We took a day to talk about the simple machine, a wedge. We learned that it is used to easily split things. We had some fun using a wedge to carve out pictures in bars of soap!
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Students participated in the chalk talk thinking routine in health class. They rotated around the room responding to questions like: why do you think a person teases?, what could you do if you or a classmate are being teased?, and how can you help a student to stop bullying? The activity is silent and students rotate through the posters on their own adding their ideas. On their second rotation they read others' comments and add to them or add something else that may come to mind because of the other comments. Students then got into groups and explored the major themes or interesting comments on a poster. They presented their thoughts to the class.
Students learned about the three classes of levers and how manipulating their components can lessen the effort or force needed to move an item. Above, Riley K. is demonstrating a first class lever, how a bag of books requires less effort to lift if his shoulder (the fulcrum) is closer to the load. He is also trying very hard to support the load when the fulcrum is far away from the load. It's tough! I demonstrated a third class lever with the example of a broom and a hockey stick. If you place your hand in the middle, you get a good balance of control and effort needed. Students then recalled the three types of levers in a little race, learning that the middle component of each type of lever is different.
What better way to review science concepts than with a competitive team game of Jeopardy! I feel so old when the students tell me they don't know what Jeopardy is but alas...
In discussing the Parkland region, we were introduced to the idea of making decisions about land. Settlers moving into the area often claimed and bought land as their own for farming. However, many First Nations groups already lived on the land and had their own way of using and respecting it. As well, when oil was discovered, the oil industry also bought up land to access this natural resource. Students choose whose perspective they had a connection to and went into groups. They discussed the point of view of the land 'owner' and debated with each other why and how the land was important to them.
The wheel and axle simple machine exists in model vehicles, pulley systems and gear systems. Students completed a craft that helped them visualize how a gear moves. They learned that when one gear moves, the one the moves because of it will move in the opposite direction! Then we moved on to learn about the different drive systems that exist, using the wheel and axle.
Students made their own drive system using gears and tested out how making the larger or the smaller wheel the driver affects the other wheel. For example, if the large wheel is the driver, rotating it around one full turn makes the driven wheel rotate more than two full turns!
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Home Reading
300 minutes a month (approx. 10 min. per night) Word Work (due Wed.)
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"Observe and reflect, and become a little wiser every day" |