Tangrams = Fun with Geometry

We did some work last week with tangrams, as a part of our study of geometry. Tangrams are often used to tell stories so after much discussion about the math behind the polygons, we created some characters and things from the tangrams to be used as a part of some writing this week. We posted some videos on our Twitter page but I wanted to share them here as well for easy access...

Welcome to the 2013-14 School Year!

It is such an honor to work with your child this year and I look forward to working with you to ensure his/her success. In case you couldn't join us for Parent Night recently, you can view our slide show here. This will not provide all of the same information, of course, so if you find you'd like clarification about anything or if it brings up any questions, feel free to contact me.

This...is...JEOPARDY!

We've been working to create group Jeopardy games based on the information we learned about the skeletal and muscular systems. Here they are in case you'd like to try out your knowledge of the human body!

A Group's Jeopardy Game
http://www.superteachertools.com/jeopardy/usergames/Jun201324/game1370884839.php

B Group's Jeopardy Game
http://www.superteachertools.com/jeopardy/usergames/Jun201323/game1370525895.php

Extra Credit: CONNECT! Transform the Future

Check out this game from The Center For Science, GE and National Geographic (as well as local energy companies)! It's a fun way to learn more about green energy and energy conservation while playing an interactive game. Enter GREEN2013 for a special game bonus! You can earn extra credit by playing the game and teaching the class about what you've learned from it. How you share the information is up to you!

Plan It Green, the Big Switch is an online game that allows players to design and create their own energy-efficient city of the future!

• Build new energy technologies and advance energy research;
• Rack up points based on eco-friendliness, energy production, citizen happiness, and more!
• Compete with other “mayors” for the highest city rating;
• Tackle challenging quests and earn rewards for your outstanding achievements;
• Advance through game levels by exploring and building a diverse energy portfolio;
• Check out new game play elements as fresh features are added on a regular basis. 

Plan It Green, the Big Switch is part of CONNECT! Transform the Future, a new collaboration between the Center for Science (a network of leading science centers), National Geographic, General Electric and local energy companies across the country.

The goal of CONNECT! Transform the Future is to enlighten, educate, and engage the nation’s youth in a conversation about the future of energy.

The CONNECT! Transform the Future project is a portfolio of media and outreach resources that will integrate with each science center’s unique experiences and outreach programs.  Each of the project resources are being developed by National Geographic with input from scientists, technical advisors, educators and science center partners to ensure what is produced is of the highest quality.

How to Help Africa ~ a Prezi by RL

Water in Africa ~ an Animoto by KA

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Giant Goldfish Invade Lake Tahoe!

Can you believe the size of this goldfish?! Wow.

"Giant goldfish—one of which measured nearly 1.5 feet long and weighed more than four pounds—have been found in Lake Tahoe, a large freshwater lake in the mountains along the border of California and Nevada. These goldfish are an invasive species—an animal or a plant that moves into an area and harms the native, or local, animals or plants that live there."

Check out this article from Scholastic News and learn more about how releasing pets into the wild can be harmful to an ecosystem.

Extra Credit: Celebrate National Poetry Month!

This excerpt from a Robert Frost poem, introduced to us by Kid President, has become a favorite in our classroom. April is National Poetry Month ~ it's a great time to discover this wonderful form of writing!

For extra credit this month, create some poems of your own and publish them for your classmates to read, create an Animoto based on a favorite poem, perform a poem for the class... basically, find a way to share poetry with us!

Odyssey of the Mind Competition

Two of our classmates participated in the Odyssey of the Mind, Pet Project Competition recently. "Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities  for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program." (from the company's website)

 "It was a great experience," said GF. "I loved doing the Gangnam Style dance." Want to know more about the event? Here's a video created by the instructor, Sonny Cruz.

Iditarod Prezi by CD

Here's another terrific extra credit project about the Iditarod...

Iditarod by MS

This is the first EXTRA CREDIT project for our class! Well done MS ~ I am very proud of your hard work. :)Ms. G

Extra Credit: What is the Iditarod?

We've got a room full of curious students who really enjoy using technology and writing about things that interest them so I thought it might be fun to offer a challenge for some extra credit!

The Iditarod is a very famous sporting event that takes place every year at the beginning of March. Here's a video to give you an idea of what the Iditarod is all about...



Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to research this incredible race and then share what you've learned with the class. You can create a Prezi, PowerPoint presentation or video, write a book, give a speech... or whatever you'd like! Most of the work for the project will be done at home but I am happy to help you with any resources you need. You can do the work on your own or team up with a classmate or two. There is no due date for this assignment.

http://iditarod.com/

Change of Address

I made a big change over the summer and am now living and teaching in Raleigh, North Carolina. I didn't expect the transition to a new school system to be so difficult and it's taken me some time to adjust. I'm finally gaining my bearings so I thought it was time to bring the blog back and share a little bit of what we've been doing. I considered starting a whole new blog but I have some great resources highlighted here that I didn't want to lose.

If you a new visitor, you may find the search topics in the margin helpful. I'm always looking for feedback so if you'd like to see something that's not here or you have a suggestion, share away!