STEM4 Update
October 19, 2016
Project-Based Learning Connections
In what ways can we enable or discourage movement? Within this essential question, we have already explored:
- · Map skills: latitude and longitude, physical and political maps, map scale, cardinal and intermediate directions, and exact vs. relative location
- · Law of conservation of mass: apple investigation using scientific method
- · Heat energy transfer: design brief of insulating containers, ela reading lessons, Fusion curriculum
- The skills, methods, and tools used by scientists
The topics that are coming up include:
- · More about heat energy: insulators and conductors; real and virtual labs about the movement of particles and the movement of energy
- · Electricity and circuits: design brief; hands-on experiments and demonstrations for movement of energy; insulators and conductors
- · Regions in Ohio and the United States: why do people settle where they do, how do we move people and products from place to place?
- · Transportation History in Ohio: connected to ideas of invention and innovation; design brief
- · Experts in these fields will visit as we can get them scheduled
ELA
Reading – So far, we have read historical fiction and realistic fiction for the Reading Street tested activities. We are also using social studies and science content reading for our informational texts. Some of the skills that we have are working on in small groups/PIE class include context clues, analyzing poetry, author’s purpose, multiple meaning words, and finding evidence from text to support an answer. We look forward to our next story: The Horned Toad Prince, which is a parody of a well-known fairy tale set in the American Southwest.
Writing - We have been writing narratives (stories), that must have characters, setting, and plot. We have established a 5-step writing process that takes them through thoughtful writing in a graphic organizer. The steps are:
- 1. Brainstorm – sensory words and connections, interesting adjectives, important vocabulary for the topic
- 2. Organize – plan out characters, settings, a sequence of events that smoothly takes the reader through the story, and a conclusion
- 3. Rough Draft of story
- 4. ECUPS editing: step-by-step scanning for revisions (elaborate, capitals, usage, punctuation, spelling)
- 5. Submit final version
We are working on a story about a mouse that gets into Pleasant Valley for the first time. The story will be told in the first-person, which is through the voice of the mouse. Students who complete their story with enough time will have the opportunity to turn it into an animated story using the Toontastic app.
Math
Math
We are deep in the middle of multi-digit multiplication. There are four methods we are teaching, so that students can select the one that best works for their brains. Each one requires mastery of basic facts and understanding of how place values increase by x10. Here are some examples of this method:
Place Value Portions Method Expanded Notation Method
Algebraic Method Shortcut Method
Soon, we will be expanding to multiplying larger numbers, including 2-digit by 2-digit. Then, we will apply the same thinking to multi-digit division. It works the same way, just in reverse (inverse operations!)
To get extra help and support with any of these methods, Khan Academy and Learn Zillion are great resources.
Friday Fundays
I have received some questions from parents about Friday Fundays. We are recognizing the students who are consistently responsible with having their homework ready for classroom discussions, on a daily basis. Every three weeks, there is an announced Friday Funday where all the students who had all of their assignments and signed papers on time participate in a short, creative, fun, thinking activity. For example, in Coach Detmar’s class, they have already done a building challenge and stop-motion animations. After the activity, the students all start with a fresh slate. There is also a $5 “service fee” from their classroom checkbook for missing assignments. Students have opportunities to earn or purchase emergency homework passes for those inevitable times that things just don’t work out. Our classroom “store” opens once a month.
OFFE the Efalent
Email: detmarj@parmacityschools.org
Website: pcsdstem4.weebly.com
Phone: 440-885-2380
Twitter: @DetmarSTEM