And just like that, the Brisbin Crew slam-dunks their case study 1 book project; copies currently processing and will be issued to our class once in print.  Just ask your mighty crew member how much fun they had making these- their explanation will be accompanied by a smile.

You might just ask, well, what is their expedition about, Mrs. Brisbin?  I digress… Many moons ago my original SELS mac bit the dust.  Therefore, all passwords that I so conveniently saved onto my computer were also gone with the wind, including my account info.  Our speedy, tech guru came to my rescue immediately, but, alas, the monthly newsletter was back-burnered countless times until it was shameful, blah, blah.   To put it concisely, I am sorry! I promise to calendar in my newsletter articles so that they are as dependable as a Tahoe winter….

Our Spring Expedition is titled:  Connected Wisdom:  The Secret of the Spheres, with a guiding question that asks:  How do the major Earth systems interact to affect Earth surfaces, materials, and processes.  By aligning the expedition to Next Generation Science Standards, the common thread we found was a venn diagram sharing systems between the Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere (capitalized because these are our three case studies).

Our first case study focused on the layers of the atmosphere and the chemistry of our air.  After digesting many complex text articles and following some protocols to collect and organize our thoughts on the content, we developed a note taker which served as a guide in designing our expert pages for the layers of the atmosphere.  The book is an amazing example of our learning, and definitely lays the groundwork for further connected learning about our second case study…..

The biosphere.  As we expose ourselves to abiotic and biotic factors surrounding us, we remember that oxygen is a key component to the troposphere- with out oxygen (an abiotic factor), biotic factors cannot exist.  Our Cornell notes we are collecting are helping us learn that, to learn about ecosystems, we must start small, and expand, beginning with a molecule, then an atom, etc.  Before our biodome projects begin, we must learn about the connected systems, interactions, adaptations, and limiting factors that an ecosystem experiences….. so exciting.

Our third case study is the hydrosphere, where we will examine and explore water on our earth.  More to come with that!…..

5th grade math kids are learning standard algorithm and various strategies for multi-digit multiplication and division.  Students just took an quiz and seem to be right on track with their learning.  in the first two modules, students investigate a number of strategies that capitalize on their estimation and mental math skills and help them continue to develop strong number sense.  In the later modules, the standard multiplication algorithm is introduced and connections in multiplication and division with the area model.  The Dream Vacation of a Lifetime project that focuses on fluency of large and small numbers.  The due dates are calendared and the kids are chipping away at the project.  Please see the project details for more information!

4th grade math is deep into our fraction unit. We have explored fractions with hands- on manipulative such as egg cartons, money and grids. The students have learned how to make improper fractions as well as figuring out equivalent fractions. We have made the transition into creating fractions into decimals. The students can identify denominators and numerators and convert fractions to decimals and vice versa. With this, we have also learned how money relates to fractions and decimals. We are correspondingly learning about how to represent decimal numbers with digits to the hundredths place using place value models and fraction equivalents. We will continue with fractions and decimals with comparisons of each and expressing them with denominator 10 as an equivalent fraction with denominator 100. The students are similarly working on making sense of problems and persevering (grappling) to solve them.

Our writing projects are taking us into the persuasive genre- students are currently working on how to develop an on-demand write.  As students complete this assignment, we will focus on an expedition topic that they can develop an argument for, and write to one side.  We will participate in various protocols to develop their arguments, like the Socratic Seminar and the Fishbowl.  Students are also responding to their reading by filling out daily post-its and conferencing.

Some important dates:

April 6-10 – NO SCHOOL ; Spring Break

April 15 – Minimum Day

April 27 – May 12 State Testing for 3rd-8th

May 6 – Minimum Day

May 27-30  Monterey Fieldwork

Happy Spring Break, All!!

Julie