Sea Class Blog 1.24.16
“I
have been noticing that I've been a good leader at Monarch School. I am
teaching others to follow the Bill of Rights by being an example for everyone
else. I also get to get better at including others and learning new ways to be
a leader,” said Naima.
Tomorrow,
Monday, January 25, ALL THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE AT AN ALL DAY
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING. JULIE RODRIGUEZ WILL BE IN THE SEA CLASS ALL
DAY!
A
big thanks to Wendy, Jeff, Ayala and Mickie who faced the rain to help students
walk safely to the Bicycle Trip in support of our study of Force and Motion.
Aaron Jacobs, our host and owner of the shop, answered MANY questions about
wrenches and measuring devices that bike mechanics use every day. We discussed
levers, center of gravity, amount of work needed to do a job with and without a
tool, the perils of stripped bolts, and the effects of friction. Students felt
the effects of gyroscope action, and we were treated to a demonstration of rock
hopping by Matt Meyer. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many photos or video, but
here’s a nice video of Matt doing what he loves most!
This week, the Sea Class
will explore the concept of balance by experimenting with applying weights to
objects in order to balance them, finding balanced and unbalanced postures with
our bodies, and investigating how the shape of objects affects their balance
via the center of gravity.
In Writers Workshop, authors
of information books will begin drafting thier first pieces on laptop computers
this week, and will be introduced to ‘commenting’, offering ‘friendly feedback’
on the work of their peers. Writers will complete at least two writing pieces this
trimester: the first is on a topic of students’ choices, and the second will be
on a topic related to the theme Force and Motion, and may include inventors or
inventions. We have spent several weeks trying out different organizational
structures for subtopics, as well as ‘tricks of the trade’ like using Pros and
Cons, Compare and Contrast, and Cause and Effect to help the reader understand
the topic better.
In Math Workshop, students
are learning to tell time on analog clocks; learning about equal portions of
hours, minutes and seconds; and over the next few weeks, how to calculate
elapsed time. All this while they continue to build more strategies for interpreting
word problems, deciding which operations are appropriate, and using their
knowledge of arithmetic facts to solve the problems, through CGI problems and
games.
The afternoons are thin in
terms of classroom volunteers in the Sea class; if you ever have the
flexibility of being at school from 12:45-1:45, the students and I would
greatly appreciate some extra support with small group activities. Thanks to
UCSC Education 180 students Becca (who is returning despite the fact that she
isn’t even earning credits this quarter!) and Vincent, we have a full house on
Thursday afternoons!
OK OK enough; here’s the
plan for the week ahead:
Monday - January 25,
2016
Morning Meeting
Theme:
Read Aloud from Balance and Motion pgs. 3-10
Try: 3 experiments on page 27 of SuperMotion (5
min., then back to circle) What did you notice?
Introduce Crayfish Balancing - see instructions
Communication Workshop:
Agenda and Agreements
WML: Powerful Introductions
W: 7:00 partner
Author share: ask someone who tried an
introduction to share
Readers rotations-record a fact and a question or thought
Math Workshop:
Model solving with open number line - Isa’s cubby
had 400 origami cranes in it. Michelle snuck in and took 253 of the cranes! How
many cranes were left in Isa’s cubby?
Rotations
Choice
CQ:
What is your academic goal? What have you done to accomplish it?
Tuesday - January 26,
2016
Morning Meeting
Theme:
Stable Positions FOSS
Review Stable Positions; did you make new
shapes?
Communication
Workshop:
Agenda and Agreements
WML: Which of the powerful introductions tricks
will you use today?
W: Draft on computers
Author share: ask someone who tried an
introduction to share
Readers rotations-record a fact and a question or thought
Math Workshop:
Number talk T or F - 10
one hundreds is 1000
Rotations
Read aloud-Double the Ducks
Citizen Science:
Find an Eye-Spot and focus only on what various
plants in their EyeSpot smell like
Back inside: what helped you notice; what kept
you from noticing?
Blog:
Nicholas
Cards: Pasquini
Pet: Zuki
Wednesday
- January 27, 2016
Morning Meeting
Citizen Science:
Possible visit from
Warriors Captains
Review rules for Steal
the Trash, and Plan the next Trash Awareness Game
Vote for Friday Courses
Library
PE:
Try out the new game...
Community
Meeting
Thursday
- January 28, 2016
Morning Meeting
Theme:
Read aloud: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Pencil Trick-ask questions on FOSS pg 11
Communication
Workshop:
Agenda and Agreements
WML: Powerful conclusions
W: Draft on computers
Author share: ask someone
who tried a conclusion to share
ML: Readers gather information from illustrations,
photographs, and corresponding captions:
• Study one part of a picture and talk
long about its significance with words like, “This is important because,” “That
must mean,” “What this shows is...”
Math
Workshop:
Agenda and Agreements
ML: Teach a new game
Rotations
Class
Meeting
Choice
Blog:
Omi
Cards:
Ragen Andrews
Pet:
Naima
Friday
- January 29, 2016
Morning Meeting
Theme:
Begin mobiles - art - steps of the scientific
process
Communication
Workshop:
Agenda and Agreements
WML: Which of the power
conclusion tricks will you use today?
W: Draft on computers
Author share: ask someone
who tried a conclusion to share
ML: Readers gather information from illustrations,
photographs, and corresponding captions:
• Read the caption or label next to an
illustration, paraphrasing it to a partner or using self-talk, and refer to the
picture while explaining it.
Math
Workshp:
Agenda and Agreements
ML: Teach a new game
Rotations
Friday
Courses:
First Friday Courses-Michelle Hour of Code
Blog:
Otis
Cards:
Sloan
Pet:
Ronan
