Happy fall everyone!

What a month it has been so far! Our Star Wars Expedition has taken us to the Fleishman Planetarium in Reno, and even to Austria for a teleconference with some astronomers. If you missed our conversation and would like to check it out, we’ve posted it online here.

Students have been hosting some wonderful book clubs as we explore the world (or more appropriately, the universe) of science fiction. We’ve been reading A Wrinkle in Time, Ender’s Game, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Martian Chronicles, all of which offer a unique perspective on the struggles of the universe.

Students have been demonstrating their knowledge of essential science skills and pertinent details about our ssolar system in a variety of ways: first, we created a Metric Mini-Me, where we mastered metric length by measuring the length of major body parts and then squished a portait of ourselves onto a strip of 10 centimeters wide. It was a great challenge to see whose mini-me looked most like its illustrator! Then we created the Planet-Foldable, where we made accordian books to collect all the important data related to our planets. This week, we submitted some fabulous concept maps on our solar system. If you’d like to see your student’s hard work, be sure to check in their expedition notebook or stop by the classroom to see some work up on the walls.

This week we are gearing up to head out to Mono Lake as we dive deep into our explorations of our universe. Students have been working hard on their expert group presentations; topics range from The Big Bang, to The Drake Equation, to Nebula, to Black Holes. We will also have an opportunity to serve the community of Mono Lake with a service project through the Mono Lake Committee. Huge thanks to our parent volunteers for making our fieldwork a possibility!

Our math investigations so far have explored some mathematical models, specifically linear equations and inverse variation. We are still working hard to master our mathematician skills and learning a lot about how to make sense of our mathematical world. We recently dove into some investigations involving the Pythagorean Theorum and are learning how geometry and algebra can connect in really cool ways.

Don’t forget to go online and sign up for conferences (October 14 – 18); that week is also minimum days, so please be sure to make the proper arrangements for transportation. Students will receive a goal-setting and reflection document this week; please work with your student to ensure they come to their conference prepared to share!