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June 3, 2013
Statistics Review
This video will help with tonight’s homework. This evening’s worksheet is more challenging than what this video covers because it asks kids to APPLY their skills in different ways. (In finding the median, for example, kids aren’t working with purely NUMERICAL data values. It’s possible, however. But to find the MEAN, kids will definitely need to get creative to choose a strategy! PARENTS: Don’t be alarmed if your son or daughter is STUMPED with the last question. It’s meant to be an ultra-challenge. The math isn’t so hard, but it’s intended to cause kids to develop some “outside the box” strategies!) Please let me know if these sort of videos are helpful to you!
Posted in Class Updates, Homework Assignments, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
May 16, 2013
Dividing Decimals
Looking for help with tonight’s homework? Look no further! Here is a video we recorded together in class today!
Posted in Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
May 13, 2013
April 1, 2013
Painting Conundrum
This is not quite what Charlie’s bedroom looks like, but this does show you what a top-down layout map could look like, although it is very detailed (such as the blanket being pulled down a bit, the book on the desk, etc.)
Posted online as promised…
When I went to the paint store to buy paint for Charlie’s new bedroom, I brought the two dimensions for Charlie’s bedroom. (How wide it is and how long it is.) I asked the salesman if one gallon of paint would be enough, but he couldn’t answer me. Instead, he asked me another question. Why couldn’t he answer my question, and what question did he ask me?
All answers must be WRITTEN (or emailed), and both parts of the question MUST be answered. Correct answers to this OPTIONAL enrichment challenge will earn students a HOMEWORK PASS good for skipping one math assignment during this unit!
…aaaaaaaand, GO!
Posted in Class Updates, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
March 11, 2013
Comparing and Contrasting Teachers
Mickey Mouse loves this kind of graphic organizer!
Over the past few weeks, we have worked on comparing and contrasting. Venn diagrams are hardly new for students, and the skill of classifying ideas, details, objects, or properties into categories is something that the kids will need throughout their lives.
Our focus today was on creating an organized venn diagram. We broke the process down into five steps.
ONE – List all your ideas in the venn diagram. All of ’em!
TWO – Look for matching types of information on both sections, such as favorite foods, professions, character traits, etc. By organizing your information into these pairs, it is easier for to write a clear paragraph later on!
THREE – Look for information that gives valuable insight into the two things being compared. For example, when comparing two people, skip the basic things like “boy” or “girl” in favor of more thoughtful details, like “honest” and “deceitful.”
These first three steps are helpful because you will have your content carefully organized. When you begin to synthesize the information in a written response…
FOUR – Keep your writing organized. Start with differences and then explain the similarities, or vice versa. But don’t jump back and forth as ideas come to mind. Be organized!
FIVE – Be sure to use plenty of supportive evidence. Don’t just say Character A is honest and Character B is deceitful. Rather, explain WHY each character deserves those traits.
With all this in mind, here is your homework for tonight. It can be printed and returned, or, if you don’t have access to a printer, you can email the file to me to print.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE HOMEWORK!
Posted in Homework Assignments, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
February 26, 2013
Cyberchase: Lost My Marbles
Tonight’s homework relates to an episode of Cyberchase (recommended by #17!) that uses map coordinates to help the group of kids to find a lost treasure. While I adjusted the worksheet to fit the style of coordinates we are using in math, it does tie into the episode. It might be fun for you to watch the episode before or after you do the worksheet. (This is optional, but recommended, because there are plenty of good math skills being used in the show!) I have inserted all three parts of the 30 minute show below. Remember, these are the only three videos I’m inviting you to watch. If you click on the YouTube link to watch other videos, you ABSOLUTELY MUST have a grown-up’s permission. Enjoy!
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 3 of 3
Posted in Class Updates, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
February 13, 2013
MWfWW3: Write about what you know.
Always think carefully to decide if the topic you’re THINKING of writing about is really something you KNOW enough about.
Tip 3: Write about what you know.
Effective writers write about what they have schema about – what they KNOW. I could write a story about teaching, parenting, technology, cooking, woodworking, or any number of other things. But, I would never try to write a story about soccer, France, or giraffes, because I know very little about these things. It’s important to write about what you know for a number of reasons:
- It helps you to be more accurate, realistic, and believable in your writing.
- It helps your story to stay focused.
- It helps you to stay interested in what you’re writing about.
- It helps you to develop a detailed piece of writing.
When you have specific areas that you’re really knowledgeable about, you can make a “pocket prompt” that you can use to inspire your writing. Because you have schema about so many different things, you should be sure to have several “pocket prompts” that you can use at a moment’s notice!
The tough part is when you’re NOT able to choose the topic of your writing. Often times, a writing prompt will assign a particular topic to you. That’s why you should have several “pocket prompts” ready, not just one. (Sometimes, your ideas just won’t fit with a prompt topic, and you need to make a new plan. Flexibility is key.)
Imagine my “pocket prompt” is that I know a lot about website design. I can work that into a lot of different prompts:
Prompt: Write about a time when something special happened to you.
My idea: I will write about when I got to teach summer campers how to build their own websites.
Prompt: Write about a time when you got lost.
My idea: I will write about getting lost at Best Buy. I found one of their computers that they had on display, hopped onto the internet, and quickly made a website called “Lost Kid” where I posted that I was lost in a store and that I needed my mom. My mom found my site and we went home, but a lot of other people liked the site and now it’s used by kids all over to find their parents when they get lost.
Prompt: A baby elephant walks up and tugs on your sleeve. What happens?
My idea: I take the elephant back home and make a website called “Found Elephant” where I posted photos of the little fellah. In a few hours, the Bronx Zoo called and told me that they found my elephant and that the elephant snuck out that morning in a delivery truck.
Prompt: One day, the power goes out for many hours. What happens?
My idea: Hmm… Maybe the website idea doesn’t fit here! I need to think of something else I have schema about. Oh! I like to cook! I can write about how my family and I made a whole dinner that required no electricity at all to prepare! Cool idea!
Posted in Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
February 7, 2013
MWfWW2: Make sure you can resolve your story.
Tip 2: Make sure you can resolve the story in the time and space you have been given.
Think about some of the best stories you’ve read. Think about some of your favorite authors. Many of the best stories out there have the right amount of detail to fill 50, 100, 200, or even 800 pages. But if you think about Harry Potter (or do I mean Perry Hotter?), J. K. Rowling never could have written the same kind of story if she tried to squeeze it into only a few pages. With that many events happening, the story would have been confusing and awkward.
Effective writers consider their purpose.
That means that, as an author, you need to think about WHY you are writing. If you’re planning on writing a novel, you will probably want lots of different details and events that will fill a book in an entertaining way. If you’re writing an informational brochure that advertises a product, you will want to think about what will make people want to buy your product. If you’re writing a short story, you want to be direct and focus on key details and events.
As an author, you might have a time limit to work in. You will often need to track this time yourself. (You may not have this lady here nagging you.)
Most of the creative writing you do in school is short story writing. When you plan the events of a story, make sure you are developing a story that you can tell from beginning to end in the time and space you are given – often in 45 minutes and on no more than three sheets of paper.
Your assignment this evening is to PLAN (not write) a story that you would be able to fully write (beginning to end) in 45 minutes. Think about what details you want to include and what events will best fit, since you may not be able to include each and every idea that pops into your mind. Here is your topic (as chosen by a class vote):
Imagine you had the opportunity to go back to any time or place in history. Describe what happened. How did you get there? Who did you see? What did you do? How did you get home?
Leave a comment describing what key EVENTS and DETAILS will be in your story. We should have an idea of what your story will be. (Imagine that you’re writing a SUMMARY of your story before you actually write the whole story. Odd, huh?)
Have fun! Remember, if we have a snow day tomorrow, stop back for a follow-up activity.
Posted in Homework Assignments, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
February 5, 2013
MWfWW1: Keeping your story under control.
Don’t be this author! Don’t “write yourself into a corner!”
Tip 1: Keep your story under control so that you can resolve the problem! Don’t write yourself into a corner!
We all know the story of “You Know Who’s” House Disaster. (No names on the website, remember?) It’s the story of the girl who plays ping-pong in her basement and bursts a pipe, flooding the basement and eventually the whole house. Filled to the roof with water, the house lifts off its foundation, floats down the hill, and ends up in the middle of traffic where it gets smashed to smithereens by two tractor trailers.
Zounds! It is a fun story, but how in the world can we RESOLVE the story?! This story has gotten out of control, and there’s no easy way for us to solve the problem.
Your assignment is to revise the story so make it more controllable. You can change it at any point, but don’t rewrite the whole thing. (For example, don’t get rid of the flooding basement problem.) Focus on making changes that would allow you, as the author, to stay in control of the story so that you can resolve the problem at the end.
Don’t WRITE the new version of the story. (That would take a long time!) Instead, describe what EVENTS would be in your story to keep it controlled for you, as the author. Your revisions must include a SOLUTION to the problem. Begin your response like this:
If I was the author, I would ________
Remember, no names at all. Also, if you choose to give feedback to a classmate, keep your comments kind and constructive.
Posted in Homework Assignments, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss
January 30, 2013
Help with Long Division
Good evening! If you need help with long division, this video (below) may help. I made it last year (when I taught skills in a slightly different order), so fast forward to 1 minute, 11 seconds into the video. I use an older strategy (DMSB) instead of our newer strategy (DMSCB?) which might be unusual for you. (If so, keep on reading!)
This next video (below) walks you through tonight’s homework assignment. Consider using it to check over your work when finished, to get you started on some tricky problems, or, if you’re really having a hard time, it can walk you through an entire problem. Unlike the first video, this video does use the DMSCB? strategy, which we talked about in class.
Posted in Homework Assignments, Learning Resources|By Jon Moss