosion, weathering and deposition on Friday Nov. 2nd.  This has been an interesting unit for us to explore. The students greatly enjoyed the nature walk around the school investigating signs of erosion and weathering.  We will be reviewing today and tomorrow to prepare for Friday.  So please make sure your student is here.  We have had several who have to make-up tests and with the long weekend it is a vital they conclude this unit on Friday!  Everyone has been working so hard and hope you all enjoy the time off!!! 

Great Job!!

Well, everyone did an outstanding job on our benchmark test!!  Give your child a pat on the back!! We are moving on into weathering and erosion!  There is a weathering quiz tomorrow (10/16).  Great job!!

Benchmark Test Friday 10/12

We will be having a benchmark test on Friday.  This is a test of all content covered thus far this year.  Therefore, it will cover scientific method, minerals, and rocks.  The students will receive a study guide for homework tomorrow night that outlines the test.  We will review on Thursday and answer any questions.  This test is not only for the students to see the importance of building on prior knowledge but also for me to recognize those students who may need some extra support.