Sunday, January 24, 2016

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ― AndrĂ© Gide



"Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens. . .  My grandfather would say we're part of something incredibly wonderful - more marvelous than we imagine.  My grandfather would say we ought to go out and look at it once in awhile so that we don't lose our place in it."  -Robert Fulghun


"By day, space is one with the earth and with man - it is his sun that is shining, his clouds that are floating past; at night, space is his no more. When the great earth, abandoning day, rolls up the deeps of the heavens and the universe, a new door opens for the human spirit. . ."
- Henry Beston, The Outermost House, 1933



Once again, I am in awe.  I look up at the stars, and, like a child, I wonder.

How often have you gazed up at the night sky wondering if there are other planets like ours in other universes?  Wondering if anyone else is out there is not just the whimsy of children.





Mankind has been asking these questions from the time of the great  philosophers of ancient Greece.

They remained questions without answers until now.





Thanks to Nasa's Kepler spacecraft, more than 100 alien planets have been discovered.  (FYI: When you think Alien, do you think little green men? Au contraire, my friends! It simply means not from around here, or existing outside the earth and its atmosphere. So, alien planets are just planets far away.)



We are beginning to be able to answer questions people have pondered for thousands of years!  For example, On July 23, NASA's Kepler mission confirmed that it discovered another planet 500 light years away. (Want to know what a light year is? Look HERE.) It's about our size and in the "habitable zone" of another star, much like our own sun. So cool!  If you want to see pictures or read more, go HERE. . .or HERE for an amazing variety of videos and pictures that must be viewed to be appreciated.




ASSIGNMENTS FOR 
THE WEEK OF
JANUARY 25-29


SCIENCE  

Tuesday:  Use these great sites to learn all you can about our atmosphere!

Then take THIS quiz and check your answers. Play games and create new quizzes as often as necessary to learn this information for the REAL quiz coming up SOOOOON! (Know your layers!)

THIS interactive notebook activity will help you learn them, and. . . 
. . .this video will show you how to create it!




And now for a melodious method of memorizing!





Wedesday:  Use THIS fun site to learn even more. We'll do a thought-provoking "How thick is our atmosphere?" demonstration, too.
 
BHT PREP
Atmosphere Jeopardy.  Get ready!  Teams TBA

How far does Earth's atmosphere extend above its surface? Not far!
Over 90% of Earth's atmosphere is within 7 miles of its surface!

Thursday: BHT on Layers of the Atmosphere

Friday:  Discussion/Video about the Water Cycle.  Check out the. . .


SOCIAL STUDIES

Monday: Finally! Let's discuss frontalism.  This will be the last new learning before you work independently to personalize your Ancient Egypt Book. It will be turned in
no later than Friday.
Tuesday - Friday:  Use any free time to complete your Ancient Egypt Book Independent Project. Use the Ancient Egypt link to the left of this blog for more information on any topic!  Clipart pages,  Hieroglyphics,  Coloring PagesMake Your Own Cartouche   Anything else you need?



LANGUAGE ARTS


Pharaoh PowerPoint should be completed.  Use this week to finalize, peer share, edit, and revise. We'll discuss peer editing by reviewing THIS.  Use the checklist I provide. We'll present on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Go HERE for a little more information about Egyptians' portrayal of Pharaohs as divine.

presentation rubric HERE







MATH 

Look HERE for a little drill (get it?) to support your learning.  It's a site worth exploring!

Monday:  5.2  Write Percents as Fractions and Decimals. Share & Show, pgs. 276-278. Practice & Homework, pgs. 279-280. 

Essential Question:  How can you write percents as fractions and decimals?
Here's a great explanation.  Watch & Learn!


Tuesday:  5.3  Write Fractions as Decimals and Percents.  Share & Show, pgs. 283-284.  Practice & Homework, pgs. 285-286.

Essential Question:  How can you write fractions and decimals as percents?


Well. . . Here's how to turn a fraction into a decimal. . .


A little more practice. . .






Wednesday:  Jump for Joy; it's Mid-Chapter Checkpoint time!  Do it, check it, grade it, discuss it, fix it.
Be one with the frog. . .



And then:  5.4 Percent of a Quantity.  
Share & Show, pgs. 290-292.  Practice & Homework, pgs. 295-296.

Essential Question: How do you find a percent of a quantity?


Well, let's see--


More support needed?  

Friday:  5.5  Problem-Solving - Percents.  Share & Show, pgs. 297-298.  Practice & Homework. pgs. 200-300.

Essential Question:  How can you use the strategy "use a model" to help you solve a percent problem?


Problems in the real world. . .



Percents Missing Total.  Say what? 




Practice Test and Final Test for Chapter 5 (PERCENTS) on Monday & Tuesday.  After that, we'll be. . .





READING  
DON"T FORGET:  By Friday, you will need to turn in your Reading Contract for the month and complete the independent book project for your January book.  ARE YOU READY?  (Say yes. . .)


Because of Winn Dixie

Finish up.  Book should be completed
by THURSDAY.


Audio can be found HERE.



CHAPTER 3
TEST ON FRIDAY



picture of Sirius iobservatory image   layers of the atmosphere image imagae of sun, earth, ozone   How far does our atmosphere go?    focusing on words  red ribbon   scarab divider   nekhbet image  jumping frog  100% done image   guy drilling   Greek philosopher   little green man   Kepler Spacecraft   owl

Friday, January 22, 2016

“Everything, in retrospect, is obvious. . ."



 Something reeked havoc with the blog a week ago. 
It took a great deal of angst (on my part) and the dedication of a skilled tech guy to fix it.  In retrospect, although I haven't a clue what I did, I'm going to do everything I can never to do it again. . .


While we're on the subject, 
LET'S TALK ABOUT RETROSPECT. 

In retrospect, have you been getting your work done on time? Have you persevered (stayed on task)? Have you been working well (appropriately) with others? Have you been "making everything you do the best thing you've ever done" (giving your best effort)? 
YOU ARE GETTING HUNGRY, , ,
E-E-EAT YOUR CARROTS. . .




Have you been eating your vegetables?  

(Just thought I'd throw that in there.)


THE (SHORT) WEEK OF 
JANUARY 20-22
. . .IN RETROSPECT
SCIENCE

Wednesday: Are we slowing down?? 
"Forecasting the Weather" webquest from last week was not completed by many. Today we'll finish up our introduction to weather (the webquest and weather forecasting activities, including interactive notebook work) and move on.  Shall we?

Thursday:  And now. . . (ta-da!) LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE!   Complete Atmosphere packet including word search/mystery word & crossword pages. Be ready to go over.


Friday:  Finish up!

Ready for a little
friendly competitionl?
Learn more!  HERE are some terms to know. Do the fun activities.  Test each other.  These wil be party of next week's (pre-test) Jeopardy game. Just sayin'.



SOCIAL STUDIES

Wednesday-Friday:  Continue work on Ancient Egypt Fact Book.  Make it awesome!






LANGUAGE ARTS


Wednesday-Friday:  Pharaoh PowerPoints should be nearly done.  It's time to polish and add those creative touches.  Presentations next week!





MATH

                                 
Wednesday:  Chapter 4 BHT 

Thursday:  Correct & go over BHT. Complete wicked-fun coordinate plane activity.
Friday:  5.1  Model Percents. Share & Show, pgs. 271-272. Practice & Homework, pgs. 273-274.

Essential question: How can you use a model to show a percent?

First, the basics. . .





READING  

DON"T FORGET:  Next week, you will need to turn in your Reading Contract for the month and complete the independent book project for your January book.  ARE YOU READY?  (Say yes. . .)


Because of Winn Dixie

Wednesday: No class today.  
Thursday:  Read Chapters 25 & 26 (and answer questions). Be sure all questions are in complete sentences and turned in!
Friday:  Catch-up day. 


Audio can be found HERE.







CHAPTER 2
TEST ON FRIDAY






Start Doing...image  why me image   the task image   brocolli   I can't stop thinking!   omg  carrot hypnosis  dividing line gif  layers of atmosphere image  baseball boy  blue line gif  Egypt scene image   hieroglyphics    nekhbet image    eye of Horus   speed limit sign   focusing on words  red ribbon