Middle School: Week of 11/18

Math:

The Marionettes started the week by exploring ratios. They sorted a small sample of Froot Loops by color, created ratios, and used that data to make conclusions about the colors in a whole box. After exploring they had introductory lessons on how to write ratios and using ratios to make comparisons. They ended the week with a solve and color to practice finding equivalent ratios.

The Saplings spent the week taking a check-in. After completing their check-in, some students created mad-lib stories to practice finding interest and working with the simple interest formula as an extension assignment.

The Vroomshrooms also took a check-in at the beginning of the week. As each one of them finished they moved onto working linear equation application problems. They ended the week with a quick lesson over direct variation.

ELA:

This week students put their author hats on and applied everything we’ve learned about science fiction by writing short stories. Everyone started off with a prewriting packet to organize their ideas, and there were several factors to consider: problem and resolution, narrator’s point of view, the mood, and the theme. After planning out their stories and conferencing with me, students moved to the drafting phase on a Google doc in their ELA folders. At this point they had to really consider what words and connotations best set the tone and mood for their tales. We are putting this project on the back burner for the entirety of Thanksgiving Break and will get to editing, revising, and publishing when we return!

Theme:

It was the BIG WEEK for our science theme this quarter as the students staged their Science Fair Projects. So many great ideas came to reality as the students in both Delta and Gamma stood by their results and talked through the scientific method. It was another smash hit as the students shined in explaining their projects.

The rest of the week was spent reviewing the first half of the quarter concepts of atoms and the periodic table, states of matter, and density. Our density lab allowed students to review how density relates to mass and volume. They poured various liquid of different substances into test tubes and observed the results. The lab showed how liquids and solids of different densities related to each other in the container. The layers revealed gave students a colorful look at the process.

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Marionettes are exploring ratios by using (and eating) cereal.

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Saplings working on finding interest.

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Top: One of our Vroomshrooms drafts his science fiction short story. Bottom: Marionettes create a display for The Westing Game.

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Top: Marionettes brainstorm for our poster, Why AHB? Top 20. Below: More drafting and creating.

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At top, Vroomshroom students working on an atom demonstration using half lifes. Above, Marionettes exploring density with liquid and solid substances.

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At top, the Marionettes work on density labs and a Periodic Table scavenger hunt. Above, the Saplings wait for the last particles of the atoms to decay to calculate the Half Life of their new element.

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Saplings working in the Density Lab.

Students and parents mingle through the Science Fair held by the Gamma and Delta classes.

SCIENCE FAIR PICTURES

If you would like a digital copy of a picture, click on it and follow the link to a file. Then download the copy. Enjoy your student’s portrait with their project.

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SCIENCE FAIR PICTURES

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