Week of February 23-27

After not meeting for 2 weeks our 5th graders had the challenge to work independently at home to complete their Primary Source Letter. I am proud to report all students sent out well written, formal emails and letters to professionals in their field of interest. SO many students are getting responses back! YAY! I am excited to see how each of the students will integrate the new information from those responses into their Pitch Presentation.

On Monday we have invited school leaders and administration to come see our Pitches. Students have tapped into their creative minds and are producing AMAZING presentations! I am so excited for each of the 5th graders to share what they are passionate about and how they plan to impact our community!

5th Grade HW reminder:

1. Pitch must contain WHAT YOUR PLAN IS LOCALLY (there should be a slide or 2 explaining your action steps towards solving your problem/bringing awareness to our community)

2. School leaders will be popping in to see your amazing presentations! This means you should be practicing at home over the weekend so you feel confident about your great work! 

3. If possible send me your presentation so I can load it on my computer and play it through the Promethean Board. 

4th grade began testing methods and materials used to clean up oil spills. Now that we understand the impact that an oil spill can have on the entire ecosystem we know how important it is to clean up every last drop of oil in a spill! We spent our time together testing each of the following materials/methods in isolation: yarn, rubber band, cotton ball, spoon, felt, nylon, sponge, paper filter and a pipette. Each group had to plan how to use each material so that it would be most effective. We learned through our testing that some methods we tried (dipping, scooping, sucking, dragging, etc.) worked better than others.

After we tested each material/method we listed to pros/cons of each and worked independently to imagine ways to combine materials/methods to result in the best clean up! Once we had a variety of ideas each team worked to nail down a final plan which we will test in a “river” next week. I am excited to see the results each group gets and how they work to improve their plan even better!

4th Grade HW: Final Project! Whoo hoo! We have learned so much about oils spills, their impact on the ecosystem and materials/methods to clean them up! The final project is very open ended and gives a variety of project topics and presentation options. Each student received a copy of the final project assignment. NEXT WEEK I will be looking to see that each student has chosen a topic (one from the list or a new one they find interesting) and a way to present it.

3rd grade got to test out their improved water filter designs this week! Each group made significant improvements in their waters’ color, clarity, removal of particles and overall cost! We wanted our improvements to be as strategic as possible so we referred back to our original plan and data collected from the first test results. Once each group revisited their old plan they were able to determine the layers of the filter that was successful and more importantly the layers that were unsuccessful or unnecessary. When we meet next week we will revisit our goal and try once more to improve our filters in hopes to filter CLEAR and CLEAN water or a LOW COST.

3rd Grade HW: Students received their final project in 3rd grade as well! We have learned so much about water, the impact of contaminated and polluted water the ecosystem and explored several methods to filter water! The final project is very open ended and gives a variety of project topics and presentation options. Each student received a copy of the final project assignment. NEXT WEEK I will be looking to see that each student has chosen a topic (one from the list or a new one they find interesting) and a way to present it.

Week of February 9-13

5th grade worked incredibly hard and made great progress with our Passion Projects this week. Each class was able to begin research based around our essential question. Students worked hard to find out where and who to gather information from in order to learn more about their global topic. Our real challenge was to find a local source of information and begin to draft a letter to them in hopes to gather insight from a professional in their specific field. Because we won’t meet on February 16 due to Presidents’ Day we had to switch gears towards the end of our time together and think about pitching our project to an audience. We watched a few great examples for inspiration and began to plan the outline for our own “Pitch”.

5th grade HW:

Due 2/16: Primary Source Letter emailed to Ms. Maline for review

Due 2/23: Completed Pitch Template (both front and back of template)

4a and 4b had the chance to see firsthand how different a food chain is from a food web. Each student was assigned a role from a Pacific Northwest ecosystem. We worked as a class to determine whether the role was a PRODUCER, CONSUMER, or DECOMPOSER. We then made an actual food web to show the connections between all living things in an ecosystem. The part that wowed us the most was the link between each role and the river. This helped us visualize the impact that an oil spill would have on the ENTIRE ecosystem. Then, we had the chance to watch a clip about the Yellowstone National Park and the impact of wolves on the ecosystem and the river. (http://youtu.be/ysa5OBhXz-Q) We had a little competition to see who could create the best version of the effects the wolves had on the park. The winners loved their prizes!

4a and 4b’s HW was to read an article about the addition of a larger underground oil pipeline and choose a side; either for or against the building. Then, write a persuasive lesson to convince your audience to join your side. Students need to keep in mind the effects of another potential oil spill and the wolf clip to see the positive and negative impact it could have on the environment.

4c finally got to test different materials and methods for cleaning up an oil spill! We spent time exploring methods/materials that would either contain or remove oil from a body of water. In small groups we then tested out each one to see how effective they were. We got some great results but also some not so great results. We have a lot more work to do in making and designing an effective plan for cleaning up an oil spill but are ready to use the Engineering Design Process to guide us to the answer!

4c’s HW was to research other ways to deal with an oil spill, especially with chemical dispersants. After you have done the research, determine the advantages and disadvantages to chemical dispersants. Finally, research one natural dispersants and list its advantages and disadvantages.

3a and 3b used their plans for an improved water filter from last week to “purchase” their materials and create their own water filters! We were able to test all filters that were made and were impressed by the results! After testing the filters we worked to, yet again, improve each design to target specific criteria (cost, time, color, or particle removal). When we meet next we will use our plans to re-build an even better water filter.

3c has just begun the Engineering Design process with a new problem in mind by asking, “How can we filter drinkable water, at an affordable cost?” We are working on improving the filters we created last week to ensure that this time materials are used and combined to be most effective. Individually, students imagined several filter ideas and then in small groups began to collaborate and plan how each component of the filters would work. When we meet next we are going to use the pricing guide to help figure out how affordable each filter is and finally get to create each unique filter! I know we can’t wait to test our designs!

3rd grade HW was to bring in 5 trivia game cards. We will compile all of the questions/answers and play a Water Filter Jeopardy Game in the upcoming weeks! Make your questions tricky but based off classwork, articles read and past HW assignments.

Week of February 2-6

 When 5th grade met this week we used our time together to finalize our Big Ideas and develop our Essential Question. In order to do this we spent time talking about what a strong EQ sounds like but also what a strong EQ DOESN’T sound like. Another focus we have for our passion projects is to reflect more. This project is testing out our 21st Century Skills by making us research and think critically about how to get the best information. By reflecting we are being metacognitive (aware of our own thinking) and therefore conscious of what we are doing to expand our knowledge. In order for us to dive deeper into our passion we have to do the proper research.

5th grade HW was to complete the research template and determine the best sources for information (best books, articles, websites, interview candidates, etc.)

Our 4th grade classes were all able to meet this week and continue learning about the impact of pollutants (and oil) on surrounding ecosystems. 4a and 4b got a chance to do the jigsaw lesson about the impact rivers have on people that 4c did last week.

4a and 4b’s 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.

4c had the chance to watch a great follow up news bulletin about the progress (or lack of progress) in the cleanup of the oil spill in the Yellowstone River. We then, reenacted how that oil spill (and all other oil spills) impacts an ecosystem. We took on different roles and created a real life food web so show how connected all consumers, producers and decomposers are. Then 4c watched a JAW DROPPING clip (http://youtu.be/ysa5OBhXz-Q) of how wolves changed the rivers in the Yellowstone National Park. It was incredible to see how one change to the ecosystem impacts the ENTIRE ecosystem.

4c’s HW was to read an article about the addition of a larger underground oil pipeline and choose a side; either for or against the building. Then, write a persuasive lesson to convince your audience to join your side. 4c needs to keep in mind the effects of another potential oil spill and the wolf clip to see the positive and negative impact it could have on the environment.

3rd Grade made awesome progress on our water filter designs. 3a and 3b have begun the Engineering Design process with a new problem in mind by asking, “How can we filter drinkable water, at an affordable cost?” 3a and 3b are working on improving the filters we created last week to ensure that this time materials are used and combined to be most effective. Individually, students imagined several filter ideas and then in small groups began to collaborate and plan how each component of the filters would work. When we meet next we are going to use the pricing guide to help figure out how affordable each filter is and finally get to create each unique filter! I know we can’t wait to test our designs!

3a and 3b’s HW was to find materials at home that effectively filter water and reflect on how those materials might help our plan here at school.

3c used their understanding of water filtration to predict what materials would make the best water filter (a screen, paper coffee filters and sand/gravel). 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.

3c’s HW was to try this same process out at home. Then, report back with data collected from testing out different materials. When we meet next week we will discuss what properties lead to the most effective filters and apply that to the filters we engineer in class.

Week of January 26-30

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:

Health: http://thewaterproject.org/health.asp 

Hunger: http://thewaterproject.org/hunger.asp 

Poverty: http://thewaterproject.org/poverty.asp

Education: http://thewaterproject.org/education.asp

Week of January 19-23

This was the first week Ms. Maline was teaching this Brainy Bunch! Due to school being closed on Monday for MLK Day, we weren’t able to see fifth grade. This means we will be looking for even more progress, reflection and research with your Passion Projects. Be ready to come in Monday and share all of your incredible findings!

In fourth grade each of the classes worked together to solve the Enviro-Mystery! We jumped into the shoes of an environmental engineer and helped the Mayor of Greentown identify the reason his plants and animals were taking a turn for the worst! We conducted an experiment to compere samples from different locations around town against the data they collected from 3 years ago. Due to our investigative minds we figured out that pollution was spreading through the SOIL! This was groundbreaking because for the first time we began to see how the entire ecosystem was connected.

Our 4th grade HW assignment was to write a letter back to Mayor Higgins reporting our findings and action steps the town needs to take to stop the spread of pollutants and prevent this from happening in the future. These letters should be shared in the 4a, 4b, or 4c folder online for review.

Third grade had the chance to work as environmental engineers as well! First, we spent time brainstorming types of problems environmental engineers address and more importantly what causes these problems. 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.

Our 3rd grade 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

Health: http://thewaterproject.org/health.asp 
Hunger: http://thewaterproject.org/hunger.asp 
Poverty: http://thewaterproject.org/poverty.asp 
Education: http://thewaterproject.org/education.asp

Week of January 12-16

Note to everyone: The NJAGC is hosting a gifted conference (called Full STEAM Ahead) on March 6th and 7th.  Click on the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page for more info.
https://www.njagc.org/

This week, I was out sick and missed my 5th graders.  I'm so sad that I didn't get to say goodbye before going out on maternity leave.  I can't wait to see your passion projects come to fruition.  I'm sure you all will blow me away with your wonderful and innovative solutions to the problems you identify, and, more importantly, I know you will get so much out of this process!



In 4th grade, we talked about how Tehya used the engineering design process to clean up her model oil spill and how this will help us when we do the same thing.  We also explored various sources of energy and discussed the pros and cons of each one.
HW: finish reading book about energy sources, complete pros and cons chart, and answer the question at the bottom either on a google doc or in your notebook.  Make sure to research how to conserve energy and to cite your sources at the end of your response.

In classes 3a and 3b, we read a story called Saving Salila's Turtle, where a young girl from India is on a quest to save a turtle from the dirty waters of the Ganges River.  She learns about the engineering design process and how she can use it to design a filter to clean water from the river.  We also learned about sources of pollution and used our creativity to brainstorm possible pollution solutions.
HW: use the following website (and any others you find) to answer the questions from the homework sheet I gave you (4 causes of water pollution, some ways to treat polluted water, and things we can do to prevent water pollution from occurring).  Always remember to put the information into your own words and to list any websites or sources you use to get your information.
http://www.water-pollution.org.uk/

Week of January 5-9

This week, the 5th graders were introduced to our next unit: "Engineering Our Passions."  Students brainstormed global issues affecting our world today.  We then discussed how to narrow the scope and think of these issues on more of a local level.  For example, world conflict (ISIS, Israeli/Palestinian conflict, etc.) can be scaled down to conflicts in the school like bullying, and cyber bullying.  Students will now think about topics they are passionate about and choose one issue that they can attempt to solve on a local level.  I am really excited to see the wonderful work students do when their interests and passions are taken into account!
HW: Research current events on kids' news websites like:

http://www.cnn.com/studentnews - make sure to scroll down to "Extra Credit Resources"

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/ - you can explore by subject area (like world) or click "articles"

http://www.timeforkids.com/news-archive/world

http://www.dogonews.com/

Make a list of global issues that interest you and think about how you can address those issues on a local level.  Come up with at least two possible ideas for your passion project that deal with solving a local problem in your school or community.

You can also check out these passion projects created by other students:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Z-Hq-xvxM - This is an example of how one student addressed the global issue of conflict in his local school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBzBwOPBte4 - This project is not really about solving a global/local issue, but it shows the importance of setting goals, planning, reflecting, learning from failures, etc.

Each 5th grade class also had a guest teacher for half the period.  5a used the Engineering Design Process to create a Trojan Horse.  Class 5b learned about the importance of design and function when creating a building. They learned about the importance of materials, challenges, and value.

In 4th grade, we began our unit on environmental engineering.  We read a story about a girl named Tehya who lives in Washington State with her native American tribe, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.  She and her friend, Sam, discovered an oil spill in the local river and learned how environmental engineers design a process to clean up spills.  We also learned about the overarching concept that everything is connected and when one event happens, it sets off a chain reaction.  Click the following link for more info on the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe: http://www.elwha.org/

HW: Research three jobs an environmental engineer might do.  Explain each one and evaluate which one is most important.

In 3rd grade, we learned that technology is anything made by humans to solve a problem or meet a need.  Even things like sneakers and paper clips are examples of technology!  We also learned that engineers use their knowledge of math, science, and their creativity to design and improve objects, systems, and processes that solve problems.  

HW: List 10 examples of technology in your house (5 must not be electronic).  Choose 3 - explain the problems engineers saw that gave them the idea to create new technologies.

Create a poster using Google Slides, Docs, or Draw to present one of these “non-electronic” technologies. On your poster, you should have:

• The name of the technology
• The problem the technology solves
• A picture of the technology
• A description of what makes the object technology

Share your poster with me once you finish.