April & May

Systems: The Gray Area mystery continued to unfold as we considered the role of erosion
in the problem of the dying fish. Students tested the turbidity (amount of sediment) of the
Gray Area waters and found that one in particular had a problem with soil runoff.  Our
suspects became the local farm, cattle ranch, logging business, and surprisingly the growing
deer population in the area’s wilderness park.  Students followed the chain of events from the
hunting of the deer’s natural predators to the population boom, overgrazing, and lack of plant
cover to stop the erosion of sediment.  They also researched the effects of dirty water on
aquatic life.

Next, students conducted chemical and biological tests for phosphates and looked at the negative impacts of algal blooms on water life. They also evaluated our chromatogram results for the oil found in the bay. This brought us to the end of our suspect list having investigated acid rain, chlorine, sediments, phosphates, and oil as possible culprits in our mystery. We had an emergency board meeting to go over all the evidence and draw conclusions about the most likely reasons for the dying fish.  Students justified their votes with evidence and found that the answer wasn't as cut and dry as they may have thought. As in real life, with so many elements at play, there is often a lot of "gray area" when it comes to making the best choices for us and our environment. We also looked at possible solutions to the problems we've discovered and pros and cons of those as well.  I was proud of all of the students’ work, ideas, ability to think through different layers of the issues, and the connections they made to our overarching systems theme.

We finished with a little year-in-review game.  Students answered some systems questions using Kahoot and their responses earned them some positive or not-so-positive inputs to their forest and pond snack ecosystems.  A little acid rain with that dirt dessert?!? :)

Critical and Creative Thinking: Students enjoyed getting creative as they were called on to
design hats for our fictional friends the ATs.  Using this prompt they came up with many clever
strategies to help solve their pest problem.

Can you design hats

For four-legged ATS

Who are bothered so much

By troublesome gnats?

They finished their novel study of Rachel Carson and continue to enjoy the brain stretching challenges we try to work into our days.  You can encourage them to beat summer boredom and keep up their skills using these websites!

https://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle

http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/logic/mastermind.html

https://sudoku.game/

M^3 (Mentoring Mathematical Minds) Digging for Data: Students continued to work hard
on analyzing data in our math unit.  They have evaluated various charts and graphs for
information that can and cannot be gained and practiced translating between modes of
organizing information.  Our latest math focus has been on surveys.  Students have learned how to write effect survey questions, conducted their own electronic surveys using Google forms, and finally selected appropriate ways to organize and represent their survey results.

Thanks for an amazing year!

Jones Gap State Park

We had a wonderful learning experience at Jones Gap!  Students explored the river and forest systems of the park.  They were able to use field guides for plant and animal identification, conduct several water quality tests, and understand the important interactions between the two habitats. Thanks to all our wonderfully behaved students and fantastic chaperons!

March

Critical and Creative Thinking:   We spent much of our time this month up to our knees in research as we prepared for our upcoming field study to Jones Gap State Park.  Students did a great job composing their expert cards highlighting one of the many living organisms that calls Jones Gap home. We also prepared by doing some vocabulary review.  Students can continue to practice the must-know terms at this link.  We also looked at water quality tests we will conduct at the park, layers of the forest, and life cycles of some of the macro-invertebrates we hope to find.  

Systems: We didn't neglect our Gray Area investigation.  Students looked at both chlorine and acid rain and new suspects in the mystery of the dying fish.  

First they role-played a reenactment of a meeting of the Gray Area Board of Supervisors where our suspect and owner of the water slide was consulted.  He shared results from chlorine tests conducted down the river from his business. Students took a closer look at the results from the chemical tests and performed a bio-assessment of their own on a macro-invertebrate called daphnia to check the more long term effects of chlorine on the area. They also examined some secret documents that provided further clues as to how the varying data could all add up.

Next, students looked at air pollution and acid rain as the possible culprits. They investigated pH testing and built their knowledge of acids and bases so they could apply it to the waters of Gray Area.  Finding the Gray Area rain to be strongly acidic, they then tested the various bodies of water in the region. They found some interesting results in that only one river in the area maintained an acidic pH.  This lead to further investigation into the geology of the area and the effects of acid on aquatic ecosystems. The owners of local factories as well as commuters were questioned and added to our pool of suspects.

Habits of Mind: We continued to practice our habits of Mind by challenging ourselves with several new brain games in our classroom.  Students tried their hands at three dimensional puzzles, Rush Hour, Kanoodle, Brain Spin, and the Crazy Pig Puzzle. Much fun and frustration was had by all!

February

Systems:

This month our Systems focus has been on water.  Students read A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry and saw the effects of disrespecting water as a resource. They also saw that there is hope for restoration of polluted waterways and how they can play a part in the solution.  Research was done on watersheds and students got to participate in a simulation of pollution's downstream journeyt.

We also looked at different tests that can be conducted to evaluate water quality.  Some of these tests will help us identify our Gray Area culprit. We learned about turbidity tests to check for clarity and sediments, (helpful in the investigation of the erosion caused by the clear-cutting logging company) phosphate and nitrate tests to see if fertilizers may be causing an abundance of algae growth, (helpful in the investigation of the cattle ranch and farm)  bio-assessment tests for macro-invertebrates, and pH tests.

Critical and Creative Thinking:

We had fun this month being creative with a few sketching challenges.  We practiced a growth mindset by using the drafting process to create original characters by incorporating our favorite parts of various designs and revising to a final product.  We also participate in a mash-up drawing challenge where students submitted ideas to a hat and had to combine the items drawn into one picture in a unique way.

Habits of Mind:

Students began our class novel study of Listening to Crickets by Candice Ransom.  This book is a biography about author and environmental activist Rachel Carson. As we read, we are taking to analyze and respond to the text as well as pick out the specific Habits of Mind Rachel used to find success in her field.

January

Systems: We officially embarked on our journey as environmental detectives!  Students began the new year with a review of systems and a teamwork challenge to prepare themselves for their upcoming experiences. Students were introduced to the Gray Area and the mysterious fish kill that has been taking place there over the last five years.  They met some of the key players (suspects?!?!) in the region, looked at maps of the area to identify factors that may be at play, and studied the history of the area as they compiled a timeline of events and developments over the past 100 years.  Throughout this semester they will be acting as scientists, council members, reporters, and detectives as they conduct tests and research to uncover the reason behind the declining fish population.

Critical and Creative Thinking: This month students enjoyed practicing their critical thinking with Sudoku puzzles.  We also had a lesson on idioms to help us use flexible thinking and solve our plexer picture puzzles.

 

Habits of Mind: Our Habit of Mind focus has been on persisting and strategies to overcome “the dip” when faced with a challenge.  Our favorite activity was reading the book, Grandfather Tang’s Story and using the 7 piece Chinese tangrams to recreate pictures.  Students even used the pieces to create their own original designs!

November & December

Systems: We moved from the crime scene to the forensics lab as students looked at how evidence is processed.  We studied DNA and its role in the justice system.  Students made beaded sequence chains as they learned about genetics and the double helix.  We also looked at DNA as ‘the greatest code on Earth!” with a short look at cryptography. Students had the chance to decipher messages from the CIA and create their own codes with some of the techniques they discovered by looking at the history of secret messages in crime detection.

Our analysts also used ink chromatography and chemical property lab tests to solve the “Case of the Dognapping” and the “Case of the Crummy Cake”.

Our next systems stop was the courtroom and how evidence is presented in trial.  Students loved our morning “You Be the Jury” warm ups!  We spent time researching the elements of the courtroom and the progression of trials.  Students made some excellent presentations to share with the class and we finished with playing the role of opposing attorneys in the Make Your Case game.  Use this link to play at home! http://www.scholastic.com/americanjustice/makeyourcase/

Critical and Creative Thinking: Our brain stretch focus has been on word analogies as we built vocabulary and looked for relationships between ideas.  Students practiced writing bridge sentences to test for a consistent  link between terms.

Try this one for yourself:  tornado : scary :: ALERT: _________

A. boring

B. dull

C. green

D. FUN!

We also carried over into figural analogies where they had to apply relationship thinking to compare images.

Habits of Mind: Our main Habit of Mind focus has been on gathering data.  Students used crime scene observations to consider the distinction between evidence and inference and the role of both when investigating.  We also practiced metacognition as we set goals and reflected on our learning so far this year.

M^3 (Mentoring Mathematical Minds) Digging for Data:  In our Data unit, we are working out the kinks in our understanding of different measures of central tendency.  Our small group sessions have impressed me as students are using great  strategies for organizing their work and are building confidence in distinguishing between terms and processes.  We have made our way through our practice checklists and students have enjoyed using various sources for learning in our blended setting.

Courthouse Field Study

We had a great time watching the judicial process and interacting with professionals in the field.  Our students were the best around!  

October Recap

Systems: This month our CSI focus has been on questioning and eye witness accounts.  Students participated in various activities geared toward understanding quality questions in interrogation, the often unreliable nature of eyewitness testimony, and the power of close observation. Students witnessed a theft in our own classroom and used what we learned about composite sketches to make a drawing of the perpetrator. We then looked at some online activities testing their powers of observation and helping them match the suspect with the crime.  Try them for yourself!

Art of Crime Detection

Perp Walk

Face Memory

We also used our time to do research into forensic science and the order of events when a crime scene is processed.  Students learned about Locard's Principle that criminals always take a trace of something with them and leave a trace of something behind at a crime scene. They also learned about collecting that evidence and how it gets from the crime scene to the courtroom.

Critical and Creative Thinking: This month students practiced reasoning strategies by using clues to complete matrix logic puzzles.  They used the given information to make one and two step deductions in order to find or eliminate matches between the puzzle categories.  These were a good test of growth mindset and a class favorite!

Habits of Mind: Our main Habit of Mind focus has been on Managing Impulsivity.  We read the book Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein and discussed it as a non-example of managing impulsivity, thinking before acting, and using your brain to manage your body.  Students then created their our Interrupting ___________ stories and presented them to the class.  I'll tell you, we have quite the creative crew!

We have also been practicing flexible thinking with our morning Morphic Thinking exercises and Persisting with Set puzzle and Mastermind challenges.

September in Review

A big THANK YOU to Ms. Lytle for getting things going this year and making the first month of ALERT a success! Here are some highlights of what students were working on in September.

Systems: Students were introduced to this year's theme of Systems and became familiar with system parts and how these parts interact. (Input, Output, Boundary, Elements)  They used these terms and concepts to identify and label systems they come in contact with everyday and to create a list of generalizations that can be made about systems.

• Systems have parts that work together to create a whole.
• Systems interact.
• Parts of systems are interdependant and rely upon one another.
• A system may be influenced by another system.

We are highlighting our study of systems by looking at forensics and crime scene investigation. Students began their study by looking at fingerprint evidence and handwriting analysis.

Critical Thinking: Using the Children's Guide to Critical Thinking, the three types of thinkers were introduced.  Students learned about Selfish Sam, Naive Nancy, and Fair-minded Fran.  Using these characters as a conversation starter, we began to look at the importance of being a critical thinker, and traits that critical thinkers have.        

Creative Thinking: Students have gotten familiar with our mascots of creativity, the Nerds!  We use these particular mascots because no two are alike, they are colorful, fruity, and fun- just like creative thinking! Students  explored our creative side by discussing and demonstrating the four keys to creative thinking.  We began by taking a simple figure, looking at it from various perspectives (flexible thinking), brainstorming what it could become (fluency of ideas), choosing the idea like no one else's (originality), and filling in the details of our picture (elaboration)! These creative pieces became the covers of our ALERT binders reminding us to "think outside the box"!

Habits of Mind:  Art Costa's Habits of Mind represent 16 traits that successful people can use when faced with a problem.  Throughout the year, we will be focusing on building these individual traits in students.  As an introduction, students looked at the habits collectively and became familiar with them playing our Habits of Mind matching game.

Morphic Thinking: We kicked off our Morphic Thinking morning routine where students warm-up with a spontaneous problem and boundary breaker.  We will be including these weekly. A spontaneous problem is a brainstorming type problem to be solved in a specific amount of time and scored according to the number and creativity of responses generated.  The point is to challenge students to be flexible thinkers, to elaborate on original ideas and to think fluently and creatively about a specific topic. A boundary breaker is a group experience which works toward creating a sense of community.  Students gain an awareness of and respect for the opinion of others by the use of questions that go beyond superficial depth and have no right/wrong answers.

M^3 (Mentoring Mathematical Minds) Digging for Data: We had our commencing Digging for Data math lessons and students looked at both their rights and obligations as we embark.  This math curriculum focuses heavily on discussion, defense of one's thinking, and writing about concepts.  Students were introduced to the term rate and collected data based on their rate of completing some chosen activities. They used this data to ponder the question "what is typical?"