Students did an excellent job with presentations! I has been such a joy to watch the growth they have made in collecting and resenting relevant information. They conducted a similar project in November on soil, and this set of presentations was better. I love these opportunities where student growth is clear.
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In math, we have recently completed our unit on decimals, have worked through geometry, and are moving towards learning about data. The class is now working on a math project in which students analyze and graph world-wide data and statistics from 2011 through the lens of a book called "If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World's People" written by David J. Smith. In this book, the statistics are scaled down to percentages, so that readers can imagine what the world would look like if there were only 100 people. Students converted this information into fractions and decimals and graphed it in a variety of ways. Then, students received estimated data from 2017 and organized it in the same way to engage in inquiry and to start drawing conclusions about similarities and differences and the possible causes. These topics were extremely relevant to our IB Unit - Sharing the Planet. Students got to see data regarding clean water, access to electricity, and world-wide uses of energy types. Students are getting involved in research projects! Some students are researching a specific country. The focus is on the resources that the country has, and focuses on its biggest export. Other students are researching a specific resource and informing the class all about its uses and distribution. Both project options are presenting on one of our inquiry questions, which is on how resources create and reduce conflict in the world.
I am deeply humbled by the kind words and gifts from students, parents, and colleagues this week. Thank you for extending a kind hand in my direction and for all of your encouragement. I also appreciate those of you who have said a quick word or sent a quick text/email of encouragement. I'm very thankful that I get the opportunity to work with all of you. Students did a lot of reading about the sun, solar energy, and how solar panels work. Then, we replicated past experiments using solar panels to asses their effectiveness and to learn about it as a resource. The class government has already done so much for the classroom. The President's Cabinet, Supreme Court, House and Senate all worked together for the following changes. They added an additional block of writing to small groups instead of a computer program, they asked for additional ST Math time, led the way to more talking circles, organized our paws, and completely reorganized the backpack system to make it less cluttered and more efficient. They also found classroom labels in both English and Spanish for items around the room,made copies, and created sets for teachers all around the school.
A new presidency is beginning with President Emely Guardado and Vice President Greer Kane. The following photo shows the 3 partnerships that made it to the presidential primaries. |
AuthorMrs. Heinlein is excited to document what happens in this great year of learning! Archives
September 2019
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