Plays and Simulations

The Miracle of Spring Last week in the Into Reading program, we had been discussing how genre affects the way a story is told.  We have been reading a variety of genres like realistic fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry.  One of the stories we read was in the form of a drama/play, titled "The Miracle of Spring".  We discussed the elements of a drama and to make it a bit more fun, when it came time to read the play, I brought in some props and assigned roles so we could act out the play. 

"No Taxation without Representation"

Every year when learning about the events leading to the Revolutionary War, I do a simulation of what it felt like for the colonists to be taxed unfairly.  Some students were assigned to be tax collectors, while others, members of Parliament, and then regular hard working colonists.  Colonists were taxed on numbers of pencils in pencil cases, if they were wearing a certain color, or if their name started with a certain letter.   They had to give their money to the tax collectors and if they ran out, they ended in the stocks.   

The Ladder Method

  How Do Ladders Help With Math???  
This is a math strategy that can be used in for three different concepts!!   Once you get the hang of it, it is a real game changer and saves some time.      You can use it when simplifying fractions, finding the Least Common Multiple, or Greatest Common Factor

Here is a video that explores this concept step by step!  

Something you really need to know is your PRIME NUMBERS.  It helps you get a good start when using the Ladder.  You really need to use the smaller ones.  It is good to have the first 5 or 6 memorized. 





 



You also need to know your MATH FACTS!  If you struggle with knowing your basic math facts fluently, then practice, practice, practice!  You want it to be automatic.  

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.A.1
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators. 

For example, 2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 = 23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd.)

Elephant Toothpaste

Understanding the Scientific Method by Making Elephant Toothpaste!

We learned the steps of the Scientific Method and then applied them by making "Elephant Toothpaste".  Many of us have done this experiment before, so we weren't going to hypothesize about what the outcome would be, but instead made observations that we had different containers.   We asked, "Does the size of the container affect the outcome of the reaction?"  We then read about the science behind the reaction and made a hypothesis.   We then followed the steps of the procedure in adding the ingredients and recorded our observations after each group performed the experiment one group at a time. 

Growth Mindset Challenge

Today we did a "Growth Mindset Challenge" where kids were put into groups and they had to recreate the paper design that was put in front of them.   The only rules were that they could not touch the paper , they could use a 'rough draft' paper and then they had a final paper to use to imitate.  They could only use a pencil and a pair of scissors.  
As I walked around the room I heard things being said like...
 "This can't work"       "I don't get it"       "No don't do that, do this"
Then as they problem solved together in their groups I started to hear things like...
 "Why don't we try..."       "I think I get it, but I'm not sure"       "What if we practiced it here..."
Finally, one group figured it out!  They got their practice paper to work, then couldn't figure out how to make their final paper work when they made the same cuts.  It may have happened by accident, but when they picked it up to try something else, it fell into place!  Once I showed them the trick on how it worked they determined it looked pretty easy and wanted to try again!