Math Playground – Computation

You can review other math concepts as well–just type the topic you need help with into the search box!

click here to go to Khan Academy 

Math—Algebra Concepts and Skills, Fractions-Decimals-Percents

In this unit your child will be introduced to pre-algebra concepts and skills.  They will concentrate on solving problems using a balance-scale model, which means making sure that a change to one side must be compensated with a change to the other side. Students will also represent relationships as algebraic expressions.

In the next part of the unit students will investigate the relationships among fractions, decimals, and percents.  They will learn strategies to change numbers from one form to another in order to solve problems.

As always, we strongly encourage your child to continually practice their basic facts: multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, and estimation skills.  The ISM Portal has several links to games that can help reinforce these skills. Your child knows how to access them!

Science—Variables and Light and Sound Energy

Over the course of the year we have spent a lot of time designing and carrying out investigations using the scientific method.  We’ve talked a lot about making our investigations a “fair test” in the past three quarters.  However, in this unit we will introduce how to do that in a more scientific fashion by controlling and manipulating variables through investigations involving sound and light.  We will also be focusing on the transdisciplinary skill of critical thinking and problem solving as students become more self-directed in designing their own investigations.  Below is a brief summary of some of the science concepts we will be learning about:

• Variables:
  • Independent Variable—the one thing you change in an investigation
  • Controlled Variable—all the other things you keep the same in an investigation
  • Dependent Variable—the outcome of your investigation (usually this is what you measure)
• Energy:
  • Sound and light are forms of energy that travel in waves
• Light:
  • Light is a form of energy that travels in transverse waves in a straight line
  • Color is the light that bounces back
  • We don’t see things, we see light bouncing off of things; light can bend, bounce, absorb or go through objects
  • When light slows down it changes direction; this causes it to be reflected or refracted
  • Reflection—light bouncing back: straight on and straight off
  • Refraction—light that is curved or bent  (changes course slightly )
• Sound:
  • Amplitude—height of wave; louder or quieter; measured in decibels (dB)
  • Loudness—how “loud” individuals perceive sound to be
  • Pitch—highness or lowness of a sound based on frequency
  • The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch

Pi Day is every March 14th.  Get it? 3.14???

To participate in the class reciting contest:

        1.Get a slip of the first 100 places of pi from Ms. Navar.

        2.Spend every free moment from today until 3/14 memorizing as much of pi as you can.

        3.Be ready to recite in front of the class (you get a second chance if you mess up the first time).

You can also bring pie to share as a treat after the contest!

(Please Please Please: bring plates and utensils if you bring pie.)

Just like real scientists, we will be sharing the results from our investigations and you invited to participate.

Thursday, February 16th 2012
Morning Sessions: 8:00am-9:00am

(Homebases presenting: Cooling, Navar, Powell, MacLachlan)

Afternoon Sessions: 11:00am-12:00pm

(Homebases presenting: Henshelwood, Elwell, Bird, Cook)

Sessions will be conducted in the science classrooms listed below.  Outside each room, a
schedule will be posted with the title of the presentation and the names of our
wonderful presenters.

Mrs.Cooling’s room (P024), Ms. Navar’s room (P029),

Ms. Powell’s room (P030) and Mr. MacLachlan’s room (P027).

Hope you can make it!

Click here to begin the fun!

Click here to start the fun!

Click on the link below to access the site.  Remember to have your data ready!  

Create a Graph

Okay Rock Stars, what are these?

**First person to correctly identify the three rocks below gets a very special pencil!!