Week of April 15

Mr. Merrill’s Wrap Up 5/6

Students were introduced to their book choice for our last round of literature groups.  Students will receive a copy of their book after the vacation.  

We continued to work on our science reports, writing first drafts, and peer editing using a shared comment sheet.  Student editors looked for important elements of an introduction, topic sentences and details and a conclusion that restates the thesis and includes a “so what” statement.  Students wrote their first drafts on a google document that was shared with Ms. O’Brien and myself.   They will be wrapping up their papers and bibliographies once we return from break.

In Social Studies, students imagined the winter at Valley Forge, using primary documents from the period and watching segments of a PBS special on the American Revolution.  We also completed a group activity using some of the most famous quotes from the revolution.  Students had to discuss and share reasons why the quotes were important and the impact that they had on the war.

Math 7

We began the week with a surprise Check-up.  Students needed to create accurate nets and compare and contrast surface area and volume of different dimension boxes.  This week we created triangular, rectangular, pentagonal and hexagonal boxes and compared thier surface area and volume.   Students needed to rely on their understanding of area to figure out how many cubic centimeters these boxes held.

Math 8

When a ball is thrown does it fly at a constant rate? When does the ball reach its fastest rate of speed?  How can we relate that to our parabola?  Students considered and posed many of these questions in math class this week as we looked at the relationship between our quadratic equations, their graphs and the stories that they tell.

Science 7th/8th

Dear Zoton,

     I have finally made it to the solar system that is within an arm of the spiral galaxy, that the "Earthlings" call the "Milky Way".  From all of the chatter that I have intercepted from radio waves and space probes, it seems that "Earth" is quite the happening place.  You will be getting dispatches from me as I travel in and around this solar system.  Don't worry, I have cleverly cloaked my ship so that no one knows I'm watching.  I've decided to get a close look at their star as my starting point and then I will work my way to interesting locations and share what I find.  Give Yarp a big fluzzle for me.

Tuzo

The Week in Ms. Wesnak’s Room

7/8 Language Arts:

This week we picked back up with our Independent Reading Mondays and jumped back into learning about figurative language. We asked the questions “What is figurative language?” and “Where can we find figurative language?”. In order to answer these questions we had to learn about all types of figurative language, not just similes and metaphors. In total students were able to learn about and identify 6 different types of figurative language including: similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and personification. We found examples of these in songs, cartoons, comics, advertisements, and finished the week by finding MANY examples of figurative language in the Disney film “Wreck-it Ralph”. Students who have seen the movie many times told me they never noticed how much figurative language was used; and students who had never seen the movie laughed at the hilarious puns, adorable characters, and found more than enough examples of figurative language. The week has been full of fun, fantastic, fabulous, fresh, and funny word play! The closing to our study on figurative language provided a great send off for vacation! :)

7/8 Social Studies:

This week we picked up with current events by watching CNN Student News and reading an article about the growing economy in Africa from Jr. Scholastic Magazine. After reading the article our classes got into some great discussion about what would be some advantages and disadvantages to starting up businesses in Africa, and what a growing economy would do for Africa. Students had some really insightful responses which took us into our first guiding question for our economy unit. Students were asked, “What is the relationship between the economy and the environment?” and “Is there a relationship between the economy and the environment?”. Without knowing many economic terms (vocab soon to come!), students participated in a great discussion about the impact the economy has on the environment and vice versa. We discussed terms such as “Buy Local” and materialism. We also brought up questions such as how do you save money if you have to spend money to survive? Why are products that are good for the environment and Earth more expensive than other products? With all of this great discussion we let our questions and comments guide us to watching the 1972 version of “The Lorax”. After finishing the film students pondered what the “thneed” and “Once-ler” represent in the story, what the quote “progress is progress and progress must grow” means, and why the Lorax left the Earth with the word “Unless...”. Over the vacation I asked students to think about the word “unless” and ask themselves: unless what? Unless we as consumers and citizens do what will something or anything change?

Happy Vacation! Travel safe and have fun! Don’t forget to read for Literature Group :)

- Ms.W

News from Ms. O

Math 5:  

This week students began deeper investigation on fractions by looking specifically at equivalent fractions and how we can tell when two numbers in fraction form are equivalent.  Students connected their work with egg cartons to rulers and have now come to see equivalence even when the whole is broken parts beyond twelfths.  We will move from fractions to decimals soon enough!

More fluent?  I betcha you will be if you practice your facts!  Get on it!

Math 6:

Students completed their fourth and final studio of the year following a retest on our Covering and Surrounding learning.  The Core Math Ideas in studio were:  What does it mean to find a fraction of a fraction? and How do mathematicians make sense of the solution to a problem? The math ideas became priority when looking at part of a part conversations around brownies.  If you arrive at a bake sale and the pan is only half full and your would like 1/3 of that, what fraction of the whole do you actually get?  It was fascinating what students came up with and how they then justified their thinking through models.  I just have to say how appreciative I am that your children have been so willing to be observed by a group of teachers.  I have gotten great feedback about their behavior, the richness of the discussions amongst dyad partners, and the thoughtfulness and respectfulness they show others in the math classroom.  I will be sad to see them go, but know they have some good training and that they are on their way as mathematicians.  After break we will continue work on fractions and decimals and operations when numbers are in this form.

More fluent?  I betcha you will be if you practice your facts!  Get on it!

5/6 Science

Field Trip:  Don’t forget permissions slips.  I will post on Jupiter Grades in the event that you didn’t get the school copy!

We wrapped up gravity this week with a collaborative task where students could brainstorm ideas and then write explanation to questions.  I have posted these on Jupiter Grades and as I update assignments, you will see if one is missing!

Students worked really hard on writing reports on a space exploration and technology.  These written documents have been shared with teachers for a final edit and then a recording in the Voyager Podcast Series, New Frontiers!  I will also update this information over break, in the event that your child did not submit their written document.