Monday, March 11

 Hi parents,

We had a great day today.

In the morning, we did not do weekend journal writing, and instead began working on our big simple machines wrap-up project. Here's how it goes:

Students are working in small groups to research one of the following topics: pulleys, levers, wheels, gears, wedges, inclined planes, screws, and traditional indigenous tools. They're going to write a short, concise paragraph about their topic, and type it up. Then, they're going to create Davinici-esque sketches to illustrate their topic. We'll put that work up on display outside the classroom. Finally, using K-Nex or other materials, they're going to create a working model of their simple machine. All of this will be on display for Student-Led conferences outside the classroom. Hopefully it turns out as well as I'm envisioning it.

Our book study project is off to an excellent start. We did about 20 more minutes of reading today, and the kids are making great progress on their books. The plan is to keep reading until spring break, and then anyone who isn't finished their book by then can take it home and finish it over the break.

In math, we learned about arrays, which can be used to solve and represent multiplication problems.

Finally, we ended our day by introducing the "Spelling Crossword Challenge", which is a more difficult, but fun, way to practice spelling, by creating a crossword puzzle that uses all of your spelling words and creating clues for each word.

Have a nice night,

Zac