5TH/6TH WEST Issue #

5th/6th West

January 2012

MS. PASSAS / MS. HEALEY

Central Idea:

Understanding the Laws of Motion Affects How Humans Interact with the Physical World

Lines of Inquiry:

1. Understanding laws of motion 2. How the principles of motion are applied to innovation 3. How laws of motion affect the everyday person and/or their environment

Students make enlarged protractors for their ‘Angry Bird’ lab investigating the nature of

projectiles.

Unit of Inquiry

During our How the World Works unit, students discovered Newton’s Laws of Motion for themselves. They uncovered friction, gravity, energy transfers, velocity, and acceleration. Students applied knowledge they had garnered from their science text to experiments conducted in class. Students carried out experiments in groups were they worked on adopting a variety of group roles and group decision making. Research skills of collecting, recording, organizing, and interpreting data were emphasized.

We had an in-class field trip from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science focusing on energy transfers. Both 5/6 classes participated in design challenges. They were given a variety of materials with which they constructed mechanisms to move an object a certain distance.

A highlight of our unit was a presentation given by Mr. Jim Paradise from Lockheed Martin. Mr. Paradise applied what we had been learning in class to the space program.

HOW THE WORLD WORKS

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 23 - Who We Are unit begins focusing on Colorado. Central Idea : Relationships with different groups, cultures, and individuals form communities

January 25 - In-class field trip from the Colorado History Museum

January 27 - Parent recommended film Journey of the Universe. Information has been sent home in Friday folders.

February 1 - Middle School play Romeo and Juliet at the YGP Theater

February 3 - Spelling Bee

February. 15 - Jewish Pioneers, Mizel Museum in class field trip

February 24 - 5/6 Play The Prince and the Pauper

Preparations for our 5/6 Play,

The Prince and the Pauper,

are underway.

5/6 West will perform on

Friday, February 24, at 1:00 pm, in the school gym.

We are in need of VOLUNTEERS!

The students need a parent to volunteer as a STAGE MANAGER. If you

are interested in doing a little vital volunteer work, then this is the job for

you! Please let us know if you would like to see your name in lights as STAGE

MANAGER for 5/6 West's production of the Prince and the Pauper!

Other volunteer options include stage set up and tear down and painting the

flats black.

Ms. Estela is also seeking some props for the show. All props need to be

at school by Monday, February 13th. Please let us know if you have

or could find any of the following items.

PROPS LIST AND STAGE SET UP NEEDS

Old dull colored blankets

dirty clothes

rags to drape over curtains

Standing mirror

8 short benches

10 drinking mugs (metal)

Royal stockings

royal shoes

blue doublet

long white nightgown

2 washcloths

3 old books (solid color hard bound)

fake coins

serving tray

3 clubs

scepter and orb

gloves

gallon of BLACK paint

Language Arts: Students focused on learning the elements of lab reports. They also created a Physic Folly where they incorporated elements of physics into a narrative piece. We explored different types of poetry: cinquain, diamante, free verse, and acrostic. In Current Events, students viewed segments of CNN Student News. They then practice writing to a prompt and investigated geographical data

about the regions presented.

On Friday, February 17 stage will be set up at 3:45

On Thursday, Feb. 23, set up curtains and set up audience chairs

On Friday, February 24, tear down set after 1PM show

Our labs included investigating constant speed vs. average speed, friction, projectile, gravity, and thrust.

For their summative project, students demonstrated their understanding of our unit by creating Rube Goldberg Machines. Each student then analyzed each of the stages of their machine to explain Newton’s laws of motion at work. They thoroughly enjoyed our Goldberg Extravaganza where we viewed each other’s efforts.

Newton’s Third Law Lab

Discussing Simon Bloom

Magic Cup lab – friction

Angry Birds Projectile Lab

BARNES AND NOBLE BOOK FAIR

PHOTOS