The Need for Speed

Running the CCE Track

Today all of the Culinary Court kiddos ran their fastest as they were timed running a 58 meter dash and a trip around the CCE track. Mr. Pinchot and Mrs. Phillips recorded each students' individual running times so that we can take this DATA and determine how fast each child can run (from meters per second to miles per hour averages). Students will practice calculating speed (distance divided by time) and then correlate these times to speeds of several common animals (cheetah, etc.). We will also compare this data with information we collected in another previous lab on rolling marbles down various sized ramps. Correlating these experiences to our text (Ch. 6, Lesson 2) will be a piece of cake.

In addition, on our bus ride to MOSH, we experienced speed, acceleration, and velocity first-hand, which made for some interesting conversations both during the bus ride and after we returned to school!

Parents, be sure to ask your child about the above-listed terms while you are traveling together in your car. You can also ask your child about friction, reference points and relative motion. Your child should be able to explain what all of these terms mean. :-)

Happy Sciencing!!

Multi-Digit Multiplication Makes a Transition

Our work with multi-digit multiplication has certainly made progress over the last few months. Here is a review of the development of this learning trajectory:

Multiplication Cluster

This strategy of decomposing one of the factors has empowered students to learn how to solve problems using mental mathematics. It has reinforced the concept of multiplication in that one factor represents the size of groups while the other factor represents the number of groups.

Open Array Model 

This model has been fantastic as we have made sense of multiplication with larger factors because it has helped us not lose sight of the value of each factor and it has enabled us to decompose BOTH factors and keep track of finding all of the needed partial products.

Transition to the Traditional Algorithm

Recent efforts in math have been to use this model (which also decomposes both factors like the open array does) to understand how and why the traditional algorithm works. With this model, we practice multiplying in the same order that is used with the algorithm, but without the succinct regrouping. *Notice that the SAME four smaller problems solved here match the four smaller problems in the open array model above. These SAME four smaller problems are also calculated in our heads when using the traditional algorithm (below) too!

Traditional Algorithm

Aah......our final destination. Now that we have explored the concept of multiplication so deeply, we feel our students are ready to truly understand how and why this succinct strategy works. They must be able to explain it, though, if they are to use it as a primary strategy in class.
Can you see how all of these strategies are related? :-)

Deep conceptual understanding is realized when one can solve a problem in multiple ways and make connections between strategies and models in how they are related and why they work. Mathematical conversations have never been more fun!

Force and Motion

Gravity is a force that pulls objects toward the center of the larger mass (which is always Earth since we are always on this planet). All matter (anything that has mass and takes up space) has gravity though- a pencil, a piece of bread, a paper clip...... we just don't feel the effects of gravity on these smaller objects (and our own gravitational pull) because the Earth's pull is SO much stronger than everything else.

A force is a push or a pull. A force can give energy to an object causing the object to start moving, stop moving, or change its motion. Forces occur in pairs and can be either balanced or unbalanced.  
Some examples of forces are gravity, friction, air resistance, and magnetism

Balanced forces do not cause a change in motion. They are equal in size and opposite in direction
In our lab on changing a marble's speed, we learned that gravity is one of the forces acting on the marble, which is why it rolled down our ruler ramps when we released it for each of our trials. We also learned that friction was another force acting on the marble, which helped the marble slow down and eventually come to a complete stop after it rolled down the ramp and across the floor. Once the marble came to a complete stop, the forces on the marble were balanced (and there was no longer a change in the marble's motion).
Forces were UNBALANCED while the marble was rolling down the ramp and across the floor. Any time there is movement with an object, forces are not balanced.

In this Tug of War example, forces are NOT balanced. The group on the left is pulling with more force than the group on the right (the group is moving in the direction of the greater force).

In this Tug of War example, if both groups of people are pulling in opposite directions with the same amount of force, the rope will NOT move and forces will be balanced.

If two forces are working in opposite directions (against each other as in the Tug of War example), we subtract them. If we could measure the force that the left group is using to pull the rope in their direction and that the right group is using to pull the ropes in the opposite direction, we could subtract those forces to find the NET FORCE.

In contrast, if two force are working together in the same direction, we add them together. Person 1 + person 2 + person 3 (all on the left) are working together to pull back to the left. If we add their individual pulling forces together, we would get their combined total force.

Click here to review balanced and unbalanced forces: Quiz Yourself 

For Behavior Bucks, leave a comment offering two new examples- one for BALANCED forces and one for UNBALANCED forces.

Using a Modified Timeline

Good writers know the first, and some say most important, step to writing a fantastic story is to PLAN.

Earlier in the year, writers were taught to use a timeline to plan for their narrative writing.  Timelines help writers organize the events of their story, beginning to end.  The process of creating a timeline helps a writer imagine how their story will go.  Where will they begin?  How will they end their story?  What events will they magnify, or make more important, by slowing down and telling in a "frame by frame" style?

Recently, Mrs. Nash introduced a modified timeline to Culinary Court writers.  This timeline, designed to look like a lightning bolt, has been reshaped to help writers focus on developing the "heart", the most important part, of their story.  Good writers know that they need to slow down through the heart of their story and develop strong mind movies for their readers through the use of sensory details, dialogue, specific action, thoughts, and emotion.  Using a modified timeline, writers are more aware of the heart and are encouraged to intentionally plan more fine details and description in this section of their planning.

As they're planning, writers should remember the purpose of the introduction and resolution of a story, too.  An introduction, also called an exposition, is intended to grab or hook readers attention, introduce the characters, reveal elements of the plot, and show the reader the setting.  It prepares readers to experience the heart of the story.  However, a conclusion, or resolution, should show conclude the main events of the story in a natural way, leaving a reader with a sense of satisfaction.  Strong conclusions include emotion, often a memory or reflection of the heart of the story, and a decision, wish or hope for the future.

Writers, how have you liked using the modified timeline to plan your narrative writing?  How is it changing your planning process?  Do you find it challenging in anyway?  

Angles as Benchmarks

Our current math emphasis involves using benchmark angles (such as the 90 degree "right" angles found on a square) to find measures of other, unknown angles. Squares (and rectangles) are particularly helpful since they each have FOUR right angles to use as references.

Consider angle "A" in the brown rhombus and angle "B" in the orange scalene right triangle. Most could easily identify that both are acute angles, but what about their angle measures? One could certainly estimate, but to know for sure, another more probable method would be to overlap the two angles to compare each angle against the other.

Overlapping the two acute angles (we do this in class using plastic "Power Polygons" as manipulatives) shows us that angle "A" is half of angle "B" in size. We could also justify this observation by placing two angle "A's" from two different brown rhombi in order to prove that "A + A = B" in this case.

Now we can use this information along with a 90 right angle to learn more.

Angle "A" combined with angle "B" is equivalent to a right angle, which equals 90 degrees. Since angle "A" is half of angle "B", each measure must be 30 degrees and 60 degrees, respectively.

Angle A = 30 degrees
Angle B = 60 degrees

This is just a small sample of the way we are using the Power Polygons to identify and measure unknown angles. This constructivist approach is really helping us make sense of acute, right, obtuse, straight, and reflex angles.

As a further extension, later in the unit, we will also learn to use protractors (rulers for identifying angle measures) for fun!

Students, what has been your most important "lesson learned" as we have been studying angles and their measures? Leave a comment to share your insights with others. 

How Does Matter Change?

In Science we have recently learned to distinguish between matter that has undergone either a physical or chemical change. 

A change in size, shape, or state of matter (solid, liquid, gas) is a physical change.
A change that produces a different kind of matter is a chemical change.

We observed some interesting matter such as decayed  leaves, peeled potatoes, broken glass, spoiled milk, burned paper, and fried eggs and classified them as either representing physical or chemical changes. To elaborate on physical changes, students "physically" altered paper by folding, tearing, crumbling, shredding, wetting, shaping, rolling, and staining it.  Students also physically altered modeling clay. To observe chemical changes, students produced a gas by combining baking soda and vinegar, and produced iron oxide (rust) by combining iron (steel), water, and oxygen.

To review physical and chemical changes, view this engaging video. CLICK HERE
Our Science Quiz on "How Matter Changes" will be scheduled for sometime this next week.

Written Book Summaries

This quarter, as a support for our writing work, readers are required to respond to FOUR of their required six books by writing a complete summary of the book after they've read it.  These summaries may be typed or handwritten, but MUST be a representation of the writer's personal best work.  We're looking for thoughtful, well-written, neat, and correct summaries.  All summaries must include the following elements:

1.  The book title (Remember!  Titles should be Capitalized and underlined or italicized!)
2.  Author
3.  Genre (Remember!  "Fiction" is NOT a genre.  Is this book fantasy fiction?  Realistic fiction?  A mystery?)
4.  A summary of important events from the story (problem and solution, beginning, middle AND end).  Or, if this is an informational text, include discuss all of the main or key ideas.

Still not sure what we're looking for?  Take a look at Chase's example.  This is a summary of a biography about Albert Einstein.

Chase's summary meets our expectations for a written book response.  While we are NOT expecting to see entirely perfect summaries (even Chase has a few opportunities for improvement), we are looking for evidence that the reader thoroughly understood the book (beginning to end) and can explain the book in their own words in a logical, organized fashion.  It is important that these summaries are written by the students themselves, and they take the time to edit and revise as needed.  Mrs. Koster and Mrs. Nash will be conferencing with reader-writers as needed to discuss their responses, using these summaries as teachable moments for writing.

Care for a piece of advice?  Chase shared with his class that, as he was writing his book response, he kept his copy of the 3rd nine weeks reading expectations next to him.  He repeatedly checked the directions for written summaries as he was writing so he could be sure he was working towards meeting the standards.  Way to go, Chase!  Thanks for letting us share your work!

Mrs. Koster and Mrs. Nash can't wait to read more great summaries soon!