How deep will you dive?

The great Alabamian author Harper Lee once said, "The book to read is not the one that thinks for you, but the one which makes you think."

One of the most important goals in reading this year will be to find books that are "just right" for each student.  This is followed by pushing ourselves to think while reading.  This weeks students were introduced to our "pool of reading."   In this pool, students recognize which area they typically spend time in while reading and how to push their thinking deeper.

For example, students often make predictions when reading.  One way to push their thinking is to state WHY they predicted what they did and also WHAT evidence from the book supports that thinking.  Another way to push student thinking is to try and make connections to other characters or books.  They can then compare and contrast character traits or plots.

How deep will you dive into your reading?

How Sweet it is to Get to Know You!!!

What a wonderful first two days of school it has been!  I have enjoyed putting sweet faces to the names!  Today we got to know a little more about everyone using M & M's!  Oh how sweet this year will be!

Egg Drop Results

Students successfully completed their first drop at 1 meter.  Using their observations and data from the first test, students made modifications and improvements to their egg drop device.  They were also given $4 to their budget to buy additional materials if they needed. it.  After making adjustments to improve their drag time, students complete a drop from 2 meters.  Students then compared their times from 1 meter and 2 meters.  

Teams that succesfully protected their egg from breaking at 2 meters AND improved their time were then invited to have their Egg Drop device dropped by the Hoover Fire Department.  We had 10 teams to participate.  4 teams survived the first drop of 35 ft.  3 teams survived a drop from 70 ft. and one team survived a drop from 100 ft!!!  

                                      

            

We are very proud of ALL our engineers!

               

How does the sun sustain ecosystems?

Egg Drop 2016

Just a few pictures from our EGG-citing test drop!  Students discovered they minimized the IMPACT. However, we want to improve our designs by maximizing the DRAG (air resistance). Stay tuned!

                              

                                     

                                           

           

#GlobalEngineer

      

Our Mission: Design and conduct a test to modify the speed of a falling object due to gravity.  

Translation:  EGG DROP 2016!  This week we are discovering the Engineering Design Process as we imagine, plan, design, create, test, and improve devices to protect and egg from cracking after being dropped from 3 feet?  6 feet?  20 ft?  

Students were given the same types and amounts of materials and asked to work as a team to accomplish their goal.  We focused the majority of our time on researching and planning.  We also began to build and will do our first testing early next week!  Stay tuned for results and modifications!

Up, up, and away!

                             

What is lift?  What is drag?  What does any of it have to do with me?

Today Captain Daigle came in to demonstrate for us the flow of air.  The best way for him to demonstrate this was using a hairdryer and a ping pong ball.  The force of the air pushed the weight upward and created LIFT.  He was even able to turn the hairdryer up to 30 degree angles without the force of gravity overtaking!    What a great way to demonstrate that when we ride in an airplane, science is all around us!

You can learn more about Captain Daigle and the Adopt a Pilot Program at www.southwest.com/adoptapilot.  There you can see Classroom Videos as well as lessons and activities!

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@WallisKids1

This is a protected account so you will need to be approved. Please email me directly if you are not approved.  This is a great way to see what your child is doing at school and for us to collaborate globally!  Happy tweeting!

Today we took FLIGHT

           

Today we took FLIGHT with our adopted pilot, Captain Daigle. He will be coming for the next few weeks to help us discover more geography, science, and math as well as life skills that we will need to "shoot for the moon!"  Today, we discussed characteristics that will help us reach our goals. 

F - Fearlessness 

L - Leadership

I - Imagination

G-  Gratitude 

H - Honesty

T - Tenacity

Mass, Volume, and Density OH MY!

Everything is made of matter and has a mass. If everything has a mass it has a volume. In today's lab students used these physical properties and began to explore density. Using brown sugar, students experimented with how and if density affected mass and volume.  We were able to dispel several "myths" students had. For example, simply because an object takes up a small amount of space does not mean the mass is also small. Likewise, if an object takes up a large amount of space it may not have a large mass. It depends on the density.....which depends on the mass....which depends on the volume. OH MY!!!

In the course of human events...

                 

"We hold these truth to be self evident...that all men are created equal and have certain unalienable rights among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. " 

It's an exciting week to uncover and investigate the brave and bold words of Thomas Jefferson and The Declaration of Independence. Students took the chance to read and retell this monumental document in their own words. This has been a great way for them to comprehend and remember our history!