Solar Ovens

After learning about the basics of how our atmosphere and Earth turn light energy into heat energy to keep Earth warm, students were challenged to use engineering skills and these science concepts to build a solar cooker that can cook hotdogs. We began the construction yesterday. With weather not ideal for using the sun's solar radiation to cook with this week, we will bring out inventions out into the sun next week to test them out.

Digital Textbooks?

This week, students wrote persuasive essays regarding textbooks. First, we learned what digital textbooks look like, what they are capable of, and their drawbacks by watching a few three-minute videos. We then read an article on the topic as well. Students then had to commit to either being for the move from traditional textbooks towards digital ones or believe that traditional textbooks are still best for learning based on current drawbacks to digital ones. Next, they wrote a speech, which used information from our multiple sources to back up their claim, aimed for Mrs. Williams, our principal. The speeches were written and then practiced. Finally, they were given to their peers in class. Coincidentally, the USA Today just had an article come out about New York City and Amazon signing an agreement regarding digital text books for that school district, which is the largest in the country. We connected this article in on Friday.

Revolutionary Era Games

Students read about three different games that kids played during the times of the Revolutionary War. Each student became a specialist in one of the games and taught it to a small group of students.

Potato Irish Famine

After spending the week of St. Patrick's Day learning about the historical Irish Potato Famine, which in part brought many Irish to the United States, we connected it to some science. Students were posed with the question: How much of a potato is the pulp? Students peeled and weighed to calculate. In addition, students learned that adding up the peelings and the pulp don't add up to the total weight of the original potato due to moisture loss and evaporation.