Yesterday, in lieu of a winter party, Mr. Young and I mixed up students for the last hour before specials. Students spent half the time in my room with crayons, colored pencils, watercolors and play-dough.  In Mr. Young's room they played good old-fashioned board games. Simple. Wirefree. Fun. It was wonderful. =)


Thank you for the opportunity to work with your children this year. They make me smile each day, and are my favorite part of my job.

Have a splendid holiday season, and best wishes for a healthy and joyous 2011.

"Challenge Math"

Your child might come home talking about  how they, or other students, attend "challenge math." I felt it might be important to explain briefly about what this opportunity is, and what it is not.

Before each unit in math students take a pretest. This isn't a test to study for, and it is not included in their "grade." Students are asked to complete as much as they can, and skip those problems that they do not understand. Much of what is on a pretest is new material that they have not yet been taught. I correct the pretests and determine, by pretest score and student need, which students will attend challenge math for that unit. The student groups change for each unit. If students score particularly high on the pretest (usually somewhere around 80% or above), there is a need for some differentiation and additional enrichment. Challenge math is not ELP, nor is it a "priviledge." It is a learning service for those who indicate a need for some more in-depth study. Students who score very high on the pre-assessment, for example above 90% may do some "contract math" where they are working on some different or additional problem solving opportunities within the classroom. Students shouldn't be setting a goal to be in challenge math, it is a program for students who show a need for such services.

Many students score lower on the pretest, but pick up material quickly and learn the content with each lesson. This is a good place to be. If a student is progressing quickly through the unit, but does not attend challenge math, he or she will still be given opportunities to enrich or extend their learning within the regular education classroom.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks! :)

Unit 6 Math Test

The Unit 6 math test has been postponed until after winter break to allow students more time for practice. The areas that most students still working on are converting improper fractions to mixed numbers, and mixed numbers to improper fractions, and finding fractional equivalents.

Converting improper fractions into mixed numbers - the "shortut": Divide the numerator by denominator. If there is a remainder, convert the remainder into a fraction by by bringing the divisor down.

For example: 9/4

9/4 = 2 remainder 1
Bring the divisor 4 down, and place it under the remainder. The answer would be 2 1/4.

Converting mixed numbers to improper fractions - the "shortcut":

Is there a shortcut to changing a mixed number into an improper fraction? Yes, there is. It works like this: to change a mixed number into an improper fraction, multiply the whole number by the denominator of the fraction and add the numerator to this product to get the numerator of the improper fraction. Use the same denominator.

Here is an example and an explanation of why the shortcut works.

Change 2 3/10 to an improper fraction.

Shortcut: Take 2 x 10. The answer is 20. Add the numerator, 3, to 20. 20 + 3 = 23. We keep the denominator of 10, so the improper fraction is 23/10.

This shortcut works because multiplying 2 x 10 is like breaking the two wholes up into 10 parts each. Then we add the three parts we already have for a total of 23 parts which are each a tenth of the whole. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/58944.html

Math Unit 5

Just a note to let you know that we skipped around in unit 5 math a bit. Some of the skills in the unit are not fifth grade standards, so while we touched on and practiced these concepts, less time was spent teaching to the mastery level. I mention this because you child will have some skipped study links. Tonight (Thursday) study link 5.9 and boxes 5.10 were assigned. Our plan is to complete the assessment before winter break, dependent on how students perform on skills from the beginning of the unit in the review. If they aren't ready to test, we will plan to do so a few days after returning from break.

When the bold branches
Bid farewell to rainbow leaves -
Welcome wool sweaters.
~B. Cybrill

 

Since the last post, I have apparently been in hibernation. I've found my blogging often goes in spurts, I'll update several times in a row, and then somehow it gets buried someplace on my "To Do" list. One of my resolutions for the new year is to be better about communicating more regularly, perhaps setting time aside on regular intervals to update you on what is going on in our classroom.

 

First of all, I'd like to send a belated thank you for coming in to celebrate learning at conferences. Mr. Young and I were fortunate enough to have 100% attendance. I feel lucky to be working with families who are willing to be active and positive partners in their children's educations.

SCIENCE
In science we have been busy dabbling in chemistry during our mixtures and solutions unit. Our goal is to be able to answer the following essential questions by the end of our unit:

• How is chemistry used in our daily life?
• What is a chemical reaction?
• How do I design scientific investigations to find answers to my questions?
• What defines a substance as a mixture or a solution?
• How can I communicate my scientific thinking in writing?

Students have investigated three concepts so far. The first concept investigated was the differences between mixtures and solutions, and ways to separate mixtures. We define mixtures as two or more things mixed together. Solutions are special types of mixtures where one material (a solute) dissolves into another (a solvent) so that the solute seems to disappear. Solutions are not easy to separate. We separated salt and citric acid solutions using evaporation. When the water evaporated from the salt water solution it left behind salt crystals. Salt crystals have a characteristic shape and look like this:

 

    

We also investigated the concept of saturation. When a solution is saturated, the solvent cannot absorb or dissolve any more solute. Students systematically added solid material (salt or citric acid) to 50ml of water and shook, until no more solid material could be dissolved. (A layer of solute covered the bottom.) Then students determined the amount of solute it took to saturate the solution by filtering out the undissolved material, and weighing the solution in comparison to 50 ml of plain water.

 

Recently we experimented with concentration. Students were particularly excited because the first part of this investigation involved sample different concentrations of cherry Kool-Aid and comparing the properties. While students liked the most concentrated version best (the sticky sweet variety, of course) they were able to determine the correct recipe using their sense of taste to detect variations in concentration. We followed this investigation by comparing concentration of salt water solutions, not by taste (yuck!) but by weighing equal amounts of each solution.

 

Next we will learn about chemical reactions. We will mix (carefully selected) chemicals and look for evidence as to whether chemical reactions occurred.

 

While we are trying to develop scientific thinking, and understanding of "BIG PICTURE" ideas about science, having a strong grasp on unit-specific vocabulary helps students to communicate their thinking in speaking and writing. In addition to playing the memory game that I sent home prior to Thanksgiving break, some students may benefit from vocabulary flashcards or reviewing at home. We do review vocabulary on a daily basis in class, but if your child is having difficulty, home practice is helpful. Also, please ask your child to communicate what they are learning in science. You can start by asking "What did you do in science today?" and follow up with "So, what did you learn from that?" We are working hard to build the bridge between the 'fun' of the experiment and the important content that is being discovered through the experiences. 

 

MATH

In math we have been working with fractions, decimals and percents. We will be working with the essential question "How do I use fractions, decimals and percents in real life situations?" By the end of the unit students will be responsible for demonstrating understanding of the following concepts:

• Writing equivalent fractions.
• Comparing the value of fractions using >,< and =
• Converting between fractions and mixed numbers.
• Adding fractions with like denominators.
• Measuring segments of a circle graph.
• Constructing circle graphs.
• Converting between fractions and percents.

Fractions, decimals and percents will encompass a large part of our learning this school year. These concepts are important,  as knowledge of and ability to use these types of notations is necessary for solving problems in everyday life, and in many occupations.

All for now...

Stay warm!

Mrs. J.

America Reads Day

We had a wonderful Hibernation/America Reads Day at Prairie Creek yesterday! Thank you to all of our wonderful readers who came to share their time and stories with us. We also had the opportunity to listen to our celebrity reader, Meteorologist Josh Baynes from KCRG. Mr. Baynes read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the sequel Pickles to Pittsburgh. Pictures of his visit were on the channel 9, 6 o'clock news last night. Mr. Young also took some pictures, which we will try to get posted online, too.

Comment below, and tell us a little about what you are currently reading.

Are you out there? An assignment for YOU!

Hey, kids & family members! Yes, YOU! Let me know that you are out there and reading this blog. Leave a comment saying hello and you (or your child) will receive either a really awesome scratch-and-sniff sticker or a very tasty tootsie-roll. If you comment anonymously, please leave a first name and last initial so I know who to deliver the little gift to.

ITBS

Reminder: Students will be partaking in the Iowa Test of Basic Skills next week. Testing will be held from 8-10, Monday through Friday. The remainder of the day will operate on a two-hour late start schedule. Please help ensure your child is well rested, and has eaten a nutritious breakfast. (Of course this is a good idea all of the time!) :)

What's up in math and science?

I apologize that you haven't heard from me in awhile...

We have been busy working on a lot of great stuff at school.

Science -- We recently wrapped up our unit on Variables in science, and have been using the time between units to focus on using the RACE strategy for answering questions and writing responses in a clear and complete way. Students are practicing with a variety of high-interest articles, and using it mostly for science responses at this point, but it is a strategy that can be used when answering questions in many contexts. Students are asked to Restate the question in their answer, Answer it, Cite where the evidence came from, and Elaborate or Extend their answers to provide more information. The math and science teachers at Creek worked together to create a rubric that would help students understand what a quality RACE answer looks like, and as a method for students and teachers to assess responses. After much teacher modeling and guided practice, students have begun using the strategy to answer questions with partners, and practicing using the rubric to self-score. On a science assessment completed this week I noticed a huge increase in the quality of written responses. Our learning is making a big difference!

Math -- In math students have been working on geometry. They have been busy using protractors to measure angles, compasses to draw circles and construct congruent line segments, and identifying polygons by their attributes. Here are some key vocabulary terms and concepts:

congruent - same size and shape
vertex- point at which the rays of an angle meet
adjacent angles - share a common side, and a common vertex (add up to 180 degrees)
vertical or opposite angles - share a common vertex, but no common sides (vertical angles are congruent)
equilateral triangle - all sides and angles are congruent
isosceles triangle - at least two sides and angles are congruent
scalene triangle - no congruent sides or angles

• The sum of the angles in a triangle equal 180 degrees.
• The sum of the angles on a straight line equal 180 degrees.
• There are 360 degrees in a circle.

** Ask your child about the adjacent angle apartment story, and the vertical angle mouse story. :)

Writing -- In Mrs. Johnson's homeroom, we have been working on developing expository writing skills. Students have been practicing planning, writing engaging leads and topic sentences, and using strong word choice. At this point students have written a rough draft on a self-selected topic. Next week we will be working on revising and editing before typing a published copy.

Progress Reports

I will be sending home mid-term progress reports on Monday, October 11. I was originally going to send them home this Friday, but am holding off until Monday so that I can include information from the latest science quiz and the Unit 2 math test. Thanks for your patience.

Mastering Multiplication

Hey, parents, have you noticed how much things have changed in the world of learning mathematics? Chances are many of the methods and things your child is learning are much different than how you (and I) learned in school.

This week we practiced three different methods of multiplication: (Click on the links to see a You Tube video explaining the method.)

Partial Products

 
Lattice

Traditional (the way us 'old folks' learned)

While I wanted all students to try and practice the different methods, it is important to me that from this point forward they choose one method that they feel most comfortable with, and do it well, in order to complete problems accurately.

ITBS Dates

Students will be completing the Iowa Test of Basic Skills the week of October 25-29. They will be testing between 8AM-10AM each day. Please schedule appointments outside of this time frame if possible. More information to come! :)

FOSS Website

Today in science we checked out the FOSS website. There you can find vocabulary, games, and even information for teachers and parents. You can find the FOSS website by clicking here.

Working to Create a Bully Free School: Social or Relational Aggression

This year we will continue to work with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Our Anti-Bullying Rules are:

1. We will not bully others. 
2. We will help students who are bullied.
3. We will include students who are left out.
4. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

Bullying is damaging to students not only physically, but also emotionally. This year I would like to focus on  educating students on, and providing strategies to prevent, a type of bullying that is known as social or relational aggression. Often this type of bullying is associated with girls, but boys are also affected by this type of aggression.

Dr. Laura Martocci, professor at Wagner College, refers to this type of bullying as "emotional violence."

According to the Ophelia Project website http://www.opheliaproject.org/ :

Relational aggression encompasses behaviors that harm others by damaging, threatening to damage or manipulating one's relationships with his/her peers, or by injuring one's feelings of social acceptance.

For example:

•  Purposefully ignoring someone when angry (giving the "silent treatment")
• Spreading rumors about a disliked classmate
• Telling others not to play with a certain classmate as a means of retaliation.

Please check out these websites and books for additional information about social/relational aggression and bullying:

Olweus
The Ophelia Project
Relational Aggression
Hope House Online
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolecent Girls by Mary Pipher
Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World by Rosalind Wiseman
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls   by Rachel Simmons

Amateur Pilots

We are "flying" through our latest science investigation. This week students have been building and piloting planes made from straws, popsicle sticks, and propellers. The planes fly on 4 meter flight lines, and we have been investigating the minimum number of propeller winds (rhymes with kinds) it takes for the plane to fly the distance of the line. Tomorrow students will be planning and completing an investigation they designed with their groups. They will be experimenting with variables such as slope, mass, and additional power to determine how these things affect how far their plane flies. Controlled variables will include design of plane, and a standard number of winds that will be used in each trial.

Estimation and Computation

We wrapped up unit one in math today, and will be delving into computation and estimation in unit two.

By the end of the unit, students will be able to:

• Devise estimation strategies for solving problems where an exact answer isn't possible.
• Add and subtract multi-digit decimal numbers.
• Solve number stories.
• Use statistical landmarks to describe experimental data.
• Estimate the probability of events.
• Make magnitude estimates for the products of multi-digit numbers.
• Multiply multi-digit whole numbers and decimals.
• Grasp relative size of large numbers (million, billion, trillion)

Sinking Ships

We recently completed an investigation where students experimented how changing variables affected how many passengers their "lifeboats" could hold. Students constructed lifeboats of different sizes out of Styrofoam cups and floated them in tubs of water. We measured boat capacity using syringes and graduated cylinders. After deciding on which variables we needed to control (how the pennies were placed, the condition of the sea, wet vs. dry pennies) they placed pennies in the boats until they sank, recording how many passengers (pennies) their lifeboats (cups) successfully held. Students discovered that the greater the capacity of the boat, the more passengers it held. They graphed their results using a two coordinate graph, and predicted outcomes of future trials by using their graphs.

Important Content Notes/Vocabulary:

• Capacity is the maximum amount of fluid a container can hold.
• A two-coordinate graph displays the relationship between the independent and dependent variables in an experiment.

** Did you know that pennies minted since 1983 are copper-plated zinc? Older pennies are made of solid copper. Because they are made of different metals, the new and old pennies have different masses. All of the pennies used in our investigations were "new" pennies, so that they would have a standard mass.

Problem Solving Friday

Throughout the school year, students will be working on challenging word problems, learn problem solving strategies and develop mathematical ideas and thinking. This is 21st century learning! :)

Today the problem proved difficult. In fact, no one came up with the correct solution. However, there was some EXCELLENT conversation, problem solving, and deep thought involved. The students asked that I share the problem on the blog, so that they may challenge you to solve it as well. The solution is in the comments section. We went over how to solve the problem in class. Challenge your student to explain the solution to you if you get stuck. Please feel free to comment, and let us know how it went for you!

Here is the problem:

2 diamond rings and 4 silver rings cost $1,440. A diamond ring and a silver ring cost $660. How much does a silver ring cost?

Blogging Live from Mrs. Johnson's Homeroom

Today in homeroom we checked out Mr. Young's and Mrs. Johnson's blogs. We learned that the blogs have important information and dates. They also have links to fun and educational websites. There is also some pretty cool information about what we are learning, and about Mr. Young and Mrs. Johnson, too.

Prairie Creek Rocks! :)

Prime and Composite Numbers

Math Vocabulary:

Prime Numbers are numbers with EXACTLY TWO factors, one and itself.
Seven is a prime number because the only factors of 7 are 1 and 7. Other examples of prime numbers: 2, 13, 19, 59, 73.

Composite Numbers are numbers with MORE than TWO factors. Nine is a composite number because it has more than two factors: 1, 3 and 9.

Interestingly, the number one is not prime nor composite.

Divisibility Rules

Monday's lesson will be about using divisibility rules to test for division by 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10. A whole number is divisible by another whole number if the remainder in the division is zero. The result (quotient) must be a whole number.

Below are the divisibilty rules students will be learning. While students are not required to memorize them at this point, recall of these handy shortcuts will benefit them in the future.

• All even numbers are divisible by 2.
• A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of the digits is divisible by 3. (Sum of digits is the answer when adding the digits together. For example, 123 is divisible by three because 1+2+3 = 6, and six is divisible by three.)
• A number is divisible by 6 if it is divisible by BOTH 2 and 3.
• A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of it's digits is divisible by 9. (378 is divisible by 9 because 3+7+8=18, and 18 is divisible by 9.)
• A number is divisible by 10 if it ends in 0.
• A number is divisible by 5 if it ends in 0 or 5.

Great First Week

We had a great first full week at Prairie Creek! :)

In math we reviewed rectangular arrays and learned about factors and divisibility.

Factors are the numbers you multiply together to get another number. For example, 3 and 4 are factors of 12, because 3x4=12. Also 2x6=12 so 2 and 6 are also factors of 12, and 1x12=12 so 1 and 12 are factors of 12 as well. So ALL the possible factors of 12 are 1,2,3,4,6 and 12.


In science we investigated using pendulums, and conducted controlled experiments to discover how changing one variable at a time affected the outcome. After starting with a standard pendulum system, we changed were angle of release (where we let go of the pendulum), mass of the bob (how many pennies were hung at the end of pendulum), and string length. We determined that the angle of release and mass of the bob did NOT affect the number of swings a pendulum made in 15 seconds. The length of the string, however, did affect the number of swings in 15 seconds. The shorter the string, the greater the number of swings a pendulum made in 15 seconds. Conversely, the longer the string, the fewer swing cycles a pendulum completed in 15 seconds.

Science vocabulary for the week:

Variable - Anything you can change in an experiment that might affect the outcome.
Controlled Experiment - An experiment in which only one variable is changed at a time.
Pendulum - A mass, hanging from a fixed point, that is free to swing to and fro.

What does a scientist look like?

Armed with paper and crayons, groups of students were asked to draw a scientist, and write five words or phrases about scientists. After discussion and collaboration they penned images that represented a scientist in their minds. 86% of groups drew a male. Most were old, had wild hair, glasses and a write lab coat. Almost all were chemists with test tubes and chemicals with explosive power. Mad scientists. This was certainly the result I expected.

Stereotypes influence our image of the scientific field. What is a scientist? Male or female, young or old, crazy hair or no hair at all... I view scientists as those who observe, investigate and study to learn more about the world and universe that surrounds them. And today, when I looked out at my students, there were fifty-six bright eyed and curious scientists looking back at me.

So, when you child looks in the mirror and sees an artist or an athlete, musician or mathematician, techie or gamer, I hope they also see a scientist. :)

We Survived the First Day!

Yay! We had a wonderful first day at school! Today was tons of fun. Our objectives for today? To make new friends, and learn more about the wonderful place we call Prairie Creek Intermediate. In addition to lots of "getting to know" activities, we went over important procedures that will help our classroom community function effectively. Parents, you would be AMAZED at how little time it takes fifth graders to warm up to their new environment and make new friends. It is super cool that by lunch, many students who were strangers at the beginning of the day were talking to each other like they had gone to school together for years, despite having met only few hours before. I even witnessed a couple of students sitting with their new friends on the shuttle bus over to Point, and exchanging phone numbers.

Hopefully your child had positive stories to share about today, and looks forward to this school year. I'm sure many of them were exhausted by the time they got home. I know I was!

Tomorrow we will be operating on a Late Start schedule. This does NOT mean school has a delayed start. Instead, the first two hours of the day will be used to hold a school wide common area expectation activity, where classes travel to different areas of the building. At each station (lunch room, playground, IMC)  teachers and administrators will explain the common expectations that all students will be held accountable for. Prairie Creek is committed to creating a positive learning environment where all students can grow and learn together.

Best regards,
Mrs. J.

Welcome!

Welcome to the online newsletter for Mrs. Johnson's math and science classroom at Prairie Creek Elementary School. Read often to keep up to date about what is happening in our classroom.

• Bookmark and follow this blog so that you can easily find our latest updates.
• This blog will be updated by Mrs. Johnson, and by student contributors at least twice per month.
• Privacy will be respected. Student last names will not be used and your requests as indicated on the 'yellow cards' will be honored.
• Please feel free to post comments on our blog entries. We love hearing from you. We only ask that you keep things positive. If their is a concern, please contact Mrs. Johnson directly.

I am so excited to be implementing technology to communicate effectively with you!