After we test the original device, students will use the next 2 weeks to develop and improved model. (This time frame differs from the published dates, due to Star middle of the year testing to occur the 2nd week after we return to school.) A new time frame will be sent home that first week back.
Having completed (most of us) our research on Da Vinci and the invention they are doing, we will begin testing our inventions on the Tuesday we get back. Students will decide how we will test and we will run 3 trials. Some will need to complete their credits from research using http://www.easybib.com/v2/home and the mla style. If they (you) would like to help, it's an easy to use bibliography maker. Some students took home their research folder that houses both notes and the source information to be used to construct their bibliography. This credit page will follow their research essay.
After we test the original device, students will use the next 2 weeks to develop and improved model. (This time frame differs from the published dates, due to Star middle of the year testing to occur the 2nd week after we return to school.) A new time frame will be sent home that first week back.
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As I'm sure you've heard, The House of Da Vinci has started a new unit, The Da Vinci Design Challenge. In this unit, students will work on a 4 part project. In Part 1, they will research both Da Vinci and one of his inventions. That will occur here at school. Once that is done, they will complete part one by writing an essay that presents their findings. This will eventually be the background information in their experiment. Part two will be the construction of their Da Vinci invention. This will happen primarily at home. I have found plans for easy- to -construct replicas. Once constructed, students will test their invention here at school. Part three involves perfecting the invention. Students will find 1 thing to change to improve the invention. This will involve some critical thinking- "what can I change that will cause the biggest improvement?" Students will then make the change. More testing will happen at school to document the changes. Finally, students will present their results and draw conclusions before a final presentation. (For many, this will be their expo projects, so we really might want to use a backboard to present findings.) There will be a final "vote" to see who our house members believe made the biggest improvement to their invention. For more information or questions, I will have a House of Da Vinci Meeting at 7:00 on Monday, Dec 4th in the library.
I really thought we would be doing a stem/research project about now, but students begged to go on to algebra. I'm not sure they're all so happy about that now. While some students are really "getting it done" in our algebra unit, others are kind of floundering. ( I expected this, as abstract thinking comes usually in 4th-7th grade years.) However, since our program uses hands on "balances" and manipulatives, we are bridging that gap. All students are progressing, but for some it is harder than for others. Tomorrow we are going to do board activities so we can really see what is happening as they are working. This helps both me and students, as later in the year, they are asked in classes and on tests to find the errors in others thinking.
Also, our Minute to Win It On Stage begins this week, since all students have had time to practice. We heard a couple of students last week who wanted to try and boy were the others impressed. Hopefully this will spur all students to want to work on math facts. Students got back their unit one assessment in their take home folder today. Check out the great grades. They also did their Star math benchmark assessment. You will see the results of this next week at conferences. Our next unit is on Algebra, where they are using scales and objects to balance both sides of the equation. They are extremely excited.
This Friday is the Leadership Muffin Morning. If your child comes home with a ticket tomorrow, they are invited to our session at 7:30. A student will be at the back door- Kinder rooms, to let them in with their ticket. As many of us know, modern technology has moved us into a variety of math bases. Most well know is the binary system for coding. I've found that if students get place value in base 5 or 2, they certainly understand our base 10. We've been exploring base 5, doing conversions from base 10 to base 5 numbers and base 5 to base 10. We've also been adding and subtracting in base 5. We will finish up that unit tomorrow with a quiz, and even bonus questions with base 2, 4, and 6 to see if students can apply what they learned to another base.
As I keep telling students. they really need to be practicing math facts at home. Just as the expectation of GT Language Arts student to read nightly- I expect the same from our GT math students- but in practicing facts. This grade level should know their multiplication facts cold. It is difficult to teacher higher level math skills when students are still counting on fingers or skip counting to do multiplication. They get all tied up in that, and miss the concept being taught. I hope to soon find a fun way to have accountability for that learning. Get a head start on this!!!! This week, students learned about the namesake of this house, Leonardo Da Vinci. We found out about his early life and how he made himself into the original Renaissance Man. To emphasize the scope of his inventions, we actually did one - the self-supporting bridge. Students tried to make a similar bridge on their own and did have a couple of creative ideas- see below. After doing background research, students were able to build a Da Vinci bridge. One very important hint- it takes at least 2 students to make one!!!!
This next week, we'll begin our math unit, reviewing the real meaning of place value by switching into base 5. Ask your student on Wednesday afternoon! Link to gallery page of bridge photos |
Blog Author, Mrs. Albrecht
Mrs. Albrecht is a 30+ year educator. Having taught in both Texas and here in Eagle County, Colorado, she brings years of teaching expertise and technology to her classrooms. Archives
December 2017
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