Change the Margins - ripples on...

This in from Nina Berger:
"I've attached a flyer/rfp about "Pitch the City" - a partnership between D2E and the City of Boston to encourage residents to pitch their ideas about how to make Boston a greener place. The four finalists will pitch their ideas in person to Menino and a distinguished panel of judges at D2E on Sunday, April 5. ('Change the Margins' continues to be the prime example of the type of idea the city is looking for!!)"

Flyer information below:

down:2:earth An exploration into sustainable living. http://www.d2eboston.com/
Help turn Beantown into Greentown. Submit your ideas!

Boston has been recognized as the 3rd greenest city in the nation.* Help us get to number one!
Ever thought of a better way to do things in Boston ... to live, work, commute, eat or heat? Under Mayor Menino’s leadership, Boston has implemented numerous sustainability initiatives, and he recognizes the importance of the insights of residents when it comes to innovative ideas. This is where Pitch the City comes in.

What’s your big idea?
Pitch the City is an open contest that seeks creative ideas to help make Boston better for people and the planet. A jury will review all proposals and choose four finalists to pitch their ideas to Mayor Menino at Down:2:Earth, Boston’s sustainable living expo on April 5th at the Hynes Convention Center.

Who can apply?
Anyone, except current City of Boston employees.

What types of ideas?
We want you to think big, but we know that sometimes the best ideas come from thinking small. We want ideas that we can implement now to help save energy, money or resources and that make Boston an even greener, healthier place to live. Don’t overlook the importance of implementation. Often the idea is the easy part, while figuring out how to implement it throughout the city is another issue. Ideas about how the City can encourage broad adoption of sustainable behaviors among citizens are welcome. We are always interested in
public awareness and outreach ideas.

Topics to consider:
• Sustainable Communities
• Food Systems and Dining
• Alternative Transportation
• Environmental Awareness
Submission Due Date: February 2, 2009

How do I submit?
STEP 1: Submit your idea online at www.d2eboston.com/contest
• One-sentence objective
• 500-word-max summary of your idea
• Your name, age, email address and phone number
Or mail your submission package to:
(must be postmarked by January 29)
Pitch the City
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201


The Pitch the City team will review initial proposals and by February 9th will contact 10 semi-finalists whose proposals have been selected to proceed in the selection process.

Boston Changed the Margins!

Here is the text of the letter we rec'd today after our exposure on wbur
Dear Ms. Dooley-

I am writing to let you know that after Mayor Menino and I received the letters from your students encouraging us to change the margins and use less paper, the City of Boston has in fact begun an effort to change default margins at city buildings. Thanks to Bill Oates, our CIO (and Watertown native) all computers at Boston City Hall were reset in early May. Together we are helping save paper, increase environmental awareness and Green Boston!

Please thank all of your students for their tireless advocacy. Their efforts are making a big difference in the City of Boston and around the world. Keep up the good work.

-Jim Hunt
__________________________________
James W. Hunt, III
Chief of Environmental and Energy Services
City of Boston
One City Hall Plaza, Room 603
Boston, MA 02201
(617)635-3425, f. (617)635-3496
james.hunt@cityofboston.gov

-----Original Message-----
From: Hunt, James
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:26 AM
To: Oates, Bill
Subject: Change-margins

Bill-

Remember that in life it's often the little things that can make a big difference. Here's a small home cooked idea from school kids (I'll send up a copy of a sample the letter) about changing default margins in Microsoft word. By changing margins from 1.25 inches to .75 we increase available space per page by nearly 20%, improve the environment and reduce paper costs and taxpayer dollars.
Let's see if we can do this.
Thanks,
-Jim

wbur-fm - Interview with Robin Young

Interview with Robin Young:
Here are some pictures, Turns out Robin Young knows our school and came to our Auction once. She was wonderful and her staff- Jill Ryan and Doug were kind and solicitous.

Watertown Commits to Changes Margins!

Joseph Mahoney, the IT director for the City of Watertown came to our class today to thanks us for sending a good idea and to say that he would instruct all Watertown offices and agencies to "change the margins" to save paper. This includes the schools, public works and all at City Hall. He expects this to happen in 2 or so weeks. Mr. Mahoney was clear that he would monitor how our "change the margins" measure was working and would create methods to analyze the results. Mr. Mahoney said he also would encourage more double sided printing, when replacing older machines he would buy machines that printed doubled sided and implement other methods to use less paper. He promised to report to us through the summer and even into next year, if we wanted.

Thanks to the work of all the 4th grade, Ilana and Eric in particular, we have made a real difference in our community. Special thanks to Watertown Council Member, Susan Falkoff, for being in our corner from the very beginning. Her advice and encouragement have been invaluable.

Haudenosaunee and Colonial Voices on youtube

Part 1 and Part 2 - essentially the podcast with visuals including clay figures and other student generated images.

Part 1


Part 2

Podcast of Haudenosaunee and Colonial Voices

4th grade recording and final project can be heard here:


Once you get to storypodnewengland you will need to click on the POD icon in upper left of blog entry at that site, to hear the podcast.

Haudenosaunee and Colonial Voices
Sat, 7 June 2008

Red Handed Zorag - upper grade opera project

Haudenosaunee people and the early colonials

In the hallway you will see some wonderful panoramic landscapes displayed by the Inventors.

The 4th grade has been studying the Haudenosaunee *people and the early colonial period in the United States. The Iroquois nations' political union, their Great Law of Peace and democratic government have been credited as strong influences on the United States Constitution.
Students studied colonial and Native American history, family and community life and created characters in words (first person narratives) and in clay figures.

* The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power", the "Five Nations"; the "Six Nations"; or the "People of the Longhouse") is a group of First Nations/Native Americans that originally consisted of five nations: the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca. A sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, joined after the original five nations were formed. Although frequently referred to as the Iroquois, the Nations refer to themselves collectively as Haudenosaunee (Akunęhsyęni in Tuscarora). A few finished examples are below.

We said good bye to Mark Son

We said goodbye to Mark Son on Friday. After a class lunch generously provided by the Corrigan family we went out to Celebrity Pizza for ice cream followed by a short visit to the park. We presented Mark with an author signed copy of Anne Sibley O'Brien's Hong Kil Dong - the Korean Robin Hood.

Boston Globe article

Here is a link to the Globe article about our project in yesterday's science pages.

And here is the link to the blog article, which has a picture:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2008/05/a_small_margin_change.html

Thanks to Beth Daley for helping us get the word out.

NEWS

We just received a call from the IT department in Malden, MA. Anthony Rodriguez of the IT department called for our student, Courteney and left a message saying that he will be telling all Malden city departments to follow 4th grade's advice and change the margins.

Soon after our phone message we received a personal letter from Deval Patrick congratulating us
and saying he would be considering the idea to Change the Margins. Less of a committment than we had hoped for but exciting just the same.

You will see copies of the Governor's letters and letters from State Representatives Corey Atkins, Alice Peisch and State Senator Tolman in the hallway outside the classroom.

And Tamara Krinsky is pitching our "curriculum " to Hewlett Packard as a HP contest school idea.

Mayor of Cambridge takes up Change the Margins

We thought we were going to lobby Mayor E. Denise Simmons during her open office hours BUT, Jeff Walker, her chief of staff had 2 copies of engrossed* versions ( gold stamp seal, hand signed by the Clerk and in leather folders) of the resolution R-51 from the City Council of Cambridge. This resolution was read by the Mayor to our students and then presented to Eli and Mark, Cambridge citizens who wrote the letters that initiated this action by the Mayor. School Committee member Nancy Tauber, was also present. The resolution recognized the Atrium 4th grade class for their efforts and the Change the Margins
idea as a very important one. The Mayor promised to work to implement this change throughout Cambridge. And Ms. Tauber said she would spread the word to the schools.

This is a huge boost to our campaign! Great work class and especially, Eli and Mark!

In other news, the Mayor's office of Malden has promised to bring Courteney's letter to a department head meeting:
We are in receipt of Courteney’s correspondence.

Please be advised that Mayor Howard is planning on presenting Courteney’s proposal to our department heads at a meeting he has scheduled for next week ...
We’re hoping that these efforts will result in saving paper and a better environment.

If you have any further suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact this office.

Thank you -
Maureen Taylor
Office of Mayor Richard C. Howard
Malden Government Center

Great work Courteney! She has, along with Ilana, Sophie, Asha, Eric, Christian, Harriet and Isabel, been making follow up phone calls. And thanks to Alie and Shayna, Eli Cole and Mark who have been making displays for the bulletin boards.

* engross: To write or print the final draft of (an official document).
[Middle English engrossen, to collect in large quantity, monopolize, from Old French engrossier, from en gros, in large quantity : en, in (from Latin in; see in-2) + gros, large; see gross. Sense 3, from Middle English engrossen, to make a finished copy of a legal document, from Anglo-Norman engrosser, from Medieval Latin ingrossre : Latin in-, in; see en-1 + grossa, a copy in a large hand (from Late Latin grossus, thick).

More pictures here:

HOMEWORK May 6th 2008

MATH: p 42
SPELLING: sheet with reverse spelling exercise
READING: independent reading for 30 minutes minimum.

Sorry for delay.
Norah

Farm visit pictures here!

Thanks to Jenny White!
Click on link below:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaM3LVo4bN2Ltw

4th grade's Change the Margins ppt. on youtube

Here is what we left at the State House:

May 1st news...

Fyi, Ilana's letter was published in the Watertown Tab. I'll get copies of the print version, but here's a link to the web version.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/news/opinions/letters/x914622164
Tim
AND
This from Tamara Krinsky at Change the Margins:
Norah -

A recent comment on the blog from an exec at HP. Feel free to share with your students to show how they are immediately making a difference and inspiring others to do the same!

Best,

Tamara

Subject: [Change the Margins] Alison submitted a comment to '4th Graders Take Margins to Beacon Hill'
To: changethemargins@gmail.com

A new comment from "Alison" was received on the post "4th Graders Take Margins to Beacon Hill" of the weblog "Change the Margins". Comment: I am in LOVE with this idea. What a total AHA! moment. I wrote about it in my blog post and included a link to your blog, which I hope will drive some additional traffic and interest your way. In the meantime, I'm going to both of my children's schools to see about putting a program together with them to get kids on the bandwagon. You're right -- starting with kids is a terrific idea -- and let it roll from there. In addition to changing their margins, companies can save tons of paper by setting their printers to the automatic duplex mode -- so they automatically print two-sided. Thanks so much for what you're doing. Best, Alison Commenter name: Alison Commenter email: alison.graves@hp.com Commenter URL: http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/enterpriseprinting/archive/2008/04/30/6274.html IP address: 15.235.153.101

Homework APRIL 30

MATH: multiplication circles and
finish all math pages/book
READING: Fill in reading response page

Homework APRIL 28

MATH: Complete up to page 23
READING: Independent reading for 30 minutes

Watertown Town Council Changes Margins?

Letters from Eric and Ilana went to the Town Council. We received this report from Council Member, Susan Falkoff:

Date: 04/22/2008 10:18 PM
Subject: Re: 4th grade at State House on WBUR April 22
Norah,

Ruth Thomassian came to the council to announce various events related to Earth Day and mentioned having heard the radio segment. Steve Owens, chair of the Democratic Town Committee told me he'd heard it, too.

Later in the Council meeting, I made a request of the council clerk and the data processing manager to explore the feasibility of the class's suggestion.

This could mean a victory, outside our school, soon!

We are featured on WBUR website this AM!

Click here to listen
http://storypodnewengland.libsyn.com/

And Tamara Krinsky, who started this campaign has been in contact - she heard about us from the story on WBUR.

Update from yesterday's trip -WBUR date and time

From Nina Berger:
The last aide we talked to in Waltham office (Sophie's rep) - suggested contacting the I.T. office if we wanted to ask them to change the margins at the State House. She thought they could change system wide. We didn't have time to go up and visit them...

"WBUR segment on our visit should be on Tuesday April 22nd at 7:50 or 8:50 AM"

State House trip ...

Great work by all of the Green 13 at the State House today. We traveled by train and managed to meet with 10 legislators or their aides. We hand delivered 12 press kits, took a tour, met with Monica Brady of WBUR-fm and were back at school by 12 noon. The students spoke persuasively and made clear arguments for our initiative. Thanks so much to all the parents who able to chaperone. Student reflections and more news will follow.

HOMEWORK April 15th

MATH: up to page 15
SPELLING: complete page provided
READING: independent reading 30 minutes

Homework APRIL 14th and news

WRITING: 3 paragraphs on the writing sheet provided in class.
MATH: pages up to 12 unless completed in class
READING: independent reading

NEWS: A reporter from wbur-fm will be accompanying us to the State House on Wednesday. And we are getting some responses from Representatives and print media as well.

Change the Margins

We are getting ready for our tour of the State House and our "lobbying" of State Senators, Representatives and the Governor about our green initiative to Change the Margins. In keeping with a save paper mode, our press kit is not only online, it is on disc as well. We have created a power point presentation to mail or show to anyone who is interested. Here is a youtube video with scripted segments by Eli and Shayna. The link is highlighted below:Please send the link to friends and family Spread the word...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_71mKrB7tDI
This week we wrote letters with persuasive arguments to:
Boston Mayor Menino
Boston Mayor's Environment office: Jim Hunt
Bryan Glascock, Boston Mayor's Environment office
Waltham Mayor, McCarthy
Watertown Town Council
Cambridge City Council, Mayor Simmons
New York Times, letters to the editor
Mayor of Newton
Mayor of Malden
Carisle Mosquito
JP Gazette
and we contacted these members of our State legislature:
Governor Deval Patrick, aide
and press office
Senator Tolman
Representative Rachel Kapreilian
Representative Alice Wolf
Representative Frank Smizik
Representative Mike Rush

We also wrote to WHDH, WBUR, WGHBH, the Globe and to Tamara Krinsky to say thanks for her powerful but simple idea.

If you have a PC, here's how to change the margins in Microsoft Word:

1. Go to File, then Page Setup.
2. In the Margins tab, type in 0.75 for top, bottom, left and right.
3. Click the Default button at the bottom of the Margins tab. A prompt will ask if you want to change the default settings for page setup. Click Yes.

If you have a Mac:
1. Go to Format, then Document.
2. In the Document dialogue box, click on Margins and fill in 0.75 for top, bottom, left and right.
3. Click OK.

Homework and news for APR 8th

MATH: Double sided math page in homework folder
SPELLING: Write your 6 words 3Xs each and use in a sentence.

NEWS: On our Change the Margins campaign:
We have heard back from some of our State Reps
and we had a nice response from some media too.

APRIL 7th HOMEWORK

MATH: p.75
READING: independent reading for 30 minutes

Homework and news for APR 3rd

HOMEWORK
MATH: Math sheet
SPELLING: Check in with a spelling test
READING: Write a 4 paragraph letter to a character in your book.
This letter should have 4 ideas and contain good examples of voice, metaphor and simile.

Homework and news for APR 2nd

MATH: finish up to page 74
GOVT: try making a symbol or a design
for a logo for our "Change the Margins" project.
It can help to look at google "images" for ideas.
Listen here for the NPR story that inspired me
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14210150

APRIL 1st HOMEWORK

Homework:
SPELLING: write 6 words 3 Xs and each one in a sentence
MATH: pages 69+70
GOVT: finish a first draft of your persuasive piece.
Four paragraphs. Here is an outline to help you organize:
1.Introduction: What is the idea and why in a few strong sentences.
2.Why we need to do this? Arguments "for" the idea; using some facts about paper and global warming from the Mueller Study. Also include 2 Arguments "against" and rebut them.
3.Show how to do this? Show how to change the margins AND how changing the margins can save trees, clean air, reduce waste etc.
4. A strong ending that repeats the main idea in a new way.
Look at http://www.changethemargins.com/

We are looking for community newspapers in:
Weston, Boston = (JP West Roxbury), Newton, Everret, Watertown, Waltham, Carlisle, Brookline, Arlington as a place to publish our finished work.
READING: 30 minutes of independent reading.

Chaperones Needed for trip to State House and news

An important activity in our study of government will be our visit the State House on Wednesday April 16th. We will be exercising our 1st amendment rights as well as being tourists. Our class will be dropping off copies of our green initiative and stopping by the offices of our [Waltham MA] State Senator and Representatives. We need some extra adults for this exciting visit. Please RSVP by email or phone to Norah or Dan. We will be traveling on public transportation so some students and their parents may chose to meet us at the State House, which is a short walk from Part Street Station.
In other news,Norah will return to part time status, effective today. The 4th grade will be her focus for most of the the three days/week she will be in school. She will be working on science, government and art projects and assisting in instruction as needed.

MAR 31st Homework

Homework:
MATH: all math pages through page 66
READING: Read independently for 30 minutes

Homework and news for MAR 27th

HOMEWORK
MATH: pages 60+61
SPELLING: Test on your 6 words
WRITING: Write one paragraph using the body to show emotions
GOVT: Read about Alex Lin and if possible look at both the videos below.
Using the sheet provided write a sentence about how he or Erica took the steps to make a difference as outlined in the sheet provided.


Below are examples of students making a difference by using their creativity and exercising their 1st amendment rights. Here is a video about Alex Lin from Rhode Island speaking about his work on recycling computers.



And here is Erica Fernandez from California talking about her experience working to stop a liquefied natural gas facility that was proposed for the coast of Oxnard and Malibu with a 36-inch pipeline routed through low-income neighborhoods.

Homework and news for MAR 26th

HOMEWORK:
MATH:53+54
WRITING: Write the beginning of a scary story. Use one metaphor and one simile. Minimum of one paragraph.

A SIMILE is a figure of speech where X is compared to Y , using the words AS or LIKE .

His eyes were as blue as the sky.
His eyes were blue like the sky.

A METAPHOR is a figure of speech where X is compared to Y, and where X is said TO BE Y. A METAPHOR says that X IS Y.

Her hands were blocks of ice. - Metaphor does not use as or like
Her nose was a cherry on a white cake.

Homework and news for MAR 25th

READING: 30 Minutes of independent reading
MATH: pages 47- 49
We worked on our persuasive writing by creating drafts for an initiative to change how we use paper at the Atrium and in the larger world.
How does a writer create suspense, drama and surprise ? Building on the reading assignment from yesterday ( sorry, that assignment was not introduced well by me- Norah) Dan led the class in a brainstorm of a list of questions about how an author creates suspense and drama in a story. We will be reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen together to examine and deepen understanding of some elements of good writing.
LIST:
What details or word choice creates drama?
How do setting, Voice, Change of point of view, create drama?
Students noticed that some elements of suspense are created by:
Pacing of plot elements
Slow pacing to build suspense
fast pacing-
Change the pace suddenly to scare or startle
Foreshadowing - written hints of things to come...
-events are mentioned but not explained...

Homework and news for MAR 24th

It was great to have Dan back all day today and Shayna too !
HOMEWORK:
MATH: page 45
INDEPENDENT READING:30 minutes
READING RESPONSE: Think of 3 questions that you can ask about something important or interesting to you in the book you are reading. The form was in the homework basket but I can see most people did not pick it up. I will attach it to an email and write here some of the prompts:
Suppose...? What would happen if...? I wonder...? Why did...? What caused...? How did...? What might...? If ...?

Update for MAR 21st

Our students gave a wonderful performance of Freedom Bird from Thailand at the Freedom Assembly. We worked hard on orchestrating sounds inpsired by gamelan or khong wong yai playing pi-phat music to enhance our rendition of the story and the students learned all their words and their parts through the time honored oral tradition. Thanks to Ilana and Courteney who had to give up playing music to portray our bird and hunter. And thanks to Cole for bringing in his cymbal and borrowing a gong to help create music like that which is used to accompany shadow puppet plays. We hope to have pictures from Tory soon.
We had a test on the Bill of Rights today and most students did well.
To our generous families- Thanks for the books from the book fair:
The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.
Much appreciated.

We are studying angles in geometry. Sometimes we can confuse acute and obtuse angles. A way to remember is that cute things tend to be small things as well. An acute angle is the smallest type. A nice interactive site on this subject can be found at:
http://www.mathopenref.com/angleacute.html

Homework and news for MAR 20th

Happy first day of spring ! Following Simone Liebman's (Eli's mother)wonderful presentation on the First Amendment earlier in the week, today we had Louise Kennedy (Christian Corrigan's mother), a writer for the Boston Globe, talk to us about persuasive writing. Among other things, Louise told us about ways writers work, the difference between news and opinion and some of the elements of a good editorial. Thanks so much to these generous parents for sharing their time and expertise with us.
HOMEWORK ~ MAR20th
SPELLING: test on your words
GOVERNMENT: Study the Bill of Rights to prepare for a test
MATH: finish pages 37+38
READING: each student should finish their Readers Workshop presentation worksheet in preparation for our Book Talk iii.
Please be on time for the Freedom Assembly this Friday. We have been listening to Balinese gamelan music and pi-phat music from Thailand, as inspiration for our performance of the "Freedom Bird".

Update for MAR 19th and homework

Dan will resume teaching on MAR 24th. Sorry for the lack of clarity on that. Miriam will be sub in class on WED. I am in Agawam, MA all day performing for 4th - 6th graders. I will return on THURSDAY.
HOMEWORK for MAR 19th
WRITING: Students will do a rewrite of their argument for a "new right".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bill_of_Rights Using a check list/ work sheet [provided in class] they will collect material to write a new piece that should include good parts from their first paragraph and these elements. The rewrite will be done in class. This is a research and thinking exercise:

1. Clearly state the main thing, point, stance or case you are making
2. Why the "right" you have chosen is important and why you think the reader should know about it
3. Refer to an authority -- support your main idea with quotes or statistics or expert opinion
4. Give needed definitions - be specific
5. Describe; give some examples
6. Arguments against - just a few with solutions to these
7. Use an a story to make a point (think of Simone L's examples about the 1st amendment)
8. Offer background information from your ( the writer's ) point if view that illustrates your case - "In my neighborhood, I see..." or "Once, when we were driving...." or "When my little sister was almost..."
9. A strong conclusion that restates the main idea.
   

SPELLING: write your 6 words in sentences and 3Xs each in cursive
MATH: pages 35+36 in workbook pages

We are thinking about a class outing ( not during school time) to attend the d2E at the Hynes on FRI MAR 28th ( see sidebar). I am willing to go if we have enough adults. Nina Berger has offered us free passes and it should be a fun night for all.

Homework for MAR 18th

HOMEWORK MAR 18th
GOVERNMENT/WRITING
A copy of a new "Bill of Rights" written by F.D.R. was sent home.
Students should chose one of the "rights" and write a 50 word paragraph that argues why it should be added to our Constitution. Then Students should chose one of the 1st Ten Amendments (except the 1st, which we discussed and studied in class with civil rights lawyer, Simone Liebman ) and write a 50 word paragraph about why they think this right is important.
READING: 30 minutes of independent reading
some links from Simone and others follow. Thanks so much!

http://www.constitutioncenter.org/education/WelcomeEducatorsandStudents/index.shtml#educators

http://www.rightsmatter.org/curriculum/16.html

http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html

http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/schools/

http://www.lawrelatededucation.org/index.html
United States Bill of Rights -- The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution --
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/roc2/Sa4roc2.shtml
United Nations Declaration of Human Rights -- complete text.
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/roc2/Sa3roc2.shtml
United Nations Declaration of Human Rights --
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/roc2/Sa2roc2.shtml

Update for MAR 13th and homework

HOMEWORK: Spelling test and Independent reading.
This week we have been studying about electromagnetism. We shared our knowledge of magnetism at the Eureka science event. Below is a small slide show. We shoot these pictures as quickly as possible to maximize our teaching time and minimize documentation.


Many thanks to Cindie Weldon for the materials in our science room and the organization of the event. We will continue our study by constructing telegraphs,buzzers and other things that go bump in the night.
Students worked with Dan on math and persuasive writing this morning too.
We looked at Cezanne's still life paintings at the Metropolitan Museum website http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/cezannes_apples/splash.html and wrote and drew about a still life in our classroom. Today students did some amazing work on still life drawing and painting while exploring the possibilities of transparency in watercolor.
We will be using our math skills to evaluate some changes we can make happen in the Atrium and in the larger world of Watertown and perhaps even statewide.
More news forthcoming.
Norah

Homework for MAR 11th

WRITING:We are starting on Persuasive Writing.Indy Kids -Read the two "articles" or opinion pieces and rate ONE of them on the form provided. In notes area of the form write at least 4 sentences of your own about the issues raised in the article you chose.
READING: Independent reading for 30 minutes minimum
SPELLING: write your 6 words 3Xs and use in sentences.

Homework and news for MAR 10th

The best news is that Dan will be back on WED for half a day and half a day on THURS and will be in full time starting on Monday, MAR 17th. Other news is that we are studying electromagnetism and are working on some demonstrations and projects for the Science Fair.Parents are welcome and needed to help in classroom for this event which is from 10 - 12 on WEDNESDAY the 12th of March.

HOMEWORK MARCH 10th
SCIENCE:
Study words and definitions and there will be a quiz on these words tomorrow.
(sheet was sent home)
atom,conductor,electromagnet,energy,fieldlines,insulator,magnetism,parallel circuit,
series circuit, switch
READING: Independent reading for 30 minutes

Book Talk ii Characters

MARCH 6th news and homework

I will be out all day tomorrow, FRIDAY MARCH 7th.
I will be performing with Motoko and Eshu Bumpus,
in the Atrium 2 PM on MARCH 9th. These are two excellent
world class storytellers. Spring ahead!

Spelling: Complete test provided.
Look up and define these words:
Union
Justice
Insure
domestic
Tranquility
promote
Welfare
Posterity
Ordain
From the Preamble to the US Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice,insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

MATH and THEME:
Estimate some of your kilowatt hours:
Pick five appliances from the list that
you use in your house. [one must be the hot water heater or refrigerator]
Estimate # of hours you use them. You may round up the wattage.
Multiply the hours Xs the wattage on list provided.
Add all 5 products into one sum.
Optional/Extra: If you can, take a look at your electric meter.
Also, you might want to take a look at your electric bill.

MAR 4th Homework

Homework MAR 4th
Spelling: Write your 6 words from the list 3 times in cursive and write 6 sentences.
Independent Reading: 30 minutes - we are still looking for descriptions of place. We will be making collages of settings from our reading later in the week.

optional
Collage: If you can, finish up your collage of your room - These do not need to be highly detailed but we do need to see that we are inside somewhere.
We looked at the work of Simone Bearden and Faith Ringgold. Some fun links below.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/most/ho_1990.237a-c.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/the_block/index_flash.html
http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_work_lg_137_1.html
http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_work_lg_137_1.html

Homework and news for MAR 3rd

News:
Scholastic Book Fair - students will look at books on TUE MAR 4th, but may not purchase during class time. The fair will be open before and after school for children to make purchases with their parents.
I will be out on WED and FRI this week - sorry, I could not reschedule my performances. Cindie, Nicole and Linda E. will cover.

Primaries: Show on blank US map all the states names ( abbreviations are fine) Create a color code for the states carried for the two candidates you are interested in. Also a color key for the states who will vote tomorrow.

Writing: we are looking at descriptions of place in Reader's Workshop. Please write a description of your favorite room in your home. Minimum of 50 words. Please include sounds,sights,smells, and details from sense of touch.

Our journal prompt this morning was a brain stretching exercise. If students did not do so already they are to draw an "8" at least 5" high or long. The prompt was to change it into something else. The "8" may be at any angle and the two loops can be of equal size. They are to imagine the "8" is something else and add to the drawing. Answer these Qs:
Where would you find this new item?
What is it called?
What can one do with it?
Who uses it?

Please, if you have any could you bring in old magazines for collage?

Thanks,
Norah

Simple Machines and Bamboo Pens

Homework for FEB 28th

Spelling: test on your 6 words
Reading: be prepared to give a talk for at least one minute about your character.
You will be describing them in a new book talk video.
Social studies: Look up and write a definition for:
Proposal, initiative, law, legislation.

N.B.We will be working with pen and ink tomorrow so
it is a good idea to wear clothing that can get dirty.

Bamboo Pens

We will be drawing in pen and ink. I found a source for bamboo that had been cut but was not being used at the Arnold Arboretum. Students who would like to may have some bamboo to make their own pens under supervision at home. Directions here: http://members.aol.com/phyllosulcus/

Our Visitor from Haiti, Robert Cajuste

Has shared some videos with us.

Video Book Reports - FEB 15th

( Below this post you will find a post with all the student's reflections on the Rock Opera - scroll down)

During Independent reading this week, the students were asked to think about being able to say something specific that they liked about their books. It could be a plot element, a character or a description but it had to be specific. Two days later, I had the brainstorm to record these comments. In other words, I sprung the idea on them. We didn't have time for many retakes and no one was able to review their video.

The class seemed to enjoy the process. They were mostly quiet and respectful while classmates sat in the front of the classroom and recorded into my laptop. Understandably, a few students could not overcome the strangeness of watching themselves on the screen while being filmed. We are working on that. We used the built in iSight for ease of set up so we could get the most learning about books from the process and minimize futzing with the technology. Hope you enjoy the show! The music is from British musician and visual artist Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam aka "M.I.A" .

Have a great vacation!
Norah

Reflections on The Green 13

These are student's reflections on our work. All students are represented...

I learned about dry ice. Hot water makes it steam more. I learned about saws. I liked to saw stuff. The spotlight was really fun to run and easy for me to do. Making things for the play was fun. The play was fun, easy and a little hard to do. Mainly it was fun and cool. - Eric H.

I liked learning about dry ice. And I loved learning about machines and making the dry ice machine. I liked pulling the pulleys and singing the songs. I think the best part was the finale and the I like bicycles. I liked the way we worked together. - Courteney D.


During the rock opera I learned about teamwork and more about performances. I learned that if you don't have teamwork, it won't be good. I mean, you can do it by yourself but if you have a team and team work it will be a lot better. I learned about performances after I came to America. In Korea we don't do performances. I learned that in performance you have to be really fast and and not be shy of all the people.
- Mark S.

I liked using the pulleys and finding the rays [parts of the set were missing Ed.note]for the good guy and repairing him. I liked learning about dry ice, doing the Punk News and finding a costume. I liked singing the 3 Rs and Bicycle. I don't drink as much bottled water and I sometimes walk to the diner. - Ilana H.

I really liked making up the dance for Bicycle, a lot. A lot! I liked making my costume. People said I looked "gothic". I learned never to hold dry ice because I burned myself.I really liked the singing and the dancing and the acting a lot. I learned to work together because when you do it works and it looks really good. - Shayna B.

I learned to help and to listen to others and to wait and listen for my cue.I really liked learning about punks and the stuff they wear. I really enjoyed working with Shayna and Mark. I also found the ideos to be very funny, mostly. I liked pulling up the bad guy. - Harriet T.

I have learned a lot of things while working on the rock opera. I learned about cooperation and teamwork. I also learned about performing.I really liked figuring out what I was going to use for my costume. I also loved the run throughs. I think the rock opera was a great production.I also think that the parents,and other students andteachers really appreciated our effort. Here are some things I am going to do to stop global warming: 1. Turn off my DVD player and TV when I am not using them.
2. Use canvas bags at the store. -Alie R.

I liked the pulleys,fixing the ramp [it needed to be rebuilt before the show and Sophie helped hammer it back together Ed. note]dry ice, wearing a costume, singing the 3Rs and sliding down the ramp after the show was over. It was really fast and awesome. I do not drink bottled water and I bring canvas bags to the store. - Sophie N.

I liked working with power tools because it is faster, Another thing I enjoyed was making videos because I was very relaxed and you didn't have to be perfect. It was personally hard for me to cooperate with all the ideas.I enjoyed learning about dry ice and about the fog machine. A funny incident happened when I was told to dump dry ice down the toilet And it started bubbling. - Eli B.


The rock opera taught me that anyone can cooperate if they try to. I learned about how you blunt nails by hitting them on the floor before nailing them in. This way you don't crack the wood as much.
- CJ Corrigan

I learned that working with a team to do something is a lot easier than doing it alone. We did stuff as a team but it was still really hard . I mean we can do stuff when we put our minds to it. We worked really hard on the rock opera and I am pleased with the way it turned out. I want my mom and dad to start doing more about global warming that they are already doing.. we are doing as much as we can to stop global warming or at least hold it off. ...-Asha D.

What I learned doing Green 13 is that I can make props and characters. I learned about dry ice. And I did the voice of the sun. I did a last minute part because someone was late. People said I did good but I only had 30 seconds to practice. I made my costume by myself. I already recycle all our bottles at home
Cole B.

Even while we were sharing facts we learned some facts ourselves. I loved all the songs at first. I am very proud of everyone, even the teachers. I also learned about using canvas bags,which are so much better for the environment.
Isabel D.

Study Update

We are beginning our study government and watching the primaries.
Here is a source for results:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/10/delegate.map/index.html

This week students thought about laws and continued our studies of the states. Students created national maps showing the primary results they were interested in.

Update for FEB 11th

Look in your email for a health update from Dan and Steve Middlebrook soon

What a great job the Inventors did in performance on Friday! Nearly all the parts of our complicated high tech/low tech hybrid project come together as Dan had planned in what we sincerely hope was as enjoyable for audience to watch as it was for us to perform. Students were happy to share reflections on their learning during the process of creating the show and had an ice cream party, compliments of Toscanini's and Norah.

In the past week, in addition to practicing for our performance, in math we worked on perimeters and converting feet to inches then to centimeters which dovetailed nicely into our previous study of multiplication of 2 and 3 digit numbers. We also studied spelling, grammar and learned about the Western states. All students did very well on their geography test although the spelling of state's names will need some work. This past week in science we studied 3 states of matter and evaporation, sublimation, condensation using CO2 in solid form. We then made a dry ice fogger.

Copies of the Green 13 video segments will be available . Some parents made a video of the actual performance which I will try to edit ASAP. We may decide to reschedule our visit the MIT museum. Please look here for info.
See you soon, norah

Our performance this FRIDAY FEB 8th

Back to work...JAN update

We are working on our Rock Opera performance and the students have been creating Punk Newz reports and these scenes will be performed "live" along with singing, dancing and the video of 7 vignettes that the students filmed in late December.

We need the kids to find an outfit at home that fits the punk theme.
Please bring these in by JAN 25th.

Students have been researching, writing and rehearsing and some have been working on building a ramp and other pieces for the set. We are using recycled material and computer projections whenever possible.

More December notes...

We finished our personal narratives and published them as a CD. Each family should have a copy. Your CD may look like this or may have a custom designed cover, illustrating your child's story.

Solstice performance and some rehearsals

Dismissal on DEC 21st,2007








Sitting with our 1st grade partners at the Solstice assembly DEC 2007.




We helped them to make our visual props and sang together.






Dan, Christian and Cole worked the pulley for the Sun in our Solstice assembly. Simone was the voice of the Sun and Cole delivered a line or two as well.

Learning Update and Recording Our Personal Narratives

Students worked really hard on revising and polishing their work. The recording process helped some find new words and images for their stories.




Students worked really hard on revising and polishing their work. The recording process helped some find new words and images for their stories.
This has been a busy week for all Inventors as we finished props, practiced songs and staging for our Solstice Assembly while continuing our academic work and finishing some of our projects before the winter break.

Students worked in partners to finish a back drop with non-verbal symbol for our Rock Opera video. They practiced and memorized lines for their scenes. Then we filmed the 6 scenes and were able to do 3 - 6 "takes" of each.

Students were challenged by the limerick form and wrote funny and some touching poems.

Students worked on our Time Line researching and writing about Inventions & Inventors.

We continued our study of Fairy Tales. Each student read at least 10 Fairy Tales and identified themes in each. Then students wrote their own fairy tale with an eco-friendly theme. As an assessment, students watched scenes from Star Wars and identified fairy tale themes in the story and characters.

Students worked on an illustration for a CD cover for their personal narrative or poem.

We worked on multiplication and the standard algorithm for subtraction.

We reviewed the food chain on line.

Some students were able to finish all the above and take the Inventor's Challenge: Looking at pictures and sketches from many sources, they built a paper and dowel model of Leonardo DaVinci's canvas and wood parachute.