Category: Articles and Unit Connections

Hello Everyone,

We started our new unit this week, discussing the building blocks of becoming great forensic scientists. What do you need to work as a CSI? We decided you need a LOT of skills!

CRIME SCENE: Yesterday, there was a robbery in the classroom! (not really, but we had a good time pretending!) Someone had come in to the classroom and stole a precious heirloom from Ms. D’s desk. Boy, did they make a mess! The police were called, the crime scene was marked off with yellow tape, and orange cones were placed in the classroom to mark where evidence had been found. Our CSI detectives came in to collect the evidence, being very careful not to disturb or contaminate the site!

Students took pictures of all the evidence from different angles using an iPad; wrote careful descriptions of what was found; and then documented where the evidence could be found, measuring evidence locations using measuring tapes and two, fixed points in the classroom.

When we finished, we discussed what the evidence said about the crime. What kind of person did it? What was the story? Pictures of our crime investigations to come soon!

We debriefed afterwards: What kinds of skills are needed to be a CSI?

• critical thinking skills
• collaboration with other detectives
• writing — to make great descriptions of the evidence
• patience (things have to be done carefully — too fast might damage something, or you might miss a detail)
• powers of observation
• photography
• gross motor skills (to step carefully around the evidence without disturbing it)
• fine motor skills (to carefully gather evidence without damaging it)
• math: measurement, graphing, using complicated tools
• ability to analyze and infer what happened (making a story of the evidence)
• a sense of ethics

Next week we will be doing a series of forensics experiments. One of our first will have to do with handwriting. If you want to practice your handwriting skills, check out the animations and worksheets on this page.

ETHICS: When solving problems and dealing with difficult situations, ethics can play a role. Which decision is the best decision? We defined ethics as being related to the word principled that we use in the classroom. It is about knowing right from wrong. Where is this right and wrong written down? Is everything a “law” or are some things just understood by society? After brainstorming some ethical situations, we focused on INVENTIONS, as everyone is building one right now. We discussed the atomic bomb, the telephone, and the smart phone, looking at the three inventions for pros and cons and ethical conundrums that have resulted from their creation.

We then took a look at Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2016. Students had to organize the 25 inventions into groups and decide which one was the best. What criteria would we use to determine which one wins? Was each invention useful and accessible to everyone? Is it important that what we make has a useful purpose? Have we thought about how the invention will impact society? Do ethics play a role in engineering?

We will be coming up with our own “Code of Ethics” but students can look at the National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics to get ideas before our discussion.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: We are continuing to do fitness development and measurement during our gym time. For example, so far we have done the BEEP TEST, sit up and push up measurement, and high jump. We will focus on aerobic exercise, meaning everything we will do during PE will be high activity, and we will also monitor our heart rate. I have encouraged everyone to ensure they have appropriate runners for class, that they have eaten a healthy snack during recess before we have gym, that they monitor the amount of sleep they are getting, and that they drink enough water during the day.

All of these things will be discussed between now and Spring Break, with the goal of being fit enough to do our outdoor education, hiking field trip on April 18th to the Lower Seymour Conservation area. Hiking outside will require some determination and fitness!

MATH: Everyone should have done their first unit test already. Some people are running behind, so be aware that you need to do a bit more math work at home to catch up. Ms. D is putting “Math 15-30 minutes” on the board daily. Do Independent Math if you are behind. Otherwise, you can choose between Independent or Applied.

Today, we also talked about BMI, which was mentioned in our applied math and relates to fitness from PE. We explained what it means and that it is only one indicator of health (as BMI will need to also take into account the specific build and muscle mass of the person.) The formula for finding BMI in our applied math is for adults, and several BMI calculators are now using a different number, 703 vs 700. Students should use 700, however, in order to find the correct answer. For the students to find their own BMI, they can use this link on Kids Health, which has an automated calculator for kids.

More to come next week! Have an excellent weekend!!

Ms. D