Tunes from the Moon Toons!

Reminders
Friday Workshop
November 20th: Owen and Sequoia

December 11th - Field Trip
December 18th - Portfolio Share

Math
x? y? Are these confused and lost letters in our math? No, we’re doing algebra! We began our week using manipulatives to help us solve algebraic problems hands-on. We thought of each problem like a scale that need to be balanced. If we knew the "weight" on one side and part of the weight on the other, what would the missing weight need to be in order to make balanced? We used X cubes to help us, especially when some of us moved into trickier problems like 2x +3 + x = 2x + 5, what does X equal? Working on problems like this, we learned to simplify to make it easier and then checked our work by filling in the number we discovered was X. Look for examples of this work in your child’s Thursday packets.

We also played with patterns and algebra equations where the unknown number is variable. We used the image of a magic pot to help us. For example, we have a pot that has the function of x + 3 = y (x is the input and y is the output). Making a T chart, we recorded what we put in and what would come out. With this information, we could predict outcomes without needing to record the pattern for every number. We could see the pattern with the input of 1-10 but could use the function to determine how much would come out if we put in 16, 27, or 88! Next, we will look at T charts and the patterns and identify the function - tricky! Luckily, I have saved this task for Mistress Wonka, who announced today that she would be arriving on Thursday (all her functions (recipes) go all mixed up and they need organizing). She also needs help with creating new candy machines with secret "functions."

Language
The phone walked to the bowl. Huh? MAD LIBS! During Literacy Centers, a new choice is to practice our nouns, verbs, adventives and adverbs by playing Mad Libs with a partner. We have also begun creating our own by writing short stories, songs, poems, etc. and choosing key word to take out. We then label them appropriately with noun, verb, adjective, or adverb and give them to friends! Silly stories!

In Writing Workshop, lessons this week focused on ending sentences. We discussed those little periods, the curving questions marks, and those periods with a big surprised and excited hair - exclamation marks!!! We are all working on remembering that every sentence needs some kind of ending and what we decide affects how it may be read. And besides, those words may just decide to jump up and run away if we don’t put something to stop them! We also practiced using quotation marks when someone is speaking in a story. "And if a child was not already including dialogue in a story, they sure are now!" says Jeriann.

Theme
Wow! Mars has proven to be one of the most fact filled planets! Did you know that the largest inactive volcano in our solar system in on Mars?! Olympus Mon is three times higher than Mt. Everest and the base of the volcano is the area of Arizona! AND, there is a canyon that makes our Grand Canyon look like a little crack. It is as long as the United States! Yes, we had fun finding SO many facts!

As we take our imaginary trip through the solar system, we record imaginative adventures and Mars was quite interesting! It seemed many of us had the misfortune to land right on top of Olympus Mon or deep in the canyon or in the middle of a terrible dust storm. Some of us discovered very friendly aliens who will continue with us on our journey! We will conclude our time on Mars with a "test for life"experiment, probe drop experiment, and designing our own mission to Mars, complete with plans for a rover/probe.