Weekly News from E1-A
Unit of Inquiry: How the World Works
Central Idea: Transportation has evolved according to the needs of populations.
We warmly welcome back our students who were absent last week. We appreciate the efforts of our parents to give children the time they need to fully recover before returning them to school. Thank you for helping all of us to stay healthy. J
Snow! Last week brought the first real snow to our field and students had a lot of fun working together to build snow forts and giant snow balls. Check out the cooperation that Josh, Daniel, and Holt are exhibiting as they roll their enormous snowball across the field. Please remember to send snow boots and a change of shoes for your child on days when there is snow. We want them to be able to get out there and enjoy it!
Last week we continued exploring our first two lines of inquiry – how transportation has changed over time and the scientific principles underlying various modes of transportation. We began our class timeline of transportation and students are continuing to add to it as we read and explore new discoveries. We explored the invention of sailboats and worked on an engineering challenge to design a boat made with common materials that could carry weight and harness the power of the wind to move a set distance. We were so impressed with the creativity of design and the group decision making skills of the students as they planned, constructed and tested their sailboats.
You may have noticed that our book club selections reflect our transportation theme. In Stowaway, our main character is having lots of adventures aboard a sailing ship. In our first discussion of the book, it was exciting to hear students learn from each other’s perspectives, especially when someone pointed out the map at the back of the book that shows the ship’s route and someone else pointed out the list of the crew members. Meanwhile, our main character in Rodzina is traveling west on an orphan train. During a book discussion with this group, someone pointed out that all of the chapters were named for cities and we made connections to some of the cities listed in the book. We encourage you to also ask your child about their reading and help them navigate through some of the more difficult vocabulary or experiences in their novel.
In Math, we continued our exploration of rate by conducting an experiment to determine the average speed of a Hot Wheels™ car as it exits a ramp and travels along a runway. Students used the formula AVERAGE SPEED = TOTAL DISTANCE ÷ TOTAL TIME to determine the average speed of their car and then compared their results with other students on their team.
This week, we will begin looking at the steam engine and how it led to advances in rail and sea travel. We will also be asking students to decide on a form of transportation that they would like to research for their summative assessment project. Guidelines and more information on this will come home at the end of the week.
Lastly, a quick reminder that this Friday is our Halloween party. We ask that students bring their costumes in a bag so that they can change just before our parade and celebration (approximately 2pm).
We wish you a lovely, healthy week. - Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Guilbert, and Mrs. McNamee
