Graphing

We focused heavily on our M^3 Math today as we embarked on Chapter 2 and graphing. Students will be collecting survey data and learning to represent it in various way.  Today we interpreted bar graphs and double bar graphs and our math discussions focused on writing quality questions that use and compare the data shown.  

We used some of these websites as a fun follow-up to our lesson.  Students wanting more practice can enjoy exploring them more at home!

Interpreting Data

Data Bank Research

Bar Charts

Bar Charts 2

IXL

Create your Own

We didn't neglect our Gray Area investigation.  Students role-played a reenactment of a meeting of the Gray Area Board of Supervisors where our suspect and owner of the water slide was consulted and shared results from chlorine tests conducted down the river from the water slide.  We also reflected on our last time together and compared a river to the report card of it's watershed.  Next week, students will take a closer look at the results, perform a bio-assessment of their own, and examine some secret documents that may provide further clues.

We also read the first chapters of Listening to Crickets, our novel study about environmentalist Rachel Carson.  We are learning from her example and identifying Habits of Mind that Rachel used to find success in her field.

Student Reflection:

So far Rachel has used persisting, gathering data through all senses, and thinking flexibly. She used persisting during the Great Depression when she always had a job.  She gathered data through all her senses by listening to nature, staying still, and listening to her mom. She thinked flexibly by writing different stories.  This is what I would say for character traits and habits.

WATER!

This week, from our Morphic Thinking all the way to our farewell our focus was on water.  Students read A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry and saw the effects of disrespecting water as a resource. They also saw that there is hope for restoration of polluted waterways and how they can play a part in the solution.  Research was done on watersheds and students got to participate in a simulation of pollution's downstream journey.

We also looked at different tests that can be conducted to evaluate water quality.  Some of these tests will help us identify our Gray Area culprit.  We learned about turbidity tests to check for clarity and sediments, (helpful in the investigation of the erosion caused by the clear-cutting logging company) phosphate and nitrate tests to see if fertilizers may be causing an abundance of algae growth, (helpful in the investigation of the cattle ranch and farm)  bio-assessment tests for macro-invertebrates, and pH tests.  We also were introduced to our novel study of Listening to Crickets, a story of conservationist Rachel Carson.

Watershed demonstration.

Compiling evidence on our Gray Area suspects.

Welcome to Gray Area

We are officially embarking on our journey as environmental detectives!  Today students did a review of systems and a teamwork challenge to prepare themselves for their upcoming experiences. Students were introduced to the Gray Area and the mysterious fish kill that has been taking place there over the last five years.  They met some of the key players (suspects?!?!) in the region, looked at maps of the area to identify factors that may be at play, and studied the history of the area as they compiled a time line of events and developments over the past 100 years.  Throughout this semester they will be acting as scientists, council members, reporters, and detectives as they conduct tests and research to uncover the reason behind the declining fish population.

Systems Review...

The Human Knot Teamwork Challenge...

Gray Area Timeline Mapping...