NEXUS: May 2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

All gave some; some gave all. . .

Memorial Day

by CW Johnson

We walked among the crosses Where our fallen soldiers lay.

And listened to the bugle As TAPS began to play.

The Chaplain led a prayer We stood with heads bowed low.

And I thought of fallen comrades I had known so long ago.

They came from every city Across this fertile land.

That we might live in freedom. They lie here 'neath the sand.

I felt a little guilty My sacrifice was small.

I only lost a little time But these men lost their all.

Now the services are over For this Memorial Day.

To the names upon these crosses I just want to say,

Thanks for what you've given No one could ask for more.

May you rest with God in heaven From now through evermore.

"JUST A COMMON SOLDIER"
Please Watch. . .

"IF YOU'RE READING THIS. . ."
~Tim McGraw

We laugh, we cry, we remember. . .

CLASS TRIP, 2015

Dear families--

This year’s class trip for May 27-29 is all planned , and it’s bound to be a blast! Here’s what your child can expect:

Day 1: Wednesday, May 27

We’re going to start by visiting the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, New Hampshire for some curriculum-related, bring-Science-to-life kind of stuff including hands-on exhibits and a phenomenal Planetarium show.

More about the Challenger disaster HERE.

Then, onto Portsmouth, New Hampshire where we’ll get settled in at the Holiday Inn--our home away from home for two days .Check it out!

We’ll have to see how much exploring we can do with our chaperones before dinner and pool time. Lights out will be at 7:30. Just kidding.

Day 2: Thursday, May 28

After a restful night’s sleep, we’ll enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast before our next stop at Strawberry Banke Museum, located in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This is a 10-acre authentic neighborhood and outdoor museum dedicated to the town’s rich historical past. Unlike Williamsburg, VA or Sturbridge Village, MA, Strawberry Banke’s original buildings have been preserved, not recreated. It’s a place to have fun learning about colonial architecture, traditional crafts, and the tools, clothing and collections families used for everyday life in this waterfront neighborhood. There’s always something new to see and do!

We’ll probably want to stay there all day learning stuff, but no, there’s more on the agenda, and with low tide around 2:30 PM, we might venture over to Wallis Sands State Beach for a little romp on the shores of the mighty Atlantic Ocean.

We’re looking at Miniature Golf at the Sagamore Golf Center for later in the afternoon.

That, of course, will be followed by our return to the Holiday Inn and its amenities (a.k.a. food and the pool) before bedtime. If we play our cards right, everyone should be pretty tuckered out with all that fresh air, sunshine (hopefully), and bountiful exercise..

Day 3: Friday, May 29

We’ll enjoy another continental breakfast courtesy of the Holiday Inn. Then we’ll pack up and, depending on the time, get in one more swim or stroll on the beach before heading for the west coast of New England. The idea is to be back in time for busses, though you’ll probably need to collect your very pooped child and accompanying luggage.

THEN ON TO THE

NEXT GREAT THING:

STEP-UP

JUNE 8, 2015

6:00 PM

Monday, May 18, 2015

“Time does not pass, it continues” ― Marty Rubin

From excellent article "Space & Time"

Hey guys-- The year's winding down--can you believe it? Where has the time gone? In fact. . .

What is time anyway?

According to "Space & Time," one in a series of really interesting articles located HERE, time can refer to how fast something is moving (its speed), or how long it lasts (its duration).

Speed:

Did you know that light travels at a speed of 186,282 miles each second -- or roughly 6 trillion (with a "t") miles in a year? Its speed never changes, either. Things, whatever they may be, travel at different speeds depending on their size, their mass, and the forces acting on them. (Super powers also might have something to do with it.)

Check this out!

Duration:
Time also refers to how long things last. A breath, a heartbeat, (a cookie,) a Math test, a soccer game, a season... A lifetime can last more than 100 years, and a galaxy can be billions of years old. Hmmm. . . That brings me to an interesting observation. Do you ever feel like time seems to drag on and on and on? Like when you're sick, or while you're waiting for Christmas?

(You never feel like that when you're in class, right?)

Sometimes other things seem to drag on and on, too!

Check THIS out! (Hit "Play.")

When you're doing something that you really enjoy, though, time seems to fly by, right? Why is that?

ISN'T IT INTERESTING?. . .

You guys can't wait to grow up, and your grandparents are wondering where the time has gone. It's all just a matter of perspective.

Remember--
Time has only one direction--forward. That's it. There's no turning back to change, redo, or undo something that's already happened. No sireee. (You've heard the expression, "What's done is done. . ." ) Bummer.

Unfortunately you're not like these guys. . .

Mr. Peabody & Sherman with their
wonderful WayBack Machine

You can't un-bake a cake or un-break a dish. When you do or say something that you wish you could take back, you're out of luck there, too. When it comes to time, you can't backtrack.

That is, unless you're Superman.

Want to see something cool?

Pretend you're Superman flying at your usual warp speed and you decide to amp it up even more to blast back in time. Position your outstretched fist (Superman-style) at the center of this image. . .

Blam! You appear to speed up!

(Hey, come back here! The year's not over yet!)

ASSIGNMENTS FOR

THE WEEK OF

18th -- 22nd

SOCIAL STUDIES

Comparisons

Monday & Tuesday:

PART 1: Entertainment

The Greek Amphitheater (Information HERE, HERE, and HERE. THE GREATEST THEATER video & theater design video
vs:
The Roman Colosseum

(Information HERE, HERE, and HERE)
History of the Roman Colosseum video & The Colosseum's Elevator video
OMG--Read this:
You Wouldn't Want to be a Roman Gladiator!

Wednesday & Thursday: PART 2: GREEK & ROMAN BATHS

GREEK BATHS
Information can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE.
I have a handout, too. that I will share.
Ancient Greek Health Spa video
Archimedes, considered to be the greatest mathematicians of all time, discovered the principal of displacement while visiting a Greek bath. ("Eureka" translates to "I've got it!" NOT "I dropped my rubber ducky.")

vs:

ROMAN BATHS

Complete Roman Bath Interactive and accompanying worksheet. More information HERE
and HERE. Also, check out Roman Bathing -- and Roman Bath Culture video

FRIDAY: PART 3: ROMAN ROADS

ROMAN ROADS information can be found HERE, HERE , and HERE

Facts About Roman Roads

Roman Roads video

Music and Creativity in Ancient Greece

- Tim Hansen

A Glimpse of Teenage Life in Ancient Rome
- Ray Laurence

For Fun!

“Fling the Teacher” — Interactive Game
(Don't get any ideas. . .)

SCIENCE

Monday:Complete Seasons Mini-books from last Friday (due this Friday).
Tuesday: "The Moon" -- Complete Inquiry Lab/Write Lab Report
Wednesday: "The Moon" PPT & Notetaking activity
Thursday: "The Moon" Activity

Friday: All work due.

Moon phase calculator HERE
Another cool moon phase calculator HERE
Moon phases calendar HERE
Moonlight Madness HERE
Phases of the Moon Interactive HERE

Moon Song--let's boogie!

LANGUAGE ARTS

Monday: Lab Report discussion/review of information. First draft will be completed during this class and Science class this afternoon.

Tuesday: Review of First Drafts: Edit and Revise

Wednesday: Turn in. Review final notes of Response to Literature and type final draft.

Thursday: Turn in final draft. Whew! "Cleaning house" week!

Friday: SRI testing (Gotta do it!)

MATH

Monday:Correct and Repair Chapter 7 tests Begin Chapter 8 with "Show What You Know," pages 291-292
Tuesday: RETEST
Wednesday: Correct tests. Begin Chapter 8. Complete 8.1 (see video)
Thursday: End-of-Year Assessment
Friday: Finish testing/grade

SOLUTIONS TO EQUATIONS

Songs for Our Step-Up Celebration

"COUNT ON ME,"
by Bruno Mars

"ON TOP OF THE WORLD,"

by Imagine Dragons

"LIFE IS A HIGHWAY,"
By Rascal Flatts

P.S.: Just For Fun!

Great resource: http://safeshare.tv/
Flash vintage animated gif Math illustration Mr. Peabody image Linus dancing animated gif Superman image response to literature image
old people dancing animated gif Four seasons image
animated soccer player Roman baths investigator image
Roman soldier animated gif Eureka image moon image Spaceship border

Sunday, May 10, 2015

"Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know." ~Pema Chodron

. . . What do we need to know?

Don't you hate it when you don't "get" something? As it turns out, your search for understanding is a distinctly human characteristic--something we all have in common. We all want to know what's going on around us; it's how we've managed to survive, to adapt to our surroundings. That need to know is driven by our innate curiosity, which, by the way, leads to learning -- and it all takes place in our wonderful, ever developing brains.

Check out Learning and Intelligence

ANNOUNCEMENT

I have something to tell you that you may not want to hear. You do not know everything. You still have a lot to learn. . . In fact, you will always have a lot to learn. Are you listening? Good grief.

Here's a little food for thought--

Curiosity. It stimulates the imagination and the dendrites. Those important brain connections are made whenever we learn something new. We learn by imitation, experimentation, observation, examination. We satisfy our curiosity by asking questions. (Some questions are easy, others. . . not so much i.e.: What is the meaning of life? Geesh.) We read books, take courses, visit museums and national parks, walk in the woods, fish, build stuff. . . Together we puzzle through what we don't understand. Exploring, discovering, playing. Curiosity defines learning. Check out Curiosity & Learning

HERE'S ONE MORE THING TO THINK ABOUT

ASSIGNMENTS

FOR THE WEEK OF

11-15

SCIENCE

Lesson 4:

The Seasons

Monday/Tuesday: Powerpoint presentation and Notetaking actvity. We'll discuss/clarify any Open Response questions prior to your independent work time.

The Seasons Interactive can be found HERE Set the inclination angle of the earth to 23 degrees (earth's axis is actually tilted 23.5 degrees). Notice how the angle of the sun's rays influence temperature.

The Seasons and Ecliptic Simulator you'll be looking at is located HERE.

Find our town's Latitude and Longitude HERE and mouse over the map below them to find our school's exact coordinates. Turn them in for 5 bonus points.

Latitude: ____________________

Longitude: _________________

(For fun, check out the coordinates for the places we're going on our class trip! -- or your grandparents' house -- or the great pyramid at Giza. . .)

Wednesday - Thursday:

Complete the Inquiry Lab found HERE. You will then write a Lab Report on your findings. Look HERE for basic guidelines for setting it up.

You're going to be responding to a number of OPEN RESPONSE QUESTIONS. Look HERE for a quick refresher on how to write a them correctly and completely.

Independent Assignment: Watch Bill Nye Video about the seasons. Complete Comprehension/Analysis Quiz provided to you

A copy can be found in your drive in case you lose yours.

Friday: "Reasons for the Seasons"

minibook.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

Take two pieces of white art paper and fold them together the hamburger way.
Staple them together on the fold. (There's a good stapler in the copy room.)
IMPORTANT: Position your booklet with the fold at the top and the 4 loose ends on the bottom. Your booklet will open by lifting up a page.
Write the words REASONS FOR THE SEASONS neatly in the center of the paper. This will be the cover of your project. Use borders, color, illustrations as you wish to make the cover attractive.
Open your booklet.
Write the words Part 1: Misconceptions About the Seasons on the top of the page that is above the staples. Neatly write (or type and attach with glue stick) the required information.
Write the words Part 2, Tilt of the Earth on the page that is below the staples and Part 1. Illustrate. Be neat; use color. Label completely and neatly.
Flip up to the next two blank pages. On the top of the page above the staples write Part 3: How the Angle of Sunlight Affects the Earth, then write (or type) your completed questions & answers.
On the page below the staple write Part 4: Reasons for the Seasons. Write or paste your completed paragraph here. Remember to edit and revise!
On the back, write your name and the date.

SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS FOR EACH PAGE

Part 1:
(Flip up first page of booklet. This goes above staple.)

A misconception is an incorrect idea about something. Read about common misconceptions of why we have seasons:

Make a list of some common misconceptions about the reasons for the seasons. (at least four). They should be written (or typed--to be attached to the booklet with glue stick only) in complete, well-constructed sentences. Title this page: Misconceptions About the Seasons

Part 2:
(This goes below the staple and Part 1.)

Draw a picture of the Earth, showing its tilt at each season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn. Title this page: Tilt of the Earth and label the seasons and dates (You can use the websites from Part 4 below or others on our blog.)

Part 3:
(Flip up second page of booklet. This goes above staple.)

Write the following questions and answer them in complete sentences. You can use information from below or from our blog to help you. Title this page: How the Angle of Sunlight Affects the Earth

How does the angle of the sunlight that hits the Earth affect the seasons?
How does the angle of the sunlight that hits the Earth affect day and night?

Part 4:
(This goes below the staple and Part 3.)

Check out the websites below:

Write a well-constructed paragraph explaining the reasons for the seasons, making sure to incorporate information from at least two websites into your paragraph. (Indicate which two websites you used at the end of the paragraph.)

Title it Reasons for the Seasons.

(Minibook project modified from Reasons for the Seasons Webquest)

"Seasons" games can be found HERE!

FOR MONDAY (Ran out of time again!):

Activity 5: The Moon Powerpoint and notetaking activity

The Moon

Why do dogs howl at the moon?

For centuries, people have blamed odd behavior (dogs howling, cats yowling, people being, you know, weirder) on the full moon. You have to admit, it's the kind of sound of which legends are made. So, why do dogs howl at the moon? Could it be that dogs are channeling their inner wolf?

Dogs originate from wolves, so yea. . . but that's not it. You see, wolves don't bark at the moon, either. They might howl to keep track of their pack's movements or to alert other packs nearby of their presence. That's it.

Reasons Dogs "Howl at the Full Moon"

There's greater visibility during a full moon, which makes it easier to see. Brighter light may be disturbing and/or confusing to dogs.

Dogs have a keen sense of hearing and sounds carry better in night-time's cleaner atmosphere. Nocturnal critters are, in all likelihood, getting their attention.

Dogs are territorial creatures and may be reminding other dogs to stay away.

Dogs are also social animals. Could be they're just communicating with other canines?" Hel-ah-ooooooo!

Whatever the reason, dogs do lift their heads when they howl, but not to howl at the moon. It simply helps them to project their voices better. We do that, too. Try it! Ah-ooooooooo!

Check out:
Our Solar System For Kids - Lots of Free Games & Activities

SOCIAL STUDIES

For this week: tying up loose ends from last week. SBACs took precedence.

How Athens Got Its Name summary/art project
How Rome Got Its Name summary/art project
Mat completed Greek Amphora (see illustration)
Greek Alphabet chart
Roman Numerals chart

Once that is done, on to your very own Roman Mosaic!
Great Links:

Make a Marvelous Mosaic directions
Printable Mosaics to color
Design a Mosaic Online
Make Your Own Mosaic Pattern

LANGUAGE ARTS

Monday: Edit & revise first drafts & turn in
Tuesday: Last minute RTLs? Get them done!
Wednesday: Guidance and Bill Nye video/comprehension
Thursday: Type RTL final drafts
Friday: School-wide climb up Snake Mountain

MATH