Welcome to the Week of September 9, 2012

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are relaxed, refreshed, and ready for another wonderful week at Ellis.  This week in math we will be focusing on finding the greatest common factor (GCF) of two numbers.  It is really important that you are not getting it mixed up with LCM that we studied last week.  I want you to really focus on using the two interchangeably without getting confused.  Get ready for some classwork and homework that will prepare you for a quiz on GCF and LCM this Thursday.  If you feel you need additional lessons on either, please don't hesitate to ask one of your classmates or me for a review.  Finally, i'm assigning you another TenMarks math assignment that must be completed by Friday.  Remember, this can be classwork or homework.

For science, Ms. Cathy will stop by on Monday to say hello.  Remember, she is a wonderful resource to help you with your research you are conducting on minerals.  On Monday, i'll also talk to you briefly about how minerals are mined.  This week, please use your worktime to learn as much as you can about the topics we've covered concerning minerals.  You will also get a journal starter about minerals.  Your 5 sentence journal response is due Thursday.  Your "Minerals Tic Tac Toe" choice sheet is due Friday.  You will have a test on Minerals this Friday, too.  To help you prepare for the test, please refer to this study guide:

What is a mineral?

            Minerals must:

1.      be naturally formed

2.      be inorganic (nonliving)

3.      be a solid

4.      have a definite crystalline structure

How are minerals identified?

1.      by their color

2.      by their luster

a.       metallic (bright, reflective)

b.      submetallic (dull, reflective)

c.       nonmetallic (no reflective)

3.      by their streak (the color of the powder formed when rubbing it on a piece of unglazed porcelain)

4.      by it’s cleavage or fracture

a.       cleavage- breaking along smooth, straight lines

b.      fracture- breaking along uneven, jagged, or irregular surfaces

5.      Hardness

a.       Moh’s scale is used to identify a mineral’s hardness

                                                                                                   i.      1 is soft (like talc) and 10 is hard (like diamond).  All minerals will fit somewhere between 1 and 10

6.      Density (the measure of how much matter is in a given amount of space)

7.      Other special properties

a.       Chemical reaction (will react when it comes into contact with a weak acid)

b.      Taste

c.       Radioactivity (giving off radioactive energy)

d.      Magnetism (act as magnets)

e.       Fluorescence (glowing under ultraviolet light)

How are minerals mined?

1.      Surface mining- the top layer of earth is removed from an area where minerals are found.  The minerals are removed and the earth is put back into place.

2.      Subsurface mining- Deep passageways are dug into the earth to mine such minerals. 

If you are planning on ordering a book from our Scholastic Book Club, please have your order to me by Thursday.  Also, if your parents are writing a check, make sure it is written to "Charles Ellis Montessori Academy".  As a special bonus, keep in mind that every dollar spent will also go towards earning free books for our classroom library!

See you Monday AM,
Mr. Trent