Growing Squares and Atomic Comics

Announcements:

• Parent Teacher Interviews March 14th - Forms with more detail about booking interviews were sent home today
• "Atomic Comic" Science Project due Monday
• Please complete Heat Stories ASAP if you haven't already handed them in

Math:

After writing the Integers Unit Assessment we practiced order of operations problems. Students had the opportunity to create a game to make practicing BEDMAS problems more interesting. One game involved writing out the templates in the picture and using dice to determine the numbers. This seemed to motivate students to focus a little bit more when solving these complex problems.

We began the Patterns and Linear Relations Unit today with the Growing Squares challenge.

Students drew squares with increasing side lengths and calculated the perimeter and area of each of the 10 squares. The made data tables and observed patterns in the number sets. Some students had enough time to graph the side length to perimeter and the side length to area.

Students who are interested in learning more about patterns could go to Khan Academy and watch the following video and try a few practice questions.

Science:

In Science we continued exploring Particle Theory. Students created an "Atomic Comic" to creatively display their understanding of the Particle Model of Matter. These projects have four frames that imaginatively demonstrate understanding of the following concepts:

• All matter is made up of tiny particles
• Particles have space between them
• Particles are always moving
• Adding heat makes the particles move faster

Atomic Comics due Monday, March 4th, 2019.

Have a great long weekend!!!

Integers and Heat Transfer

Announcements:

• February is Black History Month and there will be learning opportunities related to this topic throughout the next couple of weeks.
• Heat Stories are due (Friday, February 22nd)
• The Integers Unit Assessment is Monday, February 25th

Today we watched "Hidden Figures," a movie about three African American women who worked for NASA during a time of segregation, to celebrate Black History Month. After the film we reflected on the movie's many themes as well as the changes and growths of the antagonists. We looked at how the three protagonists (Dorothy, Katherine, and Mary) fought for civil rights by consistently working very hard in spite of enduring many hardships. We talked about their strong characters and the challenges of this period (1961) and how this really wasn't that long ago. Students drew or wrote reflections based on the movie and a question that they connected with.

Math:

This week we have focussed on using our understanding of Integers to solve word problems. Students have had many opportunities to practice and refine their problem solving skills. 

When solving word problems they are encouraged to include:

• know/don't know table
• drawing of scenario or number line or thermometer
• equation(s)
• solve
• sentence

Thursday we reviewed modeling integer addition and subtraction, the trick to solving integer addition and subtraction problems mentally, and key concepts in the integers unit. We played Kahoot! as a fun way to review this unit.

Students are encouraged to go to Khan Academy or IXL (10 free questions per day) for extra practice if they did not have a chance to pick up worksheets. 

There is an Integers Assessment on Monday, February 25th. This will include multiple choice questions with integer chips and number lines, modeling and subtracting integers with integer chips and number lines, and word problems.

Science:

Students were given time to complete their heat stories. Their stories were due today, Friday February 22nd, and will be accepted next week if students needed the weekend to complete them. The expectations can be viewed in the heat story attachment. 

We have been learning about the Particle Model of Matter.

Students did the balloon experiment to determine how hot water and cold water would effect a balloon on a pop bottle. They are getting really good at writing hypotheses and conclusions!!! They included scientific concepts like expansion and contraction in their explanations of what happened in this experiment.

We watched Bill Nye "Heat" to learn about the types of heat transfer:

1. Conduction
2. Convection
3. Radiation

Eureka videos are also effective sources for learning about heat transfer.

Next week we will discuss the Particle Model of Matter in greater depth and students will have the opportunity to create an "Atomic Comic" Assignment to show their understanding and creativity.

Have a great weekend!!!

Have a wonderful long weekend!!!

Announcements:

• Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, Teacher's Convention, and Family Day! 
• See you on Tuesday, February 19th. NO SCHOOL February 14-18.
• Thermal Energy Stories are due by Wednesday, February 20th.

Math:

This week students practiced adding and subtracting integers symbolically and representing this using number lines and integer tiles. Today they did an assessment with eight problems where they had to demonstrate this understanding.

Science:

Geologic Time Scale posters and presentations were very well done and have been marked. 

In the Heat and Temperature Unit students worked on acquiring vocabulary by making word wall posters (***if not finished, these are for homework) and doing a matching activity. 

Today students brainstormed the many ways humans use heat and cold. We discussed the differences between necessities and luxuries. 

Students then worked on a Thermal Energy Story where they had to figure out a scenario where they would be without heat technologies like natural gas, electricity, and fuel for their cars during a cold spell and how they (or their character(s) would survive).

The Thermal Energy Story is due Wednesday, February 20th, and students will be given time in class on Tuesday to work on this.

Have a wonderful long weekend!!!

Integers, Heat and Temp, and Card Making!

Announcements:

• Next week is a short week due to Teacher's Convention and Family day (No School Thursday, Friday and Monday - February 14, 15 and 18)
• Please return signed report card envelopes as soon as possible
• Students who have had to miss school due to the cold weather are encouraged to come at lunch or after school for extra help. Students can also email Ms. Bowen at lebowen@cbe.ab.ca with any questions

Math:

This week we continued studying Integers. We learned how to model addition and subtraction using a number line, an elevator, and integer tiles (red = positive, blue = negative). 

We also learned to represent and solve integer questions symbolically and different ways to write equations 

(e.g. 5 - 7 = -2 or 5 + (-7) = -2)

Thank you very much to our guest Jeanetta for teaching Card Making on Thursday!!!

We had a lot of fun making cards while also reviewing our understanding of fractions and improving our measurement skills.

Students made incredibly creative projects!!!

Science:

This week we explored the differences between heat and temperature. We did two experiments (Stations 1 & 2) to learn some of the heat and temperature concepts. Students practiced writing hypotheses, recording observations, and writing conclusions. 

Note: Students who missed these two experiments are encouraged to write hypotheses for Stations 1 & 2 and we can do make up experiments next week. We will continue conducting experiments (Stations 3 & 4) next week.

Some of the ideas students learned about Heat and Temperature include:

• Heat involves moving particles
• Particles are everywhere (close together in solids, a little more spread out in liquids, and spread out in gasses)
• When the temperature is below zero there is still heat
• As it gets hotter particles move faster and as it gets colder they slow down
• Temperature is a measure of the movement of particles (heat)
• Temperature is measured using a thermometer

Students made posters for the Heat and Temperature word wall and did a vocabulary matching activity. Students who missed could select a term from the vocabulary list and make an 8.5 x 11 poster with a large title, clear definition in their own words and a picture to support the definition.

Today students were also given the opportunity to evaluate their Geologic Time Scale Research Project posters and presentations. There were some excellent projects!!! Thanks for all your hard work!

Health:

We explored what it means to be healthy with a fun jeopardy game hosted by our guest instructor Kari. Students had fun acting out the physical activities and demonstrated a great deal of health knowledge.

Topics included: 

Healthy eating, Physical activity, Mental Health, Positive Relationships and more.

Thanks for a great week!!!