Day: September 16, 2015

As our unit focuses on personal choices, we brainstormed the types of personal choices that can have an impact on our health. The students suggested sleep, eating, healthy food, hygiene, exercises, stress levels, and more. Afterwards, we divided into groups to take on a math challenge. Each group was given the task of making a graph to represent certain information about the class, as related to all of the students’ personal choices. For many students, this was a review, and it allowed Ms. DeTerra to see what they knew about: graph making, types of graphs, gathering data, making a survey, and communicating information visually in a clear manner. Those students who understood how to do so added percentages to their graphs, and some groups worked with Ms. D to convert their data to percentages. The activity allowed us to begin exploring personal choices and provided a snapshot of strengths as regards the computations and processes behind data collection.

Our next project for art was designed to learn about students strengths, passions and interests. We also discussed the idea of abstract versus realistic or literal art messages. Ms. DeTerra provided a large number of materials and discussed how they could be used to make 2D and 3D collages on paper. Students were encouraged to find abstract ways to represent themselves or their interests. Some converted the piece of paper into a mini marble maze. One student had a trampoline and a book built on her paper. Others had fun making creations with hot glue guns. Ms. DeTerra enjoyed watching students use their creative thinking skills with alternative materials and posted them in the classroom to see.

Finally, we continued working on our body systems packet, finishing experiments from yesterday. HOMEWORK tonight, if it is not done already from class time, is to finish reading the three pages of Kids Health on the Circulatory System, answer the quick questions about the circulatory system, and then label the heart. Many students are done with this already.

Agendas are coming! We have them, but we are waiting for a notice from the office regarding payment, as there is a small fee for them. Thank you for your patience. See everyone tomorrow!

Today we had another great day! First we started to get ourselves organized for work by getting our binder and journal systems set up. Students have binders for three things, and these binders typically stay in class. One is blue (the unit work), one is red (for math and other stand alone work), and the last is black (our portfolios.) Students also have a red journal booklet for writing and a blue booklet as an art journal. We went over criteria together for the writing journal and Ms. DeTerra introduced her pie writing starters, which students chose from to receive writing prompts today. The art journal will be for doodling and also for trying out art techniques before using them in larger projects.

For the afternoon session, we did some human body stations in small groups. Students rotated between different tasks designed to learn about the different human systems, whether it was labeling anatomy, reading about the systems, measuring their breathing rate, determining the length of the whole digestion system, or discovering their lung capacity using water. Please ask your child to tell you about the lung capacity experiment today!

Homework: All students have been asked to bring something in related to our unit to share. This can be an internet article they print, a link to an article they send to me in email, a book from home that has something related to the unit, a past project, or anything else they can brainstorm that may be related. I look forward to seeing what they bring in!