SCIENCE
Force and Motion continues this week with BALLOON ROCKETS. This week we continued our unit with math applications of the speed and acceleration equations! I was very proud of your children as they worked so diligently on their lab investigation! We created balloon rockets and measured the time and distance the balloon rockets traveled along a string across the classroom. Your children used this information to calculate speed and acceleration of the balloon rockets! These were very challenging equations and the your children mastered these math concepts with ease! We learned the definition of thrust (pushing force created by ENERGY) and how this force is connected with rockets. The next two weeks we will be creating and learning about water rockets to illustrate Newton's 3rd Law of Motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
We worked in pairs to read and discuss speed, velocity, and acceleration. Collaborative work (reading, discussing, and writing) is another method of instruction I use to further solidify the science concepts explored in class. The reading passages are informative as well as interesting. Our whole group discussions to share their thoughts and ideas are always so interesting! I am amazed at the depth of our conversations. Your children are great thinkers and are always asking "why" and "what if" questions. "What if we did not have gravity for an hour?" and "Can we live without friction?" are just two of the many questions we ponder in class.
Next week we are beginning our water rocket unit. If you have any 2 liter bottles I would love them! I will need about 45 bottles. I am also looking to borrow 3 air pumps that you use your foot to apply the force. The hand pumps do not work as well. I need to have 3 plastic sand buckets donated. We will creating stands to hold the water rockets with the buckets. Thank you for all your donations of materials! You have made this class so much fun!!!!
MATH
This week the students were assessed on their understanding of all the recent work we’ve been doing with percentages. This assessment showed me that the students need more time mastering this content. At CSD, we aim to keep learning as authentic as possible. Part of this is keeping assessment as authentic as possible. At many other schools, kids are tested weekly in all subject areas, and unfortunately this often results in a “false” learning environment where kids memorize, regurgitate, and then forget information. For this reason, we usually do not announce tests at CSD. However, there is a lot to be said for learning effective study skills and test-taking strategies, especially at this age. Therefore, after much thought, deliberation, and conversation with other teachers, parents, and administrators, I have decided to take a more balanced approach with my assessment. From this point forward, I plan on announcing “End of Unit” assessments in order to provide the students with opportunities to formally prepare for a test.
On Fridays, in addition to math lessons, Mrs. Alter and I will be teaching mini-lessons on specific study skills and test-taking strategies which will be outlined in the weekly newsletter. I truly believe that this opportunity to prepare for a test will be very empowering for a lot of students. However, I also recognize the importance of authentic data to inform my instruction, so I will continue to “pop quiz” the students often, as well as make informal observations of their progress. As far as supporting this endeavor at home, I suggest the following:
Force and Motion continues this week with BALLOON ROCKETS. This week we continued our unit with math applications of the speed and acceleration equations! I was very proud of your children as they worked so diligently on their lab investigation! We created balloon rockets and measured the time and distance the balloon rockets traveled along a string across the classroom. Your children used this information to calculate speed and acceleration of the balloon rockets! These were very challenging equations and the your children mastered these math concepts with ease! We learned the definition of thrust (pushing force created by ENERGY) and how this force is connected with rockets. The next two weeks we will be creating and learning about water rockets to illustrate Newton's 3rd Law of Motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
We worked in pairs to read and discuss speed, velocity, and acceleration. Collaborative work (reading, discussing, and writing) is another method of instruction I use to further solidify the science concepts explored in class. The reading passages are informative as well as interesting. Our whole group discussions to share their thoughts and ideas are always so interesting! I am amazed at the depth of our conversations. Your children are great thinkers and are always asking "why" and "what if" questions. "What if we did not have gravity for an hour?" and "Can we live without friction?" are just two of the many questions we ponder in class.
Next week we are beginning our water rocket unit. If you have any 2 liter bottles I would love them! I will need about 45 bottles. I am also looking to borrow 3 air pumps that you use your foot to apply the force. The hand pumps do not work as well. I need to have 3 plastic sand buckets donated. We will creating stands to hold the water rockets with the buckets. Thank you for all your donations of materials! You have made this class so much fun!!!!
MATH
This week the students were assessed on their understanding of all the recent work we’ve been doing with percentages. This assessment showed me that the students need more time mastering this content. At CSD, we aim to keep learning as authentic as possible. Part of this is keeping assessment as authentic as possible. At many other schools, kids are tested weekly in all subject areas, and unfortunately this often results in a “false” learning environment where kids memorize, regurgitate, and then forget information. For this reason, we usually do not announce tests at CSD. However, there is a lot to be said for learning effective study skills and test-taking strategies, especially at this age. Therefore, after much thought, deliberation, and conversation with other teachers, parents, and administrators, I have decided to take a more balanced approach with my assessment. From this point forward, I plan on announcing “End of Unit” assessments in order to provide the students with opportunities to formally prepare for a test.
On Fridays, in addition to math lessons, Mrs. Alter and I will be teaching mini-lessons on specific study skills and test-taking strategies which will be outlined in the weekly newsletter. I truly believe that this opportunity to prepare for a test will be very empowering for a lot of students. However, I also recognize the importance of authentic data to inform my instruction, so I will continue to “pop quiz” the students often, as well as make informal observations of their progress. As far as supporting this endeavor at home, I suggest the following:
• Read newsletters and post test dates somewhere on a “family calendar” so everyone is reminded of important dates
• Help your child formulate an “action plan” for studying, including devising a timeline leading up to the test
• Quiz your child on information found in the daybook, Math On Call book, and on the website to help him/her identify areas where further studying/reviewing/practice is necessary
The first “announced” test will be this Friday, November 6th. It will cover the concepts from the “Percents” unit of study. A set of printable flashcards can be found on my website or by clicking here. There is also a plethora of other wonderful resources found on the “What We’re Studying Right Now” and “Class Notes” pages of my website.
I am truly very excited about providing this opportunity for students to “own their learning” in this capacity. I hope that this change will positively impact their learning as they begin to see a direct correlation between their effort and their success!
I am truly very excited about providing this opportunity for students to “own their learning” in this capacity. I hope that this change will positively impact their learning as they begin to see a direct correlation between their effort and their success!
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
~Attributed to both Vidal Sassoon and Donald Kendall
