I am happy to report that 5th grade was finally able to meet this week and have in-depth conversations about each other’s Passion Projects. Even with a shorted day for the “blizzard” both classes had time to discuss our Big Ideas and how we can begin to turn our passions into Essential Questions. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDfVOIZ2tU8 - this is a resource we will revisit to help craft our EQ’s). Also, we spent a large chunk of time talking about what it means to have 21st Century Skills. We read a short article about the 7 essential survival skills as defined by business leaders.
For 5th grade HW you needed to read through the article and determine how these 21st Century Skills helped refine your Big Idea and help you move closer to an Essential Question. I look forward to meeting next week and nailing down your Passion Project!
Due to the snow day not all 4th grade groups were able to meet. When we returned on Wednesday 4c was about to complete the next lesson. This group completed a jigsaw project on the impact of rivers on different areas and cultures. By reading about the Amazon River, Yellow River, Mississippi River, Nile River, Tigris and Euphrates River we were able to cross-references our findings and began to see how rivers helped to develop economies and civilizations as far back as we have record of. This really opened our eyes to how important rivers are and how we need to make sure we do our part to keep them clean.
We also watched a new clip on the oil spill in Montana and how it was spreading down to Yellowstone River. I encourage you to do some research on this current event!
4th grade HW was to research the Delaware River and the impact it had on NJ and surrounding areas. Then, create an article, just like the ones we read in class, about how important the Delaware River is to us.
All 3rd grade groups met this week and were in for a treat! 3a and 3b used their knowledge of water filtration to predict what materials would make the best water filter. We followed the Engineering Design Process to ASK, IMAGINE, PLAN, and CREATE a water filter in class. Then, we came together and brainstormed how to IMPROVE our original plan to develop an EPIC water filter.
3a and 3b’s HW was to reflect on what we learned about filters before and after our plan to improve our water filter.
3c spent the first part of our time together engineering towers to solve our problem: Howard the Cow(ard) needed to be hoisted up 1 foot into the air and rest on top of a tower so that he wouldn’t get trampled on due to his small size. 3c was about to figure out some key engineering improvements when building such as geometry, folding cards for added strength and orienting shapes to use their most stable side.
Next, we broke into pairs and worked to identify how humans are contaminating our ecosystem! This was important for us to see. After reading Saving Salila's Turtle we knew that environmental engineers work to clean up contaminates in our air, water, and soil but this helped us to learn that environmental engineers work to figure out the source of these problems too. The time we spent talking about contaminates both artificial and natural, got us thinking about the impact this has on our future. Third grade ended our time together by talking through the article given for homework. This article it talks about the effects dirty water has on people’s lives.
3c’s HW assignment is to read the article that links dirty water to health problems, hunger, poverty and education and complete one of the following tasks.
Create a public service announcement using at least one fact from each effect. Then, make a 30 second video and email Ms. Maline (anne.maline@edison.k12.nj.us) or prepare to perform it for the class. Please script anything you need in you G&T notebook.
Create a news broadcast summarizing the effects of bad water. Then, make a 30 second video and email Ms. Maline (anne.maline@edison.k12.nj.us) or prepare to perform it for the class. Please script anything you need in you G&T notebook.
Write a story in your notebook about a family that experiences the effects of dirty water and predict how their life might be different if a well or other project is built.
Here are the links to the articles if you need them:
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