Update of Classes

We just finished a unit on 2-D shapes in 7th grade math, and so had a contest in measurement last week. Everyone loved it, but nobody was very accurate, so we had a rematch yesterday. The contest was set up scavenger-hunt style, where they had to find different measurements around the school and use them for calculations, like calculating the area of the glass windows in front of the office, or the amount of red tile used in the school logo on the front steps, or the diameter of the big tree in the courtyard. Instead of averaging about 120% off, the measurements are only about 50% off.

In sixth grade, the science class is learning about different types of energy. To demonstrate renewable, non-renewable, and indefinite resources today, the kids made three teams and drew small towns of four buildings. We played like a turn-based game, where each "month," they could add one more building if they wanted to, either a bank or a restaurant or a hospital, but they had to pay one 'resource' per month for each building they had in town. One town's resources was silly-noodle macaroni, and they only had a handful of it. The second town's resources was gravel from outside; they had each picked up a few pieces on the way in. When they ran out, one boy chimed in "Miss, can we just go out and get some more?" Good job, kid, yeah! It just takes time. The third city's energy resources were 100ml of water that they took from the sink next to them. indefinite. To top it off, their cities are works of art. Colourful, labeled creations with perspective and fountains and beaches... I was expecting that we would throw them out at the end of class. Instead, I am taping them on the wall.

In eighth grade, we threw barbies off the roof with specifically calculated numbers of rubber bands attached to them to make a bungee cable. Only one barbie died. Success.