HomeroomThank you to everyone who came to Move Up Night this week. I'm really excited about next year and it's always fun to share our plans. If you couldn't make it feel free to stop by and check in with me about next year. As for homeroom, we spent most of the week preparing for conferences on Monday. Students were asked to reflect on their work this year and think about areas they've grown and areas they need support with. What's Coming Up in OWLWe are about to wrap up our conversation about gender. We've been focusing on talking about the difference between biological sex, gender expression, and gender identity. We talked a lot about gender stereotypes and biases. Next week we'll start our conversation on Feelings and Attractions. This weekend is a good opportunity to do the HomeLink for the upcoming unit. MathThursday: Book Check Day Friday: Game Day Project TimeWe started the week with students giving their presentations on different medical professions. I gave them the difficult task of having to present using a specific format and they nailed it. They'll get graded rubrics back early next week. Feel free to ask them to bring a copy home if you want to see how they did. You can also ask them to give their presentation at home. After the presentations we moved on to starting the final project for this unit. Students broke into groups and picked one of the following questions to explore about public health.
They'll spend the next few weeks researching and putting together a presentation to explain the question to an audience and explain what they can do to protect themselves. Here's a copy of the rubric if you want to see specifically what they're exploring. Before they started their work groups were asked to fill out a calendar outlining what their plans are for getting the project finished by the due date. Here's a copy of that calendar. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
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HomeroomWe had an abbreviated week this week due to snow days. So we didn't cover a lot during homeroom this week. What's Coming Up in OWLThis week we started talking about gender. Specifically we talked about the difference between biological sex, gender identity and gender expression. We also briefly talked about pronouns. If you haven't already please take some time this weekend to complete HomeLink #5. MathMonday: Work Day Tuesday: New York Times SET Puzzle (This is a new activity and a great way to work on pattern recognition. Wednesday: Snow Day Thursday: Snow Day Friday: Game Day Project TimeThis week we spent working on our Pecha Kucha presentations. Students were given a graphic organizer for creating a presentation on a profession of their choosing in the medical field. This presentation revolves around them researching four points.
Students will be giving their presentations on Tuesday in class. If you would like to attend please let me know. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
HomeroomTransitioning back from a long break can sometimes be a little challenging. We used a lot of our homeroom time this week just getting back into the swing of things. We focused our conversations on joy again. The Community Focus question for this week was "What brings you joy?" What's Coming Up in OWLWe wrapped up your unit on puberty this week and will move on to talking about gender next week. Please take some time to complete the HomeLink on this unit. MathMonday: Book Work Time Tuesday: Word Problem #16 Wednesday: Brain Teaser Thursday: Book Check Day Friday: Game Day Project TimeThis week in project time we focused on two things. First, we wrapped up our lesson on organ systems. Before the break each student selected an organ system and made a poster to describe its function, major organs, and other information they found to be interesting. This week we setup those posters around the room and students were given time to do a gallery walk. A gallery walk is a technique used to allow students to move around the classroom and learn from a poster at their own pace. In the hour they were given to look at all of the posters they were asked to take notes on what they learned about each system. At the end of the process each student was an expert on one system and knowledgeable about the others. It's a fun activity and a great way for students to show off what they learned. This also goes along with a running theme within this unit. We've been having a lot of discussions about how to teach concepts to people. We've practiced a few different techniques. These skills will be applied during the final project of this unit. The second activity we did this week was having a set of guest speakers come in. Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Horowitz came in to share their experience in the health field and their knowledge of the human body. I was extremely proud of the class for not just the attention they gave to the speakers, but their ability to ask and answer great questions. The students really showed of their knowledge of the human body. There was one moment when students were asked about fat tissue and instead of using the word fat a student used the word adipose. Which is the scientific word for fat tissue. It was something they picked up while looking at microscope slides. Looking towards next week we'll be moving on to the mini project. Students will be doing a pecha kucha presentation which is a timed presentation that uses mostly images. I selected that format to work with students on being more mindful of what they are saying during a presentation and sticking to a schedule. This format also emphasizes the importance of preparation and practice. I'm really excited to see what they come up with. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
NOTE: This post was written in the middle of the week because I was out of town on Thursday and Friday. HomeroomThis week in homeroom we talked about two topics. The first was our Community Focus question which was, "How often do you try new things?" We talked about how it's OK to try new things, talk to new people, and experience something new. It's easy to fall into a social habit and learning how to try new things is an important skill to have. The other topic we focused on was how to look for the things that bring you joy in life. It's easy for us to see bad things and focus on them. Taking time to think about all of the good parts of our life is a good ability to have. It was an amazing experience to see kids list all of the things that make the happy. What's Coming Up in OWLWe'll continue to have our conversation on puberty. If your kids haven't read through the puberty section of "It's Perfectly Normal" I recommend they do so this weekend. MathMonday: Book Work Time Tuesday: Word Problem #15 Wednesday: Brain Teaser Thursday: Book Work Day (I wasn't at school to do a book check) Friday: Game Day! Project TimeThis week we focused our energy on studying organs and organ systems. Students got to pick one of the organ system to study. They then spent some time using internet sources and books to learn about its function, the organs that make it up, and some of the cell types present. Using their research they were asked to make a poster to explain how the organ system works and two drawing of their choosing to graphically show what they learned. We also had a guest speaker come in this week. Dr. Jill Jill Scheiderhan came in to talk about her experience as a family doctor. The class did a great job asking questions about organ systems and what it's like to be a doctor that sees all kind of patients. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
HomeroomI'm starting a new homeroom activity called Community Focus. The goal of the activity is to highlight how we work, play, and communicate with each other throughout the day. It gives us a change to focus on one community skill and reflect on how we use it throughout the week. This week our Community Focus was: How are you creating space for everyone to be themselves? We had a lot of conversations about how we fill rooms with our different personalities. Some of us can easily fill a room while some of us struggle to do that or don't want to do either. We also talked about learning when it's time to speak up and share our ideas and when it's time to listen. As always we take the time to think about how other people might experience the world differently than we do and we have to be mindful of that when we talk to people. What's Coming Up in OWLThis week we started our conversation about puberty. We went over a lot of terms and definitions. If your kids haven't read through the puberty section of "It's Perfectly Normal" I recommend they do so this weekend. MathMonday: Book Work Day Tuesday: Word Problem #14 Wednesday: Number Talk #7 Thursday: Book Check Day Friday: Game Day! Project TimeThis week we spent the bulk of our time learning about cells and tissues. Student conducted individual research on the different types of cells found in our body. After that we focused on learning how to use a microscope and looking at different types of tissues found in the human body. This culminated on Friday when the 1st and 2nd graders visited us to learn about what we've been exploring. They are also studying the human body and it was a great opportunity for the 5th and 6th graders to share what they learned about microscopes and cells. The class did a fantastic job talking to the younger class about their experience. I'm extremely proud of them and the maturity they demonstrated with the 1st and 2nd graders. They were great role models. On Thursday we had our first guest speaker come in to share their experience in the medical and health profession. Jessica gave a talk on epidemiology and how diseases spread through a population. Students were given an event were a illness presented itself and they had to figure out the cause. It was great to watch them explore a real life scenario while they applied their knowledge about biology and math to solve a problem. We have a few more guest speakers lined up to share their experience with the class. To see the scheduled of speakers check out the front page of this website. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
HomeroomThis week in homeroom we talked about Spirit Week and started planning for that. We also spoke about keeping our cubby area clean and taking home anything that you don't need from that space. We're also going to be rolling out a new homeroom activity where we have a weekly thought to think and talk about. This week's thought was: It's OK to be positive. What's Coming Up in OWLNext week we're going to start our unit on Puberty. This is a pretty big topic in OWL and something the kids are both curious and anxious to learn about. Please take some time to read the chapters in It's Perfectly Normal this weekend. Having some time to think about this topic ahead of time makes it easier to talk about. Here's a link to the HomeLink that will help facilitate a conversation at home. MathMonday: No School Tuesday - Wednesday: Because we didn't have school on Monday we spent the whole week just working in our books. So no Word Problems or Number Talk. Thursday: Book Check Day Friday: Game Day! Project TimeThis week we started our next project on the human body. If you want to see an outline of the project check out this link. You'll also want to book mark the project page. That's where all of the relevant lesson documents will be stored as well as any resources we use in class. During this project we're going to also have a series of guest speakers come in to talk about their work in the field of health and medicine. Check the front page for a list of speakers and when they're coming in to talk. During the spotlight lesson this week we talked about the definition of life, how organisms are structured from atoms to bodies, and the four molecules of life. We also talked about how to read nutrition labels and connected that to our knowledge of the molecules of life. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
HomeroomThis week in homeroom we took a little more time to relax. It was a busy week because projects were wrapping up. So we took a little more time to just enjoy being together. We also capped off the week talking about what we were studying during the Friday Morning Meeting. What's Coming Up in OWLWe are wrapping up our unit on Body Images and will be moving on to talking about puberty. This topic tends to produce the highest amount of anxiety in students. It's something that's one their mind and there's a lot of concern about what's normal. Please take some time over the weekend to just check in on them concerning this topic. You can also do the HomeLink for this unit. Here's a link to it. MathMonday: Work Day Tuesday: Number Talk. We've been working on looking at number patterns and creating a formula for them. This is a way for us to practice algebraic thought. Here's the pattern we worked on this week. The formula for this pattern is (x+3)x. Wednesday: Word Problem #13 Thursday: Book Check Day Friday: Game Day! Project TimeWe spent the first half of this week putting the finishing touches on our final projects. Students were busy making their visual aids and putting together their speeches. On Wednesday we started practicing our presentations. This involved practicing for other students in the class. On Thursday the other classes in the SK community were invited to listen to the presentations. This gave students an opportunity to practice speaking to different age groups. Lastly, on Friday friends and family came into listen to their presentations. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
HomeroomWelcome back! The first week back after a long break is always a fun one. Students returned on Monday excited and ready to get back to work. Although by the end of the day on Monday and Tuesday there were a few sleepy eyes on both the students and adults in the building. The highlight of the week was on Wednesday. We met with the 7th and 8th graders and created a committee to plan spirit week. The committee is busy as work planning for the week. Once I have more information I'll pass it along. What's Coming Up in OWLWe've been talking about Body Image in OWL this week and the messages we get from school, peers, family, and the media about our bodies. If you haven't done so already please take some time over the break to complete the HomeLink for this unit. Here's the link to HomeLink #3. MathMonday: Work Day Tuesday: Number Talk. We've been working on looking at number patterns and creating a formula for them. This is a way for us to practice algebraic thought. Here's the pattern we worked on this week. Wednesday: Word Problem #12 Thursday: Book Check Day Friday: Game Day! Project TimeWe spend this entire week putting the finishing touches on our final projects for this unit. Students were busy finishing their presentations and visual aids on the person they selected to study. Part of this project was being able to plan out their work scheduled and follow through with it. It's been really fun as a teacher to see them succeed at this. I'm looking forward to seeing them show off their work. On Jan. 17 from 12:30 to 1:30 students will be showing off their work and what they learned about their historical figures. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
HomeroomThis week was a little out of the ordinary because we went on a field trip, had a guest speaker, and went bowling on Friday. Because of that we didn't spend a lot of time in homeroom. What's Coming Up in OWLWe took a break from OWL this week, but will resume when we come back from the holiday break. We'll be talking about Body Image. If you haven't done so already please take some time over the break to complete the HomeLink for this unit. Here's the link to HomeLink #3. MathWe didn't spend a lot of time doing math this week because of the outside of class activity. Monday: Work Day Tuesday: No math because of field trip Wednesday: No math because of guest speaker Thursday: Game Day Friday: No math because of bowling Project TimeWe spent most of the week working on the final project for this unit. Students spent all of class time completing their research forms. Students have to find five different sources, one of them being a book, and learn about the life and impact of the person their studying. Students are using the project rubric as their guide for what to research. When they come back from break they'll begin working on the first draft of their presentation on the person. It's not expected for students to work over break, but they can if they feel like they are behind scheduled or want to get ahead. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
Have a happy winter break!HomeroomNot a lot of news out of homeroom this week. We've mostly been using that time to chill out and catch up with what's going on in each other's lives. This time of year is busy and taking some time to slow down can be important. What's Coming Up in OWLWe just finished our Unit on Images in Popular Culture and will be moving on to talking about Body Image. We had a lot of conversations during this last unit on what we see in the media and is it representative of all the wonderful ways we can be humans. Moving on to the next unit means it's time for the next HomeLink activity. Here's the link to HomeLink #3. MathMonday: Book Work Time Tuesday: Word Problem #11 Wednesday: Number Talk #4 Thursday: Progress Check and Conferences Friday: Game Day! Project TimeWe wrapped up the Spotlight lessons for this unit this week. Focusing on protests and movements. We used the history of the Black Panther party as a model to talk about this topic. Students learned about what the political and social environment was like in the 1960s. Why the group was formed, how they were perceived, and what their plan was to enact change. We also talked a lot about racism. Those types of conversations are usually pretty hard for students, but our group handled them really well. They asked a lot of questions and shared a lot about what they think about our society. Some of the conversation was about what they see and what they might not see but still happens. We'll continue this conversation during our trip to the Charles H. Wright Museum on Tuesday next week. After finishing the Spotlight lesson we moved on to starting the final project for this unit. Students will be selecting another person to study and will produce a short talk with a visual aide of their choosing to show how the person they selected changed the United States. Along with researching students are also creating their own due dates and making a plan for finishing the project. Questions to Ask Your ChildIn this section I'll try and give you a few questions to ask your kids to see what they learned this week or some of the ideas they were forming.
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