Paper Glider Challenge

Students learned about new technologies and inventions during the Westward Expansion time period which ties to our overarching concepts of transitions. In 1852, Mechanics' Magazine had an article about Sir George Cayley's glider which led to a discussion about him and his flying machines.

Sir George Cayley, 6th Baronet was an English engineer and is possibly one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Many consider him to be the first scientific aerial investigator to understand the underlying principles and forces of flight. 

The intermediate classes were given a challenge to construct a paper glider that was capable of carrying a toy soldier that flew the farthest without the toy soldier falling out. The glider should have a set of wings and a tail.

Materials:

-- Computer Paper or Construction Paper

--Glue, Tape, and/or Staples

--Scissors (if needed)

--Toy Soldier (black wooden domino)

There were many different designs!

Testing how well the paper gliders flew

The intermediate classes with their paper gliders!

Westward Expansion Timeline

This year we have created timelines in many formats. Recently the intermediate classes worked together to determine the order of events during Westward Expansion to create a timeline. Students used their knowledge of the order of dates to help them determine where each event fit into the timeline.

Students become more actively engaged in learning the sequence of events when they are constructing the timeline with others. 

Our classes decided it was best to line up in order to put the timeline on display!

Presentation Practice

An important skill we practice in our classroom is public speaking. We have formal and informal presentations where students are learning the basic skills to public speaking, while also understanding how to be a great audience member.  

With informal presentations, students are expected to summarize a topic and give a 1-3 minute talk about what they have learned. Students are encouraged to take notes and memorize the information so they are not looking at their notes while speaking.

 Some of the key skills we focus on are:

- Clarity of voice

- Voice projection

- Avoiding filler words

- Presentation posture 

There is a lot of value in polishing public speaking skills. Long term, comfort in this area could serve students well in higher grades, community work, social situations, and even future job interviews. 

It's also a great time for us to review our listening skills. We talk a lot about the value of being a focused listener and how to respectfully show your attention during presentations. 

The Atoms Family

The Atoms Family

"In the center of Matterville, there is a place called the Nucleus Arcade, where two members of the Atoms Family like to hang out, Perky Patty Proton and Nerdy Nelda Neutron. Around the Nucleus Arcade, you will find a series of roadways that are used by another member of the Atoms Family, Enraged Elliott Electron."

Atoms are the basic building blocks of all matter and the defining structure of elements. Atoms are made up of three particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons can be found in the nucleus of an atom. Electrons surround the nucleus in pathways called orbitals.

Students learned about Matterville and the structure of atoms in order to create an atom of an element on the periodic table.

Students learned about element structure using this diagram.

In order to create the atom, students had to calculate how many protons, neutrons, and electrons their element has. Protons and electrons are equal to the atomic number. To find neutrons, you have to subtract the atomic mass from the atomic number. 

 

Final Products!



Atoms Family Song
(to the tune of The Addam's Family theme song)

World Card Making Day

The first Saturday in October is World Card Making Day. The best way to acknowledge this fun day is to learn how to make cards. 

The grandmother of one of our students loves to make cards and teaches adults how to make them. She took on the challenge to teach card making to third graders. It went very well and students learned how to make an owl card for fall. 

The process of card making develops these skills:

~following directions

~listening

~fine motor skills like cutting and gluing

~tearing paper

~writing

The act of sending greeting cards can be dated back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged cards to celebrate and send messages of good will for the New Year. 

American Revolution Simulation Day

American Revolution Simulation Day

Our class simulated what it would be like to live in 1775. We were Great Britain, and the students from the class next door were the colonists. 

Simulations are important for student learning because students experience the reality of the scenario and gather meaning from it. 

Students created a class fort with individual forts on the inside using paper and tape.

Students learned about the clothing during the time period and created their own fashion.

One of the activities was calculating the cost of the fort based on the supply costs during the time period. Students also calculated the cost of food for the class to live for 30 days. 

Throughout the day there would be Breaking News! This was where the teachers introduced important events about the Revolutionary War. During this particular breaking news, the Stamp Act was passed and the colonists were taxed 22 cents for every piece of paper, so the colonists had to calculate that cost.

At the end of the day, Great Britain and the colonists competed in a "battle" to see who won. We competed in a hopping ball race, relay race, and a bean bag toss.

The colonists won!

Seeing the excitement and understanding of the day from each student was so rewarding!

Washed Ashore at Point Defiance Zoo

The Washed Ashore Exhibit at Point Defiance Zoo does not disappoint! Students saw large scale sculptures of plastic beach trash designed to encourage people to see the pollution problem that we have in our oceans. 

Angela Haseltine Pozzi is the artist and educator behind these amazing sculptures about marine pollution. Washed Ashore art is being created to "save the sea".

Students were amazed to see all of the different items that are found on our beaches such as cell phones, buckets, shoes, plastic bottles, and many more. 

One of our goals this year is plastic reduction. The intent of this goal is to draw attention to the impact of industry, society, and commerce on the environment. We are trying to look at these impacts through an unbiased lens. We want to understand things like: what is really happening, where the impact occurs, how this impact affects the various aspects of our lives.

We are well on our way to reducing our plastic by bringing our lunches in reusable containers. At the zoo, 82% of our lunches were reusable!

Students also enjoyed visiting their favorite animals at the zoo! 

How do you tell if a shark is male or female?

How do they make that noise?

Look at the oil on their skin! The water is beading up.

Check out more about the Washed Ashore exhibit here:

Washed Ashore at Point Defiance Zoo: https://www.pdza.org/washed-ashore  

Washed Ashore website: http://washedashore.org/