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.