Bridges Internet Research Project

This week we are exploring forces along with practicing our internet research skills.

Intro Activity: Internet Scavenger Hunt

Students began with an introductory internet scavenger hunt followed by a presentation about Bridges.

They then researched a cool bridge of their choice and answered questions about their bridge on a

Google Doc

Ms. Baillargeon helped support this class and to offer further insights about how to assess web information and make citations correctly. 

Helpful Websites to get you started on your Bridge Research:

Basic Bridge Types: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/build-bridge-p3.html

Explain That Stuff! Bridges: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/bridges.html

Ten Cool Bridges: http://mentalfloss.com/article/30465/10-cool-bridges-around-world

Bay bridge information http://baybridgeinfo.org/#content

Online Bridge Building Simulation:

https://www.learn4good.com/kids-games/simulation/build_bridge_across_canyon2.htm

This libguide is designed to help guide high school students when researching and building bridge structures:

http://uwsslec.libguides.com/content.php?pid=190501&sid=1718522

Building Bridges instructions: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/bridges.cfm

Building Big Labs and Data Analysis and Circle Graphs

Announcements:

• Enjoy your Victoria Day long weekend! (no school Friday, May 17th or Monday May 20th)
• Track and Field Meet Tuesday, May 21st - Good luck to all participants!
• Students who missed work this week can find links to assignments and labs below
• Ms. Bowen can be reached by email at lebowen@cbe.ab.ca if students have questions about missed work

Math:

Today we continued surveying the class in order to practice creating circle graphs. Each student put a tally in the appropriate month of their birthday and then they converted fractions to decimals to degrees of a circle and used protractors to draw circle graphs. They also converted the decimals to percents in order to label the circle graph sectors.

Students who missed this lesson can imagine the class data using this table: 
The next table will help them convert their numbers from fractions, to percents, to degrees.

This circle template is what most students used to draw their circle graphs. This can also be done using a compass or a circular object if you do not have a printer. A protractor is a necessity for drawing the graph. Don't go out and buy one. Complete the table and we will practice again on Tuesday.

This week students have also had quite a lot of practice calculating the measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode). Khan Academy is a great site to visit to learn what these terms mean and how to calculate them. We looked at how outliers (a number that lies an abnormal distance from the other data/numbers) effect the mean, median and mode and did practice questions. Again Khan Academy has some good videos to show the impact of outliers.

Students who missed the Data Analysis assessment or need extra time will be given time on Tuesday.

I have attached a good practice worksheet that will help students remember vocabulary, calculate mean, median, mode and range, and reflect on what the data represents and how outliers impact data.

Science:

This week students did a self-directed exploration of many Structures and Forces Concepts in the Building Big Labs. 

Students who missed this opportunity (and have a home computer) can access the website and fill in the spreadsheet as they go through the activities. Most students seem to really enjoy this self-directed exploration of Forces, Loads, Shapes, and Materials.

Students also learned about the difference between Mass and Weight and did a worksheet to apply their understanding.

Mass and Force Worksheet

Initial Marshmallow with grid lines

Today students continued exploring their understanding of forces with the Marshmallow Lab. If many students are away and have a felt pen and a marshmallow at home, you may be able to give this a try on your own. Here is the lab sheet that accompanies the lab. 

Below are photos of applying the different forces to the marshmallow. Students draw the change in the marshmallow when undergoing each force.

1. Compression (squeezing)

2. Tension (pulling)

3. Torsion (twisting)

4. Shear - Attempting to push one half past the other in opposite directions (not a great photo)

Critical Consumers of Digital Content

Announcements:

• Congratulations to those students who participated in Badminton Divisionals!!!
• Jersey Day on Thursday, May 9th, 2019
• Remember to be mindful of the PATs being written in the GR. 6 & 9 hallways
• There is Choral Practice Friday for the spring concert on May 16th

Math:

We are learning to interpret and draw circle graphs. Through this process we are also reviewing how to convert fractions to percents and how to convert percents to degrees for drawing our circles. 

Today we drew graphs about favorite sports and favorite cup cakes. Students practiced drawing circle graphs using protractors.

We also learned about measures of central tendency including mean (average - add numbers together and divide by the number of numbers), median (put the numbers in order from least to greatest and find the middle number) and mode (the number that occurs most in the data set). Students practiced determining mean, median and mode for a variety of sets of numbers.

Khan Academy is a good place for extra practice. 

Science:

Yesterday we continued exploring how to be effective consumers of online information with Ms. Baillargeon.

Some of the Online Research Skills we acquired:

• Tips and Considerations for Online Research
• Analyzing Websites (fake vs. real)

Google a Day is a fun way for students to practice their researching skills.

How do we evaluate websites and online sources?

• who can edit?
• who wrote the website? (reputable source?)
• compare several sources to find similar information (check multiple sources)
• security (not secure? may be suspect?)
• a lot of banner adds (trying to sell things rather than educate)

Students visited six websites and determined whether they were true or fake sources of information.

1. https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/z6btng8
2. http://www.thedogisland.com/
3. https://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
4. https://www.britannica.com/place/Moon
5. https://www.allaboutexplorers.com/
6. http://www.dhmo.org/
   The poster below gives some hints of how to effectively evaluate websites.

Critical Thinking and Evaluating Online Sources

Announcements:

• Ramadan Mubarak to all participating students
• Tomorrow is grade 7 Badminton Divisionals - Good luck to all those participating!
• The Sustainability Challenge runs from today until May 31st. Students are encouraged to pick a behavior change that will challenge them but will also be something they can achieve. 

Science:

Today Ms. Baillargeon was a guest in our class teaching about Online Research. This will be an ongoing series of classes to help students improve their research skills as well as their ability to put information into their own words and cite sources properly.

For those who missed class or anyone who wants to revisit Ms. Baillargeon's suggestions, visit her presentation.

"Google a Day" was a particularly fun challenge! The three questions Google asks each day are complex, so this is a good way to breakdown key ideas / concepts and use search terms and key words effectively.

We also practiced note taking from relevant sources.

Math: 

We started a new unit today: Data Analysis

We began by collecting data about what students are willing to do for their Sustainability Challenge to reduce waste, energy consumption, etc.

We then combined their pledges into categories including no plastic/paper, decreased use of technology, decreased food waste, decreased use of water, and decreased use of motorized vehicles. We created a tally chart with this class data and then drew a circle graph to show the fractions / percentages of the class that chose each category in the Sustainability Challenge.

Journey 2050, Sustainability Challenge, Matching Graphs to Equations

Announcements:

• Sustainability Challenge starts Monday and runs until May 31st. Pick your pledge (what you're willing to do to make a difference / decrease energy consumption and make less waste) by tomorrow!!!

Math:

We have been working on connecting concepts in the Linear Relations (patterns and equations) unit. Students have finished the unit assessment and this week has been about doing scavenger hunts and matching activities to ensure a deeper understanding.

An equation, table and graph are all representations of the same thing.

Science:

It's been a great week that started with a trip to the Stampede Grounds for the Journey 2050 Field Trip. Students seemed to really enjoy the style of teaching used in this program! Two similar games can be downloaded from the App Store for free (journey 2050 and farmers 2050).

Since the trip we have had several discussions about what we learned and how to make the world more sustainable. How do we make things last over time and what is the interconnection between the economy, the environment and social needs? We have decided to come up with one thing we are willing to do to reduce our energy consumption or waste. Students are making a pledge tomorrow and we are trying to follow through on this challenge from Monday until May 31st. Everyone who participates in this challenge will be entered in a draw.

Maybe this song may inspire kids will help motivate us try this challenge to reduce our garbage creation and energy usage.

We also did our second building challenge this week. The challenge involved making the strongest structure using nothing but spaghetti and mini marshmallows. Students came up with very creative designs, that were also very sturdy. Well Done!!!

Announcements:

• Field Trip (Journey 2050) on Monday, April 29th ****Make sure to return your permission forms!!!
• Math Assessment Tomorrow (Part 1 - Solving Equations)
• Math Assessment Thursday (Part 2 - Linear Patterns / Tables, Graphs ...)

Science:

Students who missed today's class would benefit from watching the 9 11 The Fall of the World Trade Centre Video. 

 This is a very sad time in human history. The reason we are watching this video is that the detailed description of what structural design elements may have contributed to the structural failure of the buildings. Students are encouraged to take jot notes about what may have contributed to the fall of the world trade centre buildings. Tomorrow they will write about three of these elements in detail. 

Solving Equations and Building Challenges

Math:

This past week students have learned to solve and model 1- and 2-step equations. This coming week they will continue practicing these skills as well as solving related word problems.

Unit Assessment this week:
Part 1 Wednesday (solving and modeling 1- & 2-step linear equations)

Part 2 Friday after reviewing chapter 10 (linear patterns) including interpreting patterns and generating tables, equations and graphs.

We also had a special guest in to teach measurement through card making last week. Students made cards that infinitely rotated and flipped. They were a lot of fun and helped develop practical math skills.



Question of the week: 

Which of the following graphs represents a linear relation?
How do you know?

Science:

We began the Structures and Forces Unit last week. Each student was assigned a vocabulary word to research and will create a poster for the word wall. We learned about the types of structures (solid, frame, shell, and combination) and students classified structures and justified why they categorized each structure this way.

We also did our first building challenge. These will be regular occurrences in this unit, as they teach many design principles. See the attached slide show about Tall Towers and the Newspaper Challenge.

Students built some excellent towers with good consideration of the base of support needed for a tower to stand tall. As we progress we will learn how to reinforce structures so that can withstand many forces and large loads.

Students had the opportunity to self-evaluate their projects as well as assessing peer projects. This is the rubric they are learning to use effectively. Again they are being encouraged to justify their thinking (in this case why did you give yourself or your peer that mark?).