Week 1 - Don't Burst My Bubble....

Math
…And we’re off! We’ve had a GREAT first week of school. This week has reminded me of the MANY benefits of looping, not the least of which is the ability to hit the ground with our feet running! Tuesday we eased back into school with a “Get To Know the New Faces” slideshow and introduction. Following that, we got our blood moving by participating in “The Cupid Shuffle.” Lastly, we took care of setting up one of the partnering systems of the year entitled “Clock Partners.” In this activity, all students made appointments with a different classmate at each of the 12 hours on a clock. Throughout the year, we will use this clock as a way of quickly pairing students for class work and discussions. Some of our other initial activities included setting up our materials for the year, including the Math/Science binder and Problem-Solving and Reflection Daybook. We also explored Mrs. V’s Math website and the pre-algebra Larson’s program. To end the week, I led the students through a detailed explanation of the new Math homework policy for this year. Upon completion of this tutorial, Mrs. Alter and I monitored students’ progress as they practiced this new format. For more information, I encourage you to ask your child or visit the Homework page of my website.
Science
Thanks for a great first week! Team-teaching is amazing. I love all the help and support provided in and out of the classroom from my teammates. Your children are so fortunate to have such caring teachers.
This week we began our Green Home Unit. We defined renewable and nonrenewable resources. We created examples and discussed why renewable energy is not used more often. For more information, feel free to visit the following website: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/renewable.html Our first science activity was the Turbine Inquiry Lab. We talked about wind energy and observed how wind can create energy. We used pinwheel turbines to create bubbles to measure energy output.
The homework for Week 1 will be a Home Energy Assessment. In this assignment, students evaluate their homes to see how energy efficient they are. I hope this will be a fun, stimulating family activity.