Math:
Da Sprouts started their new unit on percents this week. They learned a percent is always out of 100, how to model percents, and how to convert percents to fractions to decimals. As an extension activity students had to shade in a design on 9 different boxes only using red and blue. Once they had their design, they then had to estimate what percent of the box was red and what percent was blue.
EverShrooms had lessons over the constant of proportionality, 
. They learned how to calculate 
from both tables and graphs.
Polar Bears are learning all about angles. Quiz a polar bear student to see if they can name the 7 types of angles formed by a pair of parallel lines and a transversal line.
Mountain Lizards had a busy week learning how to use the product rule, the power rule, the quotient rule, and negative exponents.
All students spent Thursday analyzing their stock market game portfolios.
ELA:
This quarter we will read the Shakespeare comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Before we can dive in, we need some background knowledge. Who is William Shakespeare? We spent the week learning about the iconic bard. First we brushed up on our nonfiction reading strategies with an article and crossword puzzle about his life and legacy. After that partners looked up vocabulary words specific to Shakespeare and stage productions, like soliloquy, monologue, iambic pentameter, and sonnet. The students taught classmates their particular words and made vocabulary pennants to add to a festive Renaissance era-style banner for the wall. Finally, to build anticipation for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, students walked around and used stickers to show their agreement or disagreement with statements such as people’s emotions usually control how they act, children should act in accordance with the rules their parents decree, running away from home is one way to get your own way, and chaos and confusion are necessary parts of like. We wrapped up the activity with some amazing conversation and civil debate.
Theme:
Delta students used a LOT of energy this week, as we kicked off our third quarter theme in Physics. This unit will present a series of challenges for students to create and build based on physical principles and engineering techniques. There will be many hands-on projects with student application of these principles.
Our preview challenge involved kinetic and potential energy. After defining the differences between these two forms of energy, students were challenged to recognize and apply them to real life situations, including how roller coasters apply them to give people a thrill.
The challenge then asked the students in teams to engineer a vehicle with CD or bottle cap wheels and test their potential and kinetic energy using either a balloon or a rubber band for power. A lot of trial and error was experienced through the process. One vehicle even traveled more than 22 feet! Great week to get the kids thinking and working together!!
At top, students work to engineer their Energy Cars as part of our kickoff to the Physics Theme.
At bottom, testing, racing, and recording data helped students understand the effects of potential and kinetic energy on objects.
For their Physics Energy Cars, students were grouped and assigned to build out of ordinary materials, such as DVD disks and bottle caps.
Top: Ms. Kandyce counts syllables with students learning about iambic pentameter. Bottom left: An Evershroom shares her vocabulary word with the class. Right: Icebergs highlight key ideas in nonfiction text.
Top: Ms. Amanda helps a Da Sprouts student use her notes as a resource. Bottom: Icebergs students play the Stock Market Game.
