3D Maths Moderation Assessment

Today was a full on mathematic's day with a short library interlude. Here are some of the materials students have to make their 3D models with, apart from the cardboard nets they have either drawn up themselves or been given.  They will receive three more nets tomorrow.

Possible 3D shape construction materials

Students have the choice of using the A3 Black line proforma I made up for the assessment task (which is already A3 size) or they can save the digital version on to a USB stick so they can use ICT skills to make their poster. I showed them how to obtain and  use images off the net or import their own photos of  the 3D shapes they have made into the document. The A4 posters they make digitally can be easily photocopied and converted to A3 colour if students have them saved on a USB device.  Below are the proformas. I shared one I was making. They have been asked to choose a simple 3D shape and a more complicated one to investigate. Below is the blank  basic proforma.

3D Shapes	Squared-based Pyramid	Hexagonal Prism
Real-life example
Shape of base
Number of faces
Number of vertices
Number of edges
Number of curved surfaces
Skeleton Model OR Cardboard Model OR a  hybrid
Example of 2D Net
Sketches from different angles

  

Extra Information and Interesting Facts

Here are two examples of explanatory posters on 3D shapes which I made from scratch. I have focused on a hexagonal prism which we haven't looked at yet in class. Students can use the above digital template to design their own OR they can be really adventurous and design their own template.

Example 1... to show the possibilities

Example 2 with views and skeleton model

Hexagonal prism made from Plasticine and toothpicks.
The photograph was then inserted into the poster.

Skeleton cube made from peas and toothpicks

I made the cube from toothpicks and frozen peas. We only had baby peas in our freezer which made the job a bit fiddly. When the peas dry and shrink, the structure becomes more rigid. This usually takes a couple of days. Students may like to experiment at home where the peas can be kept frozen before use.

All students chose and made their own skeleton model for a simple 3D shape today and photographed the finished product for insertion into their Explanatory posters. These are on the student drive where students can access them.  Students need to ensure that their Extra Information and Interesting Facts section at the bottom of their posters is in their own words.

Have packed some skewers for G to use tomorrow for her

rectangular prism.  Top efforts with what we had though.

Skeleton cube made by JS

Some snap shots from today:

Making a truncated pyramid skeleton model

Referring to a maths dictionary

The three nets given out on Friday made up. This student 

scored his shapes very carefully.

Step pyramid

AD's square-based pyramid skeleton model

Students also viewed a PhotoStory all about finished shapes boards completed by students from a like age group to give them something to aim for. They will all receive their card tomorrow to mount their finished shapes on and on which to write a summary of the attributes of each shape.

Below is a photo of the finished Japanese flowering cherry blossom trees. They look very effective. Well done Blackman's Bay students. Sensei Townsend must be very proud of you all.  I have one of these trees in my front garden and love it when it flowers in our spring.

Cherry Blossom Viewing

Hanami

I also hope my beautiful-inside-and out grade 6 girl with the severe neck is feeling better. xx

More Books for Our Classroom Library

So excited these two books finally came from Fishpond about animals in warfare. I will show the students tomorrow. I also watched the Blu Ray of War Horse. It is an M rating but if any parent wants to borrow it from me and watch it with their son/daughter just let me know.

Also, the following books are new to our little classroom library. I have read the majority of the books on the shelves and there is a blog that goes with the Little Library of Rescued Books. 

http://littlelibraryofrescuedbooks.blogspot.com.au/

I try to collect authors where possible so children can read a whole series of books from the one author. I notice that Cathy Cassidy is pretty popular withe the girls and I have been encouraging students to read some of Colin Thiele's books. 

"tion" words, Storm Boy, 3D shapes and Softies

We started the morning with spelling bingo and then had a quick look at the "tion" words they will be working on as part of their literacy on Monday with Mrs Klonaris. I asked students to see if they could work out the base word for each of the nouns. It was then on to viewing Storm Boy. Nearly the whole class has now read this Australian classic. 

After the movie students were given the nets for some 3D shapes they will be making up for their Shapes Boards. They have now finished with the hand drawn nets of tetrahedrons, cubes, rectangular prisms and squared-based pyramids. The shapes included a truncated pyramid, a stepped pyramid and a double hexagonal pyramid. On Tuesday they each receive a piece of card on which to glue their shapes, name them and write about the attributes of each one under it,  such as its number of faces, edges and vertices. I told them about Euler's law too.  The number of faces plus vertices - 2 will give you the number of edges. 

This chart may assist some students when it comes to naming and writing up about their shapes.

After lunch we settled into making more of our softies.

.

Common, Proper and Collective nouns, 3D shapes...and mould

All of the morning we focused on noun types and played quite a few games after I arrived at school just on time after a severe flooding of my kitchen!.

After Music students focused on making a triangular-based pyramid, and some started on their prototypes for a rectangular prism. We also discussed the explanatory posters they will begin next Tuesday.

Constructing nets

Excellent fine motor skills

Triangular-based and squared-based pyramids

In the afternoon students did a half hour block of dedicated reading as we have not done this for some time and then they had more time on their mould investigations.

Thinking outside the sqaure

The persuasive posters are worth coming in to have a look at. Well done 5/6 C!

A few of my students also had the opportunity to build some 3D shapes using some materials Mr Bucher loaned us for the afternoon.

Fun with 3D shapes

SF's creations

Make an explanatory poster about a 3D shape...moderation task

Soon we will be moderating across schools (primary and high school) looking at a students " know how" on planar and 3D shapes. Yes, it is full on, never a dull moment!  Just had a two hour staff meeting on this one. On Tuesday I talked to students about one of the major text types they need to understand  and be capable of using by the end of their grade six year, (refer to Writer's Notebook entry :http://thelittleclassroomuptheback.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/maze-grids-composite-numbers-and-more.html ) Tomorrow I will be showing the class two examples of explanatory texts focusing on pyramids and prisms,  showcasing effective use of tables,  photos, drawings,  (diagrams)  and explanations. Students will be requested to produce a poster of their own using ICT skills or good old-fashioned technology OR a mix of both to show what they know about a prisms and a pyramid and/or other amzing 3D shapes. They can use my personal camera, the class camera or their own to take a photo  or two for use in their posters. Gosh, the office is going to love me every time we print out a colour photo.  Students need to closely analyse the above posters in order to design and construct their own.  I will have Plasticine and toothpicks (good old fashioned technology) in the classroom from which they can make their physical representations. Must find the time to transport the old microwave for Plasticine-softening purposes in the next few days. Maybe tomorrow.

Time to hit some grammar...PLUS amazing mould photos for downloading

Grammar was the focus of this morning's first lesson after forty minutes of shifting in the new furniture.  Nearly all class members pulled their weight carrying  out the old furniture and bringing in the new, repositioning computers and reconnecting them, cleaning up messy areas of the room and cutting away plastic wrapping from the new art stools. Students have stunning new blue desks, an art table with six leaning stools to go underneath and I have a lovely shelving system so I don't have to be constantly grovelling on the floor to find books and lessons etc.  A big thank you to the wonderful Mr Norm Hopwood who helps me out enormously. He definitely deserves double the wage he is currently receiving. The room is looking amazing.

Also thank you Anthony Burrows; I promise I will stop complaining now... for a bit anyway :)))).

The persuasive posters that came in on time now adorn the front display along with The Lorax reports. The percentage of students who will pass English is rising! Well done, and believe you me, the hard yakka is well-worth it. Hopefully the other persuasive posters will come in tomorrow.

Below is the spelling/grammar activity they had to complete in table groups. Students did a great job.

Make plurals from the following. Think... do we drop the y and add ies...OR  do we just add s? We discussed the rules for this on both Monday and Tuesday...now can they apply it. 

At the bottom of your classification list write a rule which would help a younger student in the school.

abbey      dolly pulley alley
berry        jockey fly chutney
city         gallery survey chimney
story       lolly valley donkey
honey       trolley spy copy
journey     lady nanny dragonfly

Just before recess we talked about common nouns and played a quick ten minute game of name a common noun. I shuffled a set of alphabet cards and students had to quickly say a common noun beginning with that letter. Now that was interesting.

After daily phys.ed. and a Maze Grid,  I gave a lesson on making a square-based pyramid from card from scratch. Students did reasonably well with their compass skills and net construction. I brought in some of my husband's woodworking glue today as this makes the gluing up of tabs infinitely easier. We will keep persevering with the development of fine motor skills.

Music options students did the whole in and out and in and out of the classroom thing from 12 o'clock to three but I have every confidence in them that they are keeping up with any new major developments!

In the afternoon students were given time on their mould studies, and their persuasive posters if they were a bit behind with them. A few students also  designed, published and printed off their covers for their Science reports. They are keeping all published pieces in their portfolios. 

Below are photos taken of the mouldy bread samples (day 7 for the majority of students) which students can directly download from this site to insert into their Science reports. I suspect a few of these samples are also harbouring colonies of bacteria. Let's keep them securely taped up!  I felt a bit queasy looking at some of these. Hmmm the electricity unit is definitely less stomach churning.  I hope these are labelled correctly; I am sure the students will tell me if I have them wrong. Thanks you AK for being a great recorder today.

AK

TR&JS

TR & JS

AD & EC

VL

VL

TJ & T

AK & CB

AK & CB

No action here KF & P

NS

NS

AK & CB 

OF & MH

NS calculating percentage of mould growth

AK calculating percentage of mould growth

Maze Grids, Composite Numbers and more arrays...and Writer's Notebook

This morning, following spelling bingo, we started with a vocabulary and listening skill. I spoke to the class about the "How to increase your word power" section in Reader's Digests I used to do these religiously as a kid and eventually was scoring full scores after a couple of years of persistence.  I have just brought a whole bag of of them into the room and they will inhabit the bottom shelf in our newly acquired withdrawal area. We focused on a list of words with dog as part of their structure, eg dogmatic, dogleg, dogfight etc...

After that we hit The Writer's Notebook and discussed the major genres they need to focus on this year. Students now have the following list written out  so they can keep a tally of the text types they do and eventually publish for the portfolios.


Narrative: to entertain

Recount: to retell events or experiences

Procedure: to explain how to do something

Report: to present factual information in a logical sequence

Exposition: to persuade others to think about an issue from a
                    particular viewpoint

Explanation: explains how or why something works or happens in the world

Then we really got stuck into maths and completed three lessons. It was then off to library. In the afternoon students had time on their mould investigations and their persuasive posters promoting the war-themed picture books for older readers which are due in tomorrow.

One persuasive poster complete

I am still chasing The Lorax film/book report from four students. Two have assured me they will be handed in tomorrow. Students  now need to be firmly focused on their Science reports on their mould experiments and be chipping away at each section a bit at a time. These are due before the end of term, one month away.