Improving our planes and testing them

We had fun working to improve thrust, lift, and drag. There was lots of testing and re-testing as we continued to make improvements.

Guest speaker

Mrs. Hill came to talk to our class today about the role of a flight attendant in keeping passengers safe. She also told us about Albert Glenn, the first African-American Fex Ed pilot.
https://dailymemphian.com/article/1128/Albert-Glenn-stood-on-shoulders-of-pioneering-black-pilots-at-FedEx-then-paid-it-forward

What’s in the box?

Using the scientific method, 4th graders came up with a hypothesis about what items are in their boxes.

They are conducting research using their senses, a scale, and a magnet. After they collect their data, they will analyze to see if their hypothesis is correct.

Almost ready for the publisher!

Third graders have finished editing and are wrapping up the final draft. Next...the front cover!

Improving our planes

Second graders have finished the first phase of building. Next they will add to their planes to see how thrust, lift, and/or drag are affected. 

If you give Pre-K 3 a challenge...

...they’ll knock it out of the park!

Pre-K 3 read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in library today. They learned a new big word today: sequencing.

After the story, they colored sequencing cards to help them retell the story.

Learning math with Legos

What could be more fun!?! Here are some ideas:

What happens to the brain when we’re learning?

Every student (and parent) should know and understand the answer to this question. I know I’ve posted similar information, but it’s worth repeating. 

Whenever we learn something, our brain changes. It’s rewired as our neurons start transmitting messages to the hippocampus, the deep part of the brain that is believed to be the center of emotions, memory, and the involuntary nerve cells. 

Neurotransmitters have an important job. During learning, blood flow increases within the brain, and eventually slows down as the person becomes familiar with the task or content and gradually the flow becomes steady with mastery, which explains the effortlessness of some athletes, musicians, and scientists. Practice! Practice! Practice! I know students and some parents don’t like homework, but it’s necessary. There’s only so much teachers and students can do during to school day. Learning needs to be reinforced. 

If your child plays sports, performs in theatre, plays an instrument, or participates in any other activity, does he or she continue to practice outside of the scheduled lesson or practice with the team/coach? Chances are the answer is yes, because practice makes perfect. The same philosophy applies to school work. 

Think of it like muscle memory. That’s why I tell my students that their brain is like a muscle. Exercise it everyday!

Furthermore, research has proven that when you sleep, neurons take in all the information, and you wake up smarter, but you need a good night of sleep. This is also the reason why teens, or anyone else, should never cram the night before a test. Study a little each day, which gives the neurotransmitters enough time to do their job. 

Life Cylce of a Plant

First graders planted seeds today — some flowers, some delicious veggies. They will be incorporating their plants into their STREAM project using old books.

Sorting animals by habitat

Today in library, Pre-K 4 listened to Hot and Cold by Eric Carle, then they sorted animals by the type of habitat they like.

Scientific Method

Fourth graders will be learning about the scientific method and putting it into action next week.

Fun Shuttle

Second graders in the CAP program are learning about parts of the space shuttle: orbitor, external tank (ET), and solid rocket boosters (SRBs). They also learned — and I did, too — that  two minutes after lift off, the SRBs are separated from the shuttle stack and land in the Atlantic Ocean. Then when the ET comes off and burns up as it falls back into the atmosphere, it lands in the Indian Ocean. The students did a demonstration of the shuttle stack and what happens after lift off.