Dear Parents,
I hope you all had a relaxing weekend. We are entering our
fifth week of third quarter, and we have lots of exciting things going on:
In math class we are working on fractions. Some of the
students have seen fractions in their online math lessons or in previous years,
but we are discussing them for the first time this week in class. We will be
using pictures, word problems, and physical manipulatives to help students get
a concrete understanding of what fractions are.
In science class we will be doing an experiment on states of
matter, and we will also begin studying the earth’s interior. We also have a
science test on Friday. The test was announced to students last week, and it
will likely be easy relative to some tests we have had. The test will be
focused on graphs, the scientific methods, and observations vs. inferences. The
students like the graphs, and they seem to understand them well, and these will
comprise most of the test. Here is the study guide:
1.
Students should be able to interpret horizontal and
vertical bar graphs, and they should be able to create their own bar graphs
when given a simple set of data. Here is
a link that gives a simple explanation of bar graphs and also some sample bar
graph interpretation problems. http://www.mathsisfun.com/data/bar-graphs.htm
2.
Students should be able to interpret line graphs
with a single line of data, and they should be able to create their own line
graphs when given a simple set of data. Here is a link that gives a simple
explanation of line graphs and some sample line graph interpretation problems. http://www.mathsisfun.com/data/line-graphs.html
3.
Students should be able to interpret line plots,
and they should also be able to create their own line plots when given a simple
set of data. The first 2.5minutes of this video are useful to explain line
plots. The information on range, mode, median and beyond is unnecessary. https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=line+plot+tutorial&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002
4.
Students should understand what type of
information typically requires a bar graph and what type of information
typically requires a line graph. (Line graphs usually show changes in one thing
over time, while bar graphs usually compare and contrast different items all at
once. Of course, line graphs can compare changes in several things over time,
but we are not showing that to the students right now.
5.
Students should give an appropriate title to all
graphs and line plots they make. For example, a line graph reflecting changes
in average temperature in Good year over the course of a year could be titled “Average
temperatures in Goodyear 2015” or something similar.
6.
Students should label the number scale and data
points (x and y axes) for all graphs they make. For example, the number scale
of the line graph mentioned in 4 could be labeled “Temperatures” or “Temperatures
in Goodyear.” The data points could be labelled “Months” or “Months in 2015.”
Each month should have its own increment. Similarly for bar graphs and line
plots students should make labels that explain what the number scale
represents. (Temperatures? Numbers of students with a certain favorite food?
Ages of students?) They should also label their data points, so the reader understands
what the data pints are (Cities with a certain temperature? Favorite foods? Students
at certain ages?)
7.
Students should make sure their number scales
for graphs are evenly spaced on their page and reflect even increments of
numbers. A number scale could be labelled 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 etc., or it could be
labelled 0,5,10,20,30 etc., or any other even numerical increments. It cannot
be labelled 0, 5, 10, 13, 15, 20, 30, 40, 57, etc.
8.
Students should know the revised steps to the scientific method in order: 1.Observe 2.Ask a question (about the
observation) 3. Make a hypothesis (a “best guess” of what the answer to the
question is) 4.Experiment 5.Collect the results 6.Draw a conclusion (based on the results)
7.Communicate the results
9.
Students should know the difference between an
observation and an inference. (An observation is something you personally see
or experience. An inference is a reasonable conclusion drawn from an
observation. This is similar to a cause and effect relationship.)
10.
When presented with a simple observation,
students should be able to come up with a reasonable inference. For instance,
if a gardener has two of a certain kind of plant, one in the sun and one in the
shade, he might observe the plant in the sun is taller and stronger than the
one in the shade. He could infer that this kind of plant prefers sunlight or
that it grows best in sunlight. Similarly, given an observation and inference,
students should be able to distinguish which is which.
I’m sure many of you have noticed
the shift from flashcards to multiplication worksheets. Hopefully this will
save you some time in the evenings. Please be aware that these worksheets are
part of your students’ grades. They will be calculated as part of the “participation”
portion of the students’ grades on the principle that fluency in math facts
enables students to be effective class participants. The result is that these
worksheets will have a much stronger impact on students’ grades than if the
worksheets for calculated as homework. Please make sure your students are completing
their worksheets and especially that they are putting their names on them. Each
time I have collected worksheets, I have had several that had no name and had
to be thrown away.
Also, I’m sure you have all seen
the fliers, but 4A students are collecting donations to fund a piece of artwork
to hang in our classroom! It is a beautiful piece called “The Fighting
Termeraire,” and the students are very proud of it. Mrs. Walters, our classroom
parent, will also be emailing more information on the painting, how to contribute,
and how to arrange to view the painting so you can see what you are funding.
The painting will not be hung in our classroom until it is fully funded, so the
sooner we finish fundraising, the sooner our students can enjoy it!
To those of you who have already
contributed, thank you! In our first day of collecting donations, we have
already collected $70! This is a great start towards funding our painting.
These are all the notes I have for
the week. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email me at rwycklendt@archwaytriviumeast.org
Sincerely,
Miss Wycklendt
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