"Vernal Equinox" by Marcia Hirschy
Spring has officially arrived, and already thoughts of Summer are percolating in the minds of students. It's like Spring is the harbinger of Summer rather than a season unto itself. Look outside, I say. Watch the snow bid a hasty retreat as tree buds swell and birdsong returns to the north country. Listen at twilight as the woodland air is imbued with the amorous call of Spring peepers. Observe how hillsides turn a deep burgundy just before exploding into brilliant shades of emerald green. Wait for it. . . Then there's the infamous mud season (oh, dear), and pussy willows, wispy spring grasses, baseball practice. . . Spring is a multi-sensory extravaganza!
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Speaking of Spring, look HERE to see what March 31 looked like on Mount Washington! (Notice the moon in the upper right.) I took this photograph with my iphone; not bad, huh?
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Spring also brings with it a certain energy. It's palpable, and this dynamism can be felt in the classroom, too, providing the perfect momentum for students to tap into their unique potential and explore new ways to demonstrate their learning. I really, really look forward to this final phase of our journey together.
Late work is now officially a thing of the past! (which is a euphemistic way of saying that what is not completed during the week will be accepted no later than the following Monday).
ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK
OF MARCH 30 -- APRIL 3
SCIENCE: BODY SYSTEMS
PART 1: THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
PART 1: THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
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| Gulp! |
Monday:
- Introduction to the Endocrine System (Scenario)
- Shared experiences
- Pretest
- Video
- "Glands on Strike!" & word search activities
Tuesday: (Gotta know this stuff!)
- Vocabulary (Want to practice? Click HERE!)
- Labeling: How the Body Works Activity: The Endocrine System
Wednesday: Prepare to be awesome! We're writing a song about the Endocrine System--it's a group endeavor!
Thursday: Off to the Arts Festival! Keep studying your Vocabulary and labeled Endocrine System model (Tuesday's assignment)
Friday: Complete our song (We'll include it on next week's blog!)
Monday: Part of last week's good work on Mindset ~
Tuesday: Writer's Notebooks! Let's write a monologue based on the book, My Brother Dan's Delicious. Try to convince some heinous creature (one of your own choosing) not to turn you into an adolescent shish-kebab. Remember to include a good intro, 3 life-saving justifications, and a conclusion (5 paragraphs). Oh, and throw in an alliterative phrase somewhere, OK? An enticing title will conclude your piece just fine!
Friday: OK, I've got another one for you; I challenge you to THE COMMA CHAMELEON GAME
Want to try a test that's not for the faint-of-heart? HERE it is!
Writers' Notebooks & Writing Prompt due today.
WEDNESDAY: Create a chart showing the difference between Greek and Roman gods.
Provide name and brief description for each of the 12 major gods—the
Olympians: Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter,
Dionysus, Hera, Hermes, Hephaestus, Poseidon, Zeus.
Monday: "A little more practice with conversions" worksheet (the ole' "Drill & Kill") Calculators permitted.
Tuesday: Converting Units of Weight & Mass -- pages 29-230 & 6.3
Wednesday: How are we doing? Mid-Chapter Checkpoint
Thursday: Correct and Repair
Some of us are having trouble with CONVERSIONS (how many ounces in a pound, etc.). Look HERE for conversion charts. (Click on "measurements," then "US conversions.") Make it a point to learn these! Yikes!
Friday: Complete our song (We'll include it on next week's blog!)
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| Endocrine System kicking in! |
ALWAYS more to learn. . .
- THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Lots of stuff to read or listen to HERE!
- F.Y.I.: we have different kinds of glands that serve different purposes; check out this brief explanation: What Are Glands?
Great resources: KidsHealth, The Endocrine System
LANGUAGE ARTS
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| Yea, but don't stop there. . . |
Practically speaking, you don't have it easy. English is probably the most difficult language to learn; its rules are forever being broken, and pronunciations are just plain weird lots of the time. Still, it is a language used by people all over the world, particularly in business, so knowing how to speak it, write it, and read it well is huge!
As a writer you must always remember that readers have to interpret everything you write! They can't see your facial expressions or hear your voice inflections; they rely on you to structure your sentences in a way that can convey the scene, action, or emotion. The cool thing is that words can be shuffled around in all kinds of ways to help your reader understand what you're trying to say. Just remember, punctuation is key to understanding sentence structure; without it, text is nonsense.
Monday: Part of last week's good work on Mindset ~
Writing
Prompt: Think about a time you were
successful at something, and then think back to how you got that way. Did you suddenly wake as a brilliant skier?
An amazing artist? A super reader? What did the journey look like from not
knowing to being successful?
Tuesday: Writer's Notebooks! Let's write a monologue based on the book, My Brother Dan's Delicious. Try to convince some heinous creature (one of your own choosing) not to turn you into an adolescent shish-kebab. Remember to include a good intro, 3 life-saving justifications, and a conclusion (5 paragraphs). Oh, and throw in an alliterative phrase somewhere, OK? An enticing title will conclude your piece just fine!
Wednesday: Punctuation -- The Comma: MASTERING THE ART OF THE PAUSE
Fix the Comma Error worksheet HERE
Fix the Comma Error worksheet HERE
Friday: OK, I've got another one for you; I challenge you to THE COMMA CHAMELEON GAME
Want to try a test that's not for the faint-of-heart? HERE it is!
Writers' Notebooks & Writing Prompt due today.
SOCIAL STUDIES
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME:
COMPARISONS & CONTRIBUTIONS
- List of Greek/Roman names for 12 Olympians
- Chart that includes 12 Olympians as well as others
- Brief description of Greek and Roman gods Click on links for each.
- Want to use an interactive site? HERE you go!
FRIDAY: Choose a god or goddess from the list you created and write
a short (typed) description. Then design
a shield (four inches in diameter) with a symbol that exemplifies that god or
goddess.
- Click on your god or goddess of choice HERE to read about their characteristics.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ANCIENT GREEK GODS, GODDESSES, AND MAGICAL BEINGS? LOOK HERE!
Chapter 15
Test on Friday
MATH
Monday: "A little more practice with conversions" worksheet (the ole' "Drill & Kill") Calculators permitted.
Tuesday: Converting Units of Weight & Mass -- pages 29-230 & 6.3
Wednesday: How are we doing? Mid-Chapter Checkpoint
Thursday: Correct and Repair
Some of us are having trouble with CONVERSIONS (how many ounces in a pound, etc.). Look HERE for conversion charts. (Click on "measurements," then "US conversions.") Make it a point to learn these! Yikes!
READING
March's book report is due. We will create the template for the book report on Tuesday, then you'll have the rest of the week to finish. We'll use THIS template. Look at borders and page numbers and include them on your own project, then (Numbers indicate sides--follow directions!):
2. Author's Name
3. Characters
4. Picture of Main Character (put name beneath picture.)
5. Setting
6. Favorite quote from the book. (Put it toward the top so that the flap covers it.)
7. Recommendation -- why you liked the book. (Be specific!)
8. CENTER SQUARE:Illustration of favorite scene from the book. Be sure to include a caption!
9. Top flap: Title of the book, written neatly.
Use borders and illustrations. Print NEATLY.
Due Friday!
Now on to. . .
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| . . .which is. . . |
Wednesday: Create planning sheet for April book. Begin using it DAILY.
Thursday & Friday: In-school reading related to Science and Social Studies.
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| Long feathers of rime on the Mt. Washington Summit sign |
This was sent to me; it sounds cool!
Virtual Field Trips to the Mount Washington Observatory just got easier!
This school year Meteorologists at the Mount Washington Observatory have been connecting with students and teachers throughout the country and the world (as far as Australia!) through a cloud-based program called ZOOM. It’s extremely easy to use. All you need to do is sign up for a program and we send you a link via email to join our virtual field trip. Then you click on the link and your connected!
Don’t let this school year slip away without bringing your students to one of the most extreme locations on earth! Although, we have a menu of programs we’re eager to work with you and design a program specifically for your students.
For more information about our programs visit us online. You can go to www.MountWashington.org followed by Educational Programs. Then click on Distance Learning. You may also contact Outreach Coordinator Will Broussard at outreach@mountwashington.org or (603) 356-2137 ext. 211.
Vernal equinox Important announcement image Look of surprise image The highest standards image Endocrine man Musical notes Scared cartoon guy Writing poster image Early spring landscape Egyptian Cartoon Feeling Successful Image My Brother Dan's Delicious Let's Eat Grandma Hunters Please Use Caution Zeus & Hera Hydra Conversions posgter Math Homework Confused math person THE NEXT DAY calculator Mt. Washington summit
