Weeks of March 20-24 and March 27-31

This Wednesday, I was finally able to begin our ELA cycle! The 3rd graders were immersed in poetry. We read and discussed a wide variety of poems, looking at poetic techniques and meanings/messages of the poems. We learned ways to respond to poetry and took a try at it. We had many interesting discussions, like how something as simple as where words are placed on the page can convey so much about the meaning of the poem.

Students respond to poetry.

In 4th grade, students were transported back to the Globe Theatre during the Elizabethan Era. We explored the life and times of William Shakespeare and learned a lot about what life was like back then. The girls were not happy about the fact that girls back then did not go to school and could not act in plays! We discussed how the themes of Shakespeare's plays are still relevant today, which explains why he is still so well known!

Students learn what life was like in Elizabethan England.

In 5th grade, we began our unit on TED Talks by exploring what a TED Talk is and what attributes make for a good talk. We also learned that our words are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to public speaking. Our nonverbal cues can make or break a speech. While giving minispeeches to introduce ourselves, we did things like twirl our hair, sway back and forth, turn our backs to the audience, etc., and we realized just how distracting these things are when listening to a talk!

Week of February 27-March 3

This week, my third graders really impressed me with their knowledge of issues like the Keystone Pipeline, fossil fuels v. renewable resources, the damage that cruise ships cause to the environment, famous oil spills from the past, and how land oil spills are dealt with. Check out this ABC news report on a famous oil spill!
Harshini's Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill News Report

A debate about fossil fuels v. renewable energy

The 4th graders finished up their last programming challenges with their Lego Robots and said their goodbyes to their robot friends! We began the unit by talking about how robots can sense their environments and make decisions based on what they are sensing. By the end of the unit, the students' understanding of this concept was so much stronger because they got to see it in action. Our robots could sense colors, light, objects, and angles and could react to what they were sensing. I am very impressed with the students' understanding of how to program the robots to complete given tasks! There is a middle school Lego Robotics elective, so maybe some students will continue their learning in the future!
These students successfully made their robot go up an incline!

The 5th graders made their pitch presentations on the inventions they have been working on for the past few weeks. We had things like smelly nail polish to put an end to nail biting, a shopping cart attachment to lift heavy objects into your trunk, a portable desk organizer, a device that helps you pour heavy cartons of milk/juice, and many more! Check out some of our models below!

A football with velcro gloves to prevent injuries, a football made of material that doesn't soak through it, and a bicycle helmet with more comfortable straps, sunglasses, and a light!

A shopping cart attachment to lift heavy objects into the trunk and an easy-to-make bed!