Math:
This week Da Sprouts focused on application problems. They solved word problems in order to find “the part” and some to find “the percent”. Next week they will focus on finding “the whole”.
Evershrooms completed a performance task that required students to order inventory for a lab and compare mixed solutions of disinfectant. This helped prepare them for the unit check in they took Wednesday.
Polar Bears finished their unit on angles this week with a lesson on similar triangles. They then worked on mixed practice task cards to practice every principle they learned in this unit.
Mountain Lizards also finished their unit with a lesson over geometric sequences. They spent Tuesday and Wednesday finishing up incomplete work and completing a unit review.
ELA:
This week we finished reading Act 1, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and discovered one of the central conflicts in the play: one character is forcing his daughter to marry someone she doesn’t love. Making a text connection to their own lives in a journal quick write, students pondered the question, Has a parent ever asked you to do something you didn’t want to do?
While we read, we paused to write nitty gritty summaries of the action and discuss character motivation–including obstacles to true love. Afterall, the course of true love never did run smooth, according to Lysander and Hermia.
After reading each day, we worked in time for art. Every class pitched in to create different elements of a wall display featuring mini scenery panels and our cast of characters.
Theme:
Our theme class made a MOTION this week: May the FORCE be with you!!
Our physics theme turned to Force and Motion principles as students started the week defining various types of forces. They experimented through various demonstrations and activities, including hanging hammers using only an eighth of an inch of wooden ruler, testing friction with a Harry Potter book, and trying to identify the difference in motion of a raw egg versus a hard boiled egg. Students used data charts to apply their understanding of forces by analyzing each task and justify the force demonstrated.
With Mother Nature continuing her rainy habits throughout the week, students were snubbed from their Shipe Park visit on Thursday. But the Deltas came together to engage in a day-long interdisciplinary activity learning about how to measure a Newton and demonstrating the effects of tension force through a Tug of War game.
Ms. Amanda started our activity by teaching how to measure force through detecting an objects’ mass and its speed and acceleration. Students tested and changed the conditions of the activity to find the amount of force required for different tasks. Ms. Kandyce took the reins and read a story about the value of trial and error in engineering, before dissecting a poem called “Hug of War”! Mr. Steve finished the day with Tug of War games focusing on various conditions that demonstrate balanced and unbalanced force.
The most exciting portion of our activity came when the Alpha class joined in the Tug of War fun, and even to the task to the Delta by defeating them in competition. Way to go Alphas and thanks for joining on our day of exploration and knowledge application!!!
Delta students measure and observe various types of force and motion through experiment stations. At top, balancing a hammer using just a wooden ruler and rubber band allowed students to see how a fulcrum works. Above, the coin drop demonstrated Isaac Newton’s first law of motion, observing objects at rest and put into motion.
Da Sprouts paint mini scenery panels for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
At top, students test how much a kilogram weighs while learning how Force is measured. Above, students review rhyme schemes and break the rhythm of the poem “Hug of War.”
At top, Ms. Amanda leads students in learning how to measure Newtons of Force by sliding a puzzle box across a table. Above, Ms Kandyce reads Rosie Revere, Engineer to encourage students to persevere through trial and error.
While demonstrating examples of balanced and unbalanced force through a game of Tug of War, the Alpha students defeat the Deltas in a spirited and fun matchup.
Above, the Alphas celebrate their win over the Deltas during their Tug of War demonstration.
