Learning Updates 6.1.12

We had another busy week. I can't believe we have just two more full weeks plus a couple days left together. We still have so much great learning to do!

Windstorm Boxes. Ask your child about the different experiments we did with these--sand only, sand with clay landforms, sand with clay landforms covered by vegetation (moss). Ask what we learned from this. More pictures available here!

Literature Circle. Students met with others who were reading the same Challenges book. They shared some writing they did about the setting, discussed the book and asked questions of each other.

Here's what we've been up to:

Math

• Started in on our final math unit of the year, Unit 12, on rates

Reading

• Continued with our Challenges thematic literature unit
• Learned to analyze and chart character traits on a graphic organizer
• Learned about symbolism in art and literature. Students began to design a personal crest with some symbols that represent them
• We wrote about our books through a quick write and also a response journal entry

Writing

• We slowed down a bit in writing to focus more intently as a group on our thesis ideas for our literary essays, as well as some possible bullet points (subordinate supporting sections)
• This time and planning pays off later in that students are focused in the right direction
• Learned about how we can angle stories to support our thesis and bullet points

Science

• Did demonstration where we broke different types of rocks inside of bags with a hammer. We found once again that rocks have different amounts of strength or hardness
• Poured out the water from our rock jar investigations where students shook different types of rocks 50 times per day, and we went on a rock walk around the classroom, recording our observations of each outcome. We found again that softer rocks were the most impacted, but that even hard with hard rocks (like quartzite) had some chipping. This shows that as rocks are abraded or scratched over time, they can change and become rounder, smoother, and smaller.
•  Took a second surface changes walk outside around the Grand Ridge grounds. Students again looked for evidence of changes to the earth's surface. They and I found that their thinking has advanced and changed with all the new information they've learned through our investigations.
• Used hard-boiled eggs to model the parts of the earth's interior--crust, mantle, and core. Learned more about these layers and we'll do more with this next week.