Math:
The Marionettes finished up working with ratios this week and practiced with finding incorrect statements and fixing those statements. They then moved onto rates. They were introduced to rates and how to use rates as comparisons.
The Saplings jumped into proportional relationships. They learned how to identify the constant of proportionality and rates of change. Additionally they worked on representing proportional and non-proportional relationships verbally, with a table, graphically, and with an equation.
Vroomshrooms finished their short unit on variation this week and took a check-in. Thursday they began their system of equations unit by learning how to solve systems graphically.
ELA:
Students spent Monday and Tuesday drafting, editing, and revising the science fiction short stories they began writing way back before Thanksgiving break. On Monday we took time to review the writing rubric that will be used to evaluate their stories. This important rubric highlights the six traits of writing: ideas/content, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Students learned that all these elements are important for effective writing and can be split into the broad categories of content and mechanics.
Tuesday we paused our writing to welcome a visitor to ELA class: a crow! This feathered fellow helped students remember the rules of using quotation marks when writing dialogue. After that students finished their stories at home for P&P and turned in their published copies Thursday.
Wednesday and Thursday the students watched a few episodes of the “The Twilight Zone.” Because we read the script earlier in the quarter, we started with “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.” While the students enjoyed this black and white classic, Ms. Kandyce performed reading assessments with students one at a time.
Theme:
Theme work this week focused on our last Chemistry topic, examining physical and chemical changes. Students reviewed the phase changes that matter makes between the various states, then compared those changes to the chemical changes made resulting in a different product. Students took notes and completed a challenge on the topic.
Our lab gave students a practical look at chemical changes and reactions. Using various white powders, such as baking soda and sugar, students tested the reactions using three different liquids: water, vinegar, and iodine. They recorded the results and made predictions on how and why the reactions took place.
The week ended with more MATH in Theme! Students took on the challenge of balancing chemical equations. They employed their understanding of equations from math, but had to adjust their function to apply it to understanding that in chemical reactions, matter is neither created nor destroyed. The challenge was heavy, but many students rose to meet it. We will be finishing our look at Chemistry next week while preparing for PoP!
Happy Holidays from your Delta teaching team!!
Marionette students start the observation process looking at chemical and physical reactions.
Vroomshroom, Marionette, and Sapling students follow the process of the Reactions Lab to determine physical and chemical changes.
Observation and recording data helped students recognize physical and chemical changes.
Top: Ms. Kandyce reminds a Marionette to think like a crow when using quotation marks. Bottom:: Vroomshrooms illustrate their science fiction short stories.
Marionettes working on fixing statements about ratios.
