SK • 5th-6th Grade

Maps & Migration - Bye Bye

2012-03-02T13:20:00.002-08:00

Our final project for this theme at the upper school was collaborative. After many discussions and online experiences throughout the week the entire upper school participated in a re-creation of the Ellis Island Experience. 5th and 6th graders took the task of running the facilities while the 3rd and 4th graders played the roles of hopeful immigrants. Jobs and responsibilities were produced and chosen from doctors, security personnel, translators, and customs officers. Immigrants were required to make and devise passports and historical backgrounds based on their actual heritage. They were then required to provide this information, prove their skill/ability and exhibit general health in order to achieve safe passage to the Land of Recess.

Plans and Flow Charts

The kids made colorful signage and even created their own language of imaginary words to represent basic phrases that we thought we would need the most.

The Immigrants arrive..

Passports and story of origin please..

Comprehension and ability testing..

Mock Health Inspection with 'Dr. B', (thanks to my interpreter)

On Friday, as an introduction to our new TOOL theme, we had our first of two visits from the Maker Works people http://www.maker-works.com/. Kids disassembled computers and printers using fine tools and mechanical problem solving.

To solidify their understanding of identifying and composing with adverbs the 5th-6th graders wrote original stories with only a select noun, verb and adjective as catalysts. Here are some select excerpts:

He noticed his error when he saw a sign that specifically stated: “Please do not go behind the counter Thank you for your courtesy, -Whole Foods Market”. Mr. Hobopoop said faintly, “Uh oh, I gotta get out of here or i’l be thrown in jail!” He quickly crawled out of the grocery store, chucked a watermelon at a random guy, and ran all the way to his house.

The gloomy weather outside made it so that there was no one outside the polling place to try and get one last vote out of. So what. At least there was no line. The election inspector looked at me cheerfully (I knew she was faking) and asked for my driver’s license. She looked at it and told me that I could go on to vote. I boldly marked the ballot for myself, and fed it to the vote-counter, which whirred loudly and annoyingly.

Once upon a time there was a sloppy kitten named Sam. Sam was so successfully sloppy because he could not do anything right. One day while Sam was trying to awkwardly do the hula (but he just looked like jiggling jiggly jello) a kid came up and said to him, “Hey kitty you look like you would be good at fast running!” Sam got excited because he was never good at anything, ever! But, when Sam tried to run quickly he just ran slow. Sam was so disappointed, he cried (sloppily of course).

Bob’s brother, also named Bob, lives and works in a grocery store. Whenever a customer walks in the door he stares at them strangely and throws diapers. Eventually no one came to the grocery store. Bob laughs evilly as this is all part of his plan to get every one out of his house because he does not like company.

Multiple Homeroom Jeopardy games also provided much needed review experience before our Maps & Migration final exam. See you all next week when we begin our final theme of the year: TOOLS.

Our Giant Kindergarten Pirate Soldier Wolf Monkey Elf Scavenger Hunt

2012-02-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

The 5th and 6th graders took our battle map project to a new level by developing their own Scavenger Hunt complete with hidden antiqued paper maps, costumed characters, word puzzles and riddles. This morning, after a week of preparation, dry runs and outfitting they were ready to share it with the Kindergarten class. Characters included two pink pirate guides, a wolf man, precocious monkey, wily monkey hunter, tricky elf, civil war soldier and finally, a frozen giant (me).

Riddles and puzzles included:
• If you feed me air, I live. If you feed me water, I die. What am I?
• If you speak I disappear. What am I?
• E anything anything anything anything
• mce mce mce
• The riddle of the Sphinx

Solutions guided the little ones and Val to the Treasure chest of gold coins.

The Plan

The Cast

Val graciously recorded the event.

Student Scavenger Hunt from sk56 on Vimeo.

(That big hairy thing in the middle is me.)

Our Last Classical Guitar EB

2012-02-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

For our final meeting, I enlisted help from Joanna who was able to bring us local classical guitarist Joe Pratt. He performed beautiful examples of Flamenco, Blues, Jazz and Traditional Classical pieces. It was wonderful for the kids to be able to experience and learn from an expert. Check it out...

Joe answered many technical and professional questions and gave our young beginners great advice on how to start through practice and setting goals. If anyone wants to see Joe live for themselves he plays on Fridays at Amadeus restaurant downtown. Thank you, Joe.

2012-02-15T05:27:00.000-08:00

So far this week students tried their hand at writing one line poems using alliteration. Each were assigned letters of the alphabet to represent. Here are some fruits of their labor....

"Yellow yaks yell yearningly at the yellow moon."
"Eighty elephants with E. coli descend on Edmonton elegantly."
"Zebras zigzag around the zoo in a zesty zip."
"The kissing kangaroo in Kalamazoo killed no kittens or kids."
"The Trents were very thoughtful though they were the thoughts themselves."
"Algerian alpacas are always awesome."
"Grace the grape had gorgeous grapefruit hair."
"Radical rats root random guys to the roof."
"Mellow Moe eats muffins while mopping."
"Farting funny fish like fake fruit."

Math students also dove into a bit of Geometry, learning how to find the missing angles of Triangles.

Karen organized a great Valentines Day party complete with custom made heart shaped pizza making.

On Friday the 5th-6th graders will take the Kindergarteners on a class designed scavenger hunt complete with puzzles, riddles, and costumes. Stay tuned.

Our trip to the Stephen S. Clark Map Library

2012-02-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the Hatcher Graduate Library and Map Librarian Karl Longstreth.

2012-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Presenting our historic battle maps...

Next week is filled with field trips. On Tuesday morning the entire upper school is going to Wild Swan Theater to see a play on Harriet Tubman, and the 5-6 grade class is stopping by to explore Oz's music with Cara. On Friday the 10th the entire upper school is also going to visit the U of M Map Library to view some real historic maps illustrating many current topics of discussion in class such as immigration, continental drift, and war strategies.

2012-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

The 5th-6th graders have been working very hard all week in preparation for their battle map presentations to the lower school on Friday.

We used a coffee and tea mixture to stain the paper and added burned holes and edges to simulate an aged patina.

Our Classical Guitar EB forged ahead, practicing our C Major Scale & G and C chords.

Geocaching and Battle Map Design

2012-01-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

We found one out of two caches...

Also a student brought her father's old map of Indian tribal territories to share. Pretty Cool.

2012-01-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

This week, Math students used what they have learned about rounding, and latitude/longitude to locate cities around the world using an online map resource (http://www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/), and played an energetic round of 'Around the World (Multiplication)' with Karen.

Also, The entire upper school took a trip to the Mallets Creek Branch, Classical Guitar E.B. students learned their first scale (G Major) and 5th-6th grade students began writing their character biographies for POOT. Choice historical figures include: Che Guevara, Martin Luther King Jr., Tecumseh, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Gen. Custer, Gen. Lee, Cleopatra, and Thomas Jefferson.

2012-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Making our Battlemaps

Here are some fun and educational online games about the Migratory patterns of birds and whales from the Smithsonian Institute and National Marine Sanctuaries that the kids experienced this week:

http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakeskids/migration/migration.html
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/education/kids_stuff/woth_game/default.cfm
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/whales/main_page.html

In Their Own Words....

2012-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Please view the video below by using the password sent to you via-email.

Students were asked to research topics of personal interest and record their findings and new knowledge using iRecorder software. This is an honest portrayal of what they have uncovered entirely on their own so far.

In Their Own Words.. from sk56 on Vimeo.

2012-01-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

Students have begun their EB in Classical Guitar, and commenced research for the hand made Battle Map project. They also watched an episode from Discovery Channel's Atlas 4D documentary about the geological and geographic wonders of the Great Rift Valley, including the migratory patterns of tribes and wildlife therein. Check it out here: http://discoveryworldhd.ca/showpage.aspx?sid=26591

Students have also been keeping Audio diaries, using iRecorder software, about things they have learned in their research over the past week or so, which I hope to share with parents soon.

2012-01-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

Research, research, research......

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse....

Cartography as art and a way to experience the creative process

2012-01-12T05:21:00.003-08:00

Chris and I shared this video with the upper school on Wednesday.

Jerry's Map from Jerry Gretzinger on Vimeo.

2012-01-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

Cast for

THE PRINCESS BRIDE

Count Rugen Miracle Max

Vizzini/Clergyman Princess Butterup

Prince Humperdinck/Valerie Westley

Inigo Montoya Fezzick

January-February: Maps & Migration

2012-01-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Below are some planned topics, experiences and projects for the group to try this round:

• Research, map and present significant battles from around the world.
• U.S. Westward Expansion/Native Americans.
• Latitude and Longitude
• Pangaea/Great Rift Valley/Continental Drift/Hawaii
• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (Wild Swan Theater One Woman Show).
• Produce and share audio/visual files that present learned material on personal interest topics and homeroom themes.
• Cast, read and rehearse "The Princess Bride" as a play.
• Continue reading literature for comprehension: "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Phantom Tollbooth", and additional chosen reading material from weekly library trips.
• Use Atlas software to chart and calculate distances around the globe.
• Audio/Visual presentations will include: Ken Burns' "The West" documentary, Discovery "Atlas" series, and "Between the Folds" documentary.
• POOT (Place out of Time) social experiment with U of M: http://poot.icsmich.org/
• Use Minecraft in creative mode to build useful structures and log and map their progress.
• As well as the usual: Homeroom Jeopardy, journal entries, class forums, collaborative story telling, creative writing, and weekly personalized spelling and vocabulary tests.

B's EB:

Beginning Classical Guitar

Students will be introduced to the basics of beginning classical guitar. Topics will include tuning, basic chords, rhythm, anatomy, posture, dexterity, and playing as an ensemble. Each student will learn on individual student sized nylon string guitars. This EB is meant to provide an arena for students to discover new creative avenues in music and spark interest in stringed instruments. *Noted progress in any musical instrument can only come from years of dedicated practice.

2011-12-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Students dug further into personal interest topics ranging from Hadrian's Wall to Whales and Egyptian Mythology. Next week students will get a chance to share what they have learned. We also paid another visit to the Mallets Creek branch to pick up some choice story books to share with the Kindergarten on Friday, and practiced reading them out loud in class. Once again they had a great time and did a wonderful job.

This weeks visually prompted collaborative story:

The year was 2020 and food was scarce. People had to use their special light sticks to protect themselves from all of the stinky poopoo gas monsters. Three brothers, Poopy, Poopyston, and Mikey ran off to try and eliminate the gas monsters once and for all. Their plans to attack soon failed because Poopy and Poopystons air masks broke when a giant gas monster surprised them with a ray of stinky poisonous gasicles. Mikey ran to them, gave them his gas mask to allow them to buddy breathe, but first took a deep breath for himself to hold while he rigged a special flame throwing contraption that amplified the flame from his 'my little pony' lighter. Still holding his breath he stepped out from behind a rock, activated the contraption and the malevolent gas monster instantaneously combusted, which sent a super sonic shockwave that wiped out the entire population of stinky poopoo gas monsters. And there was much rejoicing, Yaaaay.

BRAINPOP provided some additional interactive resources about DNA, heredity and genetics. Most importantly, the kids were able to differentiate between negative and beneficial genetic mutations and make the connection between beneficial mutations and Darwin's Theory of Evolution, a topic from the onset of our theme. Awesome.

The National Geographic Explorer special entitled "The Science of Babies" provided a detailed illustration of the development of humans at their earliest stages. Studies show that babies have the ability to visually understand the concept of addition and subtraction, and recognize a photograph of a familiar face even with scrambled features. They can even recognize the sound of their mothers voice from being inside the womb and exhibit a natural instinct to walk just hours after birth.

Parents, please follow the link below and use our password to view a special video presentation from our class:

http://vimeo.com/33664824

Have a great break everyone. -B

Untitled from sk56 on Vimeo.

2011-12-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

This week our class chose personal interest topics to focus on for the next couple of weeks and visited the library to discover some non web-based materials. We also illustrated our cumulative list of Imaginary Dictionary terms and reviewed our impressive mid-theme test results together. Everyone 'passed' with flying colors. On Thursday, for a change of pace, we wrote a collaborative story using the visual cue below. Everyone provided a line or two:

IT WAS THE END OF A LONG DAY IN SOUTH LONDON AND THE CANNIBAL LADY WITH GOAT LEGS HAD CAUGHT SOME FRESH CHILDREN TO EAT. LITTLE, BRAVE ARISTEA SAW THIS WHILE SEWING AND TRIED TO HELP THEM WITH HER SHARP 'SNIP-SNIPS'. SHE HEARD THE CANNIBAL LADY MUTTER UNDER HER BREATH, '"WHEN I EAT THESE CHILDREN I WILL BECOME OBESE ENOUGH TO HIBERNATE!" ARISTEA'S SNIP-SNIPS PIERCED THE SACK WITH A LOUD SNIP! AND MIKEY, TRENT AND CORY TUMBLED OUT WITH A LOUD BUMP! THE CANNIBAL LADY HEARD THE RUCUS AND ATTEMPTED TO HIT THEM WITH HER BIG WOODEN CANE, BUT REALIZED THAT SHE NEEDED IT TO STAND AND FELL OVER VIOLENTLY, YELLING, '"COME BACK MY UGLIES, I NEED YOU!" ALL THE CHILDREN SCAMPERED AWAY. WHEN THE CANNIBAL LADY SLOWLY STRUGGLED TO STAND AGAIN, SHE SAW A BEAUTIFULWHIPPED CREAM CAPPED PUMPKIN PIE MOUNTAIN. SHE WALKED SLOWLY TOWARDS IT AND BURIED HER SHARP TEETH INTO THE 'PUMPKIN PIE' BUT SCREAMED IN RAGE AS SHE FOUND IT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A GIANT BILLBOARD FOR APPLEBEES. '"THIS IS WHY I NEVER EAT AT APPLEBEES!" SHE SAID, AND THE BILLBOARD CRUSHED HER INTO A GOAT FLAVORED CANNIBAL PANCAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING. THE END.

In terms of the Human Body we contemplated the link between medical technology and human longevity using another great NOVA special and Isaac Asimov's 'Bicentennial Man' as reference points. Did you know there are labs growing fully functional human organs such as lungs, hearts and kidneys? They use protein scaffolding and cells from the recipients in an effort to eliminate waiting lists and the body's propensity to reject used organs. Incredible. The class reaction to this was 'cool and scary' and after four months of exposure to so many new technological advancements, we have come to the collective opinion that as mankind increases its innovation, it also increasingly pushes its ethical standards. The special also covered the supreme utilitarian function of the Foxo gene in the body and the case of the Immortal Jellyfish or Turritopsis, which can revert to an earlier state and re-form when things get rough. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/can-we-live-forever.html

Asimov's touching short story of a robot striving to be human is a great complement to these topics, themes and questions about what makes us truly human. We participated in a forum that asked the question 'What is human?'. Further queries grew such as 'What is the difference between mortal and human'?, 'Is freedom only for humanity, or for any entity that understands and wishes for it?' and 'With all of the advancement with A.I., at what point does the line between a computer and a brain just disappear?

One student brought in some interesting technology to share. She uses a powerful LED light to grow tomatoes at home during the winter months.

On Friday the entire upper school had another visit from the Hands-On Museum in the form of a Human Body Workshop. Kids tested their dexterity, lung capacity and heart rate.

We also began our journey into classic literature with Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, a book rich with themes of adolescence, prejudice, honor and principle, which the students will identify and analyze both individually and as a group.

Later. -B

iSkinless Project

2011-12-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Practice, practice, practice.

Showtime..

The kids had a great time teaching today and owed a lot of their success to great audiences.

See you next week. -B

Wednesday November 30th, 2011

2011-11-30T11:19:00.000-08:00

So far this week the students have been working hard on finishing their iSkinless assignments and preparing and practicing for their presentations to the lower grades. One student was generous enough to bring some books he found at the local library and Mr. Chris Swinko cued me onto another resource that was also truly awesome: http://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/

Friday is the big day.

We also watched a Nova special that illustrated how the brain works. It included a remarkable technology called T.M.S. (Transcranial magnetic stimulation) which uses magnetic pulses to alter the electric impulses in certain areas of the brain for the purpose of decreasing both physical and emotional pain. Students were concerned with the residual effects i.e., brain damage etc. but noted how it could also be used to aid in police interrogations by stimulating the parts of the brain focused on self-control. Interesting.

Did you know?
The adult brain weighs approximately 3 pounds, can fit in your hand and hold roughly one million gigabytes of information?

On Thursday we are going to have another round of Homeroom Jeopardy to help review for our theme exam on Friday. (Don't forget about our second round of personalized spelling tests on Friday!)

In Math we practiced long division, and used those skills to review how to find averages. We also had fun playing 'Multiply or Die' my fast paced game that uses playing cards and time limits to build computation skills. They love beating the dealer (me).

Later. -B

Wednesday November 16th, 2011

2011-11-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

The students are well underway on their iSkinless assignments, researching, identifying and illustrating the vital parts of our human anatomy and their functions. Next week they will teach each other what they have learned and later, inform the lower grades.

We also reviewed for our first mid-theme exam using this fun interactive Science Channel website on Charles Darwin (http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/darwin/darwin.html) and playing another round of Homeroom Jeopardy.

In Math, we learned how to quickly multiply any two digit number by 11 and kept up our Khan Academy progress. Also, this Wednesday brought an end to the Fine Arts/Fabrication E.B. where we finished drilling and sanding our bamboo flutes:

See you next week.. -B

Friday November 11th, 2011

2011-11-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Hill Auditorium-Rebirth Jazz Band Trip

First Snow!!

Wednesday November 9th, 2011

2011-11-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

So far so good. The kids have been very generous with their knowledge of the human body and its systems during our many forums this week. In an effort to continue this thread they have chosen one body system each to research, illustrate and present to the lower grades. Each student will use an outline of their own body as a scaffold to highlight digestive organs, skeletal structure, respiratory function, and so on. We call it our 'iSkinless' assignment.

The class also dove directly into Darwin's Origin of the Species by analyzing and paraphrasing actual passages, first as a class, and then solo on their Wiki's (check it out, parents). We also witnessed and discussed Darwin's theories of Natural Selection, Extinction, and Cooperative Evolution illustrated through awesome animations by Adam Goddard and Warren Brown. Must see here:http://vimeo.com/25246594

For our audio/video selection this week we watched National Geographic's: The Incredible Human Machine. It gave us an in depth look at our intricate anatomy as well as incredible medical advancements such as, stem cell ligaments, audio wave controlled humans (seriously), and artificial retinas that help translate light into sight. See more here: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/incredible-human-machine/

In Math we learned how to use division to reduce fractions, tried helpful tricks to easily divide any number by 5 and translated simple division into multiplication to help clarify problems. (Division, division, division.... hike!)

In our Fine Arts/Fabrication E.B. we finished our lanyards and art books and began our flute making project using real bamboo.

On Friday, thanks to our music teacher Cara, the entire upper school is going on a field trip to Hill Auditorium for a musical performance. Stay tuned...

-B

Wednesday November 2nd, 2011

2011-11-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

This week we kicked off our new theme, "The Human Body", with a class forum about what we know or have heard about the origins of mankind (Darwin, Deities, Bacteria, etc.) We listened to a variety of myths and theories from the Greeks to the Navajo Indians and then the students were asked to write and illustrate their own.

In Math we learned how to find averages (mode, mean, median, range) using information from our classmates. Also, a few students got into the drivers seat to share some helpful tricks for multiplying by 9. All awesome.

On Halloween the kids worked together on a campus wide scavenger hunt complete with puzzles, mind benders, coded hints and riddles leading them to the golden trove of candy.

We watched an informative NOVA special on the origins of mankind including the harsh existence of the Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens and the archaeological treasure trove called 'the Pit of Bones' located in Atapuerca. Students were inspired to fashion their own tools out of simple objects outside and add to their all natural hand-made cave on the playground. It also generated some interesting questions such as: "Do diseases evolve?", "Did the Neanderthals have to worry about tainted raw meat making them sick?", "Could they have personalized their hunting tools to help identify which kills were theirs?"

Thursday and Friday I will be out with the other Homeroom teachers for the Isacs conference in Detroit. Marshall Killian will be substitute teaching as the students dissect a virtual frog, practice keyboarding skills and grammar, write haikus, and hike to County Farm Park. See you all Monday when we start by unlocking the meaning of Darwin's 'Origin of the Species'.

-B

Friday October 28th, 2011

2011-10-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

During this short week homeroom students reflected on their independent reading, participated in a forum reflecting on mankind's next big innovation, practiced spelling, used mnemonic devices to improve memory and practiced more proper word usage to improve their grammar.

Some speculative ideas included personal multi-service devices, train transportation replacing cars, flying cars, household robots, and using holograms to communicate in real time. The Nova special "What's the Next Big Thing?" then provided some audio visual theories on what might actually be close at hand such as social robotics, and even auto-pilot cars and smart power grids that use communicative wireless technology to avoid regular disasters like collisions and blackouts. (The students were too savvy to fall for this however, knowing first hand how unreliable and unpredictable wireless technology can be.)

Our Fine Arts/Fabrication E.B. class also took bookmaking to the next level buy manufacturing our own drawing tools using balsa wood, creating original abstractions using india ink, and binding them into our own personal art books.

Today for Eco-Fair the entire upper school went on a field trip to the Dana Building on the U of M campus to experience some hands on sustainability techniques and learn about present and future environmental and ecological concerns. Here are some snap shots:

Next week we start our new theme, "The Human Body". See you then. -B

Hands-On Museum Biofuel Workshop

2011-10-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday October 20th, 2011

2011-10-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

This week the students took a virtual tour of the cosmos using an awesome application called SOLARWALK and learned a lot of interesting facts about the planets in our solar system. Did you know that Neptune was the first planet located using mathematical prediction rather than observation? Also Pluto was named by an 11 year old girl in Oxford, England. A screen shot of this beautiful program is provided below. So cool.

Students also had a grammar assignment that helped define Homonyms, Capitonyms, and Heteronyms. Then they created their own and practiced proper word usage (two vs. too, where vs. wear etc).

We also watched another episode of Terry Jones' Ancient Inventions. So much insight into the genius of ancient civilizations. For instance, we learned that the ancient Romans were the first to discover the deliciousness of the hamburger and that an ancient Greek, Heron of Alexandria, harnessed the power of steam to create the first movable sliding doors located in a temple of Apollo. Also, the first address system started in Venice, and the first movable type actually originates from ancient Chinese and Korean technology. (Here is a link to a clip so you know I'm not messing with you) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqZzp--ISNw

In Math, students learned Roman Numerals, how to read a ruler and how to use a ruler and a map scale to calculate distances between cities on a map of Michigan. We ended the week, as usual, with a cumulative review in the form of Jeopardy, (a class favorite).

We also finished Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and have started our new class read-aloud; Gideon DeFoe's Pirates!: In an Adventure with Scientists. A brilliantly witty series of books everyone should check out.

Tomorrow we are going to be visited by some pro's from Ann Arbor's Hands-On Museum who are going to give us a workshop on Bio-Fuels.

Later, -B

Friday October 14th, 2011

2011-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today we had a guest speaker from Ann Arbor's Department of Planning and Development who spoke to the kids about the responsibilities of a city/urban planner. He educated us about considerations like accessibility, wildlife and tree preservation and how to read a real schematic that is currently under consideration. It was pretty awesome.

Then Dr. George came by to unlock the secrets of Sea-Gel. Students learned about Phase Diagrams, Sublimation, and the states of matter (solid, liquid, gas). For more, the Doc has posted an informative video on his blog at: http://drgeorgesk.blogspot.com/

More Homeroom hijinks included identifying and creating imperative, declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences, using an iPad app to make our own class Madlibs to reinforce our understanding of sentence structure, the sci-fi epic Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and getting well underway on student driven projects.

Have a good weekend. -B

Wednesday October 12th, 2011

2011-10-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

With a lot of hard work and determination the kids finished their multi-media Biome projects. They turned out great but the files are a bit too big to post here. Rest assured, you will get a chance to see them during Parent Teacher conferences in the upcoming weeks.

The students also stepped into the curricular driver seat to choose their personal projects for the next few weeks. They were asked to produce a project outline, providing a statement of purpose, title, budget, materials etc. Future foci ranged from maximizing building accessibility for those with physical disabilities and automotive technology to wildlife sustainability and a play incorporating time travel. I can't wait to see what they come up with.

We also watched an episode of "Ancient Inventions" hosted by Monty Python member Terry Jones, just to get a taste of some historical genius innovation from the likes of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Mesopotamians, and Syrians. Did you know that ancient Eastern Indian doctors would use the mandibles of live Bengali ants to close internal wounds, in effect, providing the first known dissolving sutures? I didn't.

Later.
-B

Howell Nature Center Trip

2011-10-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Some choice photos.....

The Climbing Tower

Capture the Flag

Low Ropes Course

Zip Line

See you Monday.. -B

Wednesday October 5th, 2011

2011-10-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

A short, but very rich week. The students were given individual long term research projects about choice biomes (Desert, Aquatic, Chaparral, Tiaga, Tundra, Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, Grassland). Each student researched specifics of their biome, created 3D images of their biome using Bryce, then composed biome inspired musical scores using GarageBand. All of this hard work will then cumulate into eight educational Quicktime movies which can be used to inform other grade levels on our planet's ecosystems. Stay tuned for the completed awesomosity next week.

Students also created their own individual Wiki's for posting daily journal entires, assignments, projects, and shared info.

This week's top class picks from ECOPOLIS' energy solutions:

1. Sir Chris Smith's Nuclear Fusion reactor using a Litihum mixture and electromagnetism to generate the power of the sun on earth. (Class favorite).

2. Jim Rowan's friction free new vertical designed wind turbine that uses magnetism technology and captures wind from all directions. See this awesome design:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/magwind_vertica.php

This week in Math the kids introduced me to the educational mayhem of 'Factor Tag' and I introduced them to the educational mayhem of Math Bingo and Jeopardy.

Tomorrow is the all school field trip to the Howell Nature Center. The kids will be participating in the climbing tower, low ropes course, capture the flag, and zip-line. I will post pictures of the events this weekend for those who cannot attend. For everyone else, see you there.

-B

Friday September 30th, 2011

2011-09-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today our field trip to the Univeristy Ties program at the Dana Building was unexpectedly canceled due to building issues. Instead, we used that time to take a hike at County Farm Park, create original musical compositions using Garage Band, supplement time on Khan Academy and do quick research on interesting architectural and environmental topics for oral reports.
These included the X Seed 4000 Tower, Jules' Undersea Lodge, and Brazil's Brasilia.

We also had a birthday, which of course provided a platform for another 'This day in history presentation' by yours truly. We also had another visit from Dr. George who spent time with the kids exploring the technology and process of Nasa's Aero-Gel (from Wednesdays ECOPOLIS episode). Overall an eventful day.

Here is a pictorial journal of our first field trip to A3C Architects downtown:

Thursday September 29th, 2011

2011-09-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

The students spent two days this week working with the amazing free 3D rendering software Bryce 7. The environments and solar systems below were created from scratch by our students:

Super cool, no?

-B

Wednesday September 28, 2011

2011-09-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Today the Math class delved deeper into the geometric intracacies of chinese tangrams by making the necessary shapes from a single sheet of paper using a series of systematic folds and cuts and then creating their own simple pictures.

Today also brought another scintillating episode of Ecopolis, this time focusing on the buildings of the future. The students learned how NASA's 'Aero-Gel' technology made of 99% air can be used as a viable and efficient insulation and potential conventional window enhancer; and about Botanist, Frank Almeda's living green roof which uses the natural evaporation of plants (in coconut bio-trays) to help cool the energy wasting heat producing rooftops of city high-rises. Possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen though, was Duncan Earl's solution to the conventional light bulb (which produces more heat than light). He has devised a way called Hybrid Solar Lighting to capture the natural light using a plastic curved mirror equipped with solar tracking technology to follow the suns movement and feed it through fiber optics which carry it to necessary places inside buildings. Must see more: http://www.livescience.com/6925-bringing-sunshine-lives.html

We were also introduced to the incredible power of solar energy and the innovation of sprayable Solar Voltaic paint using Nano Technology PV cells. Spray-on Solar Panels. Awesome.

*Please remember our 3rd-6th grade Field Trip to the Dana Building in the center of U of M campus this Friday, the 30th from 9:30-12:30.

-B

Monday September 26th, 2011

2011-09-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

On Friday the kids had their first science field trip with Dr. George to Island Park for some Benthic Macroinvertebrate research:

Today we had another productive grammar assignment concerning punctuation, and in Math used funny money to help illustrate how to figure sale prices using percentages.

The students and I are also in the midst of designing a class 'work ethic rubric' to help build self-discipline and accountability for their time at school. I am proud of and support their initiative in enhancing their learning experience.

-B

Wednesday September 21, 2011

2011-09-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

What a productive week so far.

The students buckled down and finished their first formal audio/visual research projects in iMovie. The results are excellent. It was a challenging assignment and one that should prove useful to those who wish to learn more about famous architects and city planners in history.

We absorbed another great episode of ECOPOLIS. Our findings produced a great forum. See below:

This Episode focused on future modes of Transportation from Hydrogen Fuel cell cars, to Electric powered Jeepneys in Manila, and Silent Air Buses like the proposed SAX40 Plane which is 300 times quieter that the conventional liner. The favorite however was the Texas biologist Glen Kertz's Bio-Fuel made from pond scum algae lipids which could give the country an un-limited fuel supply that uses far less land than ethanol. Incredible stuff. You must see more at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BAEuJg5330

We also discussed the ethics behind all of these excellent ideas and the common factors that keep them all from becoming a reality. The students unanimously agreed; Psychology and Money.

"Getting people to 'buy into' radical ideas and give up their cars and trading the almighty dollar as the cause and effect of all worthwhile endeavors is the key."

We also touched on mankind's inclination, unlike most nature, to adapt/force its environment to meet its needs rather than adapt to its environment. This was reinforced by the quote by Jonas Salk:

"If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish."

As well as the classic S.F. short story "Enchanted Village" by A.E. Van Vogt.

In Math there was some confusion about plotting on the number line so we had a short lesson and then made our own outside to clarify the value of + and - numbers using height.

We also put our geometric perception and sorting perspective to the test with some Tangrams which the students found deceptively challenging.

All good things.

-B

Friday September 16th, 2011

2011-09-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today our class embarked on its very first field trip.

We visited the innovative and eco-conscious architects at A3C downtown. The kids were given an interactive tour of the facility including a scavenger hunt through the roof top garden. They were also introduced to the variety of recyclable materials used throughout from blue jean insulation, to recycled tire stairways. It was an interesting trip overall and the students behaved very well their first time out together.

Before leaving we had a fun creative writing journal entry I call 'Imaginary Dictionary'. For this, the kids create definitions for provided make-believe terms as well as their own. The object is to accumulate as many as we can throughout the year in order to build our own one of a kind book of reference.

Some hilarious and creative results:

Turplesnit - "When you sneeze three times in a row."

Kassifle - "A burnt waffle."

Platoplysm - "A rare type of animal that is a cross between a platypus, hippo and bird."

Barleyosis - "When you almost eat cereal."

Poodakladikis - "What you get after a snake bites you on the hand."

Awesome.

-B

Wednesday, September 14th 2011

2011-09-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our group has begun our first research project in the form of audio/visual biographical reports.

Each student has been given a famous or influential architect or city planner to investigate. Then, using their newly gained skills in paraphrasing (Monday's English lesson) along with pertinent images regarding their topic, the students will use iMovie to display their research and the voiceover feature to bring the visuals to life. As they are completed I will attempt to post them to the blog or ask admin to add them to the SK website. Stay tuned.

Wednesday we watched another episode of ECOPOLIS, this time focusing on waste management techniques of the future. The students had some very strong opinions about a solution a team of Scientists in Singapore have developed; breaking garbage into toxic ash, packaging it in polyethalene and burying it deep in uninhabited islands. "That doesn't solve the problem though." "They're still just burying it." Other techniques were more positive in their eyes, such as Englands innovative Plasma Gasification application of turning waste into usable energy and the super soil called "Bio-Char" from Australia, which contains so much carbon and clay for useful bacteria to grow, it eliminates the need to use toxic fertilizers. Most popular though, was the concept of public air pressured trash tubes that carry the trash of the masses to re-sorting facilities, eliminating the need for carbon monoxide producing garbage trucks.

This week also introduced the students to Khan Academy as a math supplement:

B: "Okay guys, log off, it's time for lunch."

Students: "Can we just do these last two problems please?"

B: YES.

B: "What do you think of this?"

Student: "Can I do this at home? I have never wanted to do math at home before."

B: YES.

B: "How often would you like to do math on Khan?"

Student: "Um, everyday."

I hope you all have had a chance to check it out and keep tabs on their progress. All good things.

Parents:

*Don't forget about our first field trip to A3C Architects this Friday morning from 9:30-12:00!

*Also, I look forward to seeing you all on Curriculum Night Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

-B

Friday September 9th, 2011

2011-09-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Oh Boy...
Students were introduced to their personal school computers today. First, we addressed and discussed the rules and expectations when using school technology and signed responsibility contracts.
Everyone did very well. Our first digital journal entries were the most productive yet. I am very impressed with the range of style and topics generated. Afterwards, we visited the Popular Science Future City website at http://www.popsci.com/futurecity/plan.html
and navigated through a number of incredible technological inventions ranging from Energy Paint that works like a solar panel; Power Sidewalks that generate energy with every pressure making step; and transportation in the form of reusable, compact, community Podcars and super sonic Sky Trains for efficiently transporting the masses of the future.

Students then picked the inventions they found most fascinating and used the internet to research them further, looking up existing examples, key terms, etc. The fruits of their efforts are pictured above. There is actually a 'Power Sidewalk' type of dance floor in France that powers the local city traffic signals. Awesome.

Today also marked their first encounter with the inimitable Dr. George. I was able to get a snap shot of the board at the end of class. Some excellent inquiries were produced during their session such as "Is there natural pollution?" and "What is the difference between unpolluted and pure?"

We ended the week with some quiet study/reading time and a bit of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy from, yours truly.

See you next week.

-B

Thursday September 8th, 2011

2011-09-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today we began our first Audio/Visual day with episode one of the Science Channel's special 'ECOPOLIS' (follow this link for more info: http://science.discovery.com/tv/ecopolis/ecopolis.html).

Ecology+Metropolis=ECOPOLIS

As a result we learned about some amazing concept technology including a refrigeration device called the Q-Drive that cools using sound waves, thus eliminating the need for moving parts and harmful chemicals that now riddle landfills. We were also introduced to a water purification system that uses ultra violet light, filters 1/300 the width of a human hair and reverse osmosis to recycle raw sewage into clean drinking water for the masses (eewwww). There are even Scientists in Singapore using Aeroponics and Dynoponics to grow vegetables in mid-air without soil, vital in areas with little land to spare.

One student even thinks he found his research topic in studying the Huron River and natural vs. man-made filtration systems!

Stay tuned.. -B

Wednesday September 7th, 2011

2011-09-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today we officially began our academics with two writing assignments:

1. Our "Ask Einstein" bulletin board holds curiosities and questions that may be off topic. Each student contributed at least one question for us to examine later.

2. Our first Journal entry topic (which is always optional):

"If I were to write my autobiography, the first paragraph would be...."

Students were asked to provide 5 sentences regardless of the topic they chose to write about.

We had our first official forum about our Future City theme. Imagination and originality reigned supreme as you can see:

Concepts ranged from Automated Computer housing, holographic communication devices, Giant Pod communities where we all live together, Currency being replaced by a Trade/Barter Economy, and Automatic Knowledge centers. Needless to say, I am very pleased.

We also celebrated a student's 11th birthday with his own homemade cupcakes and a 'This Day in History' presentation from, yours truly.

We began our math class with a lesson on number sequences and codes using the fibonacci sequence as a springboard. We solved a list of them together and then the students attempted to 'stump the teacher' with their own. They seemed to enjoy this and did very well.

We ended our class day with a game of spelling baseball outside. Every one was very supportive and everyone got on base. "You can do it!" was heard from all sides (music to my ears). Again they wished to try and stump the teacher with grandiose words from their dictionaries.

Looking forward to more!

Mr. B

Future City Planning Project

2011-09-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

Our first theme, which is on a slightly different orbit from the rest of the school, focuses on the innovations and ethical questions about our physical place in the world. What gives a city its purpose? What geographic considerations are going to be required in the future that aren't now? In terms of useful technology and invention, how far do we go? Does 'WE COULD' really mean 'WE SHOULD'?

The curriculum will be two-fold, the first part consisting of projects, lessons and trips designed to inform and prime their already burgeoning interests. The second part will find the students using what they have learned to plan and build long-term projects that have special relevance to them and their community. Although the theme technically sounds as if all the students are required to "build a city" this is not so. Students may find tangents along the theme that serve as catalysts for other directions. I welcome this.

Students will be introduced to relevant literature and media such as The Science Channel's ECOPOLIS series; Take field trips to learn from professionals and structures in the architectural and city planning fields, the first of which will be A3C Architects; Build and animate virtual worlds and structures with 3-Dimensional Design software, as well as their bare hands; Participate in forums about technology's glass ceiling and the relevance of cities that have prospered and failed in the past (Babylon, Rome). In addition, our class will be pursuing the initiative of producing USEFUL MEDIA.

USEFUL MEDIA INITIATIVE
In an age of ever growing technology that seems to be focused more and more on entertainment and shallow aesthetics, a re-direction of our younger generations concept of technology and its purpose is becoming a vital imperative. In that interest our class will concern itself with the production of useful media that either serves the community, those in need, or the greater good. Some examples of useful media that could take place at this level are: Audio/Video tutorials for teaching software to younger grades, Ground-up Student designed/produced newscasts, Marketing materials for our school or other non-profits & awareness groups, and Educational Podcasts. Some key academics inherent within this context include: learning to paraphrase, speech & cadence, grammar, technical writing, optimal online research skills, editing, and on the job problem solving. The overlying purpose of this initiative is to impart the value of a useful life through the practical utilization of technology on a local level, thus illustrating that the proper application of ability can be the catalyst for permanent change.

-Mr. B

5th-6th Grade Schedule

2011-09-03T02:42:00.000-07:00

Below you will find our schedule for the first semester.

Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns:

mbenglian@summers-knoll.org

*Also, if there are any parents who would like to volunteer for lunch/recess duty at the Good Shepherd location please let me know.

Thank you and see you all real soon. -'Mr. B'

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday

8:45 AM

9:45 AM
10:30 AM

11:30 AM

12:30 PM

1:15 PM

2:10 PM
2:30 PM
3:30 PM



	French	Homeroom	Latin	Art	PE
	Dr. George	Lunch/Recess	A.M.Recess	Math	Music

*All Specials with the exception of Art and Music will take place at the Good Shepherd building.

2011-08-07T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to our new Summers-Knoll 5th & 6th grade blog. I look forward to meeting everyone and working with all of you throughout the school year.

This year we are going to investigate, explore and create through self-motivated projects, field trips and lessons designed around bi-monthly themes and geared towards heightening problem solving abilities, strengthening reading and writing skills, and utilizing new technology and software. Our class should be viewed as a safe and nurturing forum to build, discuss, and reason in, both as a team and as individuals. I encourage and expect each of you to take chances, ask questions, be bold, respect each other, and of course be safe.

For starters, here are the bi-monthly themes we will be focusing on this year:

Sep-Oct: Future City Planning Project

Nov-Dec: The Human Body

Jan-Feb: Maps & Migration

Mar-Apr: Tools

May-June: Class Trip/Graduation

I can't wait to get started. We already have a field trip planned for September the 16th to visit an architect firm downtown and learn about regenerative city planning and sustainable building for the future.

See you soon,

Mr. B

*Please remember to bring along a book to read everyday and keep checking this blog for updates and information about our class and community activities.