Experiment With Light

Today the students used two tin cans to mimic how the eye worked.  

The eye works by letting in the correct amount of light through the pupil which then hits the back of the eye.  Special cells called rods and cones read that light and then transmit the information via the optic nerve to the brain.

On the first can they placed tinfoil over the opening and poked a small hole in it.  This small hole acted as the pupil and let light in. On the second can they placed a plastic shopping bag over the opening.  This acted like the back of the eye.

By looking through the cans, children were able to see what their eyes see.

Tin Cans

Soon,  we are going to be doing a science experiment using tin cans.  I ask that each student bring in at least two cleaned soup cans (or other tin can) by Wednesday of this week.  Please remove both the top AND bottom of the can.

Friday Wrap Up

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to a late edition of the Friday Wrap-Up.

I'd like to thank all of the parents who came to Parent-Teacher conferences last week. It was great to see all of you. I'd also like to thank you for all of the help and support you give to your children at home.

Last week we wrapped up our math unit on data analysis. The students worked very hard as they learned how to analyze graphs as well as produce their own. Unlike the last graphing chapter, this chapter devoted itself to how things change over time. They began the chapter by looking at weather and how the temperature changes and concluded with a study of how different rates of change appear on a graph.

In science the students have begun studying what heat is and how it moves. They've learned that "heat" is not the same thing as "temperature" and that cold things, like ice, still have heat. We will continue that discussion this week.

In reading the students worked on two things. First, they practiced drawing conclusions. Children learned that they can take clues from the story and information from their heads to learn something that wasn't directly stated by the author. Later in the week, we revisited the skill of story mapping.

Finally, last week found the children working on being respectful. Students learned that when they are talking or disruptive in class, that it hurts other children's learning. Being quiet in class should not be something new for students, but the reasoning behind it might be. Be sure to talk to your child about this.

Science Test

As I posted yesterday, our next science test is Tuesday, March 12 (Monday if you are in Mrs. Lew's class). What I neglected to mention, or write in the note you received today, is that I again created a set of flash cards to help you study. 

Click here to see the set. For full information about the site, as well as how you can use your iPhone/iPad to study, please read the Novemeber 11 blog post.

I have also uploaded each of the PowerPoints I use to when teaching the lessons. You can find them here.

We will be taking the test on Chapter B2.

Science Test

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Your third grader will be taking his/her next science test next week. Mrs. Lew’s class will take it on Monday, March 11. Mr. Borzick’s class will take it Tuesday, March 12. The material covered on the test will be taken from Chapter 2 of the Physical Science Unit.  The chapter is titled “Forces Machines and Work’ and begins on page B34 and ends on B55.  

Your child will be taking home a green packet of worksheets that he or she can use to study. The material contained in the three lesson assessments and the graphic organizer is found on the test.

Some of the things you can study with your child are:
1) Chapter content (reread lessons, review lesson questions)
2) Worksheets and Graphic Organizers sent home today
3) Thorough understanding of the Vocabulary Words is very important.  Know more than just their definitions.
4) Understand how simple machines work and what they are.
5) Understand how a lever works and where a fulcrum is best placed.

This material has been covered in class, but students should plan on studying at least 40 minutes in order to do well on the test.  Please feel free to call with any questions or concerns.

Simple Machine Videos

Earlier this week, students took pictures of simple machines throughout the school. Today, the same groups worked together to create videos that explained those simple machines. To see all of the videos, visit our student work page on our classroom website.

Simple Machines

Today we continued our work with simple machines. Students were divided into teams and sent to explore Kozy. Their task was to find as many different examples of simple machines as they could and document each using the iPad's camera. The children did a great job and found many unique examples.

Below are some of the examples that the children found. See if you would have thought of them.

Week in Review

This week we dug deeper into multiplication. We began looking at multiplication in terms of the area of a rectangle as well as arrays. Students should be understanding how one can use easier multiplication problems to figure out more difficult ones. For example, if students know that 5x4=20, then 6x4=24 because there is just one more 4 than before.

Science finds us in the middle of our lessons on simple machines. Students are learning about the six different simple machines how they make work easier.

Lastly, students have finished their research on a president and have begun writing their paragraphs about them. The children seem to really have gotten into this project and enjoy writing in the first person, as if they are the president. This next week, students will begin typing these paragraphs and you should see them on your child's website soon.

Week in Review

Well, we made it through the first full week (at least the first full week of me in the classroom) since break. After the cold weather that forced us inside for recess, it was a welcome relief to be able to allow the children the chance to run outside and burn off some energy.

This week we began our unit on multiplication. We start slowly and introduce the children to the concept by having them develop their own groupings and then work with them to to figure out how many total items. For example, some students wrote:

There are three black labs.
Each black lab has four legs.
There are 12 legs in all.

Working this way ensures that the children know when and why they multiply. We have begun solving these problems by counting by the number in each group (in the above example we'd count by 4) or through repeated addition (4+4+4=12). Several of the children already have some multiplication facts memorized and I look forward to seeing more children master this skill.

In writing, we continue to focus on word choice. this week we analyzed student writing and graded it using the rubric that I grade the students on. The children were asked to analyze various pieces of writing and then describe the positive and negative aspects of each piece of writing. The goal is to help the children better understand what constitutes good word choice. Ultimately, I'd like the children to grade their own work as harshly as they graded these samples.

This week we began our next science chapter. This one focuses on force, work, and simple machines. We didn't get too far on this, because we needed to allot time for our winter MAP tests. Like the fall, these tests were lengthy and focused on the skills of reading and math. I will be discussing the results of this test with your child next week.

Next week we start the second week of the quarter and many students are already behind on their AR reading. Please remind your child to read nightly. I expect each child to read at least 20 minutes each evening.

Volcanoes!

The students did a great job on their volcanoes and had a blast watching them erupt. Click here, or on a picture, to see all of the pictures larger.

Science Test

In preparation for next week's science test, we spent some time reviewing the material today. Through the course of the review, it became clear that many students have forgotten the material, especially that which was covered before our winter break. Every child has brought home their science book and green study packet today. Spend time this weekend studying. It is always better to study a little bit each day rather than all at once the night before a test.

Science Test January 15

We are finishing up the latest science chapter next week and will have our test the following week. As I did for the last test, I have created a study set of the vocab words for the chapter on the website Quizlet. Click here to see the set. For full information about the site, as well as how you can use your iPhone/iPad to study, please read the Novemeber 11 blog post.

I have also uploaded each of the PowerPoints I use to when teaching the lessons. You can find them here.

We will be taking the test on Chapter B1

If you find these useful, please comment on the post or send me an email. I didn't receive any feedback for the last set and if parents/students aren't using this tool I won't use it in the future.

We're Still Here!

For the past couple of years, I have been recieving reports from my students that the world was going to end  in 2012. Specifically, the end of the world was to occur December 21, 2012. Fortunately for all of us, it didn't. Here's a short video produced by NASA that explains what the Mayan calendar does, and does not, say about 12/21/12.

States of Matter Glogs

As I mentioned in Friday's Week in Review, the students created Glogs to explain the three states of matter.

Isabella's Glog is embedded below (click the box in the upper right corner to see full size) but all of the Glogs can be found in the student work section of our classroom website.

Bird Adaptations

In the last science chapter we studied animals and some of their adaptations. The students took this knowledge and created their own fictional bird. Using the app VoiceThread, the students explained some of their bird's adapations. 

One of the fun things about this app is the ability for other people to comment on the presentation. I encourage you to view your child's work, and comment back to them on it using the website or app. You can create a comment using your voice or by typing. Consider asking a question about the bird, pointing out a unique detail, or asking your child to add further explanation in his/her description. 

To see the presentations, visit the student work page of our classroom website. Not all of the students have completed their work, but they should have them done by the end of today. I will post them as I receive them. 

Science Test Flashcards

We are finishing up the latest science chapter this week and will have our next week. To help students study, I'm trying something a little different. Using the website Quizlet, I have created a study set of the vocab words for the chapter. Click here to see the set.

From this site, the students can study the vocab words like an ordinary set of flash cards, get quizzed on the words, and take practice tests on the words. There are also two games that the students can play that will help them to study the words.

Also, for those of you with an iPhone or iPad, your child can study using a free app called Flashcards*. To download the app, click here. Once you've downloaded the app, open it and click on "Flashcards." From the flashcard library, click on the plus sign in the upper right and and choose "Download from Quizlet." By searching for "borzickj" as the author, you will see the

Science Test

Please check your child's folder for his or her science test. They are being sent home today.

These tests look a little different. The majority of the test was taken on the computer; only the essay portion was hand written. In your child's folder, you will their essay questions. Each question was worth three points for a possible total of six. This score was then added to the true/false & multiple choice portion bringing the total possible points up to 22.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Science Vocab

Our first science test of the year is Friday, October 5. To prepare for this test, students used a website called Glogster to create a poster with some of their vocab words. To see the rest of the students' work, visit the student work portion of our class website.

Experiment With Light

Today the students used two tin cans to mimic how the eye worked. 

The eye works by letting in the correct ammount of light through the pupil which then hits the back of the eye.  Special cells called rods and cones read that light and then transmit the information via the optic nerve to the brain.

On the first can they placed tinfoil over the opening and poked a small hole in it.  This small hole acted as the pupil and let light in. On the second can they placed a plastic shopping bag over the opening.  This acted like the back of the eye.

By looking through the cans, children were able to see what their eyes see.

Northern Lights

Today, a solar storm from the sun hit the Earth.  This is a naturally occuring thing that has happened in the past and will happen again in the future.  Solar storms are what cause the Northern Lights.  Typically, these lights can only be seen much farther north than Milwaukee.  However, this is a larger than average storm, and it is possible that we will be treated to the show this evening. 

After dark, look to the northern sky.  There is a full moon tonight and that, along with the city lights, will make the Northern Lights more difficult to see, but one can hope.

Click here for an article about the solar storm.



The Aurora Borealis from Per Byhring on Vimeo.