![Picture](/uploads/3/7/3/1/37317167/4942153.jpg?240)
With strategies ranging from using a jar of WOW butter as a shock absorber to fashioning parachutes from plastic bags, we had some successes and a couple of messy (but fun) failures.
Kind regards and best wishes for the future,
Stephanie Ballard
![]() It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of grade six! Maintaining an important VTT tradition, today was the annual egg drop. Students brought in supplies to help keep a raw egg safe when dropping it from the science lab second storey window. With strategies ranging from using a jar of WOW butter as a shock absorber to fashioning parachutes from plastic bags, we had some successes and a couple of messy (but fun) failures. It has been an absolute pleasure teaching your children this year. The students in grade six are a remarkably kind, curious, and motivated group. I hope you all have a wonderful summer full of fun, sun, and family!
Kind regards and best wishes for the future, Stephanie Ballard
0 Comments
This week the students in grade six are participating in a mock Dragon's Den activity! Each child has made a presentation to showcase the key features of his or her extreme environment technology design. Students have created miniature prototypes using everyday household materials. Others have worked hard to research the materials they will need and the costs of these supplies so they can calculate their retail mark-up. Persuasive strategies abound as each entrepreneur describes his or her product, why it is helpful, and why it is worth investing in. Later in the week, votes will be cast and a winning product will be revealed from each class. This is a great way to integrate science, design, oral presentation skills, and math in a fun and realistic way! Yesterday, the students in grade six made collaborative art pieces using their knowledge of polygons. Working as a team, they cut out numerous shapes following a specific key (each colour of paper had to be a different kind of shape). When the students put all of the non-regular polygons, regular polygons, congruent polygons, and non-polygons together, they were able to create colourful and interesting pieces of art!
![]() Students expect to do experiments in science class, but this week we are also performing them in math. We are learning about probability, and the best way to cover this topic is by playing with dice, cards, cubes, and coins! Yesterday students were given a paper bag with a certain number of coloured cubes in it. They calculated the theoretical (or expected) probability for pulling out a cube of each colour. Then they tried it out. After 20 trials, they were able to calculate the experimental (or actual) probability that occurred. Some groups had a very close match between the two, and others had some more variety. Of course, we can't forgot science experiments. This week, using everyday liquids, students learned about density, and why things float so easily in the Dead Sea. We also held a brief "Astronaut Olympics" so students could experience how challenging it would be to perform simple tasks in space. After a busy week that included an important geometry test, the students in grade six had the opportunity to try out some new math games and activities today. They played two board games: one about area and perimeter and one about factors. They also used meter sticks to measure the area and volume of the classroom. Finally, they became code breakers, and solved a really tricky logic puzzle. It was great to see the co-operation and team-work as students worked together on these tasks.
![]() This week, students are applying their recently acquired knowledge in math and science to plan and design in realistic situations. In science, each student is creating a new technology that will help humans explore extreme environments. They are researching the types of materials they would use and creating a diagram of their device. They are also considering the important features their product will have. Whether it be a new suit to help humans explore volcanoes safely or a robotic lander to investigate faraway planets, the critical thinking behind these designs is clearly evident. In math, students have become head city planner in charge of creating a new park with features such as a concession stand, playground, and swimming pool. They have to make their park fit certain requirements and apply their knowledge of area, perimeter and volume to calculate how much the park will cost to build. Just a reminder that the geometry math test is next Thursday, May 28th. I will be handing out optional review packages this week for students who want to practice over the next several days. The students in grade 6 have been making exciting discoveries about angles and triangles in math class recently. When everyone created a unique triangle and measured the three interior angles, we found out something very interesting. No matter the shape or size of the triangle, the three angles add up to 180 degrees every time! Students have also been putting their protractors and rulers to good use to create different kinds of triangles (check out the obtuse scalene above). They have even been using some spaghetti to help with this task!
We are now moving on to learn about area, perimeter and volume. This information is found in the second half of Chapter 8 in the math textbook. We will have a geometry test covering all of this information during the week of May 26th. This assessment will be an important part of the third term math mark. As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns. We had an incredible day yesterday visiting the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre! Students watched an interactive planetarium show, learned how astronomers measure the light signature of different stars outside of our solar system, and explored the hands-on exhibits in the Cosmic Courtyard. They were able to touch one of only five moon rocks on earth, try on a space suit, and experience the feeling of being in space on a simulator machine. A high-light of the day was when students built and launched their own bottle rockets, using 60 psi of pressure, and reaching heights of over 30m! It was a blast! As students continue to work on their self-directed projects about extreme environments, they are coming across some very interesting information! Here is just a taste of what they are discovering.
Deep Ocean: Students studying this extreme environment have found many unique species that can survive in the high-pressure habitat of the deep sea. The have also learned about new submersible technologies that will allow us to explore up to 11km below the surface of the ocean! Space: Students were interested to learn about the effects of living in space on the human body. It turns out that while living in a microgravity environment, your muscles become weak, the skin peels off the bottom of your feet, and you get taller! Desert: You can't study the desert without learning about cacti! Students in this group are discovering how these plants are physically adapted to survive with very little water. Their spikes help keep the water they do have safe from other organisms. We are all looking forward to seeing the presentations next week. It will be wonderful to learn from the experts in each group! Over the next couple of weeks, we will be studying geometry in math class. Yesterday, students learned the names of different types of angles and modelled them with their arms during a game of "Simon Says." It was a great way to incorporate some kinesthetic learning into our lesson. You can see an acute, a right, an obtuse, a straight, and a reflex angle in the pictures above.
The boys and girls in grade six are excited to learn how to use their protractors to accurately measure and draw angles. We will also explore the relationships of angles in triangles and quadrilaterals and discover some interesting mathematical principles. Finally, we will review the formula for area and perimeter of quadrilaterals and use this knowledge to create blueprints for a new local park. Information about geometry can be found in Chapter 8 of the math textbook. If you are out and about with your son or daughter, take a moment to notice and name the angles in the environment around you! |
AuthorMs. Ballard is the grade six math and science teacher at VTT. Archives
June 2015
Categories |