Friday Roundup

Again, there is no homework tonight, so I'll explain what we did in one post tonight:

Math: We worked a little bit today on circumference. We discussed the similarities and differences between perimeter and circumference.

We also had a special performance today: a play called The Boy Who Learned To Fly

I wanted to say a quick Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, and aunts out there who are a big part of the student's lives. I hope you all have wonderful days on Sunday!

Thursday Roundup

There was no homework today, so I thought I would just do a quick roundup:

PE: we started learning how to do a proper relay exchange

Math: We did a short explore activity to find the distance around a circular object (this lesson will be continued tomorrow)

Drama: We did some games involving blindfolded members of the class being led around an obstacle course by sighted members.

Personal Planning: We talked about advertising and specfically Tobacco advertising.

Language Arts: Instructions

Today I had students work on writing a set of instructions. These instructions are to be as specific as possible and are due tomorrow (Thursday). See this post for more information.

Science: Inclined Planes and Wedges

Today we discussed Inclined Planes and Wedges as our 4th and 5th Simple Machines. An Inclined plane is pretty much a ramp (stairs count as well) and a wedge is like a doorstop. Other examples of wedges include knives, teeth and other cutting tools).

There was no homework for this lesson today.

Socials: Sustainability

We took up work we had done in class regarding sustainability. We had 10 phrases which I had students sort into sustainability, maybe sustainability and not sustainability. We discussed their answers and why they put their answers where they did. Their homework was to come up with two examples: one for sustainability and one for not sustainability.

Math: Estimating and Measuring Using Non-Standard Units

Today we took up the homework from yesterday and I gave them a question for homework: find one use that we have for estimating a length using non-standard units.

The textbook gave the example of estimating how many tables would fit in the hallway, and I gave the example of how many cars could fit in a certain length of a street.

Language Arts: Writing Instructions

Today we started looking at how you would write instructions. I gave the students an example and we worked through it as a class and then I had students talk about a task with a partner. There was no homework for this, but students were to think about what they would write instructions to next class (I gave them a list to choose from):

1. Getting ready for bed.
2. Planting a seed.
3. Cleaning up after dinner.
4. Warming up for a sports practice.
5. Getting ready to go to the beach (and coming home)
6. Going on a trip to Mexico (by airplane)
7. Anything else you want to do (must be approved by me)

Science: Pulleys

Today we talked about pulleys. There are three types of pulleys: Fixed, moveable and combined. We did an experiment as a class to look at the advantages of each type of pulley. Students were to fill out a chart that explains the advantages and disadvantages of each pulley. They are also to come up with 3 examples of pulleys. This work is homework.

Personal Planning: Nicotine Addiction Cycle

Today in personal planning we talked about the Nicotine Addiction cycle. Students were given a mandala to fill out (the outer circle explains the steps of the cycle, the next one has a picture, the third has a feeling - how the person would feel, and the middle circle has the picture of a smoker).

This is to be completed by Thursday.

Language Arts: Desrcriptive Sentences

We worked today on making sentences more descriptive. The example I gave was "I sat at my desk" which I then changed to "I dreamily sat at my huge, wooden, untidy desk." Students were given 10 simple sentences which they were to make more descriptive. This work was to be done for homework if it was not finished.

Math: Estimating and Measuring using non-standard units

Today we estimated and measured using non-standard units. Students had questions #1-4 and reflect on page 317 to do for homework if it wasn't finished in class.