WMS: Math Message: LearnZillion!

Dear Families,

This weekend I assigned some review homework. I rarely assign homework on the weekend, and this time it's because we've had such a long time between learning some skills are the unit test that I felt students needed some refreshing. The homework this weekend is about finding surface area (the area on the outside of a 3D shape) and it is self-correcting (the answers are on the page).

But I wanted to share some information with you in case students need some help ore reminders.

Your child should have 3D models of this in their math notebooks

In class we have built paper-folding 3D models of blocks. They fold out flat into a format we call a "net". Using these nets, students can see that any one surface of a rectangular prism (block) is just a square or a rectangle itself. So to find the total surface area, you simply find those individual surfaces' areas and then add them up. The same is true for triangular prisms and pyramids, and students have models of those in their math notebooks, too.

This website, LearnZillion, is AMAZING!

So, wanting to find something for a family, I looked online and found a website I hadn't looked at in a LONG time. It has matured GREATLY and has some GREAT resources for you!. The site is called LearnZillion [link] and you can find tutorials to all of the common core state standards for 6th grade (and 7th, and 8th). Now, we are in a transition year, so we don't match up totally with this site yet. But we will by next year (for example, we still do circles in 6th grade in WA, but when we have moved over 100% to common core, that will be a 7th grade topic). 

There are interactive models, videos, and text explanations. They have a section specifically for surface area here and here; which is the topic reviewed in this weekend's homework!

I hope these resources are helpful and that you have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

WMS: Math/Science Update...

Dear Families,

Short weeks always go by so fast. And today we had a great send-off into a 3-day weekend for our students. The Bellingham High School Show Stoppers were here today as ambassadors of the music programs available in our high schools. They shared their talents of singing and then sent us off with a song/dance medley of swing music tunes. Awesome!

This Week in Math

• We took a quiz that students will have back on Monday for finding the area of circles and for finding the area and perimeter of composite shapes.
• We started examining volume. After initial explorations in drawing 3d representations of shapes, students defined for our class that volume is the number of cubes that something is made of. Specifically, we were using 1-cm cubes, but you can use any number of cubes you like. 
• Then we looked at describing the volume of "box" shapes by looking at just one layer of cubes in the box. Then we only needed to multiply that volume by how many layers there are (the height). We generalized that to partial layers (like 5.5 x 3 x 1) and described our process with the formula:
  V= l x w x h
• We then looked at what we'd have if we cut that "box" shape in-half. Each half would be 1/2 of the total volume, and that's how we find triangular prisms. But this one is still a work in progress! :) Next week we'll review what we learned this week and we'll talk more about those triangular prisms.

This Week in Science

• Students turned in their final drafts of their science expository essay to me on Thursday.
• As we've written these, we've had two learning targets in mind:
• 1: I can support claims with evidence.
• 2: I understand the force of friction.
• It was an adventure for me to ask students to write a 5-paragraph essay in science (mostly they are only asked to write observations and paragraph-long conclusions). But this was a great opportunity to extend their language arts expository writing skills into a different part of their day and I didn't want to pass it up

Looking Ahead

• Math: practicing and strengthening skills for finding the volume of triangular prisms.
• Science: Moving from talking about forces to discussing motion. We will be using force diagrams to help us describe systems of motion... more about that next week.

Thanks for all you do for your children.

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

MAth Quiz Monday

Dear Families,

On Friday we had a celebration for our team, so we did not have time to take the quiz. Instead, students had a practice quiz and they got a copy of the answer key to bring home with them. A cop of the practice quiz (with answers) is available here: [link]

I will stick to the general format of the practice quiz, but the questions will be different and the levels of difficulty may be different in different locations. 

Students should have with them these things:

• A pencil
  
• A ruler
• Optional: a calculator to check work
• Optional: a compass (Totally NOT necessary, but some students have them and like using them. Do not feel like you need to run out and get one, students know how to use a ruler to do the same thing.)
  

I hope you have had a great weekend and I look forward to seeing my students tomorrow!

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

WMS: Math/Science Udpate

Dear Families,

Well, tomorrow is international Pi day! We'll review a little about pi and maybe do something craftsy with pi. But we'll also have a practice quiz tomorrow because on Friday we're having a quiz!

Friday's Quiz:

The quiz on Friday will cover these learning targets. The links I'm sending you are for the practice problems for kids to work on tonight and tomorrow night. They include answers!

• LT 3: I can find the area of a circle.[link]
  
• LT 4: I can find the area and perimeter of compound shapes that have circular parts in them.[link]
  

Science Essay:

Wow! I have been so impressed. After studying about friction, I asked students to write an expository essay to help them bring all their ideas together about friction. I have never asked students to write such an essay in science before, so I was a little apprehensive about what to expect. But I have been floored with their comfort at writing an essay of this nature. We are still drafting. Tomorrow students will turn in their rough drafts and I'll have a look over. Then they'll have some time to get peer feedback before revising. Our final copies will be turned in next week after I give them some more time to revise.

Warm regards,

Brian MacNevin

Fwd:

Dear Families,

I just wanted to share with you what happens when you take 40 different and uniquely-colored circular quadrants and combine them into one quilt! Only 38 were turned in today (two of them I made to complete the rectangle). I can't wait to see what it looks like when we get all 66 connected! :)

Today we started formalizing our exploration of circular area bits into the familiar formula of A= pi×r×r. We did a little practice with it today in class and next week we will be practicing some more and extending more into shapes composed partly of circular parts.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Brian MacNevin