Math:
Da Sprouts spent Monday and Tuesday in two groups creating a theme park on Mount Olympus in order to practice integer operations. Wednesday they completed a review to prepare for the check-in they took Thursday.
EverShrooms read If You Hopped Like a Frog by David M Schwartz as a class at the beginning of the week, then used the ratios at the end of the book to solve proportions. One student calculated if she had a tongue like a chameleon it would be the length of 3 iPads. On Wednesday they had a lesson on Unit Rates. They ended the week with a lesson on measurement conversions.
Polar Bears completed a performance task independently on Monday that required them to compare two barbecue restaurants. Tuesday they completed the same performance task, but this time together! Wednesday they completed a check-in. On Thursday they started designing quilt blocks with linear equations.
Monday Mountain Lizards began their system of equations unit. They first learned how to solve systems of equations by graphing, then by substitution, then finally by elimination. They ended the week by choosing their own method to solve system of equation application problems.
ELA:
Odysseus finally made it home to Ithaca! Now we wait to see how he handles the very big mess that awaits him.
A big part of our week was devoted to learning about three rhetorical devices identified by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Students applied their knowledge by creating writing products such as recipe blogs, army recruiting posters, breakfast cereal boxes, and greeting cards in the voices of various characters from The Odyssey. We let the Fates decide our rhetorical device, character, and product.
Theme:
Projects, Projects, Projects! This week’s Theme classes focused on applying our experiences with Ancient Greece to several projects. We have learned about Greek government systems, geography and its impact on settlement and economic systems, and how the Greek city-states developed. Students used both art and digital platforms to demonstrate their grasp of Greek cultural influences.
First, students used a graphic novel format called Storyboard That! to illustrate the impact of the landforms on the Greek peninsula to settlement patterns and expansive colonization as the Ancient Greek system developed. Their cartoon cells showed how the mountains and lack of water and rivers created the city state system in Greece. They also showed how Greeks spread out to colonize to supply those goods they needed, as well as life on merchant ships.
Next, students used the important cultural markers to create city state coins. The front and back of the coins represented the images that defined each city state. They also included a “motto” for their city state coins that was written in the ancient Greek alphabet. Students had a lot of fun trying to translate between English and that language.
Finally, students applied the art form of the mosaic to symbols of the city states. They cut tiles of paper to develop symbols that pointed back to the Greeks and their importance to modern society. Next week, the students will be leaving Greece and settling in ancient Rome!
Students play Catch the Dragon’s Tail during SEL activity time.
ABOVE: Iceberg students let the rubber ducky Fates decide which character they will be for a writing project.
BELOW: The Fates decide this Iceberg student will use pathos in her writing assignment.
AB0VE AND BELOW: Students create writing projects from the perspectives of characters from The Odyssey.
Students practice monologues, above, to prepare for their Greek Tragedy play project in Theme. Below, the Greek artform of mosaics gave students a format to illustrate Greek city-states.
Mountain Lizards solving systems of equation application problems.
