Math Function Machines

This week we have been exploring function machines.  Here are some online games students can play to practice figuring out the rules used.  Again, I encourage them to continue practicing their math facts.  Fourth graders need to be proficient on addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts at this point in the year.  They should be able to complete 15-20 problems in 1 minute.  Thank you for your help on this at home.

<a href="http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/amy/algebra/3-4/activities/functionmachine/functionmachine3_4.html">Function Machine Online</a>

<a href="http://www.mathplayground.com/functionmachine.html">Math Playground Function Machine</a>

<a href="http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/functionmachines.html">Function Machines </a>

<a href="http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/stop-creature/">Cyber Chase Stop That Creature</a>

<a href="http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/videos/#!/seasons-1-8/2">Cyber Chase Episode 214 "Trick or Treat" Season 2</a>

Camp Invention this Summer

Camp Invention

Coming to local schools this summer, the Camp Invention program is a weeklong adventure in creativity that immerses children entering grades one through six (during the 2012 school year) in exciting, hands-on learning disguised as fun activities. Led by local educators, boys and girls are challenged to explore connections between science, technology, engineering, and innovation. Participants spend their time navigating an island via upcycled ships, learning the power of combining magnetism and electricity, while designing, improving, and analyzing their own inventions in a team setting. Early and alumni registration discounts are available! Spaces are limited – register today! For more information contact Lori Rice ricel@usd320.com or visit www.campinvention.org or  check out this short video clip! http://prezi.com/-xgvbqpt2qkj/camp-invention/

Kansas Assessments

We will take the Kansas Reading Assessment starting next week, February 28th, March 1st and March 2nd. Students will be able to show the skills they have mastered throughout the year. Please be sure to help your student at home in the following ways:

• Get a good night sleep all week.
• Eat a healthy breakfast each morning.
• Reinforce taking their time and reading everything during the test.
• See our earlier blog post to practice and reinforce reading skills.
• Celebrate all they have learned and the hard work they have done this year in reading!

Crunch Candy Bar—“Crunch the test!”

Tootsie Rolls—“You’re on a roll!  Keep doing great on the test!”

Airheads—“You will rock this test because you are no airhead!”

Blow Pops—“Try your best and you will blow this test away!”

Now and Laters—“Do your best work now and you will be proud later!”

Smarties—“You are such a smartie you will rock this test!”

Sprees—“With the learning spree you have been on this year you will do great!”

We have 18 students in the class.  Thank you so much for your support!

If you would like to send hard candy for students to have during testing this is often helpful.  They are also encouraged to bring healthy snacks for after the test.  If you would like to send a class snack that would be great as well.

This is a booklet published by Kansas State Education Dept. in 2008 to help parents understand state testing.

<embed src="http://embedit.in/9R5SC9988v.swf" height="400" width="466" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true">

Kansas Assessments

We will take the Kansas Reading Assessment starting next week, February 28th, March 1st and March 2nd. Students will be able to show the skills they have mastered throughout the year. Please be sure to help your student at home in the following ways:

• Get a good night sleep all week.
• Eat a healthy breakfast each morning.
• Reinforce taking their time and reading everything during the test.
• See our earlier blog post to practice and reinforce reading skills.
• Celebrate all they have learned and the hard work they have done this year in reading!

If you would like to send hard candy for students to have during testing this is often helpful.  They are also encouraged to bring healthy snacks for after the test.  If you would like to send a class snack that would be great as well.

This is a booklet published by Kansas State Education Dept. in 2008 to help parents understand state testing.

<embed src="http://embedit.in/9R5SC9988v.swf" height="400" width="466" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true">

Cans for Conservation

Congratulations! Your child’s school is one of only a handful of schools participating in Cans for Conservation, an activity sponsored by Sunset Zoo in Manhattan.  From now through Monday, April 9^th, your child will be asked to bring to school clean, crushed aluminum drink cans. In return for collecting aluminum, your child will have the opportunity to explore tigers and the problems they face.

           

The objectives of this program are to turn recycling into a habit, allow students to become community contributors, and give students the opportunity to learn more about animals.  Together, West Elementary School and Sunset Zoo can make a difference in the lives of tigers in 2012.

Sunset Zoo selected tiger conservation as this year’s focus because of the new effort established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to double the wild population of three subspecies of tigers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. Currently, the three subspecies identified only have approximately 200 individuals in the wild and are listed as critically endangered. These magnificent animals need the help of people from around the globe.

We have set a goal for each student to collect at least two pounds of aluminum (approximately 64 cans) from now until Monday, April 9^th.  Your child can bring the clean, crushed aluminum cans to your school throughout the week.  Please bag your cans and place

them next to the brown shed on the side of the building. Do not place them near the trash receptacles as they will be mistaken for garbage. Sunset Zoo will pick up the aluminum on Mondays at the school until the end of the program.   If more convenient, you may drop your cans off at Howie's Recycling in Manhattan anytime.   Please specify that they are to go to the Sunset Zoo/West account.

           

If your family does not have aluminum drink cans in the household, we do not encourage students to buy aluminum simply to recycle (that would defeat the purpose of the program).  Instead, we ask parents to collect cans at work, ask other family members to assist in the collection, or plan a street cleanup with your family or club to collect aluminum.  You will be surprised to see how much is thrown away each day!

           

All schools that meet their goal of two pounds of aluminum per student will receive free entry into Sunset Zoo for each student and teacher on Sunday, April 22 from 12:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M.  The ultimate recycling school with the highest number of pounds collected will receive a free Zoo Ambassador Program for their school in May as an end-of-the-year celebration! West Elementary received this honor two years ago!

If you have any questions about Cans for Conservation, or would like to know more about Earth Day at Sunset Zoo, please call Sunset Zoo at 785-587-2737.

Magnet Review Sheet

Magnet Review Sheet

A.       Magnets can occur in nature in rocks such as magnetite.

B.      The Earth is like a big magnet because it has a magnetic field at its North and South geographic poles.

C.      That is why a compass works on the Earth.  A compass tells us direction because it is attracted to Earth’s geographic poles.

D.     Earth’s magnetic force is at its strongest at these magnetic poles.

E.      All magnets have an invisible magnetic field where the magnet can act on objects around it.

F.       Objects that are attracted to the magnetic field of a magnet are called magnetic.

1.       These are objects that contain iron, nickel, or cobalt.

2.      The word ferrous means containing iron.

G.     Objects that do not react to the magnetic field of a magnet are called nonmagnetic.

1.       These are objects made of plastic, wood, or paper.

H.     The magnetic law of attraction states that on a magnet…

1.      Like poles will repel. Repel means to push away.

2.      Unlike poles will attract. Attract means to pull together.

I.        Temporary magnets are magnets that lose their magnetic pole after a short time.

J.        Magnetite is one type of a temporary magnet.

K.      You can make a nail or other metal objects into a temporary magnet by rubbing them with a magnet going in one direction.

L.       This rubbing aligns all the positive and negative charges in one direction.

M.    An electromagnet is made when wire is wrapped around an iron rod and electricity is added.

N.     A generator uses magnets and loops of wire to turn mechanical energy into electrical energy.

 

Magnets

Today we continued our learning about magnets.  Earlier this week we did two experiments to observe how magnets attract and what can block a magnetic force.  Today we talked about the invisible magnetic field.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uj0DFDfQajw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The students watched clips from Bill Nye to further understand these concepts while small groups did a short experiment.  They used iron filings to observe a magnetic field.  Here is the entire video (in 3 segments) from Bill Nye if they would like to watch it at home.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mzqoxfkCozk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RdROOcnr1q4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qZGBUDIsceI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Beauty and the Beast Production

West Elementary students have been invited to view a shortened performance of the musical, “Beauty and the Beast”, by the WHS theater department.  The performance will be Friday, February 17 at 9:45am.  Students will be bused to the event.  We appreciate the invitation from WHS and the opportunity to share the arts with our students!

Science Fair Deadline

If you are entering the science fair entry forms are due on Friday, Feb. 10th.

Beauty and the Beast Permission Slip

<a title="View Permission Slip Beauty Beast on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/80156303/Permission-Slip-Beauty-Beast" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Permission Slip Beauty Beast</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/80156303/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2ghh89me8engjj1lqls8" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_70324" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script>