Math Investigations
The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBR) made a comeback on our Math re-test for this week. 75% of the class scored a grade of 70% and higher, which is awesome!
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| from http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2015/04/crosstown-lrt-tunnel-boring-machines-successfully-moved |
On the quiz, we used the statistic of this boring machine moving at a rate of 10 metres per day (10m/day). The machine is close to Yonge and Eglinton. I have not been driving in the area, but I hear it is quite congested. The remainder of the underground portion of the project is to Eglinton and Laird Avenue. I checked out the approximate distance on my phone:
If the distance is a little over 3 km, or 3000m, the drilling will go one for, at least, another 300 days. This sort of toying with numbers is real world Math. So, while the operations involve the strands of Number Sense but Measurement and Algebra. Sean asked how long the project was and I said I would find a map:
In terms of how that relates to our existing subway system, here it is:
On the same subject of Math, we started an investigation into our new unit in Algebra. It combines some elements of Measurement by looking at the formula for the area of a triangle. The students were tasked to create 4 different shapes, all with area of 36 units squared. Here are some shots of them at work, along with the completed items:
I will have to continue to work on the entries, but I have a very interesting link to a story I read to the class called The Bear that Wasn't. It relates to the Health/Language assignment on Stereotyping. That assignment was due today. Here is the story on YouTube:
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| http://www.gta-homes.com/images/18478/Condos-1/The-Eglinton-Crosstown-LRT.png |
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http://worldwidewickens.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Scarborough-ExpressRail.jpg |
On the same subject of Math, we started an investigation into our new unit in Algebra. It combines some elements of Measurement by looking at the formula for the area of a triangle. The students were tasked to create 4 different shapes, all with area of 36 units squared. Here are some shots of them at work, along with the completed items:
We will use the examples as a discussion point, before getting into the technical aspects of the unit. I would like to thank Mr. Toale for sharing this exercise with us; this was part of a Professional Development exercise in the last week of December.
Stereotyping & paragraph skill development
I will have to continue to work on the entries, but I have a very interesting link to a story I read to the class called The Bear that Wasn't. It relates to the Health/Language assignment on Stereotyping. That assignment was due today. Here is the story on YouTube:
I did not realize that there are so many versions of this on YouTube, but I will use the one I uploaded, since it looks like the story I read from the excellent website Facing History and Ourselves https://www.facinghistory.org/holocaust-and-human-behavior/chapter-1/bear-wasnt .
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| As Isabella and I were conferencing (talking) through her idea for her essay on Stereotyping, she wrote this quote up on the board. The idea for the essay came from her.. Isabella's topic sentence was being developed with the red marker. |
In addition to the story about the bear, written by Frank Tashlin, I was searching for appropriate video items that might broaden our discussion of Stereotyping. One concerned Disney's 1992 film, Aladin and the other was from a famous experiment, captured by ABC news in 1970, with Jane Elliot, called Eye of the Storm.
As I mentioned to the class, each one of these items is a construction. Someone decided to put the ideas together and it comes from a particular perspective and point of view. Being aware of these points of view is key to becoming a more critical thinker.
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| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8q11sAg2zg |
As part of the assignment, we have spent a fair bit of time talking about paragraphing. The other day, we were working on developing concluding sentences for a particular paragraph. I looked them over and added some commentary/feedback. We will take a look at each one of them as we continue to explore writing that involves us constructing paragraphs.
odds & ends
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| We obtained a new light for our display cabinet. It looks better in the photo. I am trying to think of a way to tone down its intensity. Still, it is the first time the light has been on in 4 years. |
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| We made it through the first week!! |
Homework
- Stereotype Health essay past due
- Social Studies project past due
Over the coming weeks, as we head into Report Card season, there will be an emphasis placed on catching up and completing work that should have been done. For some, this is a non-issue. For others it is a more pressing concern that could be alleviated by a more regular use of the Agenda to keep track of work that needs to be done.
Enjoy the weekend.
